The Taylor Seminars

Join us up here on the pink cloud for "Pink Clouding," the third track from "The Encore" from Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl." Join Exquisite and Hannah as they analyze this song line by line, from the shades of pink to the exhilerating highs to the extreme vulnerability (hello, "Back to December"). And yes, we compare the song to "Getaway C...

We had SO MUCH FUN talking about "Cleveland!", the second of four tracks on Taylor Swift's "The Encore: The Life of a Showgirl." And within this fun, celebratory song, we see the showgirl burst to life. Exquisite and Hannah also connect the song to "Blank Space" and "The Albatross." She takes us to Cleveland! and we love it here! Also, we hope you enjoy...

We had A LOT to say about the "Patient Zero," the first of four tracks on Taylor Swift's "The Encore." We see Taylor baring her soul, not just to the audience, but to another woman who is in the same predicament she was once in. We go through the song, line by line, seeing how ill the singer was but also how she's willing to help the woman who is now in her shoes. The,...

Exquisite and Hannah are up at the magenta sunrise to do a quick analysis of all the songs on "The Encore:" Patient Zero, Cleveland!, Pink Clouding, and Babylon. This is the perfect way for you to orient yourself to the new tracks by getting some insight into the subjects of each song and how it connects to the rest of the Tayuniverse. 
 P.S. Sorry we kept saying "crimson sunrise&qu...

Looks like we're going to have to step out of the "folklore" woods for a few weeks and head back to the stage for "The Encore." Here's a quick preview of our upcoming schedule and our initial thoughts on this new deluxe edition of "The Life of a Showgirl" and what we think of the new tracks:1. Patient Zero2. Cleveland!3. Pink Clouding4. Babylon Enjoy the episo...

Two people who love analyzing Taylor Swift songs together discuss two people who can never be together in this episode of "The Taylor Seminars." Exquisite and Hannah talk about "exile," track 4 of "folklore," to see how the two people are on completely opposite poles and compare it to a different song where a disagreement was resolved. Enjoy the episode? Buy us a cup...

There's a reason Taylor Swift submitted "the last great american dynasty" to qualify for her historic induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Class of 2026: It's a masterpiece. From the songwriting to the production to the vocal performance, it's a perfectly crafted song that showcases Taylor Swift's genius. Plus, it has one of Taylor's favorite songwriting techn...

We're back for an extralong episode to talk about cardigod, aka "cardigan," track 2 from Taylor Swift's AOTY-winning album "folklore. Tune in as we go line-by-line and crash out (several times) as we talk about the themes of youth, remembrance, the concept of "knowing," and, of course, reference a lot of other Taylor Swift songs. And you definitely want to tune in...

We're kicking off our folklore track-by-track series with Track 1: "the 1." This song invites us into Taylor Swift's fictional universe with one deceptively simple question: If one thing had been different, would everything be different today? Join Exquisite and Hannah as they dive into "the 1" line by line, unpacking the song's nostalgia, regret, missed timing, and...

Exquisite and Hannah return from summer break to start their discussions of the tracks of "folklore." They talk about the themes of the album, the inspiration, and the sounds as they prep to go track-by-track starting next week. They also take a few detours to talk bout the adventures Taylor herself has gone on during the summer of 2026. And we're back with video! Let us know how you like it (or i...

We've (finally) reached the final bonus track from evermore , "It's Time to Go," written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner. We talk about what we love about the song (the verses) and how it fits into the selling of Taylor Swift's original work. Thank you so much for joining us on this incredible journey! Folklore to come soon! Enjoy the episode? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support The TaylorS...

We come to the first of two bonus tracks on evermore by Taylor Swift: "Right Where You Left Me." Join Exquisite and Hannah as they thaw out the girl who's been sitting cross-legged in the dim light and help her out of the restaurant. Want to support Exquisite on her journey to becoming a professor? Donate here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gofund.me/ceaf3b27d⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Enjoy the episode? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

Can you believe it's been 100 episodes of "The Taylor Seminars?" To celebrate, we invited musician Brigid Kaelin, a Kentucky-based songwriter, instrumentalist, composer, author, and artist. You may know her from her viral videos on Instagram & TikTok breaking down the songwriting of "The Fate of Ophelia," "Father Figure," and more!!! For this episode, Brigid j...

