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AP Taylor Swift

Alliteration in Taylor Swift's Music | "Our Song," "Call It What You Want" & More

May 13 · 36 min · Episode 130 · 17.6 MB
0:00-36:44

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“I’ll be your father figure.” This week, we’re diving deep into one of Taylor Swift’s most underrated literary tools: alliteration. From the phonetic cadence of a teenage Taylor on Debut to the silky-smooth flow of reputation’s Call It What You Want, to the hard-hitting, power-packed punch of Father Figure from The Life of a Showgirl, we trace how Taylor uses the repetition of consonant sounds to create rhythm, evoke emotion, and tell a story. Whether she’s channeling JFK-level emphasis or crafting an earworm you can hit the notes on without music, alliteration is a tool Taylor reaches for selectively and with purpose. Join Maansi, Jennifer, and Jodi as they break down soft sounds, staccato slams, and everything in between.

 

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Mentioned in this episode:

 

Episode Highlights:
  • [01:32] Defining alliteration: Initial rhymes, brand names, and types (symmetrical, unvoiced)
  • [07:04] “Our Song” (Debut, 2006): Slamming screen doors and the phonetic cadence of baby Taylor
  • [14:43] “Call It What You Want” (Reputation, 2017): Soft sounds, effortless love, and the R&B-adjacent flow
  • [22:19] “Father Figure” (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025): Hard consonants, hard power, and the father figure persona

 

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This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z