Happy Tortured Poets release month, Swifties! You asked us to share our TTPD predictions playlist, so we're here to deliver. Consider this your formal invitation to create your own Tortured Poets predictions playlist and kick off release week early with us. And stick around for the end as we rank the upcoming tracks based on nothing but vibes and Swiftie senses. All this and much more...
Mentioned in this episode:
Cali's Tortured Poets Predictions Playlist
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Your favorite sisters are back for a chatty catch-up episode to discuss the chaos that ensued on the Eras Tour when Taylor unleashed mashups on the Swiftie fandom. We're sharing our favorite combinations, the mashups we'd like to see next, and why Fifteen should have been replaced with a different song in the You're On Your Own, Kid mashup.
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Get settled in for a late night hang with your Swiftie Sisters as they attempt to guess each other's top 13 favorite Taylor Swift songs. Spoiler alert: this is the most fun we've had recording an episode. So join us, won't you?
This episode is even better if you watch the video version. But how can I do that, you might be asking? Join us on the Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/FurtherExplanation
Cali's top 13 Taylor songs playlist
Ciah's top 13 Taylor songs playlist
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Honey we rose up from the dead, we do it all the time! Did you miss us? The Swiftie Sisters are back for season two and we're kicking things off with a slithering album breakdown. What makes the lyrical composition of this album so unique? Has hindsight changed how Taylor sees Reputation? Take a look beyond the snakes and strobe lights with us at Taylor's most candid and high octane pop album to date.
Are you ready for it...?
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The Swiftie Sisters sink their teeth into 1989 TV. First item on the agenda? Noticeable changes to the original tracks. What does this Taylor’s Version says about Taylor’s current intentions for the re-recording project. The icing on the cake: a track-by-track lyrical analysis of the vault. What do these songs being held back say about Taylor’s motivations at the time? How much did Taylor really change the production of the vault? And what song do we think came closest to making the album?
Grab your favorite drink, cozy up, and let's take a deeper dive into the revealing 1989 vault...
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Cali's 1989 Era Playlist:
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It's the 1-year-anniversary of Further Explanation and to celebrate, The Swiftie Sisters are answering questions sent in by YOU, dear listener. We're sharing our honest and unfiltered thoughts on the re-recording process, who the contenders are for Taylor's best album, the closest we've been to meeting Taylor, and much more. This episode is a special gift to you: thank you for being here. Get yourself a little treat and settle in for a chat with your Swiftie Sisters.
More 1989 episodes coming very soon...
Cali's 1989 Era Playlist:
Mentioned in this episode:
- Stream Ciah's album The Pink Room on Spotify
- The Pink Room moodboard playlist
- Wildest Dreams (Live at the GRAMMY Museum)
- Red (Live at Harvery Mudd College)
- Begin Again (Live at Harvey Mudd College)
- Safe & Sound (Live with The Civil Wars)
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Welcome to the 1989 breakdown...it's been waiting for you! Join the Swiftie Sisters as they take a closer look at how 1989 transformed Taylor's songwriting identity, positioning her toward a more mature artistic path. They'll touch on the ways her pop craft has evolved since making her first pop album, where the 80s influence shows up on this record, and how 1989 forever changed the way Taylor made music. And of course, a track-by-track review of the best and the worst 1989 has to offer...
Note from the hosts:
We had a technical issue with one of the mics while recording part of this episode. The audio is still listenable, but if you prefer to skip it, fast forward to the 45 minute mark. It's less noticeable if you're able to listen to the first 45 minutes on a speaker rather than headphones. Thank you for understanding!
Cali's 1989 Era Playlist:
Mentioned in this episode:
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Get ready to join us in speculating about what hidden gems Taylor has in store for us from the 1989 vault. The Swiftie Sisters are making final predictions for the hotly anticipated 1989 vault tracks, discussing Taylor's curious transition from cityscapes to beach visuals, and sharing thoughts on the recently revealed front and back cover variants for 1989 (Taylor's Version).
