#which idk if you're into but there's like a whole little narrative thread on the 'liz was my math teacher' thing

[starvinginbelair]

your reblog on my sideblog post was just <3 <3 please tell me your fave part of the artist friendly episode!

hi !!!!!! i get so few asks these days so every time i get an ask i'm like for ME?????? 😊😊😊😊

i haven't listened to the artist friendly episode in full for a while but there are SO many little moments i adore from it. i really love hearing ashton talk about his artistic process as a whole, because i find he's so unbearably passionate about it, in a very sincere way. i always get this sense of authenticity from him that i feel doesn't really come across often with many other artists!

my first favourite part is obviously when he talks about his writing relationship with luke. of course, we know they write hit songs together (and like they are hit songs), but the fact that he describes it as a safe zone for him is so sweet. like it's very clear they're comfortable with one another, and hearing how deep their connection is, was just very nice. ashton's also talked about before how he "writes songs he thinks luke needs to hear" sometimes so, that's also incoherent screaming inducing cause wow their relationship is just so so so special.

second fave part was when ashton was talking about calum and their musical relationship! i think it's so heartbreakingly beautiful that he feels like he and calum are connected on a soul level, with their music. as a former band and choir kid, i feel like it's so so underrated how making music together and performing it just bonds you like no other, and there really is a language made between bandmates. it's also special with 5sos in particular because they are one of the only bands that sort of came up in their "scene" that pretty much equally share writing and singing duties. when they get into that "groove zone" or however ash described it, it feels different from other bands because it's like oh! this is all music that we created from start to finish together, and isn't that just beautiful

finally, i really love ashton's take on just being in the industry, as a growing artists and as a drummer in general. especially with more of an optimistic look upon it. he's said in interviews for superbloom, that before 2020, there was a really long time where he thought that his role as a drummer in the band was suffocating. something along the lines of "i'm going to sit behind this drum kit and drum until i die and that's all i'll really be". but now, he really views the band as a vessel of creativity and that it is open and flexible to his ideas and own projects. and it feels like he's adopted more of a role as a guiding force in the band, and a creative, and i just think that sort of growth is amazing !

thank you for the wonderful ask and yk if you want to chat about this stuff i would be so open 🥰

[mathcs]

4, 20, 25?

send a number for me to talk about one of the following topics!

oop this one got really long! thank you for sending ✨

4. multiple people threads

pretty fun, i've seen those! i think how they can work is the muns take turns replying to the thread in the same order every time minus plotted moments (at least on tumblr)?

there's big fun potential with said threads though, i could be down for something like that if some details are plotted (even if i would probably be slow as usual with them the fear of me slowing down multiple other muns tho oh n o) and whenever i see one in our general vicinity nowadays it's exciting!

20. violent threads

this is interesting! basically i'm a canon typical violence(tm) writer, trying to fit the mood of whatever moment/verse the thread is in! like my "angst has to be meaningful" philosophy ways, any violence would have serve some purpose, even if it's a little purpose, as long as it's not there just for the sake of it.

and now i just remembered how i made jude get shot and ambiguously die in my bad!end drabble DKJFLKJK he hates me just to show how dire things have gotten for him (i guess that means that verse is rated M now. it's a tad darker than x2... and that's ok because he's a badass in it).

speaking of that M rating! i can similarly see myself writing typical horror violence stuff for jude, because that could be fun not for him (e.g. tone/intensity levels similar to games like fatal frame, higurashi, the last of us) but i probably wouldn't get into the extreme details of said violent stuff unless it was super necessary or something. some stuff is better left to the imagination for sure.

in terms of violence during fight scenes, canon typical violence stuff is again my benchmark! i've done the my muse and your muse vs npc fight scenes which is fun, but i don't really have experience with the 1v1 my muse vs your muse in the parking lot type but i'd only feel inclined if the details were plotted beforehand (e.g. knowing the conclusion/set direction of the thread) and if the fight in said thread/scene held some narrative weight.

basically i'm way more interested in the emotional tone/importance of an action scene (plus the impact of it later) rather than just writing it to focus on the technical details of the fight of who would win etc. to me, the latter is just a vehicle to make the whole thing come togetherー it's important, but incomplete without the whole 'why' part. because then it'd feel a lot less like writing out a smash bros match rather than just playing it (i think that's my weirdest metaphor yet LMAOO) personal preference strikes again though!

