Blank Plate: A Podcast for Swifties with an Appetite

There would not be TTPD without its tongue-in-cheek title track! In today’s episode, Laura and Sara unpack the lyrics of “The Tortured Poets Department” and analyze how the song lays the groundwork for listeners to understand the gravity of Taylor’s “cyclone” relationship with her fellow tortured poet. Taylor’s self-awareness and sense of humor shines in this one! Who else is gonna TROLL you like...

On Friday, May 30th, 2025, Taylor announced to the world that she FINALLY owns all her old masters! In today’s “emergency pod,” Laura and Sara unpack just how special and important this news is, starting with a great deep dive into the history behind Taylor’s journey with Big Machine, departing ways with Scott Borchetta, Scooter’s purchase and the betrayal that is/was to her, and sooooo much more....

(RECORDED BEFORE TAYLOR’S 5/30 ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT HER BUYING BACK HER MASTERS!) What’s an unsolved Taylor Swift mystery that keeps you up at night?! Sara and Laura certainly have a longggggg list… and they’ll unpack them all in this episode! From NiceBoy Ed, Karma: The Lost Album, Midnights Mayhem upside down phones, 1989 Double Album, “The Man” wall, and so much more, the ladies will sift through...

Truth, dare, spin… records? Taylor’s most rom-com-y song to date has Sara and Laura kicking their feet and giggling! The truth is, Taylor has never released a song quite this honestly lovestruck, and the girls are OBSESSED. This episode has Sara and Laura digging into Taylor’s use of high school as a grander metaphor, as well as a deep dive into Taylor’s unconventional high school experience. Trav...

You… look… like… someone who’s not mentally prepared for this episode! Join Laura and Sara as they share a heartbreaking analysis of TTPD’s (technical) last track - “Clara Bow”! In this episode, Laura and Sara discuss how this song is one that ONLY could be written by Miss Swift. Her deep reflections on the music industry, femininity, hunger for fame and the repercussions of success hit deep . The...

In this episode of Blank Plate, Laura and Sara analyze the veryyyyy subtle, yet in-depth TEA spilled in “Fresh Out The Slammer.” Without overt explanation, this song gives us Swifties a real look into where Taylor was coming from when navigating her metaphorical imprisonment in her past relationship, the emotional journey of breaking free, the hopefulness of new beginnings, and the significance of...

Summary Prepare to be devastated. Today, Laura and Sara are discussing one of Taylor’s most raw and vulnerable songs to date… The Prophecy. With witchy thunderstorms rumbling in the background, the ladies delve into the emotional depths of the song’s lyrics, exploring themes of loneliness, vulnerability, and the complexities of Taylor enduring hope and desperation, despite her losses. They discuss...

Old habits die screaming… and Sara and Laura are BELTING out their mutual love for Taylor’s first track of TTPD’s Anthology. “The Black Dog” was an immediate hit for the ladies, so a deep dive into the song’s lore was well overdue! From a brief history of Swemo/ Taylor’s love for pop punk, unpacking The Starting Line’s implied hit, and allllllllllll the sleuthing to figure out what bar Taylor is r...

It’s another Taylor “Christmas” song that will wreck you… today Laura & Sara are doing a deep dive on “I Look In People’s Windows.” Even though it’s Taylor’s shortest song to date, ILIPW has MANY Easter Eggs hidden inside its devastating lyrics (including one that relates to “Champagne Problems” that has the girls hooked!). It’s also a big day because the ladies announce the launch of their Pa...

Calling all new Swifties and Rep stans - today’s episode is reviewing all the lore that inspired Taylor’s most fierce album, Reputation . What made Taylor fall from grace in the court of public opinion? What the hell is Snakegate? What’s up with “the forgotten album” - Karma? Why did she fully disappear for a full year? Wait… who is Calvin Harris? Yup… this album has A LOT of lore to it. In antici...

Welcome to Season 3 of BPP! Sara and Laura have soooo much to catch up on, including their 2025 personal and mutual goals for this podcast. Of course, there were many, many Taylor-related news and events that happened over their break to unpack, including the end of the Eras Tour, lots of new Lover-related merch, Taylor’s birthday, the Grammy Awards, and more. And then, to top it all off, the ladi...

In Laura & Sara's hearts is a Christmas Tree Farm where the Swifties all come.... and get into the holiday spirit in their newest episode! Tis the damn season for shopping, so the gals loaded up this episode with a shopping guide for our fellow Swiftie pals, and go in a deep dive on Taylor's past discography that mentions her nostalgia and longing during the holiday season. Our girl Tay is sup...

