You need to calm down, but we know it’ll be hard because in this episode, we are diving into historical criticism! We explore the context in which Taylor’s songs were created, starting with “Tim McGraw,” the first Taylor Swift single of all time. We then transition into the world of Lover with “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” and “You Need to Calm Down.” Join us as we explore how looking at the historical context of these songs helps deepen our understanding and appreciation of Taylor’s music! 

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Mentioned in this episode: 

Tim McGraw - She’s My Kind of Rain 

Tim McGraw - Live Like You Were Dying 

E11: Show and Tell - Marxist Theory

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Grease the film

Barbie the film 

Mean Girls the film

***

Episode Highlights: 

[00:40] Introduction to Historical Criticism 

[4:58] “Tim McGraw” from Debut

[16:37] “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” from Lover 

[29:47] “You Need to Calm Down” from Lover

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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.

“You can hear it in the silence.” This week on AP Taylor Swift, we deep dive into “You Are In Love”  from Taylor Swift’s album 1989. We break down how Taylor captures the essence of love—not through grand gestures but instead through small, intimate moments: a look across a room, coffee at midnight, and the silence that says it all. We explore the significance of mundane details throughout the song and discuss its lyrical structure, poetic devices (like spondees!), and why the most profound emotions often have no proof, just feelings. 

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Mentioned in this episode: 

TIME Magazine, 2023 Person of the Year

Stars Around My Scars

Troilus and Cressida

West Side Story

Hamilton

Pride and Prejudice

Mad Men

E5: Toxic Relationships

So It Goes

Slaughterhouse-Five

Love Actually

***

Episode Highlights: 

[01:38] “One look, dark room”

[10:00] “Coffee at midnight”

[18:49] “You can hear it in the silence”

[20:18] “You keep his shirt, he keeps his word”

[24:50] “He is in love” 

[30:39] “And so it goes” 

[39:40] The purpose of the song

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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.

“One single thread of gold tied me to you” This week on AP Taylor Swift, we are kicking off Valentine’s season with a show and tell on Romantic Love. ❤️ We explore how Taylor writes about romantic love—from the grand, sweeping gestures to the small, intimate moments that define a true connection. We break down three iconic songs— “You Are in Love”, “Lover”, and “Invisible String”—examining how each Taylor Swift song captures different facets of romantic relationships.

This week’s episode is sponsored by the new book “Stars Around My Scars: The Annotated Poetry of Taylor Swift” written by Dr. Elly McCausland, out now wherever books are sold. 

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Mentioned in this episode: 

Stars Around My Scars

Romeo and Juliet

E35: Royalty 

Jane Eyre

E73: Color 

E5: Toxic Relationships

Harry Potter

E70: Harry Potter Holiday Special

***

Episode Highlights: 

[07:16] “You Are In Love” 1989

[13:40] “Lover” Lover

[25:18] “Invisible String” folklore 

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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.

“So scarlet it was, maroon.” What’s the true meaning behind Taylor Swift’s “Maroon”? This week on AP Taylor Swift podcast, we dive into the shades of red, love, and memory that define this “Midnights” favorite. We explore how Taylor uses colors to capture the complexity of relationships—the highs, the heartbreaks, and the legacy they leave behind. Listen as we unpack the layers of this fan-favorite track.

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Mentioned in this episode: 

E73: Show and Tell - Color

The Big Lebowski

E66: Deep Dive - Holy Ground 

The Wizard of Oz

Van Gogh’s faded colors

Harry Potter

Every color referenced in Maroon

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves

***

Episode Highlights: 

[02:00] “When the morning came”

[08:30] “your roommate’s cheapass screwtop rosé” 

[12:53] “The burgundy on my cheeks”

[23:56] “When the silence came”  

[25:06] Our “ah ha” moment

[30:39] “the rubies that I gave up”

[38:07] The purpose of the song

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! 

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 once believed love would be black and white, but it’s golden.” In this week’s episode of AP Taylor Swift, we dive into the rich, poetic use of color in Taylor Swift's lyrics with a show and tell on…color! From "Red" to "Daylight" to "Maroon," we discuss how Taylor’s use of color evolves to reflect different stages of love and life. 

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Mentioned in this episode: 

The Wizard of Oz

Wicked

The Great Gatsby

The Scarlet Letter

E32: Deep Dive - Love Story

E9: Fall Songs

The Color Purple

Les Miserable, “Red and Black”

E10: Deep Dive - Red

Pop Sugar Article, 2019

The Outsiders

Every color referenced in Maroon

***

Episode Highlights: 

[00:59] Adding color to today’s topic…color!

[05:04] “Red”

[12:47] “Daylight”

[22:46] “Maroon” 

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! 

