The Taylor Seminars

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...

We are back to talking Evermore (finally), and we're back with one of Taylor's most devastating songs: "Tolerate It." And you better sit down for this one. This song follows a woman who is completely overlooked by her (much older) partner, a story that has been told and retold both in literature and in Taylor's own discography. We travel to songs from "All Too Well"...

Taylor Swift has been named as part of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, entering in her first year of eligibility! The Taylor Seminars wanted to congratulate her by going through the list of five songs she submitted for consideration: "All Too Well (10 Minute Version") "Love Story" "Blank Space" "Anti-Hero" "The Last Great American Dynasty" Our hosts...

We've reached the last track on Taylor Swift's,  The Life of a Showgirl, the title track "The Life of a Showgirl" . This closer features Sabrina Carpenter as "Kitty", and Exquisite and Hannah unpack Kitty's relationship with the song's protagonist. We hope you've enjoyed our journey through this album! Want to support Exquisite on her journey to becoming a p...

It's time for the sweetest song on Taylor Swift's,  The Life of a Showgirl, " Honey" . This underrated gem is full of beautiful sentiment, growth, and a lot of sensuality. Exquisite and Hannah also connect this song to many other Taylor Swift songs, including "Call It What You Want." Want to support Exquisite on her journey to becoming a professor? Donate here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

It's 2026, and for our first episode of the year, we're doing a special recap of "The End of an Era" docuseries on Disney+. Exquisite & Hannah condensed their thoughts into one hour-long episode, where they discuss what stood out, moments that were inspiration, and what made them cry. We're so grateful for this little community here. We'll be back next week to continu...

It's time for "CANCELLED!" Track 10 on Taylor Swift's,  The Life of a Showgirl. This song fully embraces theatricality as its protagonist revels in her perceived wickedness and embrace of those rejected by the public for "one single drop." While Hannah and Exquisite may not have the same opinion when it comes to how much they like the song, they both agree with how infe...

We're so happy that we've reached "Wood," Track 9 on Taylor Swift's,  The Life of a Showgirl. This song combines the joy of "Opalite" and the sweetness of "Wi$h Li$t" to create an infectious song that creates innuendos that make Hannah and Exquisite cackle. We also reference Taylor's poem "If You're Anything Like Me." Want to support Exqu...

We've reached Track 8 on  The Life of a Showgirl,  "Wi$h Li$t," which Taylor Swift has called one of her favorite tracks on the album — and it's easy to see why with her phenomenal vocals and underrated clever lyrics. Join Exquisite and Hannah as they groove to the beat and say how much they love Taylor's performance, especially on the word "wow." And, stick around...

Taylor Swift leans into her Mean Girl persona with "Actually Romantic," Track 7 of he Life of a Showgirl,  In this episode, Hannah & Exquisite talk about how this song isn't about punching down but about hitting back in the pop arena. It's also a song about letting the haters know that we appreciate all their kind and overwhelming attention. Want to support Exquisite on her journey to becoming...

We've reached one of the highlights of  The Life of a Showgirl,  "Ruin the Friendship." Are you ready to go back to high school with us?  Taylor Swift returns to her old high school in Nashville to paint us a picture of what it's like to choose cautious discretion over inconvenient risk—and she realizes it's not worth it. Join Exquisite and Hannah as we drive shotgun with our...