Taylor Swift has a way of turning her toughest moments into songs that people can connect with. Her new album, ‘The Life of a Showgirl‘, proves that once again.
Among its tracks, one especially stands out for the way it blends bold lyrics with a darker, camp style. Sure, it carries the spark of a classic Swift anthem. But she also digs deeper, pushing back against the kind of labels and judgments that have followed her throughout life.
A Song Born From Taylor Swift’s Scars
In ‘Cancelled!,’ Swift writes from the perspective of someone speaking to her female friends, but the subject matter is personal. The song tackles cancel culture and misogyny while creating a safe space for women who have stood by her side. And that theme is very special to Swift, especially the period around ‘Reputation‘ when she was dealing with her own so-called cancellation.
Swift doesn’t waste time before warning about the brutal nature of cancel culture in the track, singing, “You thought that it would be ok, at first / The situation could be saved, of course / But they’d already picked out your grave and hearse / Beware the wrath of masked crusaders.”
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Throughout ‘Cancelled,’ Swift lists the ways women are often punished in ways men are not. The questions she asks cut straight to the bias women face. She sings, “Did you girl-boss too close to the sun? / Did you make a joke only a man could? / Were you just too smug for your own good?“
And then comes the line that gets etched in the memory, “Tone-deaf and hot, let’s f–in’ off her.” Sure, it’s a bit brutal. However, it’s an effective way to illustrate how quickly women are dismissed for being too ambitious or speaking out. Or, simply for existing in a way others don’t like. Swift has explored these double standards before in ‘The Man‘. But here she layers humour and bite on top of her critique.
Swift explained in an Amazon Music track-by-track breakdown that her own career shaped this song. She said, “Having had my own experiences with mass judgment and being at the center of many dramatic, sort of scandalous moments in my career, it makes me move through the world a little bit differently.” She added, “And when other people go through it, you find yourself thinking about how they’re probably gonna get smarter because of this.“
Taylor Swift Drops “No Names, Just The Message”
Some listeners may be tempted to hunt for hidden references to her famous friends who have faced backlash. Names like Blake Lively, who has dealt with a public legal battle with the ‘It Ends With Us’ director. And costar Justin Baldoni, as well as Brittany Mahomes, who has faced criticism online, often come up. But in this case, fans won’t find direct mentions.
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The timeline alone rules some of it out. Swift has said she wrote the songs for Showgirl between May and August 2024 during the European leg of her Eras Tour. The drama between Lively and Baldoni didn’t begin until December 2024. More importantly, ‘Cancelled!‘ avoids specifics altogether. Misogyny, as Swift points out through the song, is a universal experience. And, it doesn’t need names to make the point.
Rather than casting judgment, Swift flips the script in ‘Cancelled!‘ She makes it clear that whatever her friends have done or been accused of doesn’t matter to her. She said, “Good thing I like my friends cancelled / I like ‘em cloaked in Gucci and in scandal.“
Taylor Swift has always been at her best when she turns personal battles into something larger. And ‘Cancelled!‘ proves that once again. In the face of cancel culture and misogyny, she can sing back louder than ever.
