Behind the Meaning of Taylor Swift’s Revenge Anthem “Look What You Made Me Do”

Reputation marked a shift in Taylor Swift‘s career. The record was far more pointed, dark, and vengeful than her previous releases. At times, she assumed the role of the villain many were trying to make her out to be. But, she didn’t do so without holding a mirror up to her accusers. “Look What You Made Me Do” sees Swift remind those who had a hand in her temporary downfall that maybe she got her comeuppance, but you’ll all get yours.

Uncover the meaning behind this Reputation staple, below.

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Behind the Meaning

I don’t like your little games
Don’t like your tilted stage
The role you made me play of the fool
No, I don’t like you

Like with any Swift track, she doesn’t come right out and say what this song is about. We have to surmise for ourselves why Swift dished out this searing berate. Given the time period, we have to assume the “you” in this track is referring to Kanye West, and/or Kim Kardashian.

The pair turned Swift’s career on its head when they accused her of lying about not knowing West was going to include the line I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous in one of his songs. Now we know that the video “evidence” West produced left out the piece that proved Swift’s innocence. Nevertheless, at the time, Swift got hit hard on social media for “lying” and “attempting to make herself a victim.”

This song takes aim at West and Kardashian for their little games. The role you made me play of the fool, she sings in the opening verse. In the pre-chorus, she starts to gain back some of her confidence, singing, But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time / Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time.

The chorus seems to blame West and Kardashian for their role in making Swift develop a harder, less naive version of herself. That sentiment is further fleshed out in the bridge: I’m sorry / But the old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now / Why? Oh, ’cause she’s dead.

“It actually started with just a poem that I wrote about my feelings, and it’s basically about realizing that you couldn’t trust certain people, but realizing you appreciate the people you can trust,” Swift once said of the song. “Realizing that you can’t just let everyone in, but the ones you can let in, you need to cherish. And it had all the verses in it, just basically as is.”

Revisit the song, below.

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images