“peace” – Taylor Swift

In 2020, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift surprised the world with her eighth studio album Folklore”. With this album’s making, Swift was stepping into unknown territory. Folklore is predominantly an indie folk album — a switch from the usual pop production in her previous works. Additionally, she took a new approach to her songwriting. She did not mainly write about events or experiences that happened to her and instead created a fantastical world where she would write from different viewpoints of the characters apart of her made-up world.

Swift is an artist who requires no introduction for her unprecedented impact on the music industry and pop culture, though I will still introduce her. Initially, Swift began releasing country music when she signed with Big Machine Records, a record label distributed by Universal Music Group. She started to capture the general public’s attention with her self-titled debut album but she was launched into the limelight with singles such as “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me” from Fearless, her second studio album. Subsequently, she delved into the pop realm of music with her fifth studio album, 1989, which contains several classics such as “Shake it Off,” “Blank Space,” and “Bad Blood.” Later in her career, she redirected to a more folkish sound with Folklore and Evermore but soon returned to the pop genre. She then had a series of re-recordings for a majority of her albums, following a dispute with her ex-record label regarding the ownership of the masters to these albums.

Taylor Swift performing live. Source

“peace” was released as a part of Folklore. Swift begins by acknowledging the growth in maturity between her and her partner as their “coming-of-age” has passed. She further acknowledges that she never had the “courage” to fully commit to her past relationships. Now, she is ready to take that step, however, she recognizes that there is a “danger” that comes with being in a relationship with her. Her widespread fame due to being a pop star could be disturbing for her partner, and she fears that she could never give them “peace.” Yet, Swift wants to prove that she can provide some tranquility to her partner as she likens herself to a fire that will keep their heart safe and “warm.” She references the general public and their criticisms of the possibility of their relationship being “just for show” and to gain publicity, but reveals that she would go as far as to die for her partner. She then questions if it would be okay if she could never give her partner the peace they deserve in a relationship.

Taylor Swift being mobbed by fans, a portrayal of her stardom. Source

“Mosquito” – PinkPantheress

English singer and record producer Victoria Beverly Walker, known professionally as PinkPantheress, has recently released her debut album, Heaven Knows, with the upbeat track “Mosquito” serving as the lead single for the album. Like most PinkPantheress tracks, “Mosquito” is short in length, however, her production skills never fail to satisfy the listeners’ ears and draw their attention. She has created her own genre by blending various types of music, such as alt-pop, drum and bass, and 2-step garage. She also draws influences from pop-punk, emo, and K-pop, which make for a colorful array of music that she somehow makes work together. Although Heaven knows is her first album, her music journey does not start there.

PinkPantheress first broke out into the music scene when she started uploading snippets of her songs to TikTok. Her first snippet, a piece of her song “Just a Waste”, went viral on TikTok and provided her with the momentum to release her debut singles “Break it Off” and “Pain.” She possessed and showcased a strong following from her virality on TikTok as “Pain” peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart. She soon released her next single, “Just for Me,” which showed growth in her following as it peaked at number 27 on the UK Singles Chart and garnered her several nominations from premiere award shows such as the iHeartRadio Music Awards and the NME Awards. The series of singles culminated in PinkPantheress releasing her debut mixtape, To Hell with It, which received universal acclaim from critics and the general public. Following her mixtape, she released a new EP entitled Take Me Home that includes the single “Boy’s a Liar,” which she released a remix for with up-and-coming rapper Ice Spice.

PinkPantheress performing live. Source

“Mosquito” begins with PinkPantheress posing a question about seeing someone or something that cements the primary theme of the track as the following line clarifies the thing she is requesting to see, her “numbers,” or money in her bank account. She then indicates that her lack of control over money might be “annoying,” since she immediately spends it when she catches a glimpse of something she wants. This reveals her guilty conscience with the massive amounts of money she spends. She begins conversing with her wealth and asks for its permission to spend more on another day she desires, further emphasizing her guilt. PinkPantheress recognizes that the amount of money she spends is “appalling,” showcasing her yearning for improved spending habits.

In the chorus, PinkPantheress recounts a dream where she had died, and the only reason she cared about dying was that she was taken away from her fortune. This demonstrates her unhealthy relationship with her finances since it has become apparent she prioritizes the amount of money she makes over everything else in her life, even family and friends. She has lost the appeal in everything that makes life beautiful and enjoyable. She is noticeably taken aback by the dream and asks, “What happened to me?”

PinkPantheress pictured carrying bags of designer brands for her music video, showcasing her habits. Source