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I’ll be your father figure. In this Show and Tell episode, Jenn, Jodi, and Maansi unpack masculinity as a cultural construct, from powdered wigs and heels in 18th century France to Travis Kelce happily playing the less famous partner on New Heights. Jenn kicks things off with Better Man, flipping every one of the ex's flaws to sketch the man Taylor actually wants (grateful, consistent, kind, and secure enough not to talk down to anyone). Jodi brings The Man and gets real about the double standards that turn a woman's "edge" into a man's ambition, plus why leaning in never quite worked. Maansi closes with Father Figure, tracing every Jaguar, chateau, and glass of brown liquor back to the patriarch. (And yes, she researched the history of dick measuring contests. For science.) Along the way, the hosts map R.W. Connell's hegemonic masculinity, Aragorn versus Commodus, the Byronic hero, Hemingway's code hero, and the colonial baggage packed into a single word like "conquest." Pour yourself a whiskey (or don't, it tastes like fire) and press play. Episode Highlights 00:59  Intro to the topic 11:36  Jenn's pick, Better Man, plus its Little Big Town backstory 22:35  Jodi's pick, The Man, and the rebranding of female ambition 37:48  Maansi's pick, Father Figure, and the patriarch in the title Mentioned in This Episode Books The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir Masculinities by R.W. Connell When Women Lead by Julia Boorstin Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Hamlet by William Shakespeare The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Browse every book we've mentioned at our Bookshop.org storefront. Films The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring  Gladiator  Casino Royale  The Godfather Follow Along Find us at @APTaylorSwift everywhere.  TikTok Instagram YouTube Linktree Website  aptaylorswift.com Email  [email protected] Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes   Intro music by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z. AP Taylor Swift is an independent podcast and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Taylor Swift, her management, or her record labels.

"I took your matches before fire could catch me" This week we're going line-by-line through Taylor Swift's "Dear John" (Speak Now, 2010). We go through the WWII-era history behind the title, the epistolary letter form, and how a breakup letter becomes an act of reclaiming her own story. And surprisingly, we walk away realizing (spoiler alert) maybe this song isn’t as sad as we thought! Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episode Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com Mentioned in this episode: Dear John, Nicholas Sparks (novel) Dear John (2010 film) "A Dear John Letter" — Jean Shepard & Ferlin Husky (1953) The Correspondent, Virginia Evans (novel) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone — wizard's chess scene "Your Song," Elton John AP Taylor Swift: "Dear Reader" episode  Episode Highlights: [01:19] Why "Dear John" is such a track five  [01:42] What a Dear John letter actually is — the WWII-era origin of the phrase  [05:55] "Long were the nights"  [10:39] "You paint me a blue sky and go back and turn it to rain"  [17:48] "don't you think I was too young to be messed with"  [36:33] "I took your matches before fire could catch me"  [45:53] The turn from "I should have known" to "you should have known"  Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com Contact us at [email protected] Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro   This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

