AP Taylor Swift

E9: Show and Tell - Fall Songs

It’s fall, y’all! From chai cookies to a whole new color palette, we have officially entered into the season of fall, and we want to celebrate it with some of our favorite Taylor songs! Join us as Jenn talks about why “You Belong With Me” is forever a fall song in her midwestern mind; Jodi gives us an overview of the fall-themed marketing that came with the release of Red; and Maansi shocks us all by proving that “Cornelia Street” is 100% a Fall song even though it’s on a summer album. Make sure to listen all the way to the end to get a glimpse into a heated topic of debate among your professors as well ;) 
 
Mentioned in this episode: 
Shortcut: How Analogies Reveal Connections, Spark Innovation, and Sell Our Greatest Ideas
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Taylor Swift Style, @taylorswiftstyled, Sarah Kucharski 
@taylorswiftinstapostss for cataloging Taylor’s old Instagrams
“Basic Autumn Lovers Rise” TikTok, Tumblr re-enactment, Oct 2021, Taylor Swift
The Curious Symbolism of Autumn in Literature and Myth, Interesting LIterature.com 
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[00:32] Intro to Fall topic
[01:00] “You Belong With Me,” Fearless (Taylor’s Version) 2021
[09:43] “Red,” Red (Taylor’s Version) 2021
[22:51] “Cornelia Street,” Lover 2019
 
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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.

E8: Deep Dive - the lakes

"Take me on vacation, take me to anywhere, take me to the lakes!" After our Show & Tell on Ecocriticism, we’re ready to Deep Dive head-first into “the lakes,” bonus track 17 on “folklore (deluxe version).” Join us as we walk through Taylor Swift’s nature imagery and consider the lyrics in some historical context. We'll also unpack the speaker’s relationship with nature as we consider what the speaker is escaping from, where she is going, and why she is running away. And, we introduce a word of the day (“P-A-L-I-M-P-S-E-S-T”) and pull in references from the dictionary, textbooks, classic novels, and poetry for this one, with hopes of understanding the “waves of hurt” that are packed into this song.
Mentioned in the episode: 
Palimpsest: something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface
Town & Country - Emily Doherty 2023
Mrs. Dalloway, Virginia Woolf
Victorian Flower Symbolism
Lady Chatterley's Lover, DH Lawrence
Douglass Livingstone “symbiosis or death”
The Spell of the Sensuous, by David Abram
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[01:16] A quick recap of ecocriticism
[03:29] Palimpsest: Heart-stopping waves of hurt
[06:56] The cause of grief: Some name-dropping sleaze
[10:32] Why does she want to escape: Hunters with cell phones
[12:14] Seeking refuge: Not without my muse
[16:59] The speaker and nature: I don’t belong
[21:49] Nod to Romantics: Is it romantic?
[26:17] Final thoughts: What do we think this song is about?
 
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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.

E7: Show and Tell - Ecocriticism

“But the monsters turned out to be just trees.” Are trees good? Are trees bad? Why the tree imagery? In this episode of AP Taylor Swift, your hosts dive into the world of ecocriticism to explore and analyze how Taylor uses nature in her lyrics to create powerful metaphors that resonate with her listeners. Join us as Jodi discusses the dichotomy of the domestic vs the wild in “Out of the Woods,” Jenn shares some surprising history about William Wordsworth that may change the way you listen to “the lakes” forever, and Maansi teaches us about the sublime with “Snow on the Beach.” 
***
Mentioned in the episode: 
Recollections of the Lakes and the Lake Poets
Dorothy Wordsworth poetry 
William Wordsworth poetry
Wordsworth & Coleridge Lyrical Ballads
Walden: A Fully Annotated Edition 
Walt Whitman: The Complete Poems
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
“Out of the Woods”
“the lakes” 
“Snow on the Beach” 
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[0:27] Introduction to ecocriticism
[3:06] “Out of the Woods” 
[21:06] “the lakes”
[38:22] “Snow on the Beach”
 
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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.
 
 

Special Episode: Our Eras Tour Reactions

It’s been a long time coming! To celebrate the release of the Eras Tour Movie, we’re releasing our first special episode: our Eras Tour Reactions! Back in July, our hosts sat down to relive the magic of our own Eras Tour concert experiences. Learn who went in blind, and who had a playlist of the entire set before they went to the show. Hear from Maansi as she reflects on hearing “Long Live” and “All of the Girls You Loved Before” at the Santa Clara show less than 24 hours after seeing Taylor Swift live; Try to hold back jealousy as Jodi recounts her not one, but two floor-seat experiences (including the “Speak Now” (Taylor’s Version) announcement); and remember the magic of those light-up wristbands with Jenn and hear all about her life-changing experience of hearing “Hits Different” live. 
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[00:59] Maansi’s next-day concert reflections 
[06:48] Who went in blind, and who knew the whole set list?
[10:27] How each era’s brand stands out on stage 
[14:29] Songs that changed when we saw them on stage
[21:34] How Taylor Swift engages her audience
[26:19] Surprise Songs!
[33:03] Transcending generational divides 
[35:18] Eras tour amnesia 
[39:11] What does Taylor do next?
 
