Valentine’s Day (Taylor’s Version)

by Anna Tillman

     Looking around and seeing heart-shaped chocolates and flower-filled aisles gives you a sense that love is in the air. It is once again that special time of year that you either love or existentially dread: Valentine’s Day. 

     Valentine’s Day is the perfect time of year to express to loved ones how much you appreciate them. Everyone deserves a little appreciation, whether they are family, friends or significant others. However, this holiday can be stressful. For example, it could be a reminder of toxic relationships that people just want to forget. For those of us who do not enjoy this time of year, let us change our perspective. This Valentine’s Day, we are going to be focusing on ourselves! And we have the perfect role model to help us girlboss our way through Feb. 14 — Taylor Swift.

     Swift needs no introduction. She is an amazing singer and songwriter, and she has shown major dedication to her fans. Nine years after the original release of her “Red” album, Swift decided to release her own version. She was finally free from her suffocating contract and could perform her songs the way she wanted them to be. 

     Through her singing she reveals so much about her life to her fans. She is not afraid to share her stories with others and her rawness is what makes her fans so dedicated to her music. She is so relatable because she does not try to hide her imperfections. She beautifully recalls her past heartbreaks through music, and it leaves fans with goosebumps. Swift is famously known for not putting up with men. If they were not treating her right, she dropped them like the strong woman she is. She is blazing a trail for girls all over the world to never put up with manipulation in a relationship. 

     In preparation for Valentine’s Day, let us enjoy listening to Swift’s most iconic song, “All Too Well” (it must be the 10-minute version). In this song, Swift leaves little clues for her fans to notice that she is slandering Jake Gyllenhaal. Even though the two of them dated for a brief period, their relationship was full of manipulation and gaslighting. In “All Too Well,” Swift took the emotional damage she went through and wrote an amazing song about the lessons she learned. She is actively teaching people that they do not need a man to be happy and successful. She is a strong, independent woman and is displaying to all that it is perfectly okay to have that mentality.

     Therefore, this Valentine’s Day we should all listen to Swift by taking some time to treat yourself. There is nothing wrong with hyping yourself up this Feb. 14. Go buy some chocolate and flowers for yourself, because you absolutely deserve it.