The Weekly Rant: Taylor on Vogue, a comeback.

I can feel it begin again, Nation of Swifties.

There’s a rule that says that you write without a bias. There’s a rule that says that you should never get personal with the subject you’re reporting. There’s also a Taylor Swift lyric that goes, I’d be breaking all my rules to see you. Guess which one I follow and which ones I constantly break. I swear I don’t plan these things (no, seriously, read my stuff – does it look like I have a strategy?). I’ve been disillusioned with a lot of things lately, then bam. Taylor song comes on the radio.

It’s been a while since I have even heard from you.

And it kinda hits me for some reason. I know it’s from the era before last, but there’s no mistake it does. So when I read that incredible, outspoken and self-aware songstress’ reveal for Vogue‘s upcoming September 2019 issue, I was floored. Yeah, I know this should not be a personal account of my reading the freakin’ article. It kinda is. I should be a writer first and a fan second. It’s the other way around. And finally, after my recent critiques at the over-commercialization, I’m actually reconsidering my position on merch (more on that later). I have to admit, I might be slowly but steadily getting hyped for this era. Cue the highlight reel, here we go.

First, of all, Taylor finally cleared up an old question regarding her pro-LGBTQ stance. Yes, you and I know this one already. We’re talking the public at large. I don’t think there’s a sliver of a doubt after the “You Need To Calm Down” music video. As she tells Vogue‘s Abby Aguirre, she came to terms with the public uncertainty after a conversation with Todrick Hall.

“If he was thinking that, I can’t imagine what my fans in the LGBTQ community might be thinking.  It was kind of devastating to realize that I hadn’t been publicly clear about that.”

Taylor Swift, Vogue September 2019.

Her support goes beyond casual. Taylor actually is self-aware to the point of knowing whether her vocal support might be less than perfect. Go look back at your own history, tell me you didn’t make any mistakes and you’re just lying to me. We all learn from things we said that were less than perfect. T’s trying to make sure she does better every time.

I didn’t realize until recently that I could advocate for a community that I’m not a part of. It’s hard to know how to do that without being so fearful of making a mistake that you just freeze. Because my mistakes are very loud. When I make a mistake, it echoes through the canyons of the world. It’s clickbait, and it’s a part of my life story, and it’s a part of my career arc.

Taylor Swift, Vogue September 2019.

She also knows she’s subject to more scrutiny the more serious she’s taken. She’s no longer a child or a teen, she knows what sexism is in the industry. It is important to call these things out and she has, and she will.

Yeah, the angle was different when I started saying, “I knew you were trouble when you walked in”. Basically, you emotionally manipulated me and I didn’t love it. That wasn’t fun for me.

Taylor Swift, Vogue September 2019.

The fact that the Sparkly Dressed knows she was a target of a whole “cancel” campaign breaks my heart. Isolation is not the answer, and exactly what cancel culture tries to provoke. The sensation that she felt even a modicum of that hate is truly revolting. You and I will never know that level of social pressure.

“A mass public shaming, with millions of people saying you are quote-unquote canceled, is a very isolating experience,” she says. “I don’t think there are that many people who can actually understand what it’s like to have millions of people hate you very loudly.” She adds: “When you say someone is canceled, it’s not a TV show. It’s a human being. You’re sending mass amounts of messaging to this person to either shut up, disappear, or it could also be perceived as, Kill yourself.”

Taylor Swift, Vogue September 2019.

And then, there’s this political thing…

Taylor knew that she could impact people, but she also had felt the cold disapproval of anti-fans (sorry, I had to come up with a term for haters who follow her just to hate her). This is where she reveals something I never suspected. She did consider endorsing Hillary. She knew what her reputation (yeap, not a coincidence!) could cost.

Would I be an endorsement or would I be a liability? Look, snakes of a feather flock together. Look, the two lying women. The two nasty women. Literally millions of people were telling me to disappear. So I disappeared. In many senses.

Taylor Swift, Vogue September 2019.

The Blonde With The Sparkly Guitar’s disappearing act might have started due to the whole cancel movement and snake-calling, but it was finalized by the 2016 elections. Literally millions of people were telling me to disappear. So I disappeared. In many senses. That kinda chills me to the bone. A bunch of anti-fans wished Taylor away and it worked… for a while.

Just like a retired master in a martial arts movie, the Enchantress bided her time, honed her skills and is coming back. The truth is, I’m feeling this fanning the flames of the fandom again, even at a personal level. And still, I feel I haven’t remained a devout enough fan lately to be part of the welcome-back party.

But rest assured, I hope to remain one.

Hopefully you get to read the article on Vogue September 2019. It’s a bit of a faith-restoring one.

Coming up in the Calendar! Yes, we’ve been behind! No, please don’t throw things at me! Okey, I will shut up now.

• August 16: The track “Lover” drops!
• August 22: Taylor Swift performs at the GMA concert in Central Park. Airs live on GMA between 7am and 9
• August 23: Taylor Swift releases her seventh studio album, Lover.
• August 23: SiriusXM will air Townhall with Taylor Swift where she will perform stripped-versions of her songs and do some Q&A with some selected subscribers.
• August 26: 2019 MTV Video Music Awards on MTV. You can vote for Taylor Swift daily up to 10 times per category.
• September 9: Taylor Swift’s exclusive concert “City of Lover” happens in Paris, France.

(Source: Vogue September 2019. Featured Image: Photo by Inez & Vinoodh for Vogue)