Taylor Swift’s new song managed to confuse most of the world recently. I’m sure this is not the first article that has been written on the song and it most certainly won’t be the last. And although there are some parts that are catchy, I’ll admit to liking bits and pieces. Overall, I think the song sends a bad message.
Taylor Swift’s song “Shake It Off,” while I maybe didn’t like, sent a message about being the bigger person. About caring about yourself and not letting other’s judgemental opinions define your self-worth. “Look What You Made Me Do” is a song where Taylor Swift is broadcasting to the world that she’s petty.
Many will disagree with me. Many people believe that this is a song about someone being powerful and standing up for yourself. But all I hear in the lyrics is a tendency to hold on to bitter resentment that, at one point, Swift preached that she was above. And whether she’s trying to appeal to a wider audience or demonstrate that she has variety in her songwriting, it makes me feel a bit sad. Taylor Swift may not be everyone’s favorite, but at least she stayed the same pure, optimistic artist. If she did write this song to attract people, or to make more money, all she’s telling everyone is that if you need to change yourself to impress people, do it. That’s a terrible message to send.
If she’s writing it to be seen as powerful or confident, she’s not exactly exuding that vibe. She seemed confident to me in “Shake It Off,” when she sang about all you need is you, and how the people that say negative things about you are petty and don’t understand your value. By coming out with a song about putting people on a list of those she wants bad things for, she’s announcing that you actually can’t shake off mean words and you should stoop to their level and fight back.
There are some lyrics that are actually really nice, like when she speaks about becoming stronger, but later she sings about not trusting people and that the kind, forgiving version of herself is dead. If everyone lived by those words, the world would be a dark, unhappy place. I’m confused about the transition from self-empowerment to blaming other people, from meaningful lyrics to a chorus consisting of a single phrase. It makes the world seem full of disappointment when all you really should do is learn to rise above.
