KATELYN

Guys - It’s been announced recently that the American Music Awards will be honoring me with the Artist of the Decade Award at this year’s ceremony. I’ve been planning to perform a medley of my hits throughout the decade on the show. Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun have now said that I’m not allowed to perform my old songs on television because they claim that would be re-recording my music before I’m allowed to next year. Additionally - and this isn’t the way I had planned on telling you this news - Netflix has created a documentary about my life for the past few years. Scott and Scooter have declined the use of my older music or performance footage for this project, even though there is no mention of either of them or Big Machine Records anywhere in the film.

Scott Borchetta told my team that they’ll allow me to use my music only if I do these things: If I agree to not re-record copycat versions of my songs next year (which is something I’m both legally allowed to do and looking forward to) and also told my team that I need to stop talking about him and Scooter Braun.

I feel very strongly that sharing what is happening to me could change the awareness level for other artists and potentially help them avoid a similar fate. The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you’ll be punished.

This is WRONG. Neither of these men had a hand in the writing of those songs. They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans. So this is where I’m asking for your help.

Please let Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun know how you feel about this. Scooter also manages several artists who I really believe care about other artists and their work. Please ask them for help with this - I’m hoping that maybe they can talk some sense into the men who are exercising tyrannical control over someone who just wants to play the music she wrote. I’m especially asking for help from The Carlyle Group, who put up money for the sale of my music to these two men.

I just want to be able to perform MY OWN music. That’s it. I’ve tried to work this out privately through my team but have not been able to resolve anything. Right now my performance at the AMA’s, the Netflix documentary and any other recorded events I am planning to play until November of 2020 are a question mark.

I love you guys and I thought you should know what’s been going on.

taylor: *gags*

me:

It’s you & me, that’s my whole world... 💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

So proud of you Taylor, it’s the first one you finally own!!! I’m never going to forget this day, hopefully see you soon and you’ll get the biggest hug 💗

in the song she uses high school as a metaphor for america and our obsessive need for patriotism. like how there are homecoming dances and obsession with school pride and school sports games and teams here in America. the “be proud of where you come from no matter what” mindset has been drilled into us Americans from a very early age on.

in the first half of the verse she admits that she was also lost in the lights of America. she was lost in the perfection that this country is supposed to be. she was believing that “the american dream“ was something true. i also believe that this part of the song could also be used to explain being lost in your own privilege, but that’s a different conversation. in the second half of the first verse, we get to her seeing trump’s america come true. the halo is ripped off, everything is on fire, this country isn’t as great as it seemed to be while under the comfort of obama being in office. she’s scared of where this country is going and who’s all in charge of it now.

i’m pretty sure taylor talked about the “they whisper in the hallway she’s a bad bad girl” lyric and said it’s about how she felt she would have been no help in the 2016 election since everyone wanted to her to disappear already. so she didn’t even try. “the whole school is rolling fake dice / you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes” to me is like this country is so obsessed with preserving whatever “greatness” that trump promised that they all voted for him. that’s the stupid game, the blind patriotism. so now we’re stuck with him and the hell he’s created. that’s the stupid prizes. “so sad, we paint the town blue” 2020... no more republicans (no more trump!) in office please. that’s all we want.

the second verse is pretty self explanatory in itself. “my team is losing, battered and bruising” is about liberals. people who don’t stand with trump. minorities. we’re all suffering here right now. “the damsels are depressed / boys will be boys, then where are the wise men? darling i’m scared” this country is run by a bunch of sexist men who literally has the phrase “boys will boys” to excuse other men of their crimes. especially crimes against against women. it’s terrifying it is to be a woman in this country. it has been since forever, but especially right now. this country is run by a bunch of immature manchildren.

i’ve said before that taylor using “go! fight! win!” in the bridge is so meaningful because it’s it’s a chant used by cheerleaders at school sports games, and taylor is again using school pride to speak about the blind patriotism of this country. “and i know this is a fight that someday we’re gonna win” she has some hope that this country can turn back around and become a space for ALL people, like the way it used to feel to her.

i thought that it would kill me but it didn’t

its just indifferncccce.. soooo yeahhh

it’s oOoOOooOoahh it’s a cruEuUeUEueUel summAHHH

I DON’T WANNA KEEP SECRETS JUST TO KEEP YOU

HE LOOKS UP GRINNING LIKE THE DEVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the bridge of baby lover <3<3<3

if i was out flashing my dollarzzz i’d be a BITCH! not a baller

the slow build up of her heartbeat in The Archer™

they see right through me / can you see right through me?

he’ssoobsessedwithmeandboyiunderstand… boy i… understand

and i don’t want you to GO i don’t really wanna FIGHT cause nobody’s gonna WIN

i just thought you should know… YOU SHOULD KNoOooOoW

ONE…TWO…ONETWOTHREEGO!

the slower version of the paper rings chorus at 2:23

literally every single thing about cornelia street

but especially the ten seconds from 3:36 to 3:46

myMYmyMYmyMYmyMYmyMYmyMYmyMYmyMYmyMYmyMY

my time! my wine! my spirit! my trust!

i’ll be alright it’s just a thousand… cutssss

“we ken goe drivin’ on moi skootahr”

they say home is where the heart is but that’s not where mine lives

BABES!!! don’t threaten me with a GOOD TIME

but god i love the english

her deep breath in soon you’ll get better :’( </3

i’m new york city BITCH

CAUSE SHADE NEVER MADE ANYBODY LESS GAY

when the beat drops for the afterglow chorus

you can’t spell awesome without ME :”)

the whole vibe of it’s nice to have a friend it feels like i’m in a graveyard but i’m happy about it??? i rate it

andmaybei’vestormedoutofeveryroominthistown

i once believed love would be burning red

“i want to be defined by the things that I love”