Cali's 1989 Era Playlist:
Mentioned in this episode:
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We're sharing our commentary on the 1989 music videos and all the drama and lore surrounding them. The Swiftie Sisters fathom a new interpretation of the ending of the Wildest Dreams video, share the way Taylor's acute awareness her public persona at the time influenced how she saw herself, and thus how it was reflected in this era's visuals, and recall the Blank Space video going over everyone's head. All this and much more...
It's here, Swifties! Live it up: Cali's 1989 Era Playlist
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The Swiftie Sisters prelude the 1989 era by recapping the events of closing night in LA. The 1989 (Taylor's Version) album cover is reviewed and hotly debated, the crook who was caught returns to the scene of the crime, prophecies are made for the elusive vault that seems to be missing a track. Plus, has Taylor set a precedent of including her exes in re-recording projects? If so, in what capacity does Harry Styles belong on 1989 TV? All this and more!
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Welcome back to our discussion and exploration into the magical forest that is folklore. The Swiftie Sisters pick up the track-by-track where they left off with the last great american dynasty and consider how this song, as well as this album as a whole, is not about Taylor...while being all about Taylor. The Swiftie Sisters close out this album breakdown by reflecting on the moment in time this album came to us, how it impacted Taylor's art and the trajectory of her career, and so much more...
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Was folklore as fictional as Taylor led on? Is it a pandemic album, or just an album made in the pandemic? Tune in to part 1 of the folklore album breakdown as the Swiftie Sisters take a closer look at what inspired the first surprise drop, what it meant for Taylor as an artist to make something (seemingly) less confessional, and begin our track-by-track discussion. Are you ready to think about this album in a deeper way than you ever have before?
Don't miss folklore part 2 out now!
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Drop everything NOW for our Speak Now (Taylor's Version) first impression. The Swiftie Sisters dive Speak Now TV, the changes Taylor made (looking at you, Better Than Revenge), and share initial feelings on the vault tracks: how they correlate to the concept of Speak Now and why they somewhat differ from the standard tracks. All this and much more...
Mentioned in the episode:
- Archival 2010 Taylor Speak Now interview
- Ciah's album The Pink Room: Spotify | Apple Music
- Ciah's Speak Now era playlist
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Surprise! Speak Now TV release week celebrations are kicking off early on the podcast, and The Swiftie Sisters have a Castles Crumbling theory that might excite you. Peek into the Speak Now vault one last time before these new songs are unleashed to consider how the track names on Speak Now have always subverted expectations, where these new stories might fit into the album concept, and much more. Grab a coffee or a snack and get settled in because your Swiftie Sisters are brimming with excitement to make their final predictions for all that is about to change for their shared favorite Taylor album, Speak Now.
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We're ramping up the Speak Now era on the pod by sharing some glimmering commentary on the Speak Now music videos. With Taylor first starting to write treatments for her videos, they began to reveal glimpses into her personal life. Back to December is one of Taylor's most underrated videos and we're here to enlighten. We also reflect on Taylor's Speak Now era fashion and how it's represented in the visuals, how Taylor strayed away from typical country music visuals, and share the changes, if any, we would make to each video. All this and more...
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Midnights is the album that keeps on giving. In today's episode, Cali and Ciah examine the Karma visuals, share how You're Losing Me fits into Midnights conceptually & what the song might say about the direction Taylor will take for ts11, why Taylor keeps announcing things on stage, and so much more...
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So glad we were around when she said Speak Now... herstory was made when Taylor announced Speak Now TV right in front of our eyes. In this episode, we discuss what we'd like to see from the Speak Now TV era and our feelings on the album cover & announcement, Taylor is recognized as originator of the sad girl sub-genre, answer YOUR questions, and - as always - share our thoughts on the current events in la nación de Taylor. All this and much more...listen now!
In this episode we’re using Midnight Rain like a torch to illuminate the inner psyche of our songwriter and understand who our narrator truly us, with all of her opposing forces, complexities, and unique aptitude for self exploration and reflection. As a metaphor, Midnight Rain offers a compelling contextualization for the rest of Taylor Swift’s discography. With lyrics and motifs spanning across Taylor's catalogue, a narrative of a woman driven by her ambition is revealed. Join us as we take a look at the blood, sweat, and tears that got Taylor Swift where she is today.
