I’m sure we all know why we’ve all gathered here today…to talk about the queen of the music industry, Taylor Swift, in my opinion! Taylor Swift will be embarking on her Eras Tour in 26 days, and I want to pre-game by writing this article about some of the songs that have impacted my life with some tag-along stories. So, grab a drink of your choice, water, champagne, Pimm’s cup or wine, put some Taylor Swift music on, grab a fav blanket, perhaps a red one, and read on.
- I Knew You Were Trouble: This song introduced me to Taylor Swift. I was 12 years old and on my way to school in the morning with my mom, and Z100 Elvis Duran was playing. The next thing I knew, I heard Taylor singing this song, which sent an “oh” moment to my brain. What’s funny is on one of my old phones, I have a 12-year-old whiny voice singing this, which brings me so much joy! However, this is not when I become a full-on Swiftie. That’s much later.
- Love Story: How could this not be on my list? I am such a hopeless romantic that this song speaks to my heart and believing in love. It is one of my favorite love songs out there, and I would not be mad if my future husband proposed to me with this song. Also, Taylor seemingly introduced me to Shakespeare at such a young age. Of course, it makes sense now since I have multiple copies of Shakespeare’s complete collections and took a Shakespeare class in college.
- Shake It Off: This is such a banger hit and Taylor classic. Anytime I need to destress, remind me just to be me and dance out; this is the song I listen to. I even learned some of the choreography for this song from watching music and tour videos. One of my favorite little stories to go with this song is the night of high school graduation. The whole class left after graduation to go to project graduation on buses. I sat on the bus with the majority of guys in my class because they were my friends. My one friend Spencer is also fond of this song, and he and I got the majority of our bus to sing “Shake It Off,” and I loved every second of it. Just me and the guys singing Taylor Swift.
- Look What You Made Me Do: This song solidified me as a full-on Swiftie and emo; and landed in my lap at the perfect time to make this all happen. During this time, I was confused and trying to figure out my style: would I go preppy, edgy or more feminine? I was also going through boy issues, and this song hit and rocked my world. From then on, I wore more dark colors, felt more edgy/sexy, bought snake jewelry and started rocking my look more to a particular style. I also began to research who Taylor Swift was. Oh, boy issues songs. I like them. What are Easter Eggs? Who is this song about? Which ex? What are her cats’ names? Where is the Taylor Swift community? AM I A SWIFTIE?
- ME!: This is the pinnacle of epicness and collaboration of my world. I love Brendon Urie and Taylor Swift, and my mind exploded when I heard they collaborated. The day the song dropped, I learned the lyrics instantly and watched the music video a million times because I love both of them and looking for Easter Eggs. Also, on my breaks in high school, I would go to a particular hallway and choreograph and practice a dance I made to this song for fun, and I bet somewhere in school records, there is a tape of me dancing randomly in a hallway to this song. Also, I manifested/predicted this collaboration because Brendon was streaming on Twitch during this time. On Jan. 23, 2019, I asked Brendon if he liked Taylor Swift, and he answered, saying she was f***king awesome and he went to her Reputation Tour. Then three months later, ME! drops. Coincidence, I think not!
- the 1 / my tears ricochet: Folklore came out during the pandemic when a lot of people used it as a reflection period, and it was a little over a year after my situationship ended. This person was also a great friend of eight years and we talked almost every other day and then stopped for good reasons. So it took me a long time to process my emotions and these two songs helped move the process along faster. “The 1” for me talks about you could have been the one for me. I thought we had a great run of this friendship and I hope you’re happy now. Then “my tears ricochet” for me, highlighting the pain, anguish, questioning and spite that hit me. After that, it was also a release for me. It then turned into self-reflection into a peaceful move on.
- marjorie: A short and straightforward explanation for this song is that it helps me process death and remember loved ones.
8. All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version): Now, this is a special song because this is the song that my best friend Leslie and I bonded over when we first met. She was the one who explained the whole concept of what the song meant because I didn’t understand it until then. From there, she and I created a radio segment for “Tunes on Tuesday” celebrating “Red (Taylor’s Version)”. After that, Leslie and I grew our friendship into something really meaningful that I never had before in a true friendship. I am so thankful I found her. She is my best friend, and I hope we go to more Taylor Swift clubs together, create incredible memories and have more laughs. And yes, we are going to the Eras Tour together.