Taylor Swift's latest song has practically inspired more theories than an entire season's worth of Game of Thrones episodes, and as anyone who watches Game of Thrones can attest, that's quite the accomplishment. Thanks to Glamour, there's another "Look What You Made Me Do" mystery to ponder. It seems at least one lyric from Swift's new song may not mean what you think it means, and it's arguably the most talked-about line of them all.
Midway through the song, the "Blank Space" singer seems to nod to the Kim Kardashian phone call debacle with a voice message where she says, "I'm sorry, the old Taylor can't come to phone right now. Why? Because she's dead." Some people point to this interlude as a sign that Swift is entering an emo phase, while others simply scoffed. However, fans of the singer have a different idea about the dramatic voicemail message actually means.
In 2016, the drama surrounding Kanye West's "Famous" reached a fever pitch when Kardashian released a phone conversation between Swift and her husband where Swift seemingly gave approval to be referenced in his song. (Although, whether or not she approved the entirety of the lyrics surrounding her is still a matter of debate.) When the conversation hit the internet, many people declared Swift "dead," and her career over. In fact, during the West-Kardashian debacle #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty actually trended on Twitter. The meme took on a life of its own and ultimately resulted in a real world mural eulogizing Swift in Australia.
While debates about Swift's intentions behind "Look What You Made Me Do" rage on, there's no doubt that she's aware of the public conversation surrounding her image. The video is full of nods to things people have said about her in the press and online, and it even includes a lineup of past Swifts who make knowing comments about the accusations that have been hurled their way. That's why fans now believe the in-song voicemail isn't Swift telling the world, "congrats, you killed the old me," but rather her nod to the declarations that her career was dead post the release of her conversation with West.
There are definitely merits to the argument. After all, "Look What You Made Me Do" begins with Swift literally rising from the dead as a zombie. The entire video seems to be a pointed reminder that no matter what some people think of her, Swift continues to come out on top. In other words, rumors of the demise of her career were greatly exaggerated.
Like it or not, Swift doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. And if her fans are right, then that whole "she's dead" line may be less finger-pointing than it is the singer's sly way of hitting back at anyone who entertained the thought that she would let a little thing like a public feud lead to her leaving the spotlight.
