Advertise on podcast: Evolution of a Snake: The Taylor Swift Fan Podcast

20 years ago, the greatest debut album of all time was ever made: Taylor Swift’s, Taylor Swift, 2006. It was a historic first step in a new leap for womankind. Our Song, for example, made Taylor Swift the youngest artist ever to write and perform a #1 country song. Featuring other smash hits like Teardrops On My Guitar, Should’ve Said No, and Picture to Burn…we revisit an album we haven’t listened to in full for a long time, to share our thoughts and feelings about it, as well as provide you predictions on what will happen for the inevitable release of Debut (Taylor’s Version): the vault tracks alone, are a ki…

Welcome back to Phone a Snake, the world's greatest hotline, where you call in with your unpopular opinions and we roast them, agree, or debate. In today's episode, we're Patient Zeroing in on Taylor Swift's new deluxe version of The Life of a Showgirl. It's titled "The Encore" and we sure hope that means this is the end of the road for the era...on the agenda today: is this just boring millennial pop for white women? Is the songwriting lazy? Will The Encore hurt Taylor's legacy? Why is Debut TV getting paid dust? Cleveland is camp, and more...enjoy!

With the addition of Showgirl: The Encore, we now have four new deluxe tracks to add into the canon of Taylor Swift songs that didn't make it to the album, but aren't one off singles or vault songs. We were inspired by Billboard's uninspired ranking of the same material, to give the Swiftie perspective on how these new songs rank compared to their sisters, while taking a walk down memory lane. Enjoy!

Here we are again...at the most culturally irrelevant pop culture awards show! This year's VMA was, unsurprisingly, a snooze fest. And yet it was the highest rated show in years. Go figure. We get into all the winners and snubbed divas of the evening, including: Lisa, Madonna, Slayyyter, Pink Pantheress, Zara Larsson...and of course, a review and reaction to Taylor Swift's new music video for Patient Zero. Enjoy!

GET EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT ONLY ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/swiftologistWell, here we are again. Taylor Swift has released the deluxe version of The Life of a Showgirl, called The Encore, and we’re here to decode it for you. Four new tracks: Patient Zero, Pink Clouding, Cleveland!, and Babylon have entered the canon and we have thoughts about all of it: from the male-centered allegations, to the bizarre tone of…anger…and the desire to clap back at the haters, both real and imagined. We are always keeping it real.

WE WILL BE UPDATING IN REAL TIME ON SHOWGIRL: THE ENCORE ONLY ON PATREON! https://www.patreon.com/swiftologist The vault tracks have been one of the most special gifts that Taylor Swift has ever bestowed upon us, her fans. However. Are they all created equally? We're taking the magnifying glass to each and every vault track in the discography: from Fearless all the way until 1989, and deciding who the REAL divas are. Foolish One, you'll always be famous. Don't You...start running.

This week on Evolution of a Snake we're doing the FULL autopsy of The Diva at the VMAs. From baby yeehaw Taylor on correspondent duty in 2008 to Kanye grabbing that mic in 2009 and rewiring her entire career, the painfully passive-aggressive Innocent era in 2010, the Red bangs relaunch in 2012, the Harry Styles revenge speech in 2013, that CURSED Shake It Off performance in 2014, the Nicki Minaj feud and Bad Blood sweep in 2015, the Lover overload in 2019, hijacking the show to announce Midnights in 2022, all the way to becoming the most decorated artist in VMA history in 2024. What awaits us in 2026?!

Every pop career looks inevitable in hindsight, and Taylor Swift's more than anyone's. Except almost none of it was. In this episode, we revisit Taylor Swift’s true sliding door moments (we like to call it the butterfly effect) where one different call could’ve altered her entire legacy. The breakups, album rollouts, feuds…we address all of it! Thankfully for Taylor, nearly every terrible thing that’s happened to her has only gone on to fuel the machine she is now. There’s no snake without the phone call from Kanye West and the posting of it by Kim Kardashian, so then there’s no reputation without the snake…you see how it goes!

We’re putting our minds together to analyze every scrap of detail and information Taylor Swift has given in this ICONIC Grammy’s interview. After a week of investigating, we’re ready to share our conclusions which are: DEBUT (TAYLOR’S VERSION) IS COMING!! And a potential, wider return to country music is most certainly on the cards.

7 years ago, Taylor Swift released what we assumed was the low quality of her career: a sprawling, twinkly, bleep-blooping record with an expansive thesis statement. This is all about everything that I love…from my boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, who won’t talk to me, to my mother, to my friends, to the gays, and also one thing I really hate: the political climate. Taylor’s turn towards “activism” made for some humiliating marketing faux pas with ME!, You Need To Calm Down, and Only The Young…but there’s PLENTY to admire here. Has anyone heard of a little song called CRUEL SUMMER?

GET WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/swiftologist In 2014, TIME put Taylor Swift on the cover and asked her about feminism, business, and the growing Girlboss empire she was engineering. This week we're reading The Power of Taylor Swift through 2026 eyes: her #THISISWHATAFEMINISTLOOKSLIKE era, 1989, and her move to New York City. This is lowkey the moment where she learned to make her life a product in a totally different way. Welcome back to TayRewind!

JOIN US FOR WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/swiftologist MANY years before All Too Well (10 Minute Version)  broke the internet, Taylor Swift spent three months dating Jake Gyllenhaal...and upon reflection, we'd argue it's the single most important relationship of her career, creatively.  We rebuild the 2010 timeline: the sudden PDA, the tabloid ambush, the age-gap commentary, and the decade it took for the fallout to turn into a ten-minute song. There are also many TERRIFYING paralels to another intense 3 month situationship...so, if you've ever wondered how a short-lived 2010 romance became the emotional backbone of an entire album, the bone collectors are here with every receipt.

We opened the hotline for your most unpopular opinions on the new Gracie Abrams, Ariana Grande, and Charli XCX records, and you did not hold back. We're getting into why "gifted songwriter" might be the most overused compliment in pop right now, whether Ariana's era is giving main pop girl or giving cosplay, and the uncomfortable stat that Charli XCX got outsold by Morgan Wallen. This was a truly LOCA episode!! But the townspeople have spoken...

GO TO https://www.patreon.com/swiftologist FOR THE FULL SHOW! This is a full segment from our sold-out live show, where we unpack one of the most fascinating and divisive pop culture moments of 2025: The Life of a Showgirl, live from Dynasty Typewriter in Los Angeles. Far beyond a simple album review, this is a conversation about the entire era—how the rollout unfolded, the internet discourse that shaped its reception, allegations of astroturfing, the engagement to Travis Kelce and its influence on the public narrative, the expectations placed on one of the world's biggest stars, and what this chapter might mean for what's next. AND, how it felt to experience all of this as not only swifties, but content creators.  Our live shows have always been about creating space for thoughtful criticism, nuance, and disagreement. Whether you loved The Life of a Showgirl, hated it, or are still figuring out how you feel, we hope this conversation offers a perspective that goes beyond the headlines and the algorithms.

JOIN US ON PATREON FOR WEEKLY BONUS EPISODES: https://www.patreon.com/swiftologist  Six years ago, Taylor Swift released folklore with no warning, no singles campaign, and no promo tour. Just 16 songs that changed the conversation around her music forever. One could argue there would be no second wind in her career without it. Is this her creative peak? We revisit the album in full to discuss. Happy folkloreversary to those who celebrate!