I wanna be your end game. Roll the dice, pick your teams, and pull up a chair, because this week is all about games (decidedly not sports). Taylor reaches for game metaphors constantly, and once you start looking, you find chess boards, poker hands, and team rosters all over her catalog. Jenn kicks things off with the big thinkers of play, from Johan Huizinga’s magic circle to Roger Caillois’s four types of play to game theory, the field that treats every board game as a tiny model of human decision making. Then Jodi takes us inside the chess game of “Dear John,” where somebody else keeps changing the rules. Jenn lays her cards on the table with “Foolish One” and explains why showing your hand first is a classic game theory mistake (hello, sucker’s payoff). Maansi closes with “End Game,” tracing “end game,” “first string,” and “A-Team” back to chess, medieval archery, and the US Army, and landing on a very different kind of game where both players finally sit on the same side of the board. Along the way we detour through Jumanji, Lord of the Flies, Alice in Wonderland, The Queen’s Gambit, a Garry Kasparov masterclass, and the ancient Indian roots of chess. Grab your game pieces and play along! Episode Highlights [01:27] Jenn sets the stage with games as a core part of being human [09:44] Jodi on “Dear John” [22:46] Jenn on “Foolish One” [37:28] Maansi on “End Game” [52:57] Honorable mentions lightning round Mentioned in This Episode Homo Ludens by Johan Huizinga Man, Play and Games by Roger Caillois Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg Lord of the Flies by William Golding Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks The Mahabharata Browse all our picks at bookshop.org/shop/apts Film and TV The Queen’s Gambit (Netflix) Jumanji (1995) The A-Team (1983) Follow Along Website aptaylorswift.com Instagram @APTaylorSwift TikTok @APTaylorSwift YouTube @APTaylorSwift Linktree @APTaylorSwift Email [email protected] Rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen, and tell us your favorite game reference in the comments! Extra Credit on Substack We barely scratched the surface on games (we didn’t even get to video games). Find more extra credit on our Substack at aptaylorswift.substack.com, and join After School, our paid tier, for bonus content from all three of us.   Intro music by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z. AP Taylor Swift is an independent podcast and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Taylor Swift, her team, or her record labels.

"They say the road gets hard, and you get lost when you're led by blind faith." This week we're going line-by-line through "False God" (Lover, 2019). We trace the blind faith, the confession and forgiveness, and the New York City vs. West Village metaphor to figure out who's the deity and who's the devotee in this relationship. Check out more at aptaylorswift.com  Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Mentioned in this episode: APTS Episode 107: State of Grace Deep Dive "Like a Prayer," Madonna Arrested Development Episode Highlights: [00:15] What is a “false god”? [02:27] "We were crazy to think, crazy to think that this could work"  [08:29] "Like I'm not your favorite town... I'm New York City"  [15:38] "You get lost when you're led by blind faith"  [25:46] "Even if it's a false god, we'd still worship this love" [40:09] "Heaven's a thing... hell is when I fight with you"  [46:18] "You're the West Village" Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected] Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

And the God's honest truth is that the pain was heaven" This week we're looking at Taylor Swift's lyrics through the lens of God as a literary symbol — the ultimate judge, the absent silent one, and the lover. Maansi brings in "Soon You'll Get Better" (Lover, 2019), Jodi covers "False God" (Lover, 2019), and Jenn digs into "Would've, Could've, Should've" (Midnights, 2022). Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Mentioned in this episode: Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne Silence Silence (2016, dir. Martin Scorsese) Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston Night, Elie Wiesel Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret, Judy Blume Hildegard of Bingen: The Woman of Her Age, Fiona Maddocks The Song of Solomon, The Bible The poems of Emily Dickinson Female Painters Episode Odyssey Episode Greek Mythology Episode Episode Highlights: [01:00] God as a literary symbol: [13:23] "Soon You'll Get Better" [26:46] "False God" [37:29] "Would've, Could've, Should've" Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected] Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

This week we have a special episode for our paid subscribers, an interview with author Cate Rubenstein, whose book “Taylor Swift: Voices in Pop Music” is the latest in the series of pop music biography books geared toward young readers ages 12-15. We get into how she builds a real person on the page without ever interviewing her subject, what she chose to include (and cut) about Taylor's years of rejected auditions, and why she thinks Anti-Hero is the moment Taylor's songwriting fully grew up. Paid Substack and Apple Podcast subscribers can listen to the full interview wherever you’ve paid for your subscription. All readers can catch excerpts from the interview on our Substack, aptaylorswift.substack.com, including links to purchase Cate’s book. Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes (like this one!) Mentioned in this episode: Taylor Swift: Voices in Pop Music, Cate Rubenstein Voices in Hip-Hop: Jay-Z, Cate Rubenstein Voices in Pop: Billie Eilish, Cate Rubenstein 🔎 In this episode: How Cate went from clinical psychology to writing about Jay-Z, Billie Eilish, and Taylor Swift Her rule for research: verified facts and first-person interviews only, no opinion pieces The parts of Taylor's rise that get left out of the "overnight success" story Why Cate calls Anti-Hero a turning point in Taylor's songwriting Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected] Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

