Begin Again

We are getting a new album at midnight and we are BACK BABY.  This episode is all about our excitement for the new Taylor Swift Album that we are getting TONIGHT... so it will basically only be relevant for a few hours and after that we will be so thrilled with all the things we got wrong. Things mentioned in this episode Post Malone's Kelce Tattoo Clara Bow Who is the Bolter?     https://linktr.e...

This week on the pod we are covering the only cover that Taylor Swift ever deemed to put on any of her 10 studio albums.  What is it about THIS  indie alt rock song that spoke to her?  Taylor has said that she considers her songwriting the reason she has had such a long career, so perhaps that is why Untouchable was the first and last cover, but still... WHY?  Join us to ponder that existential qu...

We like the way you sound, Taylor Swift!  This week on the pod we dive into the first bonus track from Fearless.  The two of us put on our sneaky detective caps on to learn if we can deduce things about her later romances from lyrical motifs she uses in Jump then Fall.  We also FINALLY have the return of the Eras Tour so we obvioulsy had to devote time to all of the shenanigans this past weekend (...

We sing Hallelujah with our sweet Tennesee Christian girlie b/c we are are leaning into this season of change!  Change was the final track off of the original release of Fearless, written about finding success in the music industry and how her life was forever changed.  I am very convinced this is one of her more explicitly religious songs so... if you're interested in that!  Join us!    Things me...

We must protect Andrea Swift at all costs!  This week's episode is all about Taylor's beloved tribute to her very best friend, her mom!  Andrea has been a guiding force in Taylor's life since she was knocking on the doors of record studios at 14 and absolutely deserves so many beautiful songs all about her.  Love love love The Best Day and love love love Andrea.   Things mentioned in this episode...

If you were not already aware... we are less than 24 hours away from 1989 (Taylor's Version).  So we recorded a retrospective of the original era for the internet to enjoy.  We cover the original album promotion, the arrival of Tree Paine, the major players (i.e. rumored love interests)... WHO THE GIRL SQUAD WAS (!?), and more!   Things mentioned in this episode Tree Paine Taylor Swift's Grammy Sp...

If we've learned anything these past few months, we know that Joe Jonas still does not know how to break up with someone in person.  This week we dive into one of Taylor's more messy public breakups, as told through Forever & Always.  She really was out to get Joe Jonas with this one... she even went for him in an SNL monologue!   Things mentioned in this episode Cruel Summer #1! The Eras Tour Mov...

Screaming and crying and listening to this pod in the rain... we're back baby!  This week we discuss the ERAS TOUR MOVIE, and also another song off of Fearless.  This song is such a bop, as long as you don't read too deeply into the lyrics... maybe that's why she has not performed it live since the original Fearless Era in 2009/2010?  Also if you want a detailed popcorn recipe, we definitely spend...

... but we kind of ARE sorry about how behind schedule we are.  Only kind of... it's hard to keep to a schedule when you're traveling lol.  While this song is not one that the two of us think of when we remember the Fearless Era, it was a huge part of her live performance rotation in 2009.  We also discuss Justin Timberlake, dating as a mega-celebrity, and    Things mentioned in this episode Taylo...

... and then Tell Me Why this episode is so late.  (JK I already know the answer, it's because I have been traveling in central europe and was being bad about my own deadlines).  Tell me why is such a bop, we honestly did not realize how negative the lyrics were until we were preparing for this episode lol.  Low key, being nasty in a cute fun way might be one of Taylor's greatest superpowers.  Any...

It's never simple, never easy, but we always come back with an episode for y'all.  This week we are talking about Taylor Swift's first ever collab song, Breathe (ft. Colbie Callait).  For those of you who were not in the Taylor trenches with us in 2008, Colbie was IT the summer before Fearless dropped.  Her song, Bubbly was ALL over the radio but the two of us had basically not heard it in about a...

Oooooooh... it's a big one this week!  You Belong With Me is ICONIC.  The lyrics were FUN.  The music video defined a generation.  The award said music video won dominated the pop culture discussion for decades.  Even Barack Obama weighed in!  This is a beefy episode, so snuggle in.  We even talk about the ethics of private air travel and class in America lmao. Things mentioned in this episode Mar...