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

“When you are young they assume you know nothing.” This week on AP Taylor Swift we deep dive into “cardigan” from folklore. We discuss the song’s nostalgia for teenage love and explore what it means to feel like an old cardigan–is that a good thing? We connect the song to last week’s Peter Pan discussion and the “teenage love trilogy” with august and betty. Is "Cardigan" simply a story of love lost and regained, or is it a meditation on self-discovery and growth? Find out when you listen to this week’s episode

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Mentioned in this episode: 

Harry Potter

Lord of the Rings

Peter Pan

Hits Different

The Hills

Virginia Woolf

e.e. cummings

“My Cousin Vinny” 

***

Episode Highlights: 

[02:43] The “teenage love triangle” trilogy

[05:51] “Vintage tee, brand new phone”

[13:00] “And when I felt like I was an old cardigan”

[18:49] “Heartbeat on The Highline” 

[23:52] “Once in twenty lifetimes” 

[31:23] “I knew you…”

[36:25] “Cause I knew everything when I was young” 

[45:00] The purpose of the song

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! 

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

“Tried to change the ending, Peter losing Wendy.” This week on AP Taylor Swift podcast, we have a show-and-tell episode exploring “Peter Pan” and its influence on Taylor Swift’s music. We analyze three songs—“Innocent,” “Cardigan,” and “Peter”—uncovering connections between Taylor’s lyrics and Peter Pan’s themes of childhood, growing up, lost innocence, and the allure of staying young forever. From exploring Wendy's perspective as the “mother” figure to dissecting the complexities of Peter Pan syndrome, we delve into the literary and psychological depths of J.M. Barrie's classic tale and its resonance in Taylor Swift's lyrics.

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Mentioned in this episode: 

***

Episode Highlights: 

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! 

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’ll be picking up bottles with you on New Year’s Day.” In honor of New Year’s Day we’re revisiting our 2023 Holidays episode. But…did we actually pick holiday songs? We start by defining what the “holiday season” even means in an attempt to answer the question. Jodi discusses “New Year’s Day,” with the thesis that it’s a song about the everyday, not necessarily the holidays. Jenn brings on the holiday melancholy with “champagne problems,” sparking a hot conversation about holiday engagements and the challenges of family gatherings during the holidays. And Maansi, naturally, shares “tis the damn season,” prompting a conversation about how we really feel about the holiday season and whether they “linger like bad perfume” for us. Are Taylor Swift holidays actually happy holidays? Listen and find out! 

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Mentioned in this episode: 

“Under the Tuscan Sun” 

“How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” 

“Book Lovers,” Emily Henry 

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” JK Rowling

“Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” film

“Inside Out”

***

Episode Highlights: 

[01:13] How do we define the holiday season?

[05:52] “New Years Day” I’ll be picking up bottles with you 

[22:20] “champagne problems” Your mom's ring in your pocket

[36:40] “‘tis the damn season” We could call it even

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Contact us at [email protected]

“We can leave the Christmas lights up til January.”  Tis the damn season, so we’re bringing you a Harry Potter Holiday Special episode! This week we do a special Show and Tell episode bringing together two of our favorite topics: Harry Potter and Taylor Swift’s lyrics. Jenn imagines “Look What You Made Me Do” as Snape’s song to Voldermort. Jodi makes the case that “Lover” perfectly captures Lavender Brown’s feelings toward Ron. And Maansi envisions “You’re On Your Own Kid” as an anthem about Harry Potter’s arc throughout the entire series. Whether you’re a fan of the books, the movies, or both, we fully dork out on this episode. Join us!

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Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Harry Potter

Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma 

TikTok creator who does “Harry Potter Characters as Taylor Swift Songs” Jake L @Jakobcl1989

***

Episode Highlights: 

[01:30] Introduction to Harry Potter and Christmas

[05:25] “Look What You Made Me Do”

[13:30] “Lover” 

[24:08] “You’re On Your Own, Kid”

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! 

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 can go anywhere I want, just not home” This week on AP Taylor Swift, we take on “my tears ricochet,” the gut-wrenching Track 5 from “Folklore”. From its funeral imagery to what it means for a tear to “ricochet,” we explore themes of grief, regret, and power dynamics. Whether this song is about romantic heartbreak, a friendship gone sour, or even a toxic job, we explore why this song resonates so deeply with so many, and what it means for each of us.

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Mentioned in this episode: 

E67: Greek Mythology

E54: Anniversary Episode

E32: Love Story Deep Dive 

The Little Book of Shakespeare's Insults: The Bard's Best Barbs

Reputation album letter

Jane Eyre  

The Phantom of the Opera

The Little Mermaid

Harry Potter

E56: Guest Episode - DJ Louie XIV 

***

Episode Highlights: 

[00:35] Introducing “my tears ricochet” and our initial thoughts 

[06:51] “I didn’t have it in myself to go with grace”

[10:48] “Look at how my tears ricochet” 

[17:31] “You know I didn’t want to have to haunt you”

[24:49] “When I’d fight you used to tell me I was brave”

[29:11] “And I can go anywhere I want, just not home”

[36:41] “You had to kill me but it killed you just the same”

[41:10] What might it mean for tears to ricochet?

[44:50] The purpose of the song

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! 

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.