25. your character ( the gushing commenceth / unhinged version )

i've somewhat(?) properly gushed about him here and related it to writing so if your name is Lin you're no stranger to me saying things about Jude UMM i'll just talk about his hair LMAOO

the beautiful and subtle asymmetry of his hair in x1 especially that slightly longer piece of hair off to the side of his head here. is it underrated or does everyone love that part, i have no idea sldjflsdkf but he really doesn't sport the super generic flat mc hair, it's just a little wavy/longer at the back! the non-wild/cute and round hair look suits his quieter personality here too T_T plus he's so cute bYE

his extremely amazing hair in x2. described aptly. this coupled with his new outfit = i now have an entirely different concept of "one year timeskip" i remember thinking at first "WAIT THAT'S HIM? NO WAY... idk... let me think about this..." but now he makes me faint so. who won here. it suits him bc he's even more mature, and his character design changed so much but in the best way i think. i'm so glad this version of him exists LMAOO good job x2 for all your faults and amazing moments

[gaylorlyrics]

Folklore Songs - what are they about??

This is a developing thread, but I’ve been listening all day so I’m taking a stab at it.

1."The 1"  

Common consensus is that this is about Dianna Agron and what they could have been. Telling lyrics are the general idea that the relationship wasn’t truly given a chance (”it would've been sweet, If it could've been me”) and “Roaring Twenties”, referring to the below circus themed party pics with Diana dressed like a flapper

tbh im not totally sold on this - most because it seems more recent with lyrics like, “In my defense, I have none for never leaving well enough alone” sounds like a reference to ME! and “Roaring twenties” sounds like a reference to something that happened this year (2020). Also “throwing pennies in the pool” could be a reference to throwing Penni (Karlie’s agent) in the pool. Finally, Route 1 is the road along California’s coast, where Tay & Karlie drove on their legendary road trip...this makes my lil Kaylor heart worry. 

2. Cardigan

This is the first installment in the Teenage Trio, which also includes August and Betty, and is told from the perspective of Betty. It’s about feeling so loved by someone but then being betrayed by them (”Chase two girls [Betty + August’s narrator] lose one”). The line ”And you'd be standin' in my front porch light” foreshadows to James professing love in “Betty”. Potentially Taylor is Betty - but I’m still thinking about that theory.

3."The Last Great American Dynasty"  

We <3 a Rhode Island throwback. Here Taylor tells the story of her house in Rhode Island that Rebekah “Betty” (??!?!??!! more on that later) Harkness used to live in. Rebekah married an heir to Standard Oil which made her one of the wealthiest women in the USA at the time. She was also known for making a scene (”She had a marvelous time ruining everything”). Additionally, she founded the Harkness Ballet (”And blew through the money on the boys and the ballet”). After Rebekah’s death Taylor purchased the house and it is now best known as the place of many epic 4th of July parties.

4. Exile

Such a sad song! This is a duet between Taylor and Bon Iver, telling the story of a failed relationship that they have tried to mend many many times. Interestingly, this is also about a love triangle (like the teenage trio) -  "I can see you starin' honey/Like he's just your understudy." This line specifically feels like it could be about bearding, and seeing someone else with the person you love, but feeling like - or knowing - it’s fake. “You were my town Now I'm in exile seein' you out” references and end to the relationship Taylor discussed in False God “Staring out the window like I'm not your favorite town I'm New York City”. To me this indicates that it is about Karlie and them breaking up or going through a rough patch - continually trying to fix things - and eventually being unsure that it could ever be repaired.

5."My Tears Ricochet"

This is pretty clearly about Scott & Scooter - “And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I stayed” and “You had to kill me, but it killed you just the same” seem to be a reference to them trying to exploit her work and how her leaving Big Machine really ruined the business - plus there’s some LWYMMD imagery. “You wear the same jewels that I gave you as you bury me” also seems to be a clear reference for trying to use Taylor’s own work against her, taking the profits, and pushing her out of the deal. As if we needed more evidence “You hear my stolen lullabies” clearly references her stolen masters.

