Taylor Swift Performed a Stripped-Down Version of 'Call It What You Want' and It's So Different
After weeks of anticipation over Taylor Swift’s new album, Reputation, it finally dropped on Friday. And after a few listens (K, more than a few), we’ve learned quite a few things about New Taylor. (Or is the album really about Old Taylor, per this compelling theory?) It turns out her relationship with Tom Hiddleston might not have had the best intentions to kick things off with, and she also addressed the many celebrity dramas she’s been a part of. While we were busy obsessing over all of the album’s hidden messages, Swift just came at us with a stripped-down, surprise version of one of the album’s catchiest songs—”Call It What You Want“—and we can’t stop listening to it.
On Friday the singer visited SiriusXM to promote her new album—and give a beautiful performance of “Call It What You Want”. It’s pretty much been confirmed that the song is about her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn—and further evidence was supplied on the radio show by Swift, who explained to the audience that this song is about where she is in her life now.
“Reputation, in my mind, is an album that is very linear in its timeline,” Swift said, “Meaning that it starts out kind of where I was when I first started making the record. The album ends more with where I am now in my life. And so this is towards the end of the album.” (Her explanation supports an intriguing theory surrounding “New Year’s Day”, BTW.)
For the version of the song she delivered on the show, Swift wanted to mix it up a bit and stripped away its heavier techno beats for a more romantic sound, performing the song with just an acoustic guitar and some harmony from her backup singers. The result? Incredibly beautiful. Here’s a snippet from the show featuring the song:
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It’s a bit of a throwback to Swift’s old sounds, no? Whether it’s New Taylor, Old Taylor, or just another side of her that we’re getting to see, the singer still sounds amazing.
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