Magic Taylor
Taylor Swift's 2020 album "Evermore" and its lead single "Willow" sparked widespread speculation about her interest in witchcraft and magic. Fans and observers noted the witchy and mystical elements in her music and music videos, leading to discussions about whether these references were purely aesthetic choices or indicative of a deeper personal interest in the craft.
In "Willow," the music video features Swift navigating a magical, dark forest and engaging with cloaked figures in a dance around glowing orbs. This imagery, along with the song's lyrics which Swift described as sounding like "casting a spell to make someone fall in love with you," fueled the witchcraft theories. Swift's release of several "witch" remixes of the song and her social media posts further added to this narrative. For instance, she shared a photo with the caption, “Witches be like ‘Sometimes I just want to listen to music while pining away/sulking/staring out a window.’ It’s me. I’m witches.” These actions led to fans questioning whether Swift was embracing a witchy persona or making a deeper statement about her spirituality.
The album "Evermore" itself is characterized by a whimsical, mournful sound and themes of self-forgiveness, self-healing, and self-care, elements that some associate with witchcraft. Ed Hubbard of Witch School remarked on these aspects, suggesting that Swift might have declared herself a witch. However, it's important to note that Swift, as of her documentary "Miss Americana," identified as Christian and has been vocal about her political and social views, which some may see as contradictory to an identification with witchcraft.
Swift's reference to witches and witch hunts is not new in her discography. In her 2017 album "Reputation," the song "I Did Something Bad" includes the lyrics, “They’re burning all the witches, even if you aren’t one,” reflecting her feelings about public perception and judgment. These references are seen by some as Swift using the figure of the witch as a metaphor for misunderstood or maligned women.
It's unclear if Swift's engagement with witchcraft themes is a personal spiritual exploration or an artistic expression aligned with the popular "cottagecore" aesthetic, which romanticizes rural life and nature. The latter could be seen in the context of her albums "Folklore" and "Evermore," which mark a shift in her songwriting style to less autobiographical and more narrative-driven content.
While Taylor Swift's recent work features strong witchcraft imagery and references, whether these signify a personal interest in witchcraft or are simply artistic choices remains a topic of speculation. She might just be tapping into the magical imagery that magicians have been using to add spice to their acts for years.
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