Taylor Swift dropped Tortured Poets Department with a highly theorized (but still shocking) double-album surprise, and fans think one of the new songs, "thanK you aIMee," is about Kim Kardashian's.
If you fell asleep before 2 a.m. ET on the morning of April 19, you might have woken up and blearily read Swift's double-album notes. "This period of the author's life is now over and the chapter has been closed and boarded up," she wrote. "After the wound has healed, there is nothing to seek revenge and nothing to settle."
In other words, if "thanK you aIMee" is about Swift and Kardashian's much-publicized drama (more on that later), it doesn't necessarily mean she wants to continue the feud. In fact, the "thanK you aiMee" lyrics explain her gratitude for past beefs in a roundabout way.
cunning title
The most obvious clue as to the theme of Swift's new song is the title - which is all lowercase except for three letters that happen to spell out "KIM." No other song on The Tortured Poets Department follows this confusing title convention, so fans quickly picked up on the obvious hint. A listener on X (formerly Twitter) suggested that Kim and North West might have a "Wait, is this fucking drama about us?" moment.
Swift actually sets up this scene in the song: "One day, your kids come home and sing a song that only the two of us know is about you." (Hey, North's "Shake It Off" fans.)
Like Britney Spears before her, Swift found a way to hide a secret message in a variation of "Amy." The popular tradition lives on!
Andrea Swift is involved
Throughout the song, Swift describes the lasting impact of a school bully whose "spray-painted bronze statue" stands in her hometown. Whether it was a literal bully or an adult rival, "Amy" hurt Swift during her formative years and still takes up some serious psychological space today.
"It ain't a fair fight, ain't a clean kill," Swift sings, suggesting that Amy might mock her in the local paper or threaten to push her down the stairs, leading to a chaotic fight or potential power imbalance.
Swift even got her mom, Andrea, to weigh in: "Everyone knows my mother was a holy woman, but she often said she wished you were dead."
While Swift may never get confirmation on the topic of "Thank U, aIMee," Swift and Kardashian did have a public affair following the release of Kanye West's "Famous." and. At the time, West claimed on "ICYMI" that he "made that motherfucker famous" singing about Swift.
Swift disputed this, and Kardashian leaked a video of the phone call purporting to show that the singer was okay with the remark — except that, as Swift pointed out, West never told her he called her for "b*tch". Kardashian also appeared to retweet Swift in a tweet comparing her to a snake, and her fans followed suit. "So I was going through a really low period for a while," Swift said of the abuse at the 2018 concert.
Still, the most popular message for "Thank you, aIMee" is one of gratitude. “I wrote a thousand songs that you didn’t think were cool,” she sings. "I built a legacy that you can't undo. But as I counted the scars, I discovered a truth: I wouldn't be where I am now without you." She also thanked Amy for helping her move forward over time. "get well".
Is Cassandra about Kim Kardashian?
According to fans , the lyrics in "thanK you aIMee" may not be the only Kardashian reference in "The Tortured Poets Department ." Listeners on X also pointed out that "Cassandra" made reference to a cell filled with snakes. The Greek mythology of Cassandra, whose prophecies were never believed, appears to have inspired the eponymous character.
"When it's 'Burn this bitch,' they're gonna scream," Swift sings (possibly a reference to West's "famous" shoutout). "When the truth came out, everything calmed down."
"Thank You Amy" Lyrics
Read the full lyrics to the song below.
when i imagine my hometown
Here's a bronze spray-painted statue of you
There is also a plaque below
At our school, this would have pushed me down the stairs
And it's always the same burning pain
But I dream that one day I can say
The whole time you were pumping your fist, I was building something
I can't forgive you for making me feel
Screaming "Fk you, Aimee" into the night sky, blood spurting out
But I can't forget the way you healed me
This is not a fair fight, nor is it a clean kill
every time amy steps on my grave
Then she wrote the headlines
In the local papers, laughing at every step I take
And it's always the same burning pain
But I pray that one day I can say
The whole time you were pumping your fist, I was building something
I can't wait to tell you it's true
Screaming "Fk you, Aimee" into the night sky, blood spurting out
But I can't forget the way you healed me
Everyone knows that my mother is a saint
But she always said she wanted you to die
I push every boulder up the mountain
Your words still echo in my mind, echo in my mind
I wrote a thousand songs that you didn't think were cool
I built a legacy you can't undo
But as I counted the scars, the truth emerged
This wouldn't be possible without you
Maybe you've redefined it
In your heart you never beat my spirit black and blue
I don't think you've changed much
So I changed your name, and any real clue to the definition
One day your child comes home singing
A song that only the two of us know is about you, because
You keep throwing punches, it's all in vain
And our town looks very small from here
Say "Thank you, Amy" to the night sky, the stars are so beautiful
'Cause I can't forget the way you healed me
Everyone knows that my mother is a saint
But she always said she wanted you to die
So I push every boulder up the mountain
Your words still echo in my mind, echo in my mind
thank you amy
thank you amy
