AP Taylor Swift AP Taylor Swift
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AP Taylor Swift is the podcast for Swifties with English degrees (or those who over-analyze everything). Each episode, we dive into a deep-reading of Taylor Swift’s lyrics to uncover the literary themes, references, and inspirations behind the songs to better understand and interpret why Taylor’s songs resonate so deeply with fans.
Join every Wednesday as an english professor, a grad student of liberal arts, and a psych major–all Swifties, naturally–explore Taylor Swift in a way that would make your English teacher proud.
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social!
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
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E36: Deep Dive - King of My Heart
Salute to me I’m your American Queen. In this episode, we deep dive into Taylor Swift's song “King of My Heart” from reputation. Join us as we discuss the power dynamics and military references in the song, as well as themes of wealth, luxury, and the British Royal Family. We even attempt to dissect how the music changes to reflect the song’s themes and lyrics. We’re left wondering: is this just a schoolgirl crush? Infatuation? Or the love of the speaker’s life, the end of all the endings? Tune in and find out!
Mentioned in this episode:
King Arthur
"You’re Losing Me"
Marxist Theory Episode
Switched on Pop (Book)
Switched on Pop (Podcast)
Satire Episode
“Satisfied,” Hamilton
Affiliate Codes:
Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!
Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro
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Episode Highlights:
[1:50] How we do a deep dive
[4:06] “Salute to me I’m your American Queen”
[9:23] “All the boys and their expensive cars”
[11:00] How the music changes to reflect the song’s lyrics
[13:47] “Now you try on calling me baby…”
[20:37] “Is this the end of all the endings?”
[29:23] What is the purpose of the song?
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social!
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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Bonus: "The Tortured Poets Department" at The Eras Tour Reaction
Try and come for my job. We’ve got a special episode to discuss “The Tortured Poets Department” songs that Taylor Swift added to The Eras Tour setlist this weekend. We share our reactions and observations about the changes like the visuals in “But Daddy I Love Him,” the levitating platform in 'Who's Afraid of Little Old Me?' and how “So High School” feels like “Fearless”- era Taylor. We cover the UFO effects in “Down Bad” and how “Fortnight” mirrors the music video. Finally, we have to talk about the epic marching band in “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” and the Clara Bow and “A Chorus Line” references in “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.” The TTPD section of the Eras tour is an emotional, fun, and powerful journey in The Eras Tour!
Episode Highlights:
[03:20] First reactions to the changes
[06:32] “But Daddy I Love Him”
[10:25] “So High School”
[11:43] “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me”
[16:10] “Down Bad”
[20:18] “Fortnight”
[24:51] “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”
[27:47] “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
Affiliate Codes:
Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!
Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro
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Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social!
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z. -
E35: Show and Tell - Royalty
How the kingdom lights shined just for me and you. Hear ye! Hear ye! This week’s show and tell topic is “Royalty!” We explore the historical and religious roots of royalty, and its portrayal in fantasy literature, and high school. Maansi discusses “Long Live” from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Jodi brings in “Castle's Crumbling” Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault). And finally, Jenn shares “King of My Heart” from Reputation.
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Mentioned in this episode:
The Lord of the Rings
Newsies
The Plantagenets by Dan Jones
Le Morte D’Artur by Thomas Malory
The Last Kingdom on Netflix
Beowulf
Robin Hood
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Throne of Glass series
Frozen (Disney film)
Affiliate Codes:
Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!
Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro
***
Episode Highlights:
[00:01:00] Introduction to Royalty
[00:04:58] “Long Live” Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)
[00:26:32] “Castle's Crumbling” Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)
[00:48:22] “King of My Heart” Reputation
Follow us on social!
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z. -
E34: Deep Dive - I Know Places
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 to romantic and beautiful. And we’re left trying to answer the question: is this a reliable narrator? Tune in to find out!
Mentioned in this episode:
Fall episode
Metaphors episode
Pirates of the Caribbean
Friends
“Wonderland” episode
Zootopia
The Diary of Anne Frank
Star Wars: Rogue One
AIDA, Original Broadway Cast Recording
The Audacity of Hope
Marxist episode
Affiliate Codes:
Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!
Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro
***
Episode Highlights:
[01:15] How we do a deep dive
[04:30] “It’s a scene and we’re out here in plain sight”
[09:01] “Baby…I know places we won’t be found”
[16:30] “Just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it”
[21:52] Is there a bridge?
[28:48] What’s the purpose of the song?
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social!
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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E33: Show and Tell - Animal Studies
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 foxes and vultures, which are referenced in “I know places,” (1989, 2014). And finally, Maansi talks us through the song “Daylight” (Lover, 2014) where there are implications of the animalistic concept of hibernation, and also references to wolves.
Mentioned in this episode:
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling
The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkein
The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkein
Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm
Mythology by Edith Hamilton
Hercules the Disney film
Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (the film)
BBC’s In Our Time - Chivalry episode
BBC’s You’re Dead to Me
Shakespeare’s Sonnets
Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott
Le Morte D’Artur by Sir Thomas Malory
Lancelot: The Knight of the Cart by Chretien de Troyes
The Templar Knights by Dan Jones
Alison Weir Books
Zootopia
Mary Poppins
Brer Rabbit
Disney’s Robin Hood
The Dark Knight
Spiderman
Beowulf
The Wolf of Wall Street
Twilight
Once Upon a Time
Little Red Riding Hood by the Brothers Grimm
The Three Little Pigs
Looking for an audio book? Check out our Libro.fm playlist https://tidd.ly/47uhRVI
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Episode Highlights:
[01:12] Introduction to Animal Studies
[03:36] White horses in “White Horse,” Fearless, 2008
[23:05] Foxes & vultures in “I know places,” 1989, 2014
[38:19] Wolves in “Daylight,” Lover, 2019
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social!
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
Libro.fm → https://tidd.ly/47uhRVI
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z. -
Bonus: "The Tortured Poets Department" Album Release Recap
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 us as we give our first reactions, talk about Taylor’s “In Summation poem,” and briefly dissect a handful of songs that stood out to each of us.
Mentioned in this episode:
Check out our “The Tortured Poets Department” Booklist on Bookshop.org/APTS
E29: Show and Tell - Aestheticism
E27: Show and Tell - Poetic Repetition
E23: Show and Tell - Mad Women
E7: Show and Tell - Ecocriticism
Bonus: "The Tortured Poets Department" Announcement
E32: Deep Dive - Love Story
Episode Highlights:
[02:48] Our initial album reactions
[17:22] “In Summation” Poem overview
[29:53] Is this what we expected TTPD to be?
[38:16] loml
[44:39] I Can Do It With a Broken Heart
[53:24] So High School
[56:34] Florida!!!
[59:20] Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?
[01:05:04] Down Bad
[01:13:28] So Long, London
[01:18:27] But Daddy I Love Him
[01:27:00] How Did It End?
[01:37:49] The Manuscript
[01:46:08] What do we think the album is about?
Affiliate Codes:
Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!
Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro
Subscribe to get new episode updates: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe
Follow us on social!
TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro
This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.