“Sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, cause she’s dead,” Taylor Swift declared on her new single, “Look What You Made Me Do,” sending longtime fans into a frenzy, and not the good kind.
It’s been three long years without new T-Swift jams to scream-sing in the car. It’s been three long years of waiting for new content, but on Aug. 24, the queen of pop disappointed.
Reputation’s first single is a pathetic and unnecessary response to Kanye West’s “Famous.”
It’s common sense that Swift is famous for her talent, not Yeezy’s public intoxication. She was hired to write professionally at the age of 14, while the rest of us were debating whether or not to stuff our bras and wishing someone would ask us to freshman homecoming.
Since her 2006 debut, Swift has worked hard to stay out of the Hollywood drama (with the exception of 2014’s “Bad Blood,” her catty dig at Katy Perry), but the new single undoes all of that.
1989 contained a couple bad pop songs, but at least they were catchy; “Look What You Made Me Do” lacks even that. It also fails to demonstrate Swift’s innovation and range as an artist, while calling her character into question.
To be fair, Swift’s reputation was harmed by the snapchat videos that Kim Kardashian released of her consenting to most of the “Famous” lyrics, but using a music video to relive every negative narrative in the past decade is just immature. She used to be above things like this; she used to have class.
Now, I don’t want to write off the album before I hear it, but with a name like Reputation, one can’t help but assume that it will be full of vengeful tracks highlighting the same tired theme.
I want to see great storytelling from Swift again. She has a gift for words unrivaled in decades, but she doesn’t always use it to the best of her ability.
The pop thing can work for Swift. 1989 featured some tracks that combined ‘80s production elements with new technology for some successful results, but she’s at her best when she sits down with a guitar or piano and writes from the heart. No co-writers, no glam, just Taylor.
I get that Swift wants to stay relevant, but she shouldn’t sacrifice her art to do so. It’s the beautiful, original, one-of-a-kind stories told in the ballads on each of her records that make her special, but I have a sinking feeling that Reputation will lack a “Fifteen,” “All Too Well,” “Clean” or “Last Kiss.”
I can’t shake the fear that the woman I’ve looked up to my whole life is gone for good. The world doesn’t need another shallow pop star; it needs the sweet Pennsylvania girl whose music made so many people feel understood. If the old Taylor is really dead, it’s a damn shame.
Halle Weber is a sophomore studying journalism with a focus in news and information at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Do you think Taylor's new single is a dud? Let Halle know by tweeting at her @HalleWeber13.
