One critic’s view: “This sounds like the Black Eyed Peas. And not one of the middling [songs] either, one of the really bad ones.” – Todd in the Shadows
The public’s view: 1.71 / 5.00, the second-worst #1 hit of 2017
Highly respected, generation-defining musical talents are not immune from making an appearance on the Bad #1 Hits blog, because there’s always the risk that one of their hits will later be deemed unbearable by a public that once adoringly accepted it. For example, Elton John is a pop music legend, but that doesn’t mean that people want to hear “Island Girl” anymore. “Go Away Little Girl” is probably the reason that Donny Osmond has never been nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And Taylor Swift will be remembered a millennium from now for “Blank Space”, “You Belong to Me”, and the 522-minute long Taylor’s version of Taylor’s version of “All Too Well” that she plans to release in 2036, while “Look What You Made Me Do” will be but a sad footnote in the history books.
In my last post, I said that I didn’t enjoy writing about someone as over-exposed as Ed Sheeran. So, you can imagine how I feel about this entry. While I have welcomed maybe a dozen of Taylor Swift’s songs into my MP3 library – which is an incredibly high honor for her – I pay little attention to her love life, her political pronouncements, or the stunned facial expressions that she exhibits upon winning a trophy for Best Female Video That Cost More Than The International Space Station. I am really not a very good Swiftie. Therefore, my opinion of this chart-topping single comes from a certain level of detachment that may not perceive all of the nuances involved.
With its atonal chorus, “Look What You Made Me Do” is devoid of the pleasant melodic qualities that usually characterize a Swift tune. It didn’t cruise to #1 on the basis of musical superiority over its competition. Its primary appeal is that it poses a mystery for the listener. The lyrics are clearly about a conflict between Taylor and some unspecified person, but we are left to wonder who she is singing about.
A few onlookers have suggested that “Look What You Made Me Do” is about Kanye West, because Taylor and Kanye got into some kind of argument back around 2009. No one really knows the details of their dispute, but I think it had something to do with footwear. Apparently, Swift loathes people who promote overpriced sneakers. It’s the same reason why she and Donald Trump don’t get along, and why Michael Jordan was never invited on stage during the Eras Tour. But do you really believe that she would hold this grudge for eight years? Or that listeners would care enough about it after all that time to send a single to #1 on that basis? Pop culture is pretty stupid, but is it that stupid?
Of course it is, but there’s a detail that undermines the Kanye hypothesis: the unknown person in the song once asked Taylor for a place to sleep. Kanye isn’t exactly homeless, so I don’t think this could have been him. This sounds more like one of the minor celebrities whom Swift has dated. It’s a relatable complaint that she is expressing, because every successful woman has had a similar uncomfortable moment with an impoverished boyfriend at some point. It’s always awkward when Tom Hiddlehopper, or whoever, asks to borrow one of your spare penthouses or beach mansions because he can’t afford a room at the Days Inn. However, it would be quite uncultured and gross to write a song that publicly airs petty quibbles about an ex, and I find it hard to believe that Taylor would operate in that fashion.
Regardless of who the target of this track is, I take issue with the idea that anyone has made Taylor Swift do anything. She is among the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world. If she commits some vengeful act that is detrimental to all parties involved, it is because she wants to do it – not because some lesser personage is forcing her. I would respect this song more if it was called “Look What I Felt Like Doing and So I Did”.
People still ask Carly Simon and Alanis Morissette who they were singing about in their mystery records, decades after the fact. I doubt anyone asks Taylor Swift about “Look What You Made Me Do”. The song just isn’t memorable enough for anyone to care who it was trying to embarrass.
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