We can't shut up about the Eras Tour. In this episode: previously unnoticed sensational moments from the show are praised, cannons are sounded for the fallen surprise song tributes, and what does it mean if the setlist is not set in stone? All this and more...
In the span of 24 hours, Taylor Swift released four "new" songs and kicked off the Eras Tour. After a touring hiatus that produced four brand new albums and two re-records, there was much trepidation about how much of an "eras" tour the Eras Tour would actually be. Will Taylor continue to release music before her weekend shows? And what's with the Speak Now erasure? In this episode, Taylor's setlist choices are dissected, her return to theatrical tour production is celebrated, and so much more.
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Taylor Swift has not toured since 2018. Since then, she has released four brand new studio albums, and two re-recorded albums. With endless possibility as to what Taylor will do on that stage in a matter of DAYS and Speak Now TV still looming over everyone's heads, excitement is at an all-time high. We share our (realistic) dream set lists, fantasize about the way Taylor will visually represent the past eras, our thoughts on the stage, and much more.
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Note From The Hosts: We had a technical issue with one of the mics for the first 7 minutes of this episode. The audio is still listenable but if you prefer to skip it, fast forward to the 7 minute mark of the episode. Thank you for understanding!
Welcome to the Speak Now World Tour! In this episode we're reliving what is arguably Taylor Swift's best tour so far. For a bit of extra fun, watch the tour movie for yourself, then join us as we regale the artistry behind the live arrangements of these songs, the theatrical thread running through this live show, superior costumes, the set list, and the hidden gem to what made this tour so special: the ensemble cast. All of this set against the red curtain backdrop of where Taylor was in her career at the time, and how she got there from the Fearless Tour. *Taylor Swift voice* Are you ready?
There actually is something Taylor Swift does better than revenge, and that's writing an album all by herself. We are taking you back to 2010 with this one as we examine the themes and motifs of Speak Now as an album and concept, give you an in-depth look at these songs with our track-by-track breakdown and review, and share why this album is still some of Taylor's best, most authentic work to this day. Of course, we can't talk about Speak Now without raising the question: WHERE is Speak Now TV?? Well, we have a theory...
All this and more - listen now!
Is Would've Could've Should've set to dethrone All Too Well 10 as Taylor's best song? In this episode, the 3am tracks are called into question...? How do these songs fit into the Midnights universe? And if they don't, was Taylor was just smart enough to call them 3am tracks instead of bonus tracks?
Well Swifties, it only took 10 albums but we finally have the same favorite song on a Taylor album. In this episode: our opinionated review and breakdown of the 13 tracks on the standard edition of Midnights. We can not contain our excitement over the evolution of Taylor's songwriting on this record! Join us for an epiphany or two about these abstract lyrics, how Midnights is the perfect bookend to Taylor Swift's discography up to this point, why we think this is Red's sister album, and an ode to Jack Antonoff: Blesser of Weird Sounds.
But what about the 3am tracks, you say? Don't worry, we're as annoying as the woman (Taylor) who raised us. Our part 2, where we discuss the 3am tracks and wrap up our Midnights album breakdown, is coming next!
Happy Midnights release week! This is our last chance to talk about this album with you before we hear it, and things were fathomed. The Swiftie Sisters break down the puzzling Midnights Mayhem episodes, propose solid predictions for the more ambiguous track names, and share their top 3 predictions for Midnights! So, in true Taylor Swift fashion...meet us at midnight.
Welcome to our first episode of Further Explanation: The Taylor Swift Podcast.
We are in the single digits until Taylor Swift drops her tenth (or is it her twelfth?) album, Midnights! In this episode, the Swiftie Sisters Cali and Ciah are sharing their hopes and predictions for this new, ever-mystifying Midnights era. How did Taylor get to Midnights from the re-recording era? Is this about to be her biggest era yet?? Grab your coffee and your cardigan, we have mayhem to unpack.
