The titles of the new songs alone are fueling speculation: “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” and “So Long, London” have fans bracing themselves for sordid details about Swift’s breakup with English actor Joe Alwyn last year.
More tongue-in-cheek titles such as “But Daddy I Love Him” and “I Can Fix Him (No Really, I Can)” call to mind alt-pop singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey, whom Swift has named as an inspiration several times (most recently in her Album of the Year acceptance at the Grammys).
“Clara Bow” is sparking renewed interest in the silent film star of the same name and is drawing comparisons from fans finding potential parallels between the careers of Bow and Swift.
Another notable reveal in the tracklist drop was the list of featured artists, which include legacy indie darling Florence Welch and, in a treat for North Texas fans, rapper and singer Post Malone, who will join Swift on the opening track “Fortnight.”
We’ll admit that Swift and Malone were not a pairing we would’ve come up with on our own. But now that we know it’s happening, we’re intrigued and delighted.
Malone and Swift have more in common from a musical standpoint than you might think. Both have experimented with genres throughout their careers and both are loved by fans for relatable, often confessional lyrics. Seeing as Malone is pivoting into a country music career and Swift has roots in the genre, we hope to hear some of those influences in this duet.
In the past, Swift has collaborated with other notable North Texans, including alt-rock goddess St. Vincent and Arlington native Todrick Hall.
But what do Swift and Malone have in common, emotionally speaking, to duet about? To us, it seems almost painfully obvious. We can imagine Swift taking her Lana Del Rey devotion to the next level: not just taking inspiration from her downbeat brand of pop and her romantically moody and aloof aesthetic, but ripping off one of her signature songs. It feels not entirely unlikely Swift could be about to drop “Video Games (Taylor’s Version).”
“Video Games” is Del Rey’s 2012 breakout single and is sung from the perspective of a young woman who, despite her best efforts, can’t get her boyfriend to look away from whatever game he’s playing and pay attention to her. Seeing as how Swift is a Del Rey devotee and Malone’s investment portfolio contains several gaming ventures, they would slot easily into these roles.
We’re mostly kidding, but you have to admit it would make sense. Even the title supports this theory. “Fortnight” could refer to the amount of time it’s been since Swift has felt seen and cared for by her lover, but also to the game Malone is ignoring her for: Fortnite.
This scenario contains several recurring themes for both Swift and Malone: longing, regret, doomed love affairs and brand synchronicity. It also has the potential to be the closest Del Rey will ever come to winning a Grammy. Everybody at least kind of wins.
