Taylor Swift was once perceived as the naive girl-next-door, only writing love songs addressed to an endless list of ex-boyfriends. Many fans grew up alongside her music, developing a personal connection to the rosy romance she sang of, as well as a one-sided connection to her. But a new Taylor Swift commands the stage in Reputation, a Netflix film of the final night of her 2018 stadium tour. Through a setlist spanning her discography (up until 2017), she explores the parasocial relationship between her and her fans, as we experience the performance from our own homes.
The concert opens with the fierce “…Ready For It?” introducing a rebellious Swift who ditches the colorful optimism found on her other albums. She instead pursues a cold black-and-white aesthetic, supported by edgy smoke, lasers, and futuristic costumes worn by dancers and backup singers. Despite the edginess, Swift hints that the pre-Reputation Taylor isn’t totally gone, as she flashes a sparkly smile while removing her equally sparkly hood.
There are a few outliers to the set list’s seriousness, one being the catchy pop melody of “Gorgeous.” She reveals her endearing playfulness as she sings “Guess I’ll just stumble on home to my cats,” framing the screen with adorable cat photographs. Whether or not these cats actually belong to her, they are an Easter egg for who love to dissect every dimension of her personal life.
This artist-fan connection is strengthened in a mashup of “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me,” a nostalgic nod to Swift’s adolescence angst expressed on her Fearless album. These tunes are also a shout-out to Swift’s long-term fans, who grew up with her. The documentary strategically evokes these memories, as the camera focuses on the lit-up faces of young girls in the audience, as if to say “you were once them.”
Swift continues to reflect on her past self by projecting iconic clips from previous albums, even as she cultivates a new, darker image. These snippets from more innocent times are interrupted by shots of her taking a seat on a gothic throne — a symbol of power and control and of the ways people vilify her, the way they defile her reputation. The first song to accompany this emo reinvention was “Look What You Made Me Do.” An enormous snake rises behind her, an allusion to one of the many nasty names she has been called.
Ultimately, what makes Swift such a successful performer is her understanding of her audience: “I know you guys are all about lyrics and a feeling, and if whoever the person you’re listening to is singing about what you’re going through. I think that’s all you care about when it comes to a song.” She knows the relatability of her music is what attracts her fans, as it validates their own experiences. We can hear this relatability as she apologizes for her mild cold and launches into an acoustic version of “All Too Well,” her raspy voice adding grit to the heartfelt tale of a painful breakup.
“This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” with its banging chorus serves as an empowering closer, celebrating her newest “era” (as Swifties say) with her dancers, band, and fans. Through her stage presence and diverse setlist, Taylor Swift proves that she contains multitudes. She leaves the at-home viewer with a final “I love you guys” mouthed straight at the camera, reinforcing that parasocial bond before sinking beneath the stage.