1989 (2014): “Shake It Off”
First of all, this album came out in the wrong year. Some say it’s titled after her birth year. If that’s true (we don’t even know if she exists, but this is the “official” narrative, so we’ll assume it’s true for now), imagine naming an album after your birth year just assuming people will “get it.” Narcissistic, prideful in the extreme.
Anyway. This song is often played at weddings (wholesome, godly), but during the reception (sinful part). The lyrics talk about shaking off bad vibes (healthy, adaptive), but are also a double-entendre with the idea of dancing, which as we know leads to so much sin. I can’t tell if she’s trying to sell God to the unwashed masses or trying to sell sin to the godly. This was around the time she moved to New York (“Welcome to New York”) (Democrat-run city), so sadly, it’s probably the latter.
Overall: borderline.