6."Mirrorball"  

Big 80s prom vibes from this song. Mirrorball is about being famous and all of her work - her most personal thoughts and dreams - just becoming different ways for other people to see themselves once she releases her music into the world. Part of being an artist is knowing that your work will reflect more of who the viewer is than who you are yourself. Here she uses the metaphor of a disco ball to explore that idea, and worries that she is losing her own identity through it “I'm still trying everything to keep you looking at me”. She also alludes to her fears that she will age out of relevancy “I know they said the end is near”, something she discussed in her documentary Miss Americana. Obviously this is internalized misogyny because we love Taylor and will listen to her music always and do not subscribe to the belief that women need to be young to be relevant because if they were a man then they'd be the man, and tay’s the man <3 

7. “Seven”

Personally, this is one of my favorite songs on the album. It’s so sweet and pure and lovely. This is about young love, with imagery of summer, toys, and child’s dreams to runaway together. Many people have speculated that it is about the same girl that the two unreleased Taylor songs “Sweet Tea and Gods Graces” and “Me & Britney” are about. 

[Side note: initially I wondered if Me & Britney was about Britany Maack, Taylor’s long time friend who recently got married, but the names are spelled differently. Also the line in Seven “I can’t recall your face” indicates that this is about someone who Taylor is not currently in touch with.] 

Both M&B and STAAG seem to be about the Seven relationship because there are general parallels with outdoor scenery, childlike wonder, and ( in the case of STAGG) sweet tea. Also all three songs indicate a gay relationship: STAGG - “And you can love like a sinner and lose like a winner”, M&B - “That boy she went ran off with, well, I thought he was crazy. Maybe I was just jealous that he'd come between me and Britney”, and Seven - “You won't have to cry or hide in the closet And just like a folk song our love will be passed on”.

8. “August”

This is the second installment in the Teenage Trio, told from the perspective of the “other woman” who James meets while on summer vacation. The other woman (she doesn’t seem to have a name...unless it is August...which it could be? idk) is in love, but realizes that James isn’t in love with her - “Will you call when you're back at school? I remember thinkin' I had you”. The line “Remember when I pulled up and said "Get in the car" references the same incident which is retold in Betty, but this time with James telling Betty it was just a summer fling that didn’t mean anything.

9. This Is Me Trying

Here we have a break up song, about Taylor trying to win her lover back and feeling completely lost without them, unable to concentrate or be around people, and turning to self sabotage. It’s about the general loneliness that one feels when they’ve lost someone they truly love, and the miscommunication that can happen in a relationship when you’re not understanding each other or receiving love in the same way (hence the song’s title). I think this could be about Karlie, it seems clear that their relationship has not been smooth and that they have had many on-and-off times. It could also be serving a purpose of building the Joe break up narrative, but only time will tell for that.

10. “Illicit Affairs”

Taylor loves her secret love - this song reads like a sad version of “I Know Places”. It seems clear that this is about Karlie Kloss. “Tell your friends you're out for a run” is one of my favorite lines because Karlie started Klossy run club, where you commit to running a certain distance in a month - and she posts about it on instagram CONSTANTLY. But overall, the song details a relationship of a woman being with someone she doesn’t love (kushnerd) and sneaking around to meet up with the person she does love (tay!). The line “Tell yourself you can always stop” is so sad to me, the idea that Karlie got into this and keeps telling herself that it will only be a little longer and she can leave when she wants, but staying in her fake marriage anyway.

11. Invisible String

This is pretty much the only pure love song on the album - about feeling connected to someone throughout your whole life, knowing that that somebody is out there, and then finally finding them. Taylor talks about being in Centennial Park in Nashville as a teen, and then eventually showing her lover around. The song is really self referential, with lots of easter eggs for her past work, including Bad Blood and Delicate. She also references Joe Jonas with the line “Cold was the steel of my axe to grind For the boys who broke my heart Now I send their babies presents”.

Some people have pointed out that there is a similar idea presented in Jane Eyre - when the protagonist says to her love interest “I have a strange feeling with regard to you. As if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly knotted to a similar string in you."

