Episodes

  • "I Don’t Wanna Live Forever": How Taylor Swift’s Songs Tell the Story of the Odyssey

    "I Don’t Wanna Live Forever": How Taylor Swift’s Songs Tell the Story of the Odyssey
    Jun 24 2026
    “In silent screams and wildest dreams, I never dreamed of this. This love is good. This love is bad. This love is alive back from the dead.” This week we’re setting sail on one of history’s greatest epics, Homer’s The Odyssey, and asking a very important question... did Taylor Swift write it? (We’re mostly joking. Mostly.) In this Show & Tell episode, we each make the case for a Taylor Swift song that illuminates a different facet of the Odyssey, from Penelope’s 20-year vigil to Odysseus weeping on a gorgeous island, to the sirens, the wine-dark sea, and a very significant scar. Along the way, the hosts dig into questions of translation and interpretation — particularly the significance of Emily Wilson’s landmark female translation of the text — discuss the role of Athena in the story of the epic, and geek out about the archery contest that shows up in both the Odyssey and two Indian epics. Plus: the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation, the musical Epic by Jorge Rivera, Madeline Miller’s Circe, and why All Too Well (10 Minute Version) might just be Taylor’s own Odyssey. Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics! Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com Songs Discussed in This Episode: This Love — Taylor Swift (1989, 2014) | Written by Taylor Swift and Nathan ChapmanI Don’t Want to Live Forever — Taylor Swift & Zayn (Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack, 2017) | Written by Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Sam DewWillow — Taylor Swift (evermore, 2020) | Written by Taylor Swift and Aaron Dessner Honorable Mentions: Long Story Short (evermore) — previously discussed in our Greek Mythology episode (E67)Breathe (Fearless)Treacherous (Red)The Great War (Midnights)The Story of Us (Speak Now)High Infidelity (Midnights)Castle’s Crumbling (feat. Hayley Williams, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version))Dear Reader (Midnights)State of Grace (Red)Gold Rush (evermore) Mentioned in This Episode: The Odyssey, Homer (trans. Emily Wilson)The Odyssey, Homer (trans. Robert Fagles)Circe, Madeline MillerThe Song of Achilles, Madeline MillerThe Penelopiad, Margaret AtwoodEpic: The Musical, Jorge Rivera-HerransChristopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (upcoming film)All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) — mentioned as a potential “Taylor’s Odyssey”Ulysses, James Joyce (briefly mentioned) Episode Highlights: [~00:01] Welcome and why the Odyssey, why now[~10:45] Maansi’s pick: This Love as Penelope’s story — the weaving scheme, the suitors, and letting go[~24:00] Jenn’s pick: I Don’t Want to Live Forever as Odysseus refusing immortality on Calypso’s island[~38:27] Jodi’s pick: Willow — ships, the wine-dark sea, Charybdis, the sirens, and the bait-and-switch of Odysseus’ return[~01:00:19] Honorable mentions: Breathe, Treacherous, The Great War, The Story of Us, High Infidelity, Castle’s Crumbling, Dear Reader, State of Grace, Gold Rush Follow AP Taylor Swift Podcast on Social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwiftInstagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwiftYouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwiftLink Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswiftBookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/aptsLibro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals — krownedkrystals.com | Use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm — Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here: tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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    57 mins
  • “Cold As You” Song Meaning: Taylor Swift's Debut Deep Cut | AP Taylor Swift

    “Cold As You” Song Meaning: Taylor Swift's Debut Deep Cut | AP Taylor Swift
    Jun 17 2026

    "A mess of a dreamer with the nerve to adore you." This week we're deep diving "Cold As You" from Taylor Swift's self-titled debut album (2006) — and it's a heavy one. What reads on the surface as a teen heartbreak song turns out to be a meditation on indifference, power imbalance, and the particular kind of scar that forms not from cruelty, but from being simply not cared about.

    Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

    Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

    Mentioned in this episode:

    • "Cold As You," Taylor Swift (2006)
    • "Exile" (feat. Bon Iver), folklore (2020)
    • "Teardrops on My Guitar," Taylor Swift (2006)
    • "Honey," The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
    • "Look What You Made Me Do," reputation (2017)
    • Kelly Clarkson, "Walk Away" (2004)
    • Banksy, Girl with Balloon
    • Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling

    Episode Highlights: [02:07] "When you take, you take the very best of me"

    [11:06] "What a shame, what a rainy ending given to a perfect day"

    [16:42] "You put up walls and paint them all a shade of gray"

    [29:00] Bridge: "You never did give a damn thing, honey, but I cried, cried for you"

    [35:43] "Every smile you fake is so condescending — counting all the scars you've made"

    [41:59] Purpose: what this song is really about

    Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

    • TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
    • YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
    • Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
    • Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com

    This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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    50 mins
  • Why Mr. Perfectly Fine Spent 13 Years in the Vault (Preview) | AP Taylor Swift After School

    Why Mr. Perfectly Fine Spent 13 Years in the Vault (Preview) | AP Taylor Swift After School
    Jun 15 2026

    "How's your heart after breaking mine?" This is a preview of our paid After School episode, a continuation of our "Fearless" album deep dive.

    We go through every Platinum Edition bonus track and Fearless (Taylor's Version) vault track and ask the only question that matters: why didn't these make the original 13? We argue "Mr. Perfectly Fine" was too pointed for a 19-year-old still being marketed as "sweet, neat, and age-appropriate," that "Superstar" was the PR-safe version of the same heartbreak, and that the "Forever & Always" piano version is the stages of grief in song form.

    Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe.

    After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

    Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

    Mentioned in this episode:

    • Luna Halo’s original “Untouchable” (2007)

    • Valentine’s Day (2010)

    • Hacks (HBO Max)

    • American Fantasy by Emma Straub

    • Ep 98: Unreliable Narrators (Mr. Perfectly Fine)

    • Extra Credit essay on Forever Winter and the stages of grief

    Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

    • TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
    • YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
    • Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
    • Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com

    Affiliate Codes:

    Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

    Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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    16 mins
  • "You Drew Stars Around My Scars" - Taylor Swift's Scars as Symbols in Cold As You, Cardigan & CANCELLED!

    "You Drew Stars Around My Scars" - Taylor Swift's Scars as Symbols in Cold As You, Cardigan & CANCELLED!
    Jun 10 2026

    "You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding." This week, we're doing a Show & Tell episode on one of Taylor's most recurring literary devices: scars. From the ice-cold wounds of “Cold As You” from her debut album to the wistful “cardigan” of folklore and the Kingpin-Taylor energy of “CANCELLED!” from The Life of a Showgirl, we trace how Taylor's use of scars has evolved from pure pain to reclaimed power. We talk Odysseus, Harry Potter, Death Eaters (yes, really), shattering glass ceilings, and what it means to turn a mark of suffering into a VIP passport. Join us as we explore what scars say about heroes, villains, and the very specific experience of being a woman in your 30s who has finally decided the wounds were worth it.

    Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

    Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

    Songs Discussed in This Episode:

    • Cold As You — Taylor Swift (Taylor Swift, 2006) — written by Taylor Swift & Liz Rose
    • Cardigan — Taylor Swift (folklore, 2020) — written by Taylor Swift & Aaron Dessner
    • CANCELLED! — Taylor Swift (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025) — written by Max Martin, Shellback & Taylor Swift

    Referenced in This Episode:

    • Hamlet, William Shakespeare
    • Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, J.K. Rowling
    • The Odyssey, Homer
    • The Mufasa (2024 film)

    Episode Highlights:

    [00:03] Intro: Welcome to the Show & Tell on Scars — not the Lion King villain (but kind of)

    [07:17] Cold As You (debut, 2006): Ice burns, emotional wounds, and counting scars vs. counting stars

    [14:20] Cardigan (folklore, 2020): "You drew stars around my scars, but now I'm bleeding"

    [25:00] CANCELLED! (The Life of a Showgirl, 2025): Matching scars as passport to the underworld

    Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

    • TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
    • YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
    • Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
    • Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com

    Affiliate Codes:

    Krowned Krystals — krownedkrystals.com, use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

    Libro.fm — Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here: tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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    37 mins
  • Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" Meaning & Lyrics Explained: Hamlet, Beauty and the Beast & More | AP Taylor Swift

    Taylor Swift's "Anti-Hero" Meaning & Lyrics Explained: Hamlet, Beauty and the Beast & More | AP Taylor Swift
    Jun 3 2026

    "It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me.” This week, we (finally) go line-by-line through what might be Taylor Swift's most psychologically dense song: “Anti-Hero” from Midnights (2022). From the Hamlet-coded antihero definition, to the “Beauty and the Beast” reference lurking in "tale as old as time," to ghosts and Freud, this song keeps delivering new angles. We each came to the song with our own anxieties, and we leave with three potentially different purposes of this high-anxiety, deeply revealing song.

    Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe.

    After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics! Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

    Mentioned in this episode:

    • Hamlet, William Shakespeare
    • Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
    • Beauty and the Beast (Disney)
    • Dexter (Showtime)
    • Younger (Paramount+)
    • 30 Rock, "Seinfeldvision" — the "sexy baby" episode
    • "Blank Space," 1989 (2014)
    • The Miss Americana Documentary (Netflix)
    • Lena Dunham's Substack

    🔎 In this episode:

    Episode Highlights:

    [01:34] “Antihero” defined

    [05:45] “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser”

    [11:06] "All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room"

    [19:06] "Tale as old as time"

    [28:00] “It’s me, hi, I’m the problem it’s me”

    [38:00] "Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby and I'm a monster on the hill"

    [45:00] “Pierced through the heart but never killed”

    [55:06] The bridge!

    [1:03:00] Purpose of the song “Anti-Hero”

    Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

    • TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
    • YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
    • Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
    • Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com

    Affiliate Codes:

    Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

    Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • "I’ll Stare Directly at the Sun, But Never in the Mirror": Taylor Swift's Mirror Moments from Debut to Midnights | Tied Together With a Smile, Begin Again, and Anti-Hero

    "I’ll Stare Directly at the Sun, But Never in the Mirror": Taylor Swift's Mirror Moments from Debut to Midnights | Tied Together With a Smile, Begin Again, and Anti-Hero
    May 27 2026

    “Seems the only one who doesn’t see your beauty is the face in the mirror looking back at you.”This week, we’re doing a Show and Tell on one of literature’s most enduring symbols: the mirror. From Narcissus to Dorian Gray, Snow White’s magic mirror to Alice Through the Looking Glass, mirrors have long served as devices of identity, vanity, the supernatural, and the soul, and Taylor Swift is no stranger to the motif. We trace mirrors across three songs: Tied Together with a Smile (Taylor Swift, 2006), Begin Again (Red, 2012), and Anti-Hero (Midnights, 2022). Along the way, we explore distorted self-perception and the inner child, the mirror as a post-breakup identity reset, why Taylor would rather stare directly at the sun than face her own reflection, and what social media has to do with all of it. Plus: Dorian Gray, Narcissus, vampires without souls, the Bloody Mary game, and an accidental Justin Timberlake shout-out.

    Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content:

    aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe

    After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

    Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com

    Mentioned in this episode:

    The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

    Hamlet, William Shakespeare

    Alice Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll

    Reflection — Mahesh Dattani (Indian play)

    Reflection — Mulan (1998 film)

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film)

    Greek Mythology: Narcissus

    Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Mirror of Erised), J.K. Rowling

    Tied Together with a Smile — Taylor Swift (2006)

    Begin Again — Taylor Swift, Red (2012)

    Anti-Hero — Taylor Swift, Midnights (2022)

    Episode Highlights:
    • [01:13] Mirrors in literature and the arts: identity, vanity, and the soul
    • [09:00] Song 1: Tied Together with a Smile — the fractured self and distorted physical perception
    • [23:52] Song 2: Begin Again — “Took a deep breath in the mirror”
    • [34:11] Song 3: Anti-Hero — “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror”

    Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!
    • TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
    • YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Link Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
    • Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
    • Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com

    Affiliate Codes:

    Krowned Krystals — krownedkrystals.com — use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

    Libro.fm — Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here: tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z
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    40 mins
  • Taylor Swift's "Our Song" | Meaning & Lyrical Analysis | "Taylor Swift" Debut (2006)

    Taylor Swift's "Our Song" | Meaning & Lyrical Analysis | "Taