Apr 28 / Final Paper on the Arts
1 A Personal and Pedagogical Look at Taylor Swift’s “peace” Sarah Kotler “peace” by Taylor Swift holds a very special place in my heart. The song was released on July 24th, 2020 on Swift’s eighth studio album Folklore. The ballad is about Taylor Swift’s then-current boyfriend and their relationship. She details her fears of never being able to give him a peaceful life because of her fame, her wildness, and her insecurities. She expresses these emotions through beautiful lyrics and three lushly harmonized electric guitars juxtaposed over a ticking pulse, as well as subtle synthesizers and soft piano notes. The song begins and ends in the same way, which gives it an interesting musical symmetry and makes a seamless transition into itself when played on repeat–something I have done consistently since it was released. This song means so much to me because of how it carried me through the pandemic and has seen me in almost ...