We've made it to the closing track of Taylor Swift's evermore album. In this song, Swift uses imagery in powerful ways to show the depths of despair. And then, in the tumultuous bridge, we hear her find hope and the ability to get back up. Join Exquisite and Hannah as they celebrate this gorgeous title track. NOTE: This is our 99th episode!!! Tune in next time for a special guest!! Want to...

In this bonus episode, we talk about how Taylor Swift has been named one of the "30 Greatest Living American Songwriters" by  The New York Times Magazine . As part of the feature, she participated in a 30-minute interview detailing her process , which is a treasure trove of information for people who are obsessed with her songwriting--including Exquisite and Hannah. Join them as they dis...

It's time for "closure," track 14 from Taylor Swift's evermore album. This song is full of "spite, tears, beers, and candles" and Exquisite and Hannah absolutely love it. Join us to hear how Taylor uses imperfect rhymes and imagery to convey her pettiness and persistent anger at someone who has wronged her so deeply. Want to support Exquisite on her journey to becoming...

We arrive at "Marjorie," track 13 from Taylor Swift's evermore album. One of the highlights of her discography, this track is a beautiful tribute to her grandmother, who played a significant role in Taylor's journey to becoming the superstar she is today. Join Exquisite & Hannah as they talk about guilt, grief, hope, and remembrance. Want to support Exquisite on her journey t...

"Long Story Short" from Taylor Swift's evermore album brings us back to Taylor's personal perspective. With a drive beat and a fun vocal performance, this song showcases her sharp pen and clear-eyed perspective. Join Exquisite and Hannah as they analyze the song structure, addressees, and connections to "Call It What You Want," "Peace," and more. Want to suppo...

One of the clear highlights of Taylor Swift's discography is "Cowboy Like Me," the 11th track of evermore . This love song contains beautiful storytelling of two con artists who crash into each other at a party and find a love that they'll have to "pay for." Exquisite and Hannah analyze how Taylor teases the listener so they don't know if the couple ends up together...

There's no question that "Ivy" is one of Taylor Swift's best-written tracks ever. Track 10 of evermore showcases Swift's songwriting prowess and her Gothic sensibilities as she tells the story of a woman caught between ice and fire. In fact, you might even say she has created a haunting narrative. We hope you enjoy our interpretation of "ivy," and hope you take a cl...

We're in the thick of the evermore woods now with track 9, "Coney Island." (But first, we do a slight detour back to "Dorothea"). This song is heavy on the "wonder" motif that's found throughout Taylor Swift's discography, and the themes of regret and lost youth are connected to other heartbreaking songs in her discography, including "How Did It End," "Peter," and "Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus...

We come to "Dorothea," track 8 of Taylor Swift's evermore . This highly underrated song is connected to so many others in Swift's discography--and it's not just "'tis the damn season," which shares the same two characters. We see the motifs of waiting and hometowns and past loves in songs such as "Peter," "the 1," "Midnight Rain," a...

We're so happy to talk about "Happiness," the 7th track of Taylor Swift's Evermore ? This song is filled with beautiful imagery and incredible diction choices that put you in the mind of the protagonist who is grieving the loss of a relationship that she thought would never see a sunset. There are attempts to be "above the trees" but when she thinks back at the painful...

We are back to talking Evermore (again) with one of the more fun songs on the album, "No Body, No Crime." Taylor goes back to her country roots for this song in which women get revenge after being wronged--as they should! Join Exquisite and Hannah as they breeze through this song. Want to support Exquisite on her journey to becoming a professor? Donate here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://gofund....

Let's talk about the music video for "Opalite," track 3 on The Life of a Showgirl. Exquisite and Hannah discuss how Taylor Swift brilliantly captured the essence of the song and flexed her prowess as a director. We see a beautiful three-act structure with tons of symbolism and beautiful imagery. Join us for this Showgirl bonus episode! Want to support Exquisite on her journey to beco...