revisiting Midnights after THE breakup of joe alwyn + taylor swift 💔

In this video, Zach, known as the subctologist, delves into Taylor Swift's album "Midnights" post her split with Joe Alwyn, offering a fresh perspective on the album's tracks in light of the breakup. He emphasizes the album's newfound clarity and Easter eggs, suggesting that some songs reflect the relationship's unraveling. Zach also touches on his friend Sarah's battle with breast cancer and the support she's received from the community, highlighting the channel's balance of pop culture analysis and social support. Additionally, Zach discusses his podcast "The Evolution of a Snake," his experiences with social media, and his curated Spotify playlist that speculates on the emotional journey of Swift and Alwyn's relationship. Throughout, he invites viewers to engage with his content, provided they align with the channel's perspective on Swift's personal life.

• Zach introduces himself as the 'subctologist' and sets the stage for discussing Taylor Swift's 10th studio album, "Midnights."
• He addresses the breakup between Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn, stating it has changed his perspective on the album.
• Zach warns viewers who disagree with his views on Taylor Swift's interests or her relationship status that they may not enjoy his channel.
• He expresses a strong stance against dissent in the comment section, indicating a preference for maintaining a specific community atmosphere.

"hi welcome back to my channel if you're new here my name is Zach. and I am the subctologist and today we are discussing and revisiting Taylor Swift's 10th studio album midnights in the wake of her breakup with her longtime Beau Joe Alwyn and let me tell you this breakup has me looking at this record in a completely different lens."

The quote is Zach's introduction, highlighting his focus on Taylor Swift's work and how recent events have influenced his interpretation.

• Zach describes the channel's current vibe, inspired by "The Real Housewives of Miami," and his shift in fashion choices.
• He thanks viewers for supporting his friend Sarah, who is battling breast cancer, and encourages continued donations to her GoFundMe.
• Zach emphasizes the positive community he has built, which supports each other through good deeds and kind words.

"I guess like Cuban Miami I've been watching a lot of the Real Housewives of Miami. and I have just been getting a little inspired so this is the look today I was completely traumatized by that one person that told me to stop wearing dad shirts so I'm trying to switch it up."

Zach explains the influence behind his style choice for the video, indicating a responsiveness to viewer feedback.

• Zach describes 'swiftologist' as a space for thoughtful, analytical, and sometimes critical discussions about pop culture and Taylor Swift.
• He promotes his podcast, "The Evolution of a Snake," and hints at the possibility of opening a Discord server.
• Zach shares his negative experience on Twitter and his decision to keep his account private, directing followers to his podcast for discussions.

"swiftologist is a space where I make thoughtful weekly videos about pop culture like I said we're revisiting midnights today if you like these kind of unfiltered constructive analytical sometimes critical conversations about Taylor Swift you need to check out the evolution of a snake my podcast."

This quote outlines the content and approach of Zach's channel and podcast, emphasizing critical analysis within the fan community.

• Zach theorizes that Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn's breakup occurred before the release of "Midnights."
• He speculates on Swift's strategic approach to publicizing the breakup and her evolving perspective on privacy.
• Zach suggests that the ambiguity in "Midnights" may stem from the hidden context of the breakup, offering a new lens through which to interpret the album.

"my speculation theory is that you know it's been over for a while Taylor's been you know trying to gracefully exit thinking about how you know marketing wise she was going to publicize this split."

The quote presents Zach's theory about the timing of the breakup and Taylor Swift's intentions behind her public image management.

• Zach argues that "Midnights" felt vague and lacking context, possibly due to the undisclosed breakup.
• He believes that examining the album through the breakup lens reveals more "Easter eggs" and hidden messages.
• Zach criticizes overtly intentional Easter eggs, preferring those that seem unintentional or subconscious.

"I think that if we look at this through the lens of how did this relationship break down we get a lot more clarity and midnights is a lot more Easter eggy."

This quote suggests that analyzing "Midnights" with the breakup in mind uncovers deeper meanings within the album's songs.

• Zach has created a Spotify playlist titled "Lover," which he believes represents the emotional chronology of Swift and Alwyn's relationship.
• He clarifies that the playlist is speculative and invites listeners to explore his interpretation.
• Zach plans to discuss specific songs from "Midnights" that may provide insight into the relationship with Joe Alwyn.

"So what I've done is tried to kind of ascertain A vibe and go through the vibe of the relationship to where I think mentally she's at now and that is just purely crackpot speculation."

The quote explains the purpose behind the curated playlist, emphasizing that it is based on Zach's personal interpretations rather than confirmed facts.

• Zach reminds viewers that his content is speculative and encourages those uncomfortable with his analysis to seek other content.
• He hints at future discussions and analyses to come, both on his channel and his podcast.
• The video's aim is to engage in armchair psychoanalysis for entertainment purposes, not to present definitive truths.

