OSP: Taylor Swift - Language and Representations

 Narrative

Go to our Media Magazine archive (issue MM79) and read the feature All Too Well on Taylor Swift and how she controls her own narrative. Answer the following questions: 

1) Why is Taylor Swift re-recording her earlier albums? 

The re-recording of her old albums comes from a place of necessity and artistic control from Scooter Braun.

2) Why did Taylor Swift choose to make the short film 'All Too Well'? 

She has consciously chosen to push her professional creative boundaries for the sake of her art and her storytelling. The song, ‘All Too Well’ is allegedly about Swift’s relationship with actor Jake Gyllenhaal.

 

3) What other examples are provided in the article of Taylor Swift using media to construct her own image? 

Taylor Swift textual analysis

Work through the following tasks to complete your textual analysis of Taylor Swift's website and social media. 

1) Go to Taylor Swift's website. What do you notice about the media language choices - text, font, images, page design, links?

1st page - Central image - intimate and revealing (1) sexual (2) confidence (3) vulnerability

Serif font - sophistication

Colour scheme - minimal + mute -> feels timeless and sophisticated again -> new persona (era)

Top menu - "shop now" - reinforces capitalistic ideologies

2nd page - simple layout - easy to navigate. "vinyl/cd/cassette" - attract different demographics

3rd page - digital convergence - collab w/ disney

Directed projects  - takes control of her work

2) Now visit her Eras tour microsite. What do you notice about the construction of this site in terms of images and website conventions? 

Top menu - reinforces opportunities to spend money/stream

Collage - symbolise different eras

Design + colour - grainy, nostalgic. retro to colour grading -> reinvention

Repetition and difference

Representation - Vulnerable - Male Gaze Mulvey: no direct address just body on display

3) Visit Taylor Swift's Twitter feed. Analyse her use of tweets/posts - are they promoting her music, her tour, or something else? Can you find any that are socially or politically oriented? 

Logo + banner = all reinforce her promotions for new album

Account interactions highlight her incredible reach, fame and power - millions of views and likes.

4) Look at Taylor Swift's Instagram account. What do you notice about the selection and construction of images, reels and posts?  

More down to earth by using slang 'm8' to relate to fans

Pictures with royal family - selfie - feels more intimate, and in touch with fans.

Everything however is indirectly linked to her tour - it's all for promo again.

5) All her accounts together highlight the same image in different all to work together in synergy to create new identity and promote new album.