We are not princesses, this ain't a fairytale... but we have each had our time when we sobbed to White Horse on repeat... it's basically a rite of passage for all millenial swifties.  White Horse was written about the same dude as Love Story just a few weeks after that seminal classic was penned - so you best believe we delve into that particular rabbit hole.  This week we also talk at length abou...

I know looks can be decieving but there is no video component to this podcast, so it does not matter.  This week we are talking about Hey Stephen, which was written about one of Taylor's tourmates way back in 2008.  We also touch on 1989 Taylor's Version and any speculations of an announcement that might be brewing.  Thrillingly, with this episode, we are finally back on the strict schedule Sherid...

Who needs Romeo when you have Taylor Swift?  This week we are discussing arguably Taylor Swift's biggest hit, Love Story.   The two of us were in english class together in 9th grade when we read Romeo and Juliet AND The Scarlett Letter and almost certanly had not discussed either book together since 2008 so you're in for quite a treat.  We also got suitably off topic a fair amount so hopefully you...

Take a deep breath girl... we're going back to high school!  Taylor wrote Fifteen about her freshman year at Hendersonville High School in Nashville where she met her best friend Abigail Anderson.  That year she experienced her first date, her first kiss, and helped her best friend through a broken heart.  This week we delve into friendship, teenhood, our Eras Tour experience (sorry this episode w...

It's flawless, it's really something... it's Fearless!  Welcome to Season Two of Begin Again!  All due respect to debut, she really went harder than either of us remembered, but we are STOKED about this new era.  Fearless was Taylor's breakout album.  She won ALBUM OF THE YEAR for Fearless.  So... it's kind of a big deal.  So come along as we delve into, in my opinion, one of the best first tracks...

Whyyyyy would you make a 40 minute episode about A Perfectly Good Heart when you can spend 75% of it talking about Speak Now (Taylor's Version)?  Spoiler Alert... that's what we did lol.  We do discuss the lyric in A Perfectly Good Heart, because we are chronically committed to the bit and will be doing every single song in Taylor Swift's discography, but expect a whole heck of a lot of snark.  If...

G'Day Begin Again-ers (Sheridan is in Australia and is very tired as she writes these episode notes).  This week is brought to you by Taylor Swift's teenaged pining, yet again.  I gotta be real I am very tired and will probably have to change these episode notes at some point.  But maybe it's best for posterity that they stay this way.  I met a Koala today.  That is not relevant to the episode, bu...

If you were not already aware, we are 7 days out from Speak Now (Taylor's Version).  So we recorded a retrospective of the original era for the internet to enjoy.  We cover the original album promotion, the major players (i.e. rumored love interests), and Speak Now World Tour. This is both of our favorite album, so to say we are hype for July 7 would be an understatement.   Mentioned in this episo...

Wow - we have officially made it to Debut's bonus tracks!  (also to our thirteenth episode) Can you even believe?!  This week we discuss I'm Only Me When I'm With You which, in addition to being the longest track title on debut, was Taylor Swift's directorial debut (not according to Billboard but she DID make this music video herself).  It would not be an episode of Begin Again if we didn't go on...

We've heard every album, listened to the radio, w aited for something to come along... but nothing is as good as Our Song!  Well... that's a tad hyperbolic since there are several Taylor Swift songs that have our everlasting love and devotion, but Our Song certainly is up there!  This week on the pod we dive into Our Song, which is (probably) definitely our favorite off of debut.  It was the origi...

Oh My My My how we love Mary's Song!  This week we discuss the Taylor/Matty break up, Taylor's pride speech in Chicago, Flavor Flav and eventually we get to Mary's Song.  Taylor introduced this song as being about her neighbors in Nashville but there are some other popular interpretations of Mary's song that are more controversial.  We even mention Mary Magdalene, so you know it's good. Mentioned...

We all know that the internet is where nuance goes to die... but when we met up irl for the Boston Calling Music Fest, we wanted to pick a topic that was a bit more fun, chill, and somehow ended up recording an episode on the intersectional complexities of the Taylor Swift/Kanye West feud.  Joined by precious friend of the pod, comedian Blair Dawson, listen as we fearlessly dive into the history o...

Well well well... how the turns tabled - Taylor Swift once said being cheated on was the craziest thing that had ever happened to her.  Now she writes bangers like High Infidelity and Getaway Car about how much she  loooooves cheating.  It's called growth people.  This week we dive into all of the things Taylor Swift would say no to including "headless bananas" and "anticipating her face in a red...