AP Taylor Swift

Latest Episodes:

Revisiting TTPD and The Eras Tour Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

As we prepare for the release of the Eras Tour documentary series, we wanted to pause and revisit our experiences at the Eras Tour and the excitement we felt when The Tortured Poets Department was added to the set list. Take a moment and revisit this older episode of ours to get yourself in the mindset for the docuseries!

Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E111: “So High School” by Taylor Swift line-by-line analysis Dec 03, 2025

Show notes

"In the blink of a crinkling eye, I'm sinking, our fingers entwined." This week, we're deep diving one of The Tortured Poets Department's most nostalgic and playful tracks: "So High School." We explore how this Aaron Dessner collaboration captures the giddiness of adult romance that feels refreshingly simple and unguarded—like being transported back to those butterflies-in-your-stomach moments of teenage crushes. From twinkling lights to truth or dare, we unpack how Taylor Swift uses high school imagery not to describe where she is, but how love makes her feel. Spoiler: we giggle our way through this episode like the high schoolers we once were.

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Mentioned in this episode:

High School Musical

American Pie

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

The Hills

Clueless

"So Yesterday" by Hilary Duff

Travis Kelce's New Heights podcast appearance with Taylor Swift

***

Episode Highlights

[00:01] Introduction and continuation from the High School vs. High School Musical debate

[04:16] Breaking down the title: "So High School"

[16:03] "Tell me about the first time you saw me"

[25:08] "I'm watching American Pie with you on a Saturday night"

[39:02] "You know how to ball, I know Aristotle"

[48:46] No bridge? The structure of "So High School"

[50:18] Purpose discussion: Evoking feelings vs. lived experience

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Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E110: Taylor Swift's High School Songs - A High School Musical Comparison Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

"I'm not a princess, this ain't a fairy tale." What happens when we look at Taylor Swift's music through the lens of high school—specifically, the cultural phenomenon that is “High School Musical”? This week, we explore how adolescence shapes storytelling in literature, film, and music. From the fairy tale expectations in "White Horse" to the transformative power of "Change" to the nostalgia of "So High School," we discuss how Taylor's perspective on high school has evolved over time, and why these coming-of-age narratives continue to resonate across generations.

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Mentioned in this episode:

High School Musical (2006)

The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

A Separate Peace, John Knowles

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky

The Breakfast Club

***

Episode Highlights

[01:08] Why High School Musical?

[02:42] Adolescence as a theme in literature

[07:22] "White Horse" and Gabriella's fairy tale

[20:09] "Change" and high school transformation

[29:20] "So High School" and looking at teenage love as an adult

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Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

We're All in This Together: Why High School Musical Became a Cultural Phenomenon (After School Paid Preview) Nov 26, 2025

Show notes

"How did a made-for-TV Disney Channel movie become the defining musical of a generation?"

This month on After School, we're discussing High School Musical, the 2006 Disney Channel original movie that launched a thousand basketball-playing singers and made "Get Your Head in the Game" an iconic song. For this bonus episode for paid subscribers, we dive deep into why this cheesy, swoopy-haired phenomenon resonated so strongly with millennials and continues to trend with Gen Z today.

From the cultural timing of musicals' renaissance to the universal themes of fitting in while staying true to yourself, we explore what made High School Musical iconic. We discuss the movie's connection to the broader musical theater landscape of the early 2000s, the genius of making a musical about musicals, and why Zac Efron's portrayal of Troy Bolton became the heartthrob template for a generation.

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Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E109: "seven" Line-by-Line Analysis | Taylor Swift's folklore hit Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

"Please picture me in the trees... before I learned civility." This week, we're deep diving one of folklore's most haunting and emotionally complex tracks: "seven." By popular request from our listeners, we explore this fan-favorite song that captures childhood innocence, the weight of adult responsibilities placed on young shoulders, and the bittersweet process of looking back at formative moments that shaped who we've become. From cross-your-heart promises to haunted houses, we unpack how Taylor Swift captures the complexity of childhood experiences that are simultaneously innocent and deeply serious.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Peter Pan

Aaron Dessner interview with Vulture

folklore: the long pond studio sessions

Unreliable narrators Substack

Ring Around the Rosie and the Black Plague

***

Episode Highlights

[00:40] Introduction and After School program announcement

[08:55] "Please picture me in the trees"

[12:10] “Feet in the swing”

[23:15] The bridge: "And I've been meaning to tell you"

[35:00] "Before I learned civility, I used to scream ferociously"

[50:10] Purpose discussion: What is this song really about?

