Taylor Swift’s Lyrics Studied by Wall Street Journal

When you think Wall Street Journal, you may not think Taylor Swift. But the bottom line is, reporters are people, too. And some of those reporters are people who have little kids and can’t help notice how much Swift’s music had embedded itself into every inch of pop culture. So this reporter took it upon himself to analyze the lyrics to Swift’s new song “Mine,” saying it’s “dotted with seemingly drawn-from-life details” and that “there’s a strong sense of almost-instant nostalgia.” And when he reflects on Swift’s power over very young kids like his own, he says that young listeners are “nostalgic in reverse.” I have to agree that reverse nostalgia works with so many country songs. I haven’t sent any kids off to college yet, but Trace Adkins’ “Then They Do” hit me hard anyway. And I may not know what it feels like to be married for 58 years, but when I get there, I’m sure I’ll be singing Lee Brice’s “Love Like Crazy.”

Taylor Swift’s New Single Leaked, but Why?

When Taylor Swift was interrupted by Kanye West at the MTV VMA Awards last year, someone joked about how it was like kicking a kitten. Swift is extremely likeable, so why would anyone want to do something so hateful to her? And I feel a little bit like that today since her first single off her next album was leaked to the Internet without her blessing. It’s like kicking the kitten all over again.

Swift was going to release the song “Mine” on Aug. 16 on her own terms. But yesterday (Aug. 4), a crappy-quality bootlegged version was spreading like wildfire online. So her record label decided to go ahead and release the song to country radio stations two weeks ahead of schedule. It shot to the top of the iTunes charts while Swift was on her way to Japan. Back on the ground, she tweeted: “I landed in Japan and got 20 texts and looked at iTunes and got tears in my eyes. And so, we begin again. :)” She even posted a picture of the actual chart to show how “Mine” was the top song on the top songs chart.

I guess what I don’t get about leaks is why someone would do this. They don’t get credit because who would want their name associated with something sneaky and cruel and illegal. Maybe they get a little thrill out of knowing they were behind all this buzz. Unfortunately, they also get karma. She can come back to haunt you. And she can be a real bitch.