Taylor Swift's new album is officially out, so let's get started. As soon as the singer's latest music was released, fans started listening to Kanye West lyrics and "Reputation" references sprinkled throughout the tracklist. Given Swift and West's seemingly never-ending feud, it's not out of the question that she might subtly (or in some cases, not-so-subtly) throw some shade at him. After all, their feud returned to the spotlight when she released "Look What You Made Me Do."
Of course, like any song, the lyrics are open to interpretation. But those lyrics that Swift sang were most likely directed at the "Life of Pablo" singer, or at least that's what the internet says. Knowing Swift's history of being tight-lipped, there's no way she would come out and say outright that the songs were about West or his wife, Kim Kardashian. Yet the clues may be in the context, so you can draw your own conclusions.
Here are all the lyrics to "Reputation" that seem to be aimed at "Ye" and have fans taking notice. Again, this is all open to interpretation, but see for yourself.
1. “I brought a knife to a gunfight/They took the crown, but it didn’t matter/All the liars called me a liar”
The line in "Call It What You Want" could be a mockery of the feud between West and Swift in general over the song "Famous." In the song, West asserts, "I made that motherfucker famous," which led to a series of debates over whether Swift allowed him to write the lyric. Although Kardashian claimed she had no idea he would call her that, she posted a video on Snapchat in which Swift appeared to give her approval to the song.
2. “I don’t like your little games/I don’t like your tilted stage.”
"Look What You Made Me Do" seems to be a reference to West, specifically the stages of his St. Pablo tour. Is this just a coincidence?
3. “It’s so nice to be friends again/I gave you a second chance/But then you stabbed me in the back while shaking hands/That’s the problem/Friends don’t try to cheat on you/Get you on the phone You have a twisted mind/So I took an ax and chopped down the repaired fence."
"This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" appears to be a nod to her apparent reconciliation with West at the 2015 VMAs, only to reignite the feud. The line "getting you on the phone" definitely sounds like a nod to the whole phone call incident that later blew up in Kardashian's face via her aforementioned Snapchat.
4. “Ah, you’ve heard of me/Oh, I’ve got some big enemies”
This line from "End Game" is vague enough, but isn't West a "big" enemy of the industry?
5. “They burned all the witches, even if you weren’t one of them/They got the pitchforks and the evidence/Their receipts and reasons/They burned all the witches, even if you weren’t one of them”
While "I Did Something Bad" may be about an ex (cough, cough, Calvin Harris), the lyrics sound like they could also apply to the whole thing Kim K left on Snapchat about the West's "Famous" debacle.
6. “Reputation precedes me, they tell you I’m crazy/I swear I don’t like this drama, it loves me”
For the record, West never called Swift "crazy," but the whole hint of drama in "Endgame" could be a nod to their ongoing feud. Especially since her feud with him had become a huge part of her reputation.
7. “I have a list, yours is red and underlined”
Given their feud, it would make sense if West's name was on the list of metaphors Swift mentioned on "Look What You Made Me Do."
8. “They say I did something bad/So why does it feel so good?/They say I did something bad/But why does it feel so good?”
This is another "end game" line that could be a reference to West and the blame she's been getting for the whole Snapchat video incident. Also, the title "End Game" does sound a bit similar to West's "Blame Game" from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy .
If the lyrics were about West, he would likely respond in his own time and in his own way. Let’s wait and see.
