Making waves since its release on Aug. 25, Taylor Swift’s new single “Look What You Made Me Do” has created a lot of debate in the music industry. “LWYMMD” is the first single released from Swift’s upcoming album, Reputation.
The single itself was already highly anticipated, but Swift certainly helped cultivate hype for it as well. To promote her new song, Swift deleted all of her past social media posts and left only a snake in preparation for the song’s release, leaving all her fans curious for what was to come.
At first listen, many found the song unimpressive, especially compared to her older tracks. That all changed, however, when she released the music video at the MTV Video Music Awards.
With a few stabs at people who wronged her—namely Katy Perry and Kanye West—as well as a reference to her recent sexual assault case, it is extremely clear that Swift is making a statement to all of her haters.
All shade thrown aside, the video is captivating and incredibly well produced.
Upon seeing the music video and all the effort that went into it, there is a certain level of appreciation to be gained for the song. Despite initial negative thoughts, the song eventually grows on its listener.
No matter what, we all can agree that “LWYMMD” is certainly different from Swift’s older work. Swift started out as a good girl in the public eye, writing country songs that always seemed to be liked by fans of multiple genres.
Her “Tim McGraw” music video back in 2006 first featured Swift with her iconic curls and guitar, which became a staple in her early videos. But like any singer, she evolved and eventually traded in her guitar and ball gowns for pajamas and a more pop-like sound.
“LWYMMD” is not the first time that Swift has responded to haters through her music. Once becoming the punch line of many broken relationship jokes, Swift has said that the character the media created was “actually really interesting.”
“[The Taylor the media created] jet sets around the world collecting men and she can get any of them, but then she’s so clingy that they leave and she cries and then she gets another one in her web and she traps them and locks them in her mansion and then she’s crying in her marble bathtub surrounded by pearls,” Swift said.
Swift used this image as her inspiration for the character in her “Blank Space” music video. This music video and song were intended to retaliate against the media, but in the end, Swift mainly continued to “Shake It Off.”
But now that her reputation has taken a hit, Swift has returned with a much harsher sound. One of the lines most quoted from the “LWYMMD” is a phone conversation in which Swift sings, “The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now … why … because she’s dead.”
Whether the “old” Taylor is really gone for good or not and whether or not Swift’s sound has changed for better or worse, she continues making waves in the music industry.