***
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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.

E6: Deep Dive - “It’s Time to Go”

GTFO. After our last Show and Tell on Toxic Relationships, on this episode we do a deep dive into “it’s time to go,” Track 17 from "evermore" (2020). We explore how Taylor Swift uses universal experiences like infidelity and betrayal to help us empathize with her own (very unique) experience of losing her masters. It wouldn’t be an AP class without some literary devices, so we learn about internal rhymes and Taylor’s use of anaphora. What do “Cheetah Girls,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Little Mermaid,” and the January 6th insurrection have with this song? Listen and find out! 
 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“It’s time to go,” evermore
“You’re on Your Own Kid,” Midnights 
The Odyssey, Homer
“Cheetah Girls” 
Palace of Bones
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
The Little Mermaid 
“Barbie” (2023)
Harry Potter Series
Anaphora: the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses 
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[01:28] How we do a deep dive analysis on AP Taylor Swift
[02:30] “15 years, 15 million tears” - How Taylor makes us empathize with her own personal experience
[09:16] “Then the son of the boss gets the spot that was yours” - Getting into poetic analysis with internal rhymes and anaphora 
[13:39] “When the words of a sister come back in whispers” - Who is Taylor talking to?
[18:33] “The snaps from the same little breaks in your soul” - Trusting your gut
[24:25] “Something walking out is the one thing” - Why word choice matters
[27:33] “it’s time to go” - Where we make a connection to January 6th
[30:15] “And you know in your soul” - Finding the purpose of the song
***
 
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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.

E5: Show and Tell - Toxic Relationships

To stay, tolerate it, or go? Today’s assignment was to bring in a Taylor Swift song that represents toxic relationships. Toxic relationships exist in real life, and therefore show up frequently in art and literature – and Taylor’s music is no exception. Jenn walks us through “Stay Stay Stay” and discusses how these lyrics can carry a very different meaning depending on the age and context of the speaker; Maansi brings in “tolerate it” which sparks some conversations on feminism; and Jodi takes us home with “it’s time to go,” and shines a light on different kinds of toxic relationships. It’s a loaded episode, but you won’t want to miss a second of it. So grab your favorite blanket and maybe a pint of ice cream, and come along with us as we discuss how Taylor Swift’s music brings toxic relationships to life.
 
Mentioned in this episode: 
“Stay Stay Stay,” RED (Taylor’s Version) 
“tolerate it,” evermore  
“it’s time to go,” evermore 
“All you had to do was stay,” 1989 
Psychology today’s definition of toxic relationship
Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
Mad Men Season 1, Episode 1
The Edible Woman, Margaret Atwood
Mrs. Dalloway, Virgnia Woolf
To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
The Awakening, Kate Chopin
Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[00:48] Introducing today’s theme, toxic relationships - what is a toxic relationship?
[03:20] “Stay stay stay” - Romantic in the moment, but maybe not so much in retrospect
[13:50] “tolerate it” - A caricature of a disbalanced marriage, especially from times past
[30:53] “it’s time to go” - Different kinds of toxic relationships, not just the romantic ones
[38:32] When we start to realize how all these songs are connected
***
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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.

E4: Deep Dive - “Wonderland” from 1989

Going Down the Rabbit Hole. Today we’re doing a deep dive on Taylor Swift’s song, “Wonderland,” from the album 1989. This episode builds on Episode 3 focused on Taylor Swift’s lyrical influences from the book “Alice in Wonderland.” In this episode, we explore whether the Cheshire Cat is calming or creepy; if New York City really is “Wonderland”; How Taylor Swift’s music, lyrics, and album branding are often at odds with one another; and how this song seems to reference “A Tale of Two Cities” and “The Great Gatsby” all at the same time. 
 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“Wonderland,” written by Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Shellback
1989 (Taylor’s Version)
Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll
Alice in Wonderland, 1951 Disney Film
Alice in Wonderland, 2010 Tim Burton Film
“A Tale of Two Cities,” by Charles Dickens
“The Great Gatsby,” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[01:42] We fell down a rabbit hole: How we do a deep dive 
[04:13] Didn’t you calm my fears with a Cheshire Cat smile: Je suis calme! 
[06:50] I should have slept with one eye open at night: A false sense of security 
[15:06] Nothing’s as it seems: How Taylor's lyrics, music, and imagery inform the story
[19:03] Too in love to think straight: This love is not what it seems 
[21:04] In Wonderland, we both went mad: When it all shifts in the bridge
[29:27] We found wonderland: How she used this literary reference 
 
