10/27/22
We Can Hope, Right?
At midnight last Friday, Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album Midnights to critical acclaim and gave Swifties the best gift of the year. If we weren't already ecstatic enough, she then dropped seven more songs at 3 am with Midnights (3 am Edition).
While Swift has never formally claimed a queer identity, there are rumors, and queer fans, including myself, have always had fun finding gay easter eggs in her music. Here are the gayest songs from Midnights and Midnights (3 am Edition), ranked in order of queerness.
10. “Snow On The Beach”
The lyrics to "Snow on The Beach" feel vaguely queer to me. In this duet with Lana Del Ray, Swift sings about "snow on the beach" and describes it as "weird, but f*cking beautiful." Honestly, the whole thing feels like a giant metaphor for women who date women and the internalized homophobia that often comes with it.
9. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”
"Would've, Could've, Should've" appears to speak to the experience of navigating queerness and religion. Swift sings: "all I used to do was pray" and talks about her experience dancing with the devil at nineteen. She also croons: "if you never touched me / I would've gone along with the righteous," which could be a reference to how the Church does not always accept queer people. In the same vein, during the pre-chorus, Swift references a "crisis of my faith."
(Image via @taylorswift.)
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8. “Glitch”
Midnights (3 am Edition) gave us some queerness with "Glitch," a song that starts off like many queer relationships, as Swift sings "we were supposed to be just friends." She references "situation-ships" she's been in and compares her relationship to a "glitch," which could be a reference to her realizing her queerness. The best evidence for that? A later lyric in the song where she shares: "I'd go back to wanting / dudes who give nothing."
(Image via @taylorswift.)
7. Lavender Haze
While Swift has explicitly said that "Lavender Haze" is about having to navigate dating in the public eye and her six-year relationship with actor Joe Alwyn, the lyrics haven't stopped Swifties from seeing another meaning, and connecting "lavender haze" to the anti-gay Lavender Scare. Swift sings: "The 1950s' shit they want from me / I just wanna stay in that lavender haze." Could this be Swift's way of calling out heteronormativity in favor of a lavender alternative?
5. Bejeweled
In "Bejeweled," Swift is asked "Do you have a man?" and responds with "I don't remember." This is honestly the perfect answer to everyone's inevitable homophobic relatives, and I can't promise I won't use it at the next family gathering. In the bridge, Swift references "sapphire tears on my face." And you know what the word "sapphire" sounds like? Sapphic.
4. Maroon
On Taylor Swift's "Maroon," she sings about "the lips I used to call home / so scarlet it was maroon." I'm sorry, but how common is it for a straight man to wear maroon lipstick? This song is hella queer. The song also mentions dancing with someone in New York, and guess who wore maroon lipstick to the Met Gala in New York this year? Karlie Kloss.
3. Vigilante Shit
On "Vigilante Shit," Swift sings: "I don't dress for women / I don't dress for men." Did she just declare bisexual rights? During the song, Swift also asks her listeners to "picture me as thick as thieves with your ex-wife," which certainly puts a queer picture into my head. And then in the bridge, Swift tells us that "ladies know what people want." Is that Swift explaining to us the perks of dating women? Could be!
(Image via @taylorswift.)
2. Question?
There is no question that Taylor Swift's "Question? . . ." is gay. Swift sings: "Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room / And every single one of your friends was makin' fun of you / But fifteen seconds later, they were clappin' too?" Talk about a queer narrative of homophobia turned to acceptance. And if that wasn't enough, Swift literally sings about "f**kin' politics and gender roles." Extremely gay.
1. Karma
I cannot tell you how many times I rewound the song "Karma" to make sure I wasn't dreaming. At 2:32, Swift sings "karma is my boyfriend" followed by a whispered lyric that sounds an awful lot like "karma is my girlfriend." You tell me. Am I imagining this or did Swift just come out as bisexual? I'm speechless.
