OSP: Taylor Swift CSP - Language and Representations

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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? 

This is because her original record label, Big Machine, who owned the master recordings of her first six albums. 

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

In order to own the new recordings herself, reducing the control and financial benefit that others have over her earlier work. It presents this as a way for her to regain artistic control and ownership. 

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

Swift made All Too Well: The Short Film to expand the song into a visual story and tell the narrative herself. Rather than simply making a conventional music video, she wrote and directed the film, using it to explore the heartbreak and relationship represented in the song. She also pushes her creative boundaries and gaining greater control over how her stories are presented. 

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?

When you first access the website there an image of her promoting her new album to her fanbase through the written codes, "patient zero" which is bole, and in all caps to emphasise the title. This is followed by, "the life of a showgirl" which is an old album of hers, creating intextually to her old eras

Additionally, techical codes through the camera work is a midshot of her laying on the floor, setting seems to be a living room or a comforting enviroment through the use of props such as soft and fireplace, suggesting her soft nature from other eras such as, "lover" 

This creates a binary opposition with the symbolic codes through the props of the broken wine glass with wine spilled which creates dramatic tension and suggests chaos has taken place. This pairs with the colour of her lipstick which is red, and this together creates connotations of boldness and passion, which links to the title, "patient zero" insinuating it is an intimate album.

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

The use of techical codes from the editing- spilt screens of different eras with their colour is very symbolic suggesting her creativity and how far she has come in her music career

Title of the website the top, with social media icons on the side creates synegry to her to her other platforms. There is also more options such as Film, Merch, Playlists, Tour e.g. which reflects her success and time in the music industry

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? 

 Taylor Swift’s X account mainly promotes her music, tours and other projects, but she also posts about social and political issues, such as voting and elections.

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

Her Instagram is very carefully constructed, using professional photos, colours, costumes and videos to create a particular image for each “era.” It mixes personal-looking content with promotion.

5) Research Taylor Swift across any other social media accounts - e.g. Facebook. Do you notice any differences in how she represents herself on different platforms? Comment on text, images or tone/content.  

On Facebook, her content is generally more promotional and informative. Across the platforms, she presents similar versions of herself, but changes the tone and style to suit each platform.

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