“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