Midnight Phantoms

Taylor Swift, Matty Healy, the 1975, Mariana’s Trench, writing, trauma awareness, marvel, quotes, lyrics, MCR, and much much more. WORKING ON MY FIRST NOVEL!!!

[maylorscardigan]

I think fans are seriously missing the point of the music video.

Taylor released this today on the last day of women’s history month and honours THE showgirl.

Taylor already played Elizabeth Taylor in a music video. This is iconic. Maybe my age is showing but this is definitely iconic.

[etcpackers]

Brock O’Hurn in The Resort (dir. Taylor Chien, 2021)

[squarebracket-trickster]

Yeah sex is good, but have you ever been looked at with such love in their eyes by your cat?

[maylorscardigan]

I’ve heard a lot of people saying that she bought her masters because she is too sad to record Joe songs. Do you think that’s the case? She’s made it clear that we are getting debut in some way and maybe some vault tracks but I mean… fans didn’t like songs on TLOASG that could’ve been vault tracks… but made it clear we aren’t getting reputation. And they think Joe is the reason? I don’t buy it. What do you think?

HA!

No. I don’t think Joe is the reason. I 1000% believe she told us in 2024 we aren’t getting reputation (Taylor’s version).

But Daddy I Love Him…

“VIPERS dressed in empaths clothing”

Vipers was a CHOICE. Considering she is referring to the fans here. She embraced the snake motif because during 2016, she was being called a snake. So when the fans decided to use her RE-RECORDING project and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) against HER in that stupid letter, Taylor decided to use the snake of reputation against her fans.

“They slammed the door on my whole world / the one thing I wanted”

Matty. That’s what this means. Matty. That’s what the fans did. She was HAPPY and her fans went psychotic. And almost immediately after 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was released the fans were chanting reputation… remember that one show? Then she performed Better than Revenge? The fans were literally chanting reputation on night 3 of the first shows following 1989 TV’s release… and she looks at the fans and says “go stand in the corner and think about what you did.” She literally used a speak now to make her point.

I mean… I said it then and there that we may never see reputation tv or it would be last and years from now.

Then look at eras tour… she gets rid of Long Live knowing it’s a fan favourite and replaces it with But Daddy I Love Him. Like… come on.

Even TLOASG…

Fans said we want Max and Shellback back! We want reputation 2.0! So she did that. She brought them back but not for any re-record. No no. For a new album and she was unhinged with it. She knew fans were going to be like whoa with the album and she didn’t care. She’s done caring.

“I'll tell you something about my good name /It's mine alone to disgrace”

So if she wants to write songs that are soaking in her billionaire status, that is unhinged sexually (wood), if she wants to write songs that are petty… she is going too. She wrote her most personal record ever and the fans hated it. No. They hated the muse.

Now some are saying the entire song of BDILH is about TRAVIS and the FOOTBALL fans reaction to them? Uh…. NO. The narrative has been lost and it’s utterly delusional. This opinion is worse than the OTHER groups opinions… if you catch my drift and I don’t say that lightly.

She is done caring. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Her relationship with fans is purely performative now.

I could write entire essays about this but I won’t. Do I think she spent the money to never release reputation tv? Partly. I do think she wanted all of her albums. I do believe that but like she said in her letter… she intends to still release Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version). She could’ve done the same with reputation (Taylor’s version) but she knows that’s what the fans want most.

And she is shutting the door on that. Just like they did to her.

Now before I get slaughtered in my inbox… I am not saying she is doing this because she still wants Matty. No. It’s less about the man now and more about what the heck fans did to her. We know Taylor can be petty as hell. And she is.

[nocompassnosign]

fans when Taylor isn’t singing about being traumatized at 19: BORING. YAWNING. LAZY. SLOPPY.

[maylorscardigan]

No because really.

Yet the hatred for TTPD was insane as well… nothing makes them happy.