***
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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.

E3: We got lost in it: Songs inspired by “Alice in Wonderland”

Today we’re getting lost in wonderland! In this Show & Tell episode, your professors of Taylor Swift came prepared with songs connected to or inspired by the story of “Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll. Maansi explores the direct references found in “Wonderland,” Jodi argues that “It’s Nice to Have a Friend” captures the spirit of the story, and Jenn focuses on the power of tea time in “Anti-Hero.” So pour yourself a cup of tea, put on your favorite hat, and join us for a conversation about how Taylor Swift’s music captures both the whimsy and the complexity of this classic story. 
 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“Wonderland” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq4nEzEiegA
“It’s Nice to Have a Friend” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaP1VswBF28
“Anti-Hero” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqN2qFvY64U
“Alice in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll: https://tinyurl.com/2d2vcpbp
“Alice in Wonderland” Disney animated film: https://amzn.to/3OVgeZM
“Alice in Wonderland” 2010 live-action film: https://tinyurl.com/3v7xpbhr
Edgar Allan Poe Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/43yc69vc
Emily Dickenson Poetry: https://tinyurl.com/5n7rv47v
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[00:56] Alice in Wonderland: Topic Introduction
[04:00] Alice in Wonderland: 2010 Live Action Film
[06:30] Wonderland: falling down the rabbit hole
[18:45] It’s Nice to Have a Friend: stay in bed the whole weekend 
[35:04] Anti-Hero: at tea time, everyone agrees  
 
***
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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.

E2: Turning ordinary into extraordinary: A Deep Dive on “Enchanted”

In our first deep dive episode, we do a deep reading of Taylor Swift’s song “Enchanted” from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). We’re wonderstruck as we learn how to analyze a text using the rhetorical triangle to better understand who is speaking, who they are speaking to, and the purpose of the text. We find connections to “Pride and Prejudice,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” Barbie, Cinderella, college, and Greek mythology…all in one 5ish minute song. We left no lingering questions to keep us up! 
 
Mentioned in the episode:
“Enchanted” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igIfiqqVHtA
“Cinderella” https://bookshop.org/lists/episodes-1-2-songs-that-made-us-swifties
“Pride and Prejudice,” by Jane Austen https://bookshop.org/lists/episodes-1-2-songs-that-made-us-swifties
“Singin’ in the Rain,” https://bookshop.org/lists/episodes-1-2-songs-that-made-us-swifties
“Barbie,” 2023 movie, https://amzn.to/45W3klA
 
***
Episode Highlights: 
[01:48] APTS 101: How to analyze a text
[03:15] Who is this speaker forcing laughter, and does she fit in? 
[04:56] Why “Enchanted” is “Pride and Prejudice”-coded 
[06:40] Exploring word choice to examine the time period
[10:13] How the song ruminates on a single moment and feeling
[12:56] Who is the song speaking to? A person? The Universe?
[17:02] Why “Hey Stephen” and “Enchanted” feel so different
[20:21] The words and phrases that create mystique and depth
[23:04] “Flawless,” “Forever,” and the power of hyperbole
[24:51] Our takeaways from our playful conversation 
 
***
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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.

E1: Enchanted to meet you: Songs that made us Swifties

Welcome to our very first episode of AP Taylor Swift! In this “Show and Tell” episode, get to know your hosts Jenn, Maansi, and Jodi, through the Taylor Swift songs that made us Swifties. In a show and tell episode, we each pick a song that relates to the theme or topic. Jenn relives her high school revenge fantasies with “Picture to Burn”; Jodi feels seen in “Hey Stephen”; and Maansi romanticizes the magic of everyday moments through “Enchanted”. 
Mentioned in the episode: 
“Picture to Burn," Taylor Swift
“Hey Stephen," Fearless (Taylor's Version) 
“Enchanted," Speak Now (Taylor's Version)
Hamilton, Lin Manuel Miranda
***
Episode Highlights: 
[00:50] Introducing today’s theme, songs that made us Swifties
[02:35] “Picture to Burn” - A teenage revenge fantasy? 
[13:30] “Hey Stephen” - When you can’t tell your crush that you’re crushing
[22:15] “Enchanted” - The art of being wonderstruck by everyday moments
[32:46] Selecting our very first Deep Dive song
***
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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.