Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” has already been storming the charts, but now it appears the album is making waves in the political world as well. On Monday’s “The Beat,” Ari Melber explained how Democrats like California Gov. Gavin Newsom are using Swift’s new songs to shoot barbs at Donald Trump.
Melber said Newsom has become one of Trump’s fiercest critics, trolling the president at almost every turn. “There’s this kind of long-standing artistic trope that when you get to that level of hatred, it gets obsessive, and therein it can get a little romantic, even,” Melber said. “Now, we tend to turn to lyrics around here, and I got to tell you, there are new Taylor Swift lyrics that channel this point.”
The MSNBC host then shared lyrics from one of Swift’s most talked-about new tracks, “Actually Romantic,” which many fans believe hints at a possible feud between the singer and British artist Charli XCX.
In the song, Swift sings, “But it’s actually sweet, all the time you’ve spent on me. It’s honestly wild, all the effort you’ve put in. It’s actually romantic. I really gotta hand it to you, no man has ever loved me like you do.”
Melber said the lyrics could describe “Trump’s fixation on Newsom” — and it appears the California governor agreed. On Sunday, Newsom posted a video to his TikTok account, using Swift’s song alongside footage of the pair.
But Newsom isn’t the only politician using Swift’s lyrics to troll their rivals. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts used “Actually Romantic” to mock the administration over its obsessive attacks on the Democrats’ Green New Deal.
Melber said while Swift’s studio album has received mixed reviews, it’s hard to deny the influence her music holds, from pop culture to politics. “Now there are many takes, hot and cold, about this new album and whether people think it lives up to the Taylor standard, [but] the cultural cache is not really up for debate,” he said. “The Beat” host then referenced another lyric, from the track “Elizabeth Taylor,” in which Swift declares, “You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby.” “But the irony there, when it comes to Taylor Swift, the new album was the most streamed in a day of any album this year,” Melber said. “She is not just as hot as her last hit or her last album. And according to some of the politicians we’re hearing from in America, they would do anything just to have people listen to their points — and if they have to speak a little Taylor-speak, a little Swiftie, to get heard, apparently they’re happy to do it.” You can watch Melber’s analysis in the clip at the top of the page.
Allison Detzel is an editor/producer for MS NOW.
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