[carlytayjepsen]

people making fun of "but i'm not a princess and this ain't a fairytale" for being childish when the song is about a young girl dreaming of being swept away and then her realising that was childish of her to think like that 🤝 people making fun of "but i'm not a bad bitch and this isn't savage" for being cringe when the song is about internet speak and people trying to seem cool and her realising that she doesn't have to pretend like that

[corneliaavenue]

I do have to laugh at the person who said they miss when Taylor wrote good pop like This Love. Like I know if she released this love now, you would be upset about "This love is good. This love is bad."

[maylorscardigan]

Hot take:

Taylor is sick and tired of her fan base being a$$ holes. No matter what she does, who she loves, who she hates, what she wears, the albums she releases etc… people are going to slam her, try to cancel her, try to control her existence.

Anyone with half a brain who listened to TTPD and a few of the songs there lack critical thinking skills.

She has told the fans she’s sick of it and Taylor is doing what TAYLOR wants to do. She’s going to stop trying to be everyone’s best friend, stop trying to be what everyone wants and just do what she wants.

If that’s to tell us her fiancé has a big redwood then clearly she will. If that’s to fire back and whoever she wants - she’s done playing nice… and honestly - good for her.

[maylorscardigan]

you're rtd, easier for Matthew to die from using heroine then taylor retiring

One. Grow up.

Clearly you’re one of the fans who didn’t get the meaning behind “But Daddy I Love Him”.

Two. I never said retiring. I said a nice long break / vacation to enjoy her damn life and live it. The woman is getting married. She could have a very successful career as a married woman of course.

But let’s say she wants children. She’s said she does in the past. So let’s say she goes that route. I don’t see Taylor subjecting her children to the torment she faces going anywhere. She’s already hiding when her fiancé is playing. She couldn’t go to Jack’s wedding without being harassed. She can handle it. Travis can handle it. But Taylor would never subject her children to that. She can come back after a few years off and do whatever she wanted. It’s not uncommon in the industry either.

Let’s say she doesn’t have children which is perfectly fine. She may just want to spend some time with her husband for a while. Do other projects. More directing / producing. More behind the scenes stuff. Maybe travel the world a bit more and actually see things more in depth.

She’s had to work her break around Travis’ football. They deserve to just… be.

But I never actually said retire.

[columbusswift]

“backstage” at The Life of a Showgirl Spotify Pop Up!

[maylorscardigan]

The teal and the orange had me thinking…

Teal = debut / Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version), which she has told us is done.

Orange = secondary colour of Reputation. She mentioned releasing vault tracks…

This is TS12.

TS13 = vault tracks from all eras with some new stuff possibly? / double album with Debut (TV).

But the beginning (debut) / the end together.

Ending at TS13 would be fitting. Ending it with anthology of sorts of her entire body of work would be incredible.

And by ending it I mean after the release and MAYBE a tour - she takes a very long break to live her life and maybe make a come back down the line.

[maylorscardigan]

I just noticed how LOML and TSMWEL have a similar sound just one is slower / faster.

How did I realize this? “Slow Show” by the National. There’s a part from I think 2:45 on… the piano sounds like both of them. Both songs are done with Aaron.

That wasn’t an accident.

[landofotographyy]

My theories about the songs from TLOAS

Note!: I'm just guessing about things with information I find on the internet about the meaning of words/phrases. I don't know if I'm correct at all, but these are my theories. And I will never ever to guess or dig about Taylor's personal life, so if you see something about it: ignore it, it's just me thinking about how it *could* potentially fit into a song.

Track 1 - The Fate of Ophelia

Taylor mentioned in the new episode of the new heighs show that the life of a showgirl is about the other side, not her performing side, but about what she had been through in her personal life during the eras tour. Taylor described how her routine after the show works before she gets in bed: the night would end with her in the bathtub, and then eventually gets to bed at 4am.

The Fate of Ophelia is basically that she drowned, which is a hint to the cover of the album, where she is fully in the water in the bathtub but a part of her face which isn't in it. But I don't know what the song will look like. Of course nobody knows anything, but maybe the story of the fate of ophelia will be in the song or not, I do not know.

Track 2 - Elizabeth Taylor

I think this song will be about Taylor as a performer but also about Taylor as person and maybe about how those two persons are merged into one.