12."Mad Woman"  

Another Scooter one - “It's obvious that wanting me dead has really brought you two together”. “The master of spin” is word play referencing the masters records scandal. “Watching you climb over people like me” points out that agents and labels are making money off the performers they find and pushing them around. There’s also a reference to Scooter’s wife Yael and how he cheats all the time, but she doesn’t do anything likely because of her own internalized misogyny - “has a couple side flings. Good wives always know. She should be mad, should be scathing like me”.

13. “Epiphany”

The first verse of this touching ballad is about Taylor’s grandfather in WW2, storming the beaches at Normandy - “Crawling up the beaches now "Sir, I think he's bleeding out"”. The second verse is about a nurse helping patients with Covid-19 - “Holds your hand through plastic now "Doc, I think she's crashing out"”. The bridge here talks about wishing there was some great epiphany, some magical solution for the suffering in the world. The chorus refers to experiencing trauma with others and staying loyal even in the hardest times, even if it means literally dying. Although this seems like a departure from the themes of rest of the album, the whole album examines loyalty and considering what you would do for the people you love - so I really don’t think it’s a departure at all.

14. “Betty”

Obviously this is the gayest song on the album and an early fan favorite. It is the final song in the teenage trio, told from the point of view of James, going to win Betty back after betraying her and sleeping with someone else (August!?) over the summer. The line "Will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends?”, a line that is very clearly about wanting to kiss a woman, is especially striking (& gay!) when sung by Taylor. The clearest version of this plot is someone begging for forgiveness after betraying the person they love.

There is also a bit of a nod to a line in “Picture to Burn”, a break up song off Taylor’s first album. In PTB Taylor says “So go and tell your friends that I'm obsessive and crazy that's fine, I’ll tell mine you’re gay”. This lyric has since been changed in versions available online, but on the original album that's what it was. This is interesting because she’s calling attention to knowing that someone is gay and hasn’t told their friends...which you would definitely know if you had dated them.

The names “James” and “Inez” are both mentioned in the song, which are the names of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynold’s daughters. James was already featured on a Taylor Swift album, as the lil baby voice at the beginning of “Gorgeous”. Worth noting that “James” is traditional a male name, but that this character is named after a female.

ALSO I have this theory I’m working on that Taylor is Betty and this whole album is in the same world with the same people, but WILL POST MORE ON THIS LATER.

15."Peace"  

Ok - this is Archer 2.0 for me, about how she is worried about how no one will ever love her or stay with her because its too much work - “the rain is always gonna come if you're standin' with me” and “No, I could never give you peace” are pretty telling lines about her concerns that people will think it is not worth it to be friends with or in a relationship with her due to all of the baggage that comes with it. 

The opening lines - “Our coming-of-age has come and gone Suddenly this summer, it's clear” feed into my emerging theory that all of these songs exist in the same universe and are about the same three characters...but I’m still figuring that one out. The line “And you know that I'd swing with you for the fences Sit with you in the trenches” reference Seven and Epiphany, respectively - further supporting that all of these songs are in the same world.

16. “Hoax”

Out of all of the songs that make my little Kaylor heart ache - this is the most heartbreaking. Specifically the line “My eclipsed sun” refers to Karlie, who Taylor has called “sunshine” on multiple occasions, and her light being covered up by her contract with Kushnerd and Scooter. The line “Don't want no other shade of blue But you” makes it clear that this song is in reference to the muse for the album “Lover” - aka Karlie. 

However, this is a song about betrayal and completely trusting someone, only to find that they stabbed you in the back, as is clear by the line ”Your faithless love's the only hoax I believe in”.

Additionally, the line“You knew it still hurts underneath my scars” seems to again feed into the idea that all of the songs on the album involve the same characters. This one is a bit more clear, it seems that - if this theory is correct - Betty is the narrator of this song, as she referenced her scars before “Drew stars around my scars” in Cardigan.

OK- I'm going to go deep into song by song later, but I just wanted to get something out there!!! Also def interested in hearing what everyone else thinks!

EDIT: I just found some lyrics from The Lakes in an article from Billboard. I wanted to add them in even though we don’t have the full song because I felt like we really ended on a sad note with hoax and then when I saw these I was like there is hope!!

SO the lyric Billboard included in their review was “A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground / With no one around to tweet it” which is a continuation from the line from “Hoax” - “ This has frozen my ground”. What I’m taking from this is that in the final song Taylor finds hope <3