x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

AP Taylor Swift

AP Taylor Swift Podcast

Welcome to AP Taylor Swift Podcast, the show for Swifties who love to overanalyze lyrics! Join hosts Maansi Dommeti, Jenn Holcomb, and Jodi Innerfield as they delve into Taylor Swift’s music to uncover the literary devices, themes, and inspirations that make her songs resonate with millions of fans. From Shakespeare to feminist theory, we explore the academic side of Taylor’s songwriting, no English degree required, just curiosity. New episodes weekly. Subscribe for updates:

music music commentary

All Episodes

34:29

E34: Deep Dive - I Know Places

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/05/01

They are the hunters we are the foxes, and we run. This week we’re covering “I Know Places” from 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Who’s running? Why are they running? What are the places they’re trying to get to? Does she actually know a place to hide? This is a dark and anxious song and we have questions! We explore how Taylor Swift uses metaphors to help make the relationship she’s singing about relatable. Then we examine how the music changes between the verses and the choruses, from anxious and scared

en

58:10

E33: Show and Tell - Animal Studies

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/04/24

Now it’s too late for you and your white horse. What do white horses, foxes, vultures, and wolves all have in common? They all show up in our favorite Taylor Swift songs! This week, we’re looking to understand how Taylor Swift uses animals in her lyrics, through the lens of animal studies! Jenn takes us back to medieval times to help us understand the origins of the white horse and what that means for “White Horse” (Fearless, 2008). Then Jodi talks to us about the many connotations associated with

en

01:52:25

Bonus: "The Tortured Poets Department" Album Release...

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/04/21

All’s fair in love and poetry. The long-awaited album The Tortured Poets Department is officially out, and of course, we have thoughts! This bonus episode strays from our usual format to bring you as comprehensive of an overview as we can provide in one (rather long) episode. Be warned: you won’t find speculation about Taylor’s love life here. True to our usual content, we focus on the lyrics, the themes, and the literary choices Taylor makes to better understand what this album is all about. Join

en

49:52

E32:Deep Dive - Love Story

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/04/17

You were Romeo, I was a Scarlet Letter. This week we’re covering an oldie but goodie–Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, from Fearless (Taylor’s Version). In this very narrative-driven song, we get a chance to explore who the protagonists are and what they’re trying to say about their love “story. We explore why Taylor Swift references high school favorites “Romeo and Juliet” and “Scarlet Letter,” and what those metaphors may mean. The “Scarlet Letter” reference makes us look at this song from a whole new

en

01:06:26

E31: Show and Tell - Shakespeare

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/04/10

Fever dream high in the quiet of the night. What’s an AP class without a not-so-brief discussion about Shakespeare? Join us as we compare Taylor Swift to William Shakespeare, and find out why we think Shakespeare may have been the original pop star of his day. Shakespeare’s plays remain so relevant even today, so it’s only natural that Taylor Swift would find ways to allude to his works in her music. In this Show & Tell, we each pick one Shakespeare play and a Taylor Swift song that we feel best

en

52:29

E30: Deep Dive - gold rush

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/04/03

What must it be like to grow up that beautiful? In this episode, we deep dive into the beautiful “gold rush.” We dive into the historical context of the real-life gold rush and how the gold rush was presented to us as kids versus today as adults. Then, we dive into how the reality of history affects how we interpret this song. We also explore how fame or popularity connects to this song. Finally, we examine the siren call motif and the speaker's ultimate decision to resist the temptation of the gold

en

53:43

E29: Show and Tell - Aestheticism

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/03/27

Every bait and switch was a work of art. It’s time to get theoretical! In this week’s episode, we cover Aesthetic Theory–the experience of beauty, for the sake of beauty. Jodi starts us off quite literally with “Gorgeous” from reputation (2017). This prompts a discussion of “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde, and the similarities between the song’s obsession with the subject’s beauty, and the book’s fixation on the beauty and youth of Dorian Gray. Naturally, we talk about gender roles and

en

47:55

E28: Deep Dive - Shake It Off

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/03/20

That’s What People Say (ooh ooh). In this deep dive episode, we get into the groove of Taylor Swift's “Shake It Off” from her album 1989 (Taylor’s Version). We start by discussing how the song acts as a strategic move by Swift to rebrand herself as a pop artist and connect with a larger audience. We look at how Taylor addresses the haters and criticisms she’s received over the years through her lyrics. And we make the case that this is not a simple song–it’s a therapeutic anthem of resilience,

en

58:09

E27: Show and Tell - Poetic Repetition

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/03/13

You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me. Let’s get ready for "The Tortured Poets Department" and explore the concept of poetic repetition in Taylor Swift's songs. From understanding epizeuxis and anaphora to seeing how Taylor uses these devices in “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”’ “Shake It Off” and “This Love,” we discuss how repetition can seem deceptively simple while still communicating a clear message. Understanding the purpose of any text can help enrich your

en

47:19

E26: Deep Dive - Haunted

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/03/06

"It’s coming over you like it was all a big mistake." In this week’s episode, we dive into the Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) classic “Haunted.” We discuss how Taylor Swift’s song captures the haunting and fragile nature of relationships, the devastation of loss, and the immediate aftermath of a breakup. In true form, we also tie the idea of a haunting break up back to our careers, and what it can feel like when you are constantly wondering “what if” about your past decisions. Whether you want some

en

56:57

E25: Show and Tell - "Pride and Prejudice"