"I was there when you said, forever and always." In this deep dive, we crack open why "Forever and Always" is a bait and switch song, tracing how Taylor takes a romantic idiom and flips it into a play by play of a relationship falling apart in real time. We trace the whole arc: the extraordinary to ordinary swap in that first "I believe it was a Tuesday" line, the low-key violence hiding inside a single word ("caught"), and the moment a few lines in when she stops calling it a relationship and starts calling it "this thing." By the bridge, even the chorus gets rewritten. So what actually happened between them? All three of us landed somewhere different, and that's kind of the whole point of a deep dive. Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Episode Highlights: [02:16] What "forever and always" actually means, and why the title uses it ironically [08:54] "Caught" versus "hold": the violence and the comfort hiding in her word choice [25:30] The chorus hits: "I stare at the phone" [41:14] The universal ache of not knowing what you did wrong   Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe Follow us on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro   This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

"Dear Reader, If it feels like a trap, you're already in one." This week we're kicking off Season 4 by looking at Taylor Swift's lyrics through reader-response theory. The framework, pioneered by Stanley Fish, argues meaning isn't fixed in a text but created in the act of reading—or in our case, listening! Jodi digs into "Forever and Always" (Fearless, 2008), Maansi takes on "Peace" (folklore, 2020), and Jenn closes it out with "Dear Reader" (Midnights, 2022) — a song that's basically begging for this exact analysis. Listen and learn why Swifties are the epitome of an interpretive community. Learn more at aptaylorswift.com Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Mentioned in this episode: Stanley Fish & Reader Response Theory The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë Miss Americana Fearless Album Deep Dive (After School paid preview) — Substack version "The Odyssey" and Taylor Swift's Songs | AP Taylor Swift E Episode Highlights: [01:12] What is reader-response theory? [09:50] "Forever and Always" [22:35] "Peace" [32:37] "Dear Reader"   Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected]   Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro   This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

“Fatefully, I tried to pick my battles 'til the battle picked me” This week, we're diving into the timeless influence of Greek mythology in Taylor Swift's music by exploring connections between Taylor's songs and classic Greek myths. Jodi finds links between Demeter and Persephone’s sorrow in The Hymn to Demeter and the Folklore song "My Tears Ricochet.” Maansi shows us how  "Long Story Short” sounds like Odysseus recounting his epic journey as he returns home. And Jenn gets into the ancient story of the Labyrinth and how it reflects themes of self-discovery and transformation in "Labyrinth." Is Taylor Swift a modern-day Homer? Listen and find out!    Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe Stay up to date: www.aptaylorswift.com    Mentioned in this episode:  Mythology, Edith Hamilton The Iliad, Homer The Odyssey, Homer Metamorphoses, Ovid Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan E44: Metaphors + “The Tortured Poets Department” E22: Mastermind  Homeric Hymns  The Hymn to Demeter Hadestown (musical) Hercules (Disney animated film) E54: One Year Anniversary of AP Taylor Swift Circe, Madeline Miller Fantasyland by Kurt Andersen The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell Stephen Fry’s Mythos, Heroes, and Troy  Episode Highlights:  Introduction to Greek Mythology "my tears ricochet" folklore "long story short" evermore "Labyrinth" Midnights Follow us!  TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm →  tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected]   Affiliate Codes:  Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!  Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro *** This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

