Look What You Made Me Do was released as the lead single from Taylor Swift’s 2017 studio album called Reputation. Released under the label of Big Machine Records, Taylor Swift and Jack Antanoff produce the song. The producers also share the song’s writing credits with Fred Fairbrass, Richard Fairbrass, and Rob Manzoli. According to music critics, it is a dance-pop or electro-pop track.
How to Download Taylor Swift – Look What You Made Me Do
You can download the song from a digital store such as Amazon Music or Apple Music – click on the Download button that is located below this review. If you like Taylor Swift, check out also her other hit songs Bad Blood, Blank Space, and Shake It Off.
The Song Review
Look What You Made Me Do – Lyrical Interpretation
Look What You Made Me Do holds great significance because its release marked Taylor Swift’s return to the music scene after a three-year-long hiatus. In order to appreciate the lyrics, it is essential to understand why Swift took a break from making and releasing music – the answer lies in Swift’s feud with American rapper, Kanye West. In early 2016, West released a song, “Famous,” that attracted attention for its controversial lyrics because he took credit for making Swift famous.
The song referred to the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards where West interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech – an awkward moment that went viral, and according to West, this is how he played a part in making Swift famous. It is fair to say that West and Swift had never really been on the best of terms, but things took a turn for the worse when West claimed that he referenced Taylor Swift in his song with her consent. Swift openly negated that and criticized the lyrics for being misogynistic.
This sparked a feud that divided the industry. American socialite and model Kim Kardashian – West’s wife at the time – also came forward with audiotapes that supposedly proved that Swift had, in fact, given her consent. Needless to say, it was a messy situation, and Swift thought that the best way to deal with it was to step away from the spotlight.
In this context, Reputation became one of the most essential albums of Swift’s career. It was more than an album – it was a statement. Look What You Made Me Do (the lead single) was more than just a song – it was Taylor breaking her silence after three long years.
The opening lines make it absolutely clear whom Swift had in mind when she wrote the song.
“I don’t like your little games, don’t like your tilted stage.”
The tilted stage is an obvious reference to the time West performed on a tilted stage during his music tour in 2016. Swift is known for her cleverly placed metaphors, so “tilted stage” could also refer to the morally skewed behavior of celebrities.
Swift makes snarky, thinly-veiled references to West throughout the song, but the song is as much about West as it is about Swift. One of the most important themes of the song is reincarnation – as an artist but, more importantly, as a person. The lyrics convey that the last few years have taught Swift a great deal about the price of fame, and she has come out of this debacle stronger than ever. This becomes obvious in the bridge of the song, which says,
“I’m sorry, the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now. Why? Oh, ’cause she’s dead!”
Swift’s message is loud and clear: she is a different person now – mature, confident, and unafraid of those who want to tear her down.
Look What You Made Me Do – Video Interpretation
Directed by Joseph Kahn and choreographed by Tyce Diorio, it is one of the most expensive music videos ever made. The video opens with Swift crawling out of a grave, and the headstone reads: Here Lies Taylor’s Reputation. The video is a satirical commentary on how the media views Taylor Swift. The video’s climax is particularly interesting – Swift is surrounded by past versions of herself. The video exhibits a sense of self-awareness that is refreshing.