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/02/28

All they keep asking me, is if I’m gonna be your bride. We’re a literary-focused Taylor Swift podcast, so it was only a matter of time before we brought Jane Austen into the mix. In this episode, we explore three songs in relation to Pride and Prejudice. Jenn focuses on the sisterly relationship between Elizabeth and Jane with “I’m Only Me When I’m With You.” Maansi zooms into the moment Darcy confesses his love to Elizabeth, only to be brutally rebuffed, with the song “Haunted.” And Jodi explores

en

51:45

E24: Deep Dive - right where you left me

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/02/21

Did you ever hear about the girl who got frozen? In this week’s deep dive episode, we discuss the evermore bonus track, “right where you left me.” We explore themes of feeling stuck, the haunting presence of the narrator, the plea for help, and how we see attitudes in the song mirrored in society. This beautiful and ultimately sad song also inspired a wide range of references from Elle Woods to Charles Dickens to Foucault. This song definitely has some layers, so join us as we unpack their meaning

en

01:15:27

E23: Show and Tell - Mad Women

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/02/14

There’s nothing like a mad woman, what a shame she went mad. What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with some songs about women scorned? In this episode, we bring to you three songs that represent mad women. Maansi kicks off the discussion with the scornful, vengeful mad woman in “Better Than Revenge,” Jodi walks us through the woman who’s driven to insanity in “mad woman,” and Jenn wraps up the discussion with an example of the mad woman who is stuck in bonus track “right where you left

en

34:42

E22: Deep Dive - The Outside

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/02/07

We’ve all been in a lot of lonely places. In this week’s deep dive, your hosts take you back to one of the original sad songs from Taylor’s debut album, “The Outside.” Perhaps more of a deep cut, this song cuts straight to the heart of what it feels like to be left out. Join us to discover what this song meant to us in our high school years vs today. We’ll explore how Taylor’s writing and musical styles may have changed, but she’s always known how to capture some of the most universal experiences,

en

01:03:10

Bonus - Taylor Swift's "The Tortured Poets...

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/02/06

And so I enter into evidence…In this very special BONUS episode, your Unofficial Professors of Taylor Swift go deep into the artifacts that Taylor has released for her upcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” From the album art, the title, and the poem, to the track titles, we discuss it all! Is this album going to be more intellectual or emotional? Is Taylor on defense or offense? How wrong will all of our predictions be when the album is actually released? Well, we give you our hypotheses

en

48:19

E21: Show and Tell - Musicals

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/01/31

If I was a [rich] man, I’d be the man. Curtain up! Light the lights! Today we are finally devoting an entire episode to one of our favorite topics: MUSICALS. Jenn identifies “The Outside,” from Taylor Swift, as the perfect song for the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. (Never seen it? No worries, Jenn gives a full synopsis!). Then, Jodi finds parallels between “The Man” and “If I Were a Rich Man,” from Fiddler on the Roof. And finally, we can’t talk about musicals without Hamilton! Maansi brings it

en

54:53

E20: Deep Dive - Mastermind

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/01/24

None of it was accidental. This week we’re going deep into Midnights favorite “Mastermind.” After looking at this Taylor Swift song from the perspective of satire in our previous episode, we take another look to examine what Taylor is actually “mastermind”-ing. Is it a relationship? Or is it a nod to her many (many) easter eggs she leaves her fans? Maansi explores how Taylor weaves strategic language into the lyrics to reclaim the idea that she’s “calculating.” Jodi finds connections to The Odyssey,

en

47:55

E19: Show and Tell - Satire

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/01/17

I’m dying to see how this one ends. We talk about satire - what it is, how it’s different from parody or hyperbole, how Taylor uses it and why. Jodi starts with the quintessential satirical example from Taylor’s catalog - “Blank Space,” Jenn argues that Reputation is actually a satirical album, and Maansi makes a case for satire in “Mastermind.” Find out what witch hunts and chess have to do with it all. We acknowledge that satire is an intellectual form of comedy, which requires us to examine what

en

39:59

E18: Deep Dive - Death By a Thousand Cuts

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/01/10

My, my, my, my. We get deep into our feelings on this deep dive today with “Death By a Thousand Cuts,” from Lover. With a title referencing an imperial form of torture, what is this Taylor Swift song really about? As always, our hosts look at the lyrics from very different perspectives based on our own personal experiences, from moving out of a childhood home (“chandelier still flickering here”) to a breakup (“You said it was a great love”) to Spiderman (“I see you everywhere”). We talk about

en

55:10

E17: Show and Tell - The Great Gatsby

AP Taylor Swift ·

2024/01/03

Feeling so Gatsby for that whole year. Taylor Swift loves to make direct and indirect references to the classic American novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. So we decided to dive into those connections and see what all the fuss is about. In this week’s episode, we each picked a song that we wanted to relate to The Great Gatsby. Join us as Maansi brings the party with “This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things,” Jenn explores Gatsby’s motivations with “Death by a Thousand Cuts,” and Jodi

en

138 results

Similar Podcasts

Pasquale Maassen Soundcloud

Pasquale Maassen

Marian Klose

Marian Klose

sevenism

sevenism

Dean Delray"s LET THERE BE TALK

Cactus Radio Network

Word In Your Ear

Mark Ellen, David Hepworth and Alex Gold