“And I was catching my breath, barefoot in the wildest winter…” What happens when a 21st-century American poet meets a 19th-century one? In this Show & Tell episode, we explore the literary lineage between Taylor Swift and Emily Dickinson. Each of us brings a favorite Dickinson poem paired with a Swift song that touch on shared motifs such as separation, isolation, and hope. Tune in to find out which modern-day Taylor tracks sound like 19th-century poetry—and why we think Emily might vibe with Evermore.   Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes   Mentioned in this episode:  The Letters of Emily Dickinson The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson Hope is the Thing with Feathers They Put Us Far Apart (Poem 474) It Was Not Death, for I Stood Up (Poem 355) Message in a Bottle – Taylor Swift Evermore – Taylor Swift Karma – Taylor Swift Beauty and the Beast (live-action & Broadway versions) Hamilton Taylor Swift by the Book Ancestry.com – Taylor & Emily’s distant cousin connection Emily Dickinson Museum Tikvah (Hebrew word for hope)   ***   Episode Highlights:  [6:26] “Message in a Bottle” + they put us far apart [16:03] “Evermore” + It was not death, for I stood up  [29:31] “Karma” + Hope is a thing with feathers Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!  TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm →  tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected]  Affiliate Codes:  Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!  Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro   This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

After going through the first 13 songs on "Fearless," here's part 2 in our "Fearless" Album Deep Dive, where we go track-by-track through the Platinum Edition bonus tracks released in October 2009, plus the seven vault tracks Taylor finally let out of the cage with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) in 2021. Join us as we go song-by-song through the B-sides, the bonus tracks, and the vault — and try to figure out what Taylor was protecting, what she was perfecting, and what she was waiting for the right moment to say. Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com Mentioned in this episode: Luna Halo’s original “Untouchable” (2007) Valentine’s Day (2010) Hacks (HBO Max) American Fantasy by Emma Straub Ep 98: Unreliable Narrators (Mr. Perfectly Fine) Extra Credit essay on Forever Winter and the stages of grief Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected] Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

“It's the first kiss, it's flawless, really something, it's fearless.” For our Paid Subscribers, we're in our Fearless era, diving deep into Taylor's second album track by track. We go through all 13 original tracks, from the sparkly country-pop opening of "Fearless" to the quietly defiant closer "Change,” examining what each song adds to the album, what literary and emotional threads connect them, and how this era set the template Taylor would spend the next eras of her career perfecting. Along the way, we track the evolution of Taylor's fearlessness from a teenager writing on tour buses to the artist who re-recorded her masters and looked the whole industry dead in the eye. Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Mentioned in this episode: "Fearless," Fearless (2008) "15," Fearless (2008) "Love Story," Fearless (2008) "Hey Stephen," Fearless (2008) "White Horse," Fearless (2008) "You Belong With Me," Fearless (2008) "Breathe," Fearless (2008) "Tell Me Why," Fearless (2008) "You're Not Sorry," Fearless (2008) "The Way I Loved You," Fearless (2008) "Forever & Always," Fearless (2008) "The Best Day," Fearless (2008) "Change," Fearless (2008) Fearless (Taylor's Version) (2021) Ep 1: Hey Stephen Ep 81: Show & Tell — Female Artists (The Best Day) Ep 88: Weather Songs (Fearless) Ep 110: High School Musical (White Horse, Change) Ep 124–125: Time / 15 Deep Dive Doppelganger by Naomi Klein Colbie Caillat Episode Highlights: [00:00] Welcome to After School — Fearless era begins [01:11] Fearless as a sophomore album: branding, stakes, and proving it wasn't a fluke [06:46] Why "Fearless" and not "Love Story": the title as identity[09:00] The album's critical reception and Billboard dominance [12:14] The Kanye VMAs moment and what it meant for the era [29:43] Track 1 — "Fearless": dancing in the rain, connective tissue to debut [01:35:44] Track 13 — "Change": ending on a note of inevitability [01:43:31] What the album is actually about: manifesting fearlessness [01:46:01] The lesson from Fearless: just do the thing, even badly [01:49:27] Taylor's Version and why she started with Fearless Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected] Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

"Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things..." In this deep dive episode, we dissect one of Taylor Swift's most iconic satirical masterpieces: "Blank Space" from 1989. Join us as we unpack the magic, madness, heaven, and sin of a song that dared to ask: what if we owned the narrative instead of fighting it? Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes Mentioned in this episode: A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare Pretty Little Liars (TV series) The Office (TV series) Wife of Bath from The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer Episode Highlights: [04:29] Diving into “Blank Space”  [10:15] “New money, suit and tie” - character analysis  [17:27] Analyzing the chorus [24:31] Shakespearean references  [30:50] “Cherry lips, crystal skies” vs. “stolen kisses, pretty lies”  [37:25] "I get drunk on jealousy" [40:44] Bridge analysis: "Boys only want love if it's torture"  [46:59] Getting into the purpose of “Blank Space”    Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at [email protected]

