Are the Goths After Taylor Swift?


By Kaylee Fullington


Many people in today’s society believe that being goth is simply about wearing all black. Taylor Swift appeared to hold this belief when she described her Reputation album as a “goth-punk moment of female rage at being gaslit by an entire social structure”. The goth community was outraged by Swift’s announcement regarding her late 2017 album and began to joke about the matter on TikTok. Those in the goth community have proceeded to drag Swift’s comment about her album through the dirt as they post memes of her statement daily.

An individual does not have to be goth to recognize that Swift’s Reputation album was nowhere close to being considered goth-punk, but many were confused as to what she meant by ”female rage”. Most have come to the conclusion that Swift was only trying to come off as ‘relatable’ by using popular slang terms that are used by the younger generations, but she has unfortunately been facing plenty of backlash since this quote was released.

Listeners have called her ‘desperate’ and that this quote was a cry for attention from the singer in order to be accepted in today's society. The National Review has even questioned her literacy, noting that she can “hardly form a coherent sentence”.

The word “gothic” became very popular in the late 1970s to describe the dark feelings of post-punk bands at the time such as Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division. However, all must know that goth culture has a very long and historical background dating back to the Victorian era.

Although it is a goth stereotype to constantly wear all black clothing, there is more to this culture than meets the eye. Fashion is definitely an important part of what makes up the culture, but there are so many more areas of creativity to be explored through gothic films, music, art, etc.

Much of the influence behind the dark aesthetic of this subculture typically comes from the pain in modern society. The gothic subculture is very much like the punks in a way of reflecting the dreading horror of society. Goths typically tend to be more peaceful in their delivery of rage against society though, whereas punks may be viewed to be more violent.

Swift claims to have been going through a rough time in her life when her Reputation album was released. While her album does not exactly sound like a typical goth-punk album she may have been trying to convey another message. It is possible Swift meant for her album to front the same “attitude” or “dark vibe” like the subculture she was referring to in her announcement, but the confirmation of what she meant through her quote is still undisclosed.

It is not a complete stretch to understand why Swift would label her Reputation album as being “goth-punk”, once the background of the culture is broken down, but it has still offended some individuals who associate with the gothic culture. The future has the potential to successfully resolve this misunderstanding regarding Swift’s comment, but it is definitely important to have a basic understanding of a topic before making such a bold statement like Swift.

Do you believe Swift was right to call her Reputation album a “goth-punk movement”? Or will you side with the goths of TikTok and laugh at her outrageous statement?