How Taylor Swift Has Saved Me
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I grew up on Taylor Swift. In 2006, she released her debut album, eponymously titled Taylor Swift. I was four at the time of the release, and I remember constantly listening to “Our Song” and “Tim McGraw.” As I grew older and Taylor Swift started to release more albums, my love for her and her music grew. Songs like “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story” on her Fearless album are constantly played around my house. I think there was a point when my parents asked me to stop replaying these songs. I couldn’t get enough of them; they made me feel so happy and magical. With the release of Speak Now, “Back to December” became the next song I was obsessed with. While it was sad, as a young girl, I understood its catchy tune and moving instrumentals more than its lyrics. I remember when the album Red came out, and I would run to the dance floor to sing my heart out to “We Are Never Getting Back Together” since the angsty break-up song became the anthem of middle school dances. Upon the release of 1989, my dad surprised me one morning by purchasing the whole album for me. On that car ride to school, I listened to the entire album.
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I was in high school when Reputation came out, and at that point, I could understand the lyrics, but I was still so young and lacked the romantic experiences to relate to them completely. I remember sitting at my lunch table with my friends, listening to “Call It What You Want” and having no idea what Taylor meant when she said, “Loves me like I’m brand new.” During Taylor’s disappearance, I went through a breakup, lost friends, and endured a rough patch in life. I found comfort in her songs, almost like they were this cardigan that kept me warm. I felt understood when listening to her music.
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Fast forward to my college self, I’ve gone through a lot. I’ve had countless heartbreaks and some friendship breakups, and I’ve felt like my world was going to collapse in on me, swallowing me into an endless pit of darkness. Yet, Taylor has always been there for me. Even in the happiest moments, I can always relate to a Taylor Swift song. I have a song for almost every moment of my life and almost every person. This one guy I met during my freshman year has been, as Taylor Swift would say, “my Achilles heel.” The guys that have inspired some of my writings are my “I Bet You Think of Me” characters. Every time I hear “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault],” it takes me back to when I studied abroad during my first year in London. I specifically remember feeling the crisp air on my face as I walked through the streets of London alone, crying after getting heartbroken by my first serious boyfriend. I remember wondering if going there was a good idea and how alone I felt, not feeling fine at all. Listening to it now, I recall all the good and bad memories we shared, like a film playing in my head on endless repeat.
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As for now, I would say “New Romantics” and “Mastermind” are the two songs I relate to the most. I’m single and happy, carefree, and calculated simultaneously. I’m “too busy dancing to get knocked off my feet” and live by the mantra, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” These two songs are currently the anthem of my life. While everyone goes through different experiences in life, Taylor Swift will always have a song that can replicate a certain moment or capture a certain feeling. Whether you are in love or dealing with heartbreak in any way, her songs capture the essence of true love and true sadness.
Strike Out,
Writer: Lauren Butrum
Editor: Noelle Knowlton
Tallahassee