Recorded just over a week after the presidential election, Sara and Laura are in the thick of feeling overwhelmed by disappointment… and figured this was the perfect time to discuss Taylor’s most political song, Only The Young. The ladies’ conversation also touches on mental health, predictions for the upcoming Grammy Awards (particularly regarding Taylor's nominations), and her recent holiday mer...

Taylor may be down bad cryin’ at the gym, but Sara and Laura are knee-deep in their obsession with this alien abduction-inspired depressed bop! On today’s episode, the ladies are thrilled to read a sweet listener email that warmed their hearts, followed by an in-depth analysis of Jack Antonoff’s insane production details, and Taylor’s spiderweb of TTPD references hidden in “Down Bad”’s lyrics. Cha...

SUMMARY In the spirit of spooky season, hosts Laura and Sara dive into Taylor Swift’s witchiest songs! She’s “never beating the sorcery allegations” after the kismet “invisible strings” and “prophecies” that have happened to work in her favor these last few years. I mean, have you SEEN her performance of Look What You Made Me Do in Miami?!? Laura and Sara learn a thing or two about the history of...

Summary As one of Sara and Laura’s early favorites from TTPD, “Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me?” is jam-packed with many Swiftian easter eggs! In this episode, the ladies unpack alllllllll the “snake-gate” references and callbacks to other songs with similar witchy vibes, discuss the chaos and paranoia of fame, Taylor’s perception of herself in the media, and more! Plus, lots of insight into how thi...

Summary Are you ready for Taylor’s “bridge to death”?! In this episode of Blank Plate, Laura and Sara dive into an in-depth analysis of Taylor’s incredibly cutting song, “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” exploring its themes and connections to Taylor's ex-flame Matty Healy. Join the girls as they delve into the emotional intricacies and serious implications of Tay Tay’s lyrics… particularly focus...

Summary To summarize the summer, Laura and Sara thought it was timely to record a minisode (that turned out to be anything but mini) on Taylor’s European Leg of the Eras Tour! From alllllll the clowning for Reputation TV, future collaboration speculations, London highlights, and some Easter Eggs for a potential Eras Tour documentary, Taylor certainly knew how to end this leg of her tour with a ban...

Summary Is there really “no such thing as bad thoughts”?! Laura and Sara have strong opinions on Taylor’s most explicit song “Guilty As Sin?” from The Tortured Poets Department. Before going into a song breakdown, the ladies have a ton of Taylor updates to share, including some devastating changes to lyrics, Vienna’s cancellation, and more. “Guilty as Sin?” certainly had the two gals clutching the...

There are lots of infamous (alleged) tour riders out there, but our girl Taylor has one of the most brand specific, classic, processed, and downright indulgent! As foodies themselves, Sara and Laura go into depth analyzing Taylor’s specific food and drink requests backstage, and even provide their own hypothetical riders for themselves. Plus, the girls also speculate on Taylor’s post-concert routi...

Summary It’s the start of Season 2 y’all! Life’s been crazy and the ladies are STOKED to get into a big rundown of all the chaotic Taylor News that’s happened over the last month. Travis on stage!? Mashups!? Album variant drama!? ICDIWABH Music Video Clues!? “Gay Poets”?! Get ready… your two Swiftie besties are unpacking it all. And since it’s about 3 months post-TTPD’s release, Laura and Sara fig...

Are you ready for a painful one?! TTPD’s heartwrenching track five, “So Long, London” is the focus for this episode… and boy, do Sara and Laura have a LOT of feelings about it. Between the song's associations between “How Did It End?” and “You’re Losing Me,” Taylor did lay it all out about why and how her relationship with Joe ended. Did you catch all the clues she left? P.S. if there are any Gayl...

Summary Ever heard of “maladaptive daydreaming” before? Well… it seems like our girl Taylor has! In this episode deep dive on “I Hate It Here,” Sara and Laura go into secret gardens, lunar valleys and their own personal nostalgic associations with TTPD’s most literary song! Is this song proof that Taylor used escapism through her toughest times to write folklore , evermore and Midnights ? Who the...

Summary As soon as Taylor uttered the words “Female Rage: The Musical” after unveiling TTPD on the Eras Tour, Sara and Laura knew what had to be done! Laura, as a hardcore musical theater girlie, walks us through a brief history of musicals before the ladies compare alllllll the Broadway references hidden in The Eras Tour. Turns out, Tay Tay is definitely a musical theater gal! Sara and Laura also...

Summary Fresh out the (slammer)… TTPD Eras Tour addition in Paris… Sara and Laura are beside themselves with excitement in today’s episode! The ladies react to Taylor’s first performance of The Tortured Poets Department songs, share a super cool listener email, and give some personal updates on life, upcoming events (Sara’s wedding!), and their shared nostalgia for Bon Appetit circa 2020. After al...