Taylor Swifts know us all too well

I don’t know how your weekend went, but mine went swiftly (pun intended). If you haven’t heard Taylor Swift rereleased her RED album with a 14-minute music video for the song ‘All too well’ starring Dylan O’Brian and Sadie Sink. This song narrates her past relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal. She effortlessly made the details rhyme to a tee, lyrically. Every 20 to 30-year-old lady on the planet went into an emotional spiral. Wine sales probably went up, as these ladies willingly reminiscence past wounds brought by their past lovers. Some of them are probably thankful to have had those pains so they can sing along the songs with more conviction – I know I did. There is just something so satisfying about singing a break up song with a wine glass on hand especially when you have already fully recovered from it.

I also took it as an opportunity to call my friends who were with me during those times. I moved a lot in the past 10 years so my friends lived in different cities and provinces. The universe aligned because they all had time to take my call and have wine within reach as we looked back and poked fun of our old naïve selves. They also didn’t know about the music video release so I forced them to watch so we can examine every lyric in that song. Let me just say what everyone googled after watching it, Jake Gyllenhaal’s girlfriend’s age. Overall, I had a great night. I would not have guessed that a 14-minute music video that just popped up in my Youtube recommendation list will set off one of my favorite nights of 2021. It wasn’t just Taylor Swift MV release, it was a toast to our 20s, especially the heartbreak that helped us shape who we are now.

I was never a Taylor Swift fan. When she rose to fame, I was already in college trying my best not to get debarred from my accounting program. It was hard enough to go through the balance sheet and have it balanced with a sober clear head, I don’t think I have it in me to pass my accounting degree with heartaches and love scars, so I stayed away from relationships like a plague. But in early 2010, she was everywhere, so you can’t miss her or her songs. Fast forward to 2019, Scouter Braun bought Taylor Swift's master recording for her first 6 albums, and basically, Taylor was not happy about it. I don’t want to go into detail about this because I just don’t know how the music industry work, so I won’t pretend I do.

Rerecording her songs under her new label was a way for her to take back ownership of those songs. I do commend her a lot for doing this and I understand why. Everyone knows how personal Taylor Swift’s songs are, “All too well” is enough proof that her songs are her diaries. And I have to say that I am very happy that she did this because now I can enjoy her music 10 years later after I have gone through the pains of a breakup. I get it now Tay! I have lived through that pain too! Taylor Swift just made the ultimate power move by rerecording her old song because not only did she disempowered the original versions, she gained new fans like me and my friend. Timing is truly everything and it is on Taylor Swift’s side.

Her ‘All too well’ music video, as of this writing, is still the #1 Trending for Music on Youtube. I know because I have it on repeat all weekend and as I write this piece. I am truly obsessed with it.