Today, our Swiftorians head back to 1989, pull out their dance cards, and dive into Taylor's 2014 bop Blank Space. To say this song was a monster hit doesn't really capture things - it was Taylor's first song to hit one billion streams on Spotify, and topped charts around the world on the way to numerous nominations and awards. As a piece of Taylor biography, Blank Space is unique in that it isn't about her, per se, but rather the caricature of her that had been formed in the public imagination. Rather than be annoyed by it, Taylor began to imagine what it would be like to be that person - and decided it might be fun.

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Sources

Taylor Swift by the Book: The Literature Behind the Lyrics, from Fairy Tales to Tortured Poets, by Rachel Feder and Tiffany Tatreau (Amazon)

Taylor Swift - Blank Space (YouTube)

Taylor performs "Blank Space" at The GRAMMY Museum (YouTube)

[Remastered 4K] Blank Space - Taylor Swift - 1989 World Tour 2015 - EAS Channel (YouTube)

Taylor Swift - Blank Space (Official Eras Tour Music Video) (YouTube)

All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked, by Rob Sheffield. Rolling Stone, April 2024.

S8E7: Blank Space | Lana Turner (trashydivorces.com)