Decoding Taylor Swift
Episodes
Taylor is NOT attacking Blake Lively in CANCELLED! She’s backing her friend.
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
CANCELLED! is a much better song than the critics think. In this episode, Joe and Toni decode the song’s real meaning by diving into the storytellin...
What do Taylor Swift, The Beatles & Springsteen have in common? Why Wood alludes to Norwegian Wood & Dancing in the Dark
16 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many critics think Wood, with all its sexual puns and double entendres, is somehow beneath Taylor. But they should lighten up. It’s a funny song. Al...
The REAL meaning of Swift’s Wish List, what the critics get wrong, & our amazing Spotify Wrapped
09 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Wish List is the most misunderstood song on The Life of a Showgirl because too many people take too much of Taylor Swift’s fantasy literally. But Jo...
Decoding Actually Romantic and the Taylor Swift-Charlie XCX feud: Are they BOTH to blame?
02 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Actually Romantic is a funny and clever song. But it's also a diss track aimed at Charlie XCX, who herself put a song out about Taylor on her breakout...
Revealed: Ruin the Friendship’s hidden connections to Folklore and The Fate of Ophelia
25 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ruin the Friendship’s big mystery is why Taylor Swift put a High School heartbreaker on an album about the Eras Tour. Joe and Toni do a deep dive de...
Why Eldest Daughter is NOT about Taylor Swift—and what it really means.
11 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Eldest Daughter may be the most controversial song on “The Life of a Showgirl.” Joe and Toni dive headfirst into the controversies about whether t...
Taylor’s genius trick in Father Figure will blow your mind and solve a big Swiftian mystery
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
One of Swift's biggest mysteries is why she has so many songs with bad or missing father figures, including many tracks on “The Life of a Showgirl.”...
Opalite’s real meaning reveals a hard truth about Taylor Swift's songs
28 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Opalite does NOT mean what you think it does—as you’ll learn in this eye-opening episode. The #2 song in America may seem like a simple bop, but i...
EXCLUSIVE! An Elizabeth Taylor expert helps us decode the meaning of Swift’s hit song.
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Joe and Toni talk to Ben Mankiewicz, an expert on Liz Taylor and Cleopatra—who are both quintessential showgirls Swift is obsessed with. In the epis...
How Decoding The Fate of Ophelia’s REAL Meaning Unlocks the Whole Album’s Meaning
14 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode will change how you think about Taylor’s entire album! Joe and Toni explain the real meaning of The Fate Of Ophelia— the #1 song in ...
Taylor Swift’s ‘Life of a Showgirl’: Ironic, Raunchy Lyrics' REAL Meaning | Season 2 Premiere
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor promised on Travis’s New Heights podcast that the 12 songs on ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ would ‘fit together like a perfect puzzle.’ ...
What the Stunning Meaning of ‘Cardigan' and ‘Folklore’ Foreshadows for Her New Album | #13
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor told Travis on his New Heights podcast that ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ will have the same kind of storytelling she used so movingly on Folk...
The Karmic Secret to Decoding ‘Life of a Show Girl’ Starts with Decoding ‘Shake It Off' | #12
16 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to fully decode Taylor’s new album dropping October 3, you’ll need to understand the 2 types of irony Taylor, Max Martin, and Shellbac...
EXCLUSIVE improv preview of all 12 tracks of ‘The Life of a Show Girl’ sung by Toni | #11
09 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A must-see episode that reveals all the pre-release secrets of “The Life of a Showgirl” you won’t hear anywhere else. Plus Toni sings (for the f...
The Stunning Twist of Taylor's Tortured Poets Department Everyone Misses | #10
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Decoding Taylor Swift, Joe and Toni reveal the unforgettable reason Taylor is a tortured poet, which she encodes in the title track...
What Taylor's 'Cruel Summer' Can Teach You About How To Go Viral | #9
26 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Decoding Taylor Swift, Joe and Toni dive headfirst into “Cruel Summer,” one of Taylor’s most beloved songs—and one drenched...
Seeing 'Red': Why Metaphors Are the Most Important Viral Storyteller Trick You Must Master | #8
19 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Swift doesn’t just write songs. She writes modern-day allegories. In this episode, we crack open “Red,” one of Swift’s most metaphor-de...
The Word Wizadry That Explains Taylor's First #1 Hit | #7
12 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s the breakup heard ‘round the world and the lyric that won’t leave your head: We Are Never Ever Ever Getting Back Together. But this isn’t...
The Trick That Makes Taylor's Blank Space a Memorable Masterpiece | #6
05 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space” isn’t just a pop masterpiece. It’s a storytelling clinic. In this episode of Decoding Taylor Swift, Joe and Ton...
Taylor’s Top Storytelling Secret plus What But Daddy I Love You REALLY Means | #5
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you master Taylor’s one-word storytelling secret, you'll be better at writing, speaking, and making your content go viral online. This week, Joe ...
To Be or Not To Be a Mastermind | #4
22 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why does Taylor start with “Once upon a time”? What does “scheming like a criminal” have to do with owning your power? And how can you use her...
What Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” Can Teach You About Owning Your Story | #3
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What if your personal growth—and your power to inspire others—hinged on how well you tell your story? In this episode of Decoding Taylor Swift, Jo...
Why We Remember It All Too Well | #2
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What makes something unforgettable? In this episode of Decoding Taylor Swift, Joe and Toni dive into Taylor’s most emotionally gutting and lyrically...
Welcome to Decoding Taylor Swift! | #1
08 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to the first episode of Decoding Taylor Swift! In this podcast, you’ll learn the storytelling tools Taylor Swift uses that make HER a modern...