Taylor Swift: a new Reputation?

If you identify as a “Swiftie”, you’re in luck: Taylor Swift recently announced her new album Reputation to be dropping in November. Although that seems like a long time, don’t fret— her first two singles (along with a music video) have already been released.  This happened on a Tuesday, after Swift wiped all her social media accounts clean and posted three cryptic videos of a snake—a symbol that goes back to her infamous feud last year with Kanye West.

However, there is something more shocking than the announcing of a new album — her completely new persona. The singer makes a bold statement directed toward her haters and critics by announcing the “old Taylor” as “dead” in her single “Look What You Made Me Do”. Commenting on what she thinks about the drastic change, Vicky Zhang (11B) stated, “I think change is pretty good, so I don’t know why people are giving so many negative comments on why she has changed”. In the music video for her song, Swift is seen trampling over the many “older versions” of herself as a symbol of overcoming her past identities and using the haters as motivation.

Regardless of the change in her identity or style, her new music remains as popular as all her previous albums. Both “…Are you Ready” and “Look What You Made Me Do” climbed to the top of the charts in the matter of a couple days. Swift’s fans are optimistic too: “I think this change symbolizes the stage of feelings that she’s going through and a bigger success in her career,” said Michelle Chang (9B).

So what does this mean for Taylor Swift’s public image? Her musical career? Vicky spills the inevitable truth, stating “I’m pretty sure that many of her previous fans are gonna turn their back on her, and obviously there are gonna be many new fans who are interested in the [new] style of Taylor Swift.”