Taylor Swift new song is revenge-pop fantasy, but there may be a kinder angle to it

Taylor Swift’s new single “Look What You Made Me Do” was released at midnight, and quite frankly, it’s not much of a song beyond its baseline earworm catchiness.

Maybe that’s why the song itself seems to be getting less attention than its target – whoever that might be.

The song, Swift’s first new single off her upcoming album “Reputation,” is racking up YouTube views and appears to be another entry in Swift’s icy revenge-pop. Most speculation is that it’s about Kanye West, Kim Kardashian or Katy Perry, all of whom Swift has feuded with in the recent past.

Its embittered tone resembles nothing more than an angry presidential tweet storm.

Beyond the celebrity catfight aspect, and an unexpected sample from Right Said Fred, however, there is a semi-local angle to the single – whose video will debut Sunday during MTV’s VMAs, which notably is hosted by Perry.

Maybe.

It involves North Carolina expatriate Ryan Adams, who famously covered every song from Swift’s 2014 album “1989” with her enthusiastic blessing.

Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but a line Swift hisses on her new single – “I don’t like your perfect crime/How you laugh when you lie” – recalls an Adams song, 2014’s “Do You Laugh When You Lie.”

Maybe that’s a nod to Adams, since he and Swift seem to be on friendly terms.

But with Swift, and her new look and new vibe, one never knows how long that will last.

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 1:41 PM with the headline "Taylor Swift new song is revenge-pop fantasy, but there may be a kinder angle to it."