"I'm only me when I'm with you" This week on AP Taylor Swift, we're diving into an AP Lit favorite: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1813). We trace Elizabeth and Jane Bennet's unshakeable sisterhood through "I'm Only Me When I'm With You," relive Darcy's catastrophically bad proposal through "Haunted," and land on "Lavender Haze" for a look at gossip, reputation, and what it means to fall in love in a world where marriage is a woman's only real option. Along the way: the literary canon, Regency courtship logistics, Bridgerton comparisons, and a debate about whether Elizabeth would be a Hinge girl.   Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes   Songs Discussed "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" Taylor Swift, Track 12 (2006) Written by: Taylor Swift, Robert Ellis Orrall, Angelo Petraglia "Haunted" Speak Now (2010) / Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (2023) Written by: Taylor Swift "Lavender Haze" Midnights, Track 1 (2022) Written by: Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, Jahaan Sweet, Mark "Sounwave" Spears, Sam Dew, Zoë Kravitz   Episode Highlights [01:01] Setting the scene: Pride and Prejudice, published 1813, and "a truth universally acknowledged" [06:48] "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" — Jenn's pick and the case for Jane and Elizabeth as the book's real love story [30:36] "Haunted" — Maansi's pick, staged around the infamous first proposal [48:24] "Lavender Haze" — Jodi's pick, tied to the novel's opening line about marriage   Mentioned in this episode: Books Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen — Bookshop.org Emma, Jane Austen — Bookshop.org The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Brontë — Bookshop.org Pride & Prejudice (2005) — JustWatch Bridgerton — JustWatch & Juliet (musical) — Official site   Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → use code APTS30 — libro.fm   Contact us at  [email protected] This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

"It's nice to believe, when you think Tim McGraw." This week on AP Taylor Swift, we're going line-by-line through Taylor Swift's "Tim McGraw" (debut, 2006) — her very first single. We trace a Chevy truck down some back roads, argue about whether "that's a lie" means something different by the end of the song than it did at the beginning, float (and mostly reject) a death theory, and land on why a 16-year-old writing about one summer might be one of the most quietly ambitious songwriting choices of her career.   Two ways to get more of AP Taylor Swift: Substack: free subscribers get episode updates. Paid subscribers get After School: bonus episodes, our full written archive, and a vote in what we cover next. Subscribe: http://aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe First 50 people to grab a Substack After School annual plan get 40% off: https://aptaylorswift.substack.com/wishlistmemberdiscount Apple Podcasts: paid subscribers get ad-free episodes, early episode access, and bonus episodes   Mentioned in this episode: Anita de Monte Laughs Last, Xóchitl González — https://bookshop.org/p/books/anita-de-monte-laughs-last-xochitl-gonzalez/19987600 The Last Song (2010) — https://reelgood.com/movie/the-last-song-2010 Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009) — https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/hannah-montana-the-movie To All the Boys I've Loved Before — https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/to-all-the-boys-ive-loved-before The Summer I Turned Pretty — https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-summer-i-turned-pretty Dirty Dancing (1987) — https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/danse-lascive Grease (1978) — https://www.justwatch.com/us/movie/grease Episode Highlights:  [03:38] "He said the way my blue eyes shined put those Georgia stars to shame that night. I said, that's a lie." [05:43] "Just a boy in a Chevy truck" [08:01] "I was right there beside him all summer long" [10:46] "When you think Tim McGraw, I hope you think my favorite song" [11:35] "When you think happiness, I hope you think that little black dress" [15:58] "September saw a month of tears" [19:25] "In a box beneath my bed is a letter that you've never read from three summers back" [33:55] Purpose of the song   Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro   Contact us at [email protected] This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.