Taylor Swift Warns About Relationship 'Red Flags' Ahead of New Album
Taylor Swift during her Eras Tour in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Did Taylor Swift just give us relationship advice? It sure seems that way!
In a voice recording uploaded to Apple Music, titled "A Message From Taylor," the 14-time Grammy winner teased the possible messaging behind her highly-anticipated upcoming album, The Tortured Poets Department, while warning about overlooking the "red flags" of a romantic relationship.
"Hey Apple Music, welcome to my 'I Love You, It's Ruining My Life' playlist. This is a list of songs about getting so caught up in the idea of something that you have a hard time seeing the red flags, possibly resulting in moments of denial and maybe a little bit of delusion. Results may vary," the 34-year-old international pop superstar joked.
The audio message–originally sent to Apple Music subscribers via a push notification on Friday, April 5–is not just a standalone piece. It's intricately connected to a larger five-part playlist series, a musical journey the "Cruel Summer" songstress put together ahead of the release of her 11th studio album on Friday, April 19, with each playlist said to represent the stages of grief.
"A Message From Taylor" is featured as the first song in the first playlist (and all four after), which portrays denial. "First up is denial, as heard (and felt) in a huge swath of her catalog, from the love-drunk oblivion of 'Lavender Haze' to the starlit collision courses that are 'Style (Taylor’s Version)' and 'Treacherous (Taylor’s Version)' and beyond."
The second playlist, titled "You Don't Get to Tell Me About Sad Songs," stands in for anger. "It’s fair to say that some of her best and most beloved songs boast an edge. You’ll find that in abundance here, coursing through the likes of 'Vigilante S--t,' 'Bad Blood (Taylor’s Version),' and, of course, 'We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor’s Version),' the description read.
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"Am I Allowed to Cry?" follows as "The third stage," which the singer-songwriter described as "bargaining, where we often negotiate—asking questions of the universe and ourselves in an attempt to feel better. Kind of a complicated feeling to capture in song, but Taylor’s got you covered, zeroing in on a selection that includes 'Soon You’ll Get Better,' 'Say Don’t Go,' and folklore’s 'this is me trying.'
The fourth playlist is thematic of depression, "and sadness is something Taylor’s captured in song as well as anyone ever has. Take the radiant longing of 'champagne problems,' for example—written and recorded during the global pandemic, when we needed it most. Or what about 'We Were Happy (Taylor’s Version)' and 'Forever Winter (Taylor’s Version),' slightly older standbys that are just as comforting and relatable—songs you can fall into, for sure, but songs that can hold you as well."
Finally comes acceptance, as Swift explains in the fifth playlist titled "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart," that "when we fully come to terms with our loss—and maybe even find peace. The mind springs immediately toward songs like 'You’re On Your Own, Kid' and 'closure' (both in attendance here), as well as a wealth of similarly cathartic material from 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (hello, 'Now That We Don’t Talk [Taylor’s Version]') and evermore (so nice to see you again, 'long story short')."
Though her latest album seemingly hints at a tumultuous relationship, Swift appears very happy with her current beau, Travis Kelce, who is only full of "green flags," according to fans.
Next: Will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Attend Coachella Together?
