12 episodes
Blank Plate: A Podcast for Swifties with an Appetite Blank Plate
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- Music
Join Sara and Laura as they do deep dives into the Tay-lore of individual Taylor Swift songs, react to new releases, discuss Taylor in the news, and overall just chat about all things regarding our Pop Queen Lord and Savior, Taylor Alison Swift. Each episode also touches on food in some way - It could be a recipe pairing for a song, deciding what kind of pizza each album would be, or trying to figure out why Taylor gets that Milk Bar cake for her birthday each year, so be sure to bring your appetite!
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The Tortured Poets Department: Initial Reactions
The Tortured Poets Department WRECKED Sara and Laura, and they are “down bad.” In this episode, the ladies are ready to unpack allllllllllll the details they loved and noticed during their first 72 hours of listening to it! From a deep dive explanation and timeline of Matty Healy & Taylor’s 10-year situationship, the connections and hidden messages between Taylor and The 1975’s lyrics, and so much more. Sonic differences in Album 1 and Album 2 of TTPD’s Anthology Edition as discussed, as well as share a pretty cool theory as to why the album reminds them so much of folklore/evermore and Midnights. Do you agree?! This is a long one, but Sara and Laura have SO much more to unpack. Let’s get into it.
Chapters
(00:00) Introduction & TTPD Excitement!
(06:38) Common Themes in TTPD
(11:49) The Matty Healy Of It All…
(29:48) Taylor’s Intentions & Explaining TTPD’s Familiar Sound
(40:13) Album 1 vs. Album 2 / Jack vs. Aaron Production
(44:35) Literary References in TTPD
(46:40) Matty & Taylor's Hidden Messages To Each Other Through Lyrics
(54:08) Lyrics That Punched Us In Our Gut
(01:14:47) Our Current Top 3 Songs
(01:18:54) Will TTPD Be On The Eras Tour?
(01:22:34) TTPD As A Food
(01:28:05) Help Us Pick Our Next Episode Focus!
(01:30:19) Signing Off!
Links Referenced
iHeartRadio Taylor Intros/Explains Her Songs
Please make sure to subscribe and leave a review. If you’d like to reach out to send in a question or comment, please do so via any of these platforms:
• email blankplatepod@gmail.com• leave a voicemail at (717) 382-8313• Instagram• TikTok
You can also follow Sara and Laura individually:
• Laura: Instagram and Tiktok• Sara: Instagram
Listen to our previous podcast: Passports & Pizza -
“Five Stages of Heartbreak” Apple Music Playlists (with Rebecca Schlauch)
Taylor Swift curated five playlists that represent the five stages of heartbreak… so, OF COURSE Sara & Laura had to get into it. In this episode, Sara, Laura, and their bestie guest correspondent Rebecca analyze the songs and lyrics to uncover the themes of denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance - specifically the tea that has been spilled about the songs that call out Joe and Taylor’s relationship downfall. How can one songwriter drop sooooo much info without saying a freaking thing?! Let’s get into it!
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Taylor Bakes Pop Tarts?!
Our girl Taylor baked homemade pop tarts for the Chiefs… and it blew up the Internet. So, OF COURSE Sara & Laura have to do a deep dive into Pop Tart history and sort each of Swift’s albums into Pop Tart flavors! This episode is the perfect mish-mash of foodie content, 90s/00s nostalgia and delving into fan theories surrounding The Tortured Poets Department.
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Coney Island (with Rebecca Schlauch!)
Laura and Sara are joined by their super Swiftie friend Rebecca Schlauch to discuss the brilliance of “Coney Island” from evermore. Rebecca shares how she became a Taylor Swift fan and an OG Loverfest ticket holder. After introductions, the ladies go into a deep dive discussion about “Coney Island”’s bridge that chronicles many of Taylor’s ex-relationships.
Going line by line, Sara, Laura & Rebecca discuss the themes of searching for closure, the bright lights of Coney Island’s former glory, and the disappointments of fading relationships. There’s lots of Easter Egg unpacking… as Taylor has hidden many references to past songs (and relationships!) - including the illusive gold clock, her 21st birthday cake, the bluest skies of Dear John, and more. -
The Tortured Poets Department Theories
Just when we thought Taylor’s announcement of The Tortured Poets Department was over - she’s gone and released special vinyl variants, each with bonus tracks that have Laura & Sara spinning! In this mini-sode the ladies dig into the theories related to the names of these bonus tracks, as well as the Easter Eggs Taylor has sprinkled in Midnights and other songs!
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Blank Space
In their first music analysis episode, Laura and Sara dive head-first into Taylor Swift's classic pop tune “Blank Space.” Before getting into the nitty gritty, the girls discuss recent news and updates from the previous pod, including the announcement of “The Bolter” bonus track on the special edition vinyl of The Tortured Poets Department, and speculation on the imagery of Taylor on a mysterious bed that may or may not insinuate infidelity?!
As one of Taylor’s most iconic songs from 1989, Laura and Sara discuss Taylor's self-awareness in terms of her image and public perception, her songwriting process, and the theory analysis of “Blank Space” - from its lyrics, chord structure, and the clues Taylor has given about the song’s inspiration.