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Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E108: "That's a Real Legacy to Leave": Taylor Swift and the Art of Intentional Ambiguity in seven, Maroon, and loml Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

"That's a Real Legacy to Leave." This week, we're diving deep into the art of double meanings in Taylor Swift's songwriting! Join us as we explore how Taylor crafts lyrics that can be interpreted in multiple ways simultaneously, and how she uses this technique to add layers of depth to her storytelling. We analyze three songs where the titles themselves contain double meanings: "seven" from folklore, "Maroon" from Midnights, and "loml" from The Tortured Poets Department. From the ambiguity of hitting your peak at seven (feet? years old?) to the devastating transformation from "love of my life" to "loss of my life," we uncover Taylor's intentional wordplay and what it reveals about her meticulous craft.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Introduction and After School content announcement
[01:37] What is double meaning? (Plus the difference from double entendre)
[04:53] "Seven" - Peak at seven feet or age seven?
[15:58] "Maroon" - The color and being marooned
[24:06] "LOML" - From love to loss of my life
[36:40] Pattern discovery: Why titles matter

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Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E107: State of Grace Deep Dive: Taylor Swift's Transition from Fantasy to Reality on Red Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

"I'm walking fast through the traffic lights, busy streets and busy lives." This week, we're deep diving "State of Grace" from Red (2012), exploring how this opening track marks a turning point in Taylor's approach to love songs. We unpack the religious meaning of "state of grace" and what it reveals about forgiveness and fresh starts, discuss how the gritty reality of New York City replaces the fairy tale imagery of earlier albums, and examine what it means to navigate love as a 22-year-old trying to prove you're an adult. From Catholic theology to the "freshman year of the real world," this episode explores how Taylor transitions from fantasy romance to the messy, complicated truth of real relationships.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Definition of “State of Grace”

Enchanted

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Plato’s Symposium and Twin Flames

The Odyssey

E102: Parallel Taylor Songs

***

Episode Highlights:

[01:25] “State of Grace” title and meaning

[04:36] “I’m walking fast through the traffic lights”

[10:25] “We are alone with our changing minds”

[12:56] “I never saw you coming, and I’ll never be the same”

[13:53] “You come around and the armor falls”

[19:37] “You were never a saint and I loved in shades of wrong”

[26:27] “This is the worthwhile fight”

[35:30] The purpose of the song

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Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

One Month with Taylor Swift's “The Life of a Showgirl”: Our Honest Reactions (After School Paid Preview) Nov 03, 2025

Show notes

“Pledge allegiance to your hands, your team, your vibes.” In this preview of our After School episode, we're reflecting on our first month with Taylor's latest album. We dive into why certain Taylor albums create earworms while others don't, how her genre-hopping creates completely different fan bases, and whether we just accidentally invented a personality test based on your top two Taylor albums (spoiler: it's better than Myers-Briggs). Plus, we debate whether "an album full of bops" can stand the test of time, or if that's exactly what we needed right now.

Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

E106: Stumble On Home to My Cats: Taylor Swift’s Cat Songs - State of Grace, Gorgeous, and Beautiful Ghosts Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

"I'll dance with these beautiful ghosts and I'll choose to be wild and free." What happens when we view Taylor Swift's music through the lens of our feline friends? In this week's Show & Tell episode, we explore three songs that connect to the world of cats in different ways. From the mysterious cat distribution system to reclaiming the "cat lady" trope, we discuss how cats represent independence, mystery, and the feminine in both literature and Taylor's music. Plus, we dive into why men who hate cats might be revealing more about themselves than they think.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Cat Distribution System - internet phenomenon
Cats Musical - Andrew Lloyd Webber
TS Elliot Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats
Marx for Cats
Beautiful Ghost - Taylor Swift & Andrew Lloyd Webber, 2019
Cats (2019 film)
The Cheshire Cat - Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland
Professor McGonagall - J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter
The Black Cat - Edgar Allan Poe

***

Episode Highlights:

[00:37] All about cats!

[09:22] "State of Grace" and the cat distribution system

[17:18] "Gorgeous" and reclaiming the cat lady trope

[27:08] "Beautiful Ghost" and choosing wild freedom

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

Celebrating Our Favorite Childless Cat Lady: Dissecting Cats the Movie and Taylor Swift’s Role in It (After School Paid Preview) Oct 29, 2025

Show notes

"How high was Andrew Lloyd Webber when he wrote this and on what exactly?"

This month on After School, we're discussing Cats, the 2019 movie musical featuring Taylor Swift as Bombalurina. For this bonus episode for paid subscribers, we watched and dissected Tom Hooper's infamous film adaptation. From the uncanny CGI to Taylor's scene-stealing performance to the existential question of cat proportions, we explore what went wrong (and occasionally right) in translating Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1981 stage musical to the big screen.

Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

Mentioned in this episode:

T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (1939)

Cats (2019 film) directed by Tom Hooper

Taylor Swift's "Beautiful Ghosts" (written for the film)

E3: Alice in Wonderland

Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

Affiliate Codes:

Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.

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