I'm Testing out this theory that there is a song in each of the 'Multiple Taylor's Series' that talks about the same situation from each different perspective. We're remembering the physical portrayals from the Anti-Hero music video that gave us the map to Taylor's plan of introducing each persona. See my other posts about it:
https://kit10phish.wordpress.com/2025/10/06/meet-the-3-taylors-in-the-anti-hero-music-video/
https://kit10phish.wordpress.com/2025/10/08/how-do-the-three-taylor-personas-influence-her-work/
https://kit10phish.wordpress.com/2025/10/09/the-last-three-taylor-swift-albums-are-three-strands-of-a-braid/
Obviously not every song has a 1:1:1 match, because the tracklists are different lengths. But I thought it would be a fun exercise none-the-less, and might be enlightening.
I guess I should have started with this one, because it speaks to the splitting of one Taylor into different parts (what this series is about).
But there were more straightforward comparative songs that clearly showed 3 personas each talking about the same subject/event from their perspectives. Example: You're on Your Own Kid from album 10, Clara Bow for album 11, and The Life of a Showgirl song on the 12th album, all talk about the dream and pitfalls of fame. Anyway, here are 3 songs that go into the origin story of Taylor the person and this divisive, Taylor Swift brand.
First chronologically (12th album though) is Ruin the Friendship. It explains that Taylor held back from showing romantic affection for a friend out of fear. She knew it wouldn't be socially acceptable in conservative TN to like another girl. RtF is a song where Taylor regrets her silence. She wonders what might have happened if High School-Taylor hadn't suppressed the truth. And the song reminds, that moments are fleeting, life is short--you might not get the chance again. Showgirl Taylor sees how that repression changed the trajectory of Taylor's life and career. Go ahead and answer the question if they ask you.
Continuing forward in time, Dear Reader talks about Taylor moving away from TN, deserting past lives, in order to start a new life in New York, where there is more diversity, inclusion, acceptance, and a larger LGBTQIAA+ community. Giant Taylor prefers hiding in plain sight, not answering prying, personal questions, and being tricky in order to glass closet. She wants it all. Dear Reader Taylor, is living with slightly more freedom than completely stifled pre-teen Taylor in Nashville, but she's still so closed off that no real relationship can survive. The hiding, scrutiny, and bearding kills any sapphic love, and Taylor goes home alone to play solitaire, soothing her emotions by writing it all down.
We get to Chloe or Same or Sophia or Marcus where an older Taylor is looking back on the consequences of her life choices. The consequence of staying in the closet, but portraying something she wasn't to the wider world. Poet-Taylor explains how she didn't have the tools in her youth to know how to handle queerness along with fame. She deserted the gay parts of herself as a protective mechanism to keep her career and reputation. She distracted herself and her audience by changing everything (outfits, beards, tactics) every album cycle. Taylor hated the gayness inside her, and tore her own world apart to hide those ghosts away. Now she looks back, and doesn't recognize herself. She's not the same person. Hiding one crucial part of herself, caused an internal chasm. Holograms, dark figures, bones without substance are all that are left--no portion/persona is complete without the others. Present day Taylor looks back, way back before TN and career at when she could scream ferociously. Before 7, when Taylor was wild and free like horses. She wasn't yet aware of social norms, and acted fully herself, not bothering to hide crushes on the girl with the braids or Mary, next door. This older Taylor can only be free in her own writing since she deserted that authentic little girl. She braids her truth in her songs, but being marooned from her full self is painful.
Midnights' Giant Taylor lives in that Lavender Haze of subtext and plausible deniability. She runs away from strict parents, stifling Republican enclaves, and close industry supervision to covertly participate in her own queerness. If only in heartbeats under coats. Mostly she skirts prying eyes, stays 3 steps ahead, and deflects probing questions. This Taylor bends the truth and dances around it. You don't have to answer just because they ask you, she justifies. But the house is lonely. She copes by drinking too much and pouring her feelings onto paper, into songs. This Taylor has a lot of uncertainty and dithers between shining so bright as queer representation or safekeeping her secret to preserve the status quo.
TTPD's Poet Taylor longs for the old days when she just ran like wild horses, not thinking of queer sexuality being stigmatized, not worrying about money or legacy. Adolescent-Taylor had been a wreck over bullying, internalizing the harsh words. She tore herself apart into the multiple Taylors seen in the Anti-Hero music video as a protective mechanism. At that time, Taylor needed the narcotics that are her songs, and music career, and fame, most of all. Sapphic Taylor was torn out of the public narrative, marooned in shame and secrecy. But now she doesn't even know herself-she's nobody, she's everybody. Chloe, Sophia, Sam, Marcus--a mirrorball representing everything and nothing. Taylor looks back on her life and wonders what would have happened had she embraced her own queerness. Pretending like the gayness never happened, didn't exist, had made Taylor's heart cold. Queer Taylor can't un-absorb that self-hate, internal homophobia. And now Taylor realizes she can't be happy if she isn't whole and integrated, the disco ball made everything look cheap, feel superficial. Present-day Taylor wonders what her life would have been like if she had remained undivided and faithful to every piece of herself.
TLOAS' Showgirl Taylor has learned shots pass, prospects flatline, life is short. This Taylor looks back and regrets not being genuine in those pre-teen years. She understands the fear and logic behind conforming, but shrugs, 'how bad could it have been?' Maybe it would have been fine if young-Taylor had told the girl of her romantic feelings. At least knowing would be better than always wondering.
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