Track 3 - Opalite

Hey, I spot the word moonstone! That reminds me of the Midnights moonstone bodysuit, which we first saw London night 5 (August 19th 2024). And that bodysuit was worn for eight shows in total.

But "opalite is used in crystal healing and is believed to have various metaphysical properties, including enhancing communication, promoting inner peace and aiding in spiritual growth." -> Does that mean Taylor found inner peace in her life for real now? Is she now finally happy with how her life looks like?

But what this meaning of opalite means for the song I don't know.

Track 4 - Father Figure

Yeah, I don't know. But maybe her dad is mentioned in the song? Maybe the song is about how he treats her and is her dad ever since she was a little girl, but I also could be very wrong.

Track 5 - Eldest Daughter

Again I have no idea. Taylor is the eldest daughter in her family. That's literally all I can think about to guess what this song is about.

Track 6 - Ruin The Friendship

Maybe about her and Blake's friendship? That fell apart. Yeah I don't know. It's hard to guess what this song is about.

Track 7 - Actually Romantic

Remember Dublin n3 of the Eras Tour? Travis surprised Taylor that show by showing up and he said nothing to her.

This was her reaction, when she spotted him:

Maybe this song is about how Travis does these little sweet things for her, which she finds actually romantic.

Track 8 - Wi$h Li$t

Taylor talked in the new episode of new heighs show about how they met and how she got these romantic things happening to her which were on her wish list since she was a teenager. (link)

So when I saw that clip on tiktok I immediately thought about: "yeah this could be potentially where wi$h li$t could be about". So maybe this song is a combination of romantic things Taylor wants to happen to her combined with romantic things that actually happened to her, by Travis.

Track 9 - Wood

Yeah no cannot come with anything for this song. Again I have no idea.

Track 10 - CANCELLED!

Yeah no cannot come with anything for this song. Again I have no idea. This song could mean everything and nothing at the same time. The song has so much options as to how it can be interpreted, and that is what makes it hard to guess what the song is about.

Track 11 - Honey

I have no idea for this song as well, but I think it will be a love song? Not completely sure.

Track 12 - The Life of a Showgirl (feat. Sabrina Carpenter)

Yeah, again no idea. Maybe it's about the other part of her, her life, the one we don't see. A behind the scenes of her life or something? I don't know. Maybe a routine of her normal day? I don't want to speculate at all about her private life, this just came up in my mind.

—

What do you guys, fellow swifties, think? I'd love to hear your thoughts/theories!

Edit: I just saw this post from @kingofmyborrowedheart about a theory for the song wood and I was like "yeah that could be it".

[maylorscardigan]

Cancelled!

She said the album was written about a behind the curtain of her life during the tour. What happened during said tour…? Her FANS tried to cancel her.

I believe that’s what the song will be about. Sort of like how BDILH was a response to that… but this time it’s not about the muse… it’s about what was done and how that impacted her and possibly how she feels since then about it all.

I know people would hate that but like… it fits and honestly, I’m all for songs telling the fans off. I said it when she replaced Long Live for BDILH… she was pissed about it all. I stand by that.

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

Okay so during the podcast there was a figure of Pinocchio on the bookcase behind Travis.

Pinocchio’s whole thing is that he’s made out of wood and wants to be brought to life as a real human boy instead of just a puppet. He spends a bit of time having strings attached to him and then gushes about the freedom he feels when they are no longer there. And that got me thinking about the track “Wood” and the aspects of fame and performing.

Perhaps “Wood” is about being seen as a real human instead of simply an entertainer or “puppet,” finding herself brought to life by something or someone else and freeing herself of the strings that once held her back.

[maylorscardigan]

So…

She always planned on having The Life of a Showgirl as TS 11 but then Matty happened and she wrote TTPD… the album she said she needed to write.

So she takes that… and uses her death in TSMWEL performance to lead into TLOASG instead…

I like it.

[rylandsgrace]

SEBASTIAN STAN as BUCKY BARNES

Thunderbolts* (2025) dir. Jake Schreier

[sunday-bug]

WET

[lord-fallen]

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[maylorscardigan]