"and I'm not saying that anything that I report to you in this video is the truth or the facts of the matter it is just my spidey sense I'm just doing some armchair psychoanalysis if that makes you uncomfortable you are very free to you know go elsewhere or watch other videos."

Zach concludes with a disclaimer that his content is based on personal theories and should not be taken as fact.

• Zach speculates on the sustainability of Taylor Swift's private relationship with Joe Alwyn.
• Taylor Swift's muse is love, and her process of inspiration involves falling in and out of love.
• The level of privacy in Taylor and Joe's relationship is unprecedented for her and may have contributed to their falling out.
• Taylor's career is a priority, and Joe reportedly struggled with this aspect of her life.
• Taylor feels an inferiority to Joe, perceiving him as above her, which Zach dislikes.

"I personally don't think it would ever have been sustainable for her to, you know, prolong the level of privacy that she was trying to have with Joe for a really long period of time especially given that Taylor Swift's Muse is love itself and Falling In and Out of Love is probably her most interesting Trope and topic that she discovers."

This quote suggests that the privacy Taylor Swift maintained in her relationship with Joe Alwyn was challenging to sustain due to her artistic inspiration being closely tied to the experiences of love, which often involves public expression.

• Taylor Swift's song "Lavender Haze" discusses societal expectations regarding marriage and engagement.
• The song reflects on the pressure of being seen as either a "one-night girl" or a wife.
• Taylor identifies as a "girl boss" and prioritizes success and family over a private partnership.
• The desire to stay in the "lavender haze" of a relationship indicates a preference for the early, more casual stages of love.

"All they keep asking me is if I'm gonna be your bride the only kind of girl they see is a one night or a wife."

This quote highlights the dichotomy presented to women in society, where they are often categorized as either transient romantic interests or potential spouses, with little consideration for other aspects of their identity.

• "Maroon" is a perplexing song that seems to contain biographical details about Joe Alwyn.
• Joe is characterized as somewhat pretentious, enjoying film cameras, vinyl records, and having hipster tendencies.
• The song's sparse and vague details suggest an incomplete narrative about the relationship's status.
• The chorus of "Maroon" may reference specific moments in Taylor and Joe's relationship.

"Molly so this is a shout out for you but this song is so sparse and it's so vague on detail and it feels very fresh that's kind of what I'm getting from this is that it feels like an incomplete sentence."

Zach interprets the song "Maroon" as a sparse and fresh narrative, giving a sense of an incomplete story about Taylor Swift's relationship with Joe Alwyn, possibly containing subtle references to their personal experiences.

• "Midnight Rain" suggests a growing distance and decay in a relationship.
• The song mentions a rocky beginning and on-and-off nature of Taylor and Joe's relationship.
• There are references to a mark on Taylor's collarbone, which could be tied to the early stages of their relationship.
• The song speaks to the difficulty of letting go of a relationship that has become more of an accessory than a necessity.

"The rust That Grew between telephones and what that's saying to me is a distance growing between two people who are very connected that rusting that kind of Decay the Aging of something that should be an evergreen connected line I think that this song is about a relationship starting to fall apart."

Zach interprets the lyrics from "Midnight Rain" as indicating a relationship deteriorating over time, with the "rust" metaphor symbolizing the gradual loss of connection.

• "Anti-Hero" does not provide much detail about Taylor Swift's relationship with Joe Alwyn.
• The song addresses the concept of feeling too significant or "monstrous" to participate in normal activities.
• Taylor Swift's fame makes it difficult for her to engage in ordinary social events without causing a disruption.

"She's Taylor Swift there's no running there's no hiding from that and I don't think that really she was able to make herself small enough to fit into Joe's world."

This quote reflects on Taylor Swift's struggle to fit into Joe Alwyn's more ordinary world due to her immense fame, as discussed in the song "Anti-Hero."

• Taylor Swift's relationship with Joe Alwyn presents challenges due to their different levels of fame.
• Joe's presence with Taylor makes her the star, which can be difficult when one desires mutual support.
• There is a tension between wanting a normal life and the reality of Taylor's fame.

"Whatever room he walks into with Taylor she is the star and that's hard that's a very hard place to be in all the time when sometimes you don't want to be the supportive partner you want to be the one that's being supported."

This quote highlights the imbalance in attention and support that can occur in a relationship where one partner is significantly more famous than the other.

• The song reflects the early stages of Taylor's relationship with Joe.
• It explores the uncertainty and fragility of new love and the desire for it to become real and lasting.

"Snow on the beach is an interesting one because I think that this is kind of about the more beginning stages of her relationship with Joe."

The quote suggests that "Snow on the Beach" captures the delicate and hopeful beginnings of Taylor Swift's relationship with Joe Alwyn.

• "Midnight Rain" is interpreted as a song about self-awareness and possibly Joe Alwyn or Tom Hiddleston.
• Taylor reflects on her need for time alone after her public controversies and how this impacted her relationship with Joe.
• The song also touches on the complexities of Taylor's attraction to fame and the consequences of her choices.

"She didn't really have that time. And I think that that's been a problem in their relationship."

This quote implies that Taylor Swift may not have had enough time to herself between relationships, which could have affected her dynamic with Joe Alwyn.

• Taylor's lyrics describe the contrast between seeking normalcy and being drawn to the excitement of fame.
• The relationship with Joe is depicted as one where Taylor has to give up parts of herself, and the struggle with this sacrifice is a central theme.

"Taylor is not a normal person she is never going to be never has been she doesn't know that experience it's kind of a grass is greener situation."

The quote indicates that Taylor Swift grapples with the allure of a normal life versus her reality as a celebrity, which is a recurring theme in "Midnight Rain."

• "Question" is a song that raises doubts about the happiness and fulfillment in Taylor's relationship.
• The song is seen as a direct message that may have caused tension between Taylor and Joe.

"And they were in trouble there's this song was not written on the night that she was writing you know a song like I don't know paper ranks this was written on a midnight Rain Song midnight rain is really the turning point on this record."

The quote suggests that "Question" signifies a critical point in the album and possibly in Taylor's relationship with Joe, indicating underlying issues.

• "Bejeweled" is interpreted as a song reflecting on self-worth and the importance of mutual prioritization in a relationship.
• Taylor expresses frustration with being taken for granted and hints at reclaiming her independence.

"Putting someone first only works when you're in their top five and by the way I'm going out tonight."

The quote from "Bejeweled" emphasizes the need for reciprocity in relationships and suggests a moment of self-assertion from Taylor Swift.

• Taylor Swift enjoys being the center of attention and making a room "shimmer."
• She may have minimized herself to fit into Joe Alwyn's idea of a normal, private relationship.
• Taylor Swift is not content with being in the background and desires recognition and excitement.

"She loves to be the center of attention; she's a pop star she's earned it...she was always downsizing herself a little bit making herself small. so she could fit into Joe's idea of what a normal private relationship should look like."

This quote emphasizes Taylor Swift's natural inclination towards the spotlight and her potential compromise to meet Joe Alwyn's preference for privacy.

• Taylor Swift's lyrics suggest she wants to be prioritized and treated with excitement, not taken for granted.
• The song "Sweet Nothing" implies that she desires more than just comfort and familiarity from a relationship.
• She hints at a willingness to revoke dedication if her needs are not met.

"Treat me like you... love me don't just treat me like a given... there are diamonds in my eyes and I polish up real nice and it would behoove you to take me out on the town for a spin and let me walk around and Shimmer."

The quote conveys the idea that Taylor Swift expects her partner to actively show love and appreciation, not just assume her constant presence.

• The song "Labyrinth" reflects on the pain of a relationship and the realization that it might not last forever.
• It suggests that Taylor Swift anticipated the end of the relationship even as it began.
• The lyrics indicate a struggle with being expected to quickly recover from hardships.

"It only hurts this much right now... I'll be getting over you my whole life."

This quote captures the emotional turmoil Taylor Swift feels, acknowledging the long-lasting impact of a relationship.

• "Sweet Nothing" is interpreted as a melancholic reflection on mismatched expectations in a relationship.
• Taylor Swift seems to desire a partner who shares her intellectual and creative passions.
• The song touches on the pressures of being an activist and the music industry's challenges.

"All that you ever wanted from me was Sweet Nothing... I want my baby to want everything from me."

Taylor Swift expresses her dissatisfaction with a partner who expects minimal emotional investment and contrasts it with her desire for a more passionate relationship.

• "Mastermind" is seen as a self-congratulatory song where Taylor Swift acknowledges her strategic approach to relationships.
• She views herself as the driving force in her relationship with Joe Alwyn.
• The song reflects on her childhood and her efforts to be loved, hinting at manipulation for affection.

"I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails and the liquor in our cocktails... I've been scheming like a criminal ever since to make them love me and make it seem effortless."

Taylor Swift describes herself as the central, active element in her relationships, using metaphor to illustrate her influence and her long-standing desire to be loved.

• The discussion concludes with an invitation to share thoughts on the album "Midnights" and its analysis.
• Listeners are encouraged to contribute to Sarah's GoFundMe and engage with the content on various platforms.

"Let me know what you think about midnights as you're revisiting it with this in mind... don't forget to donate to Sarah's GoFundMe if you're interested in doing something good today."

The speaker, Zach, wraps up by asking for audience engagement with the content and promotes a charitable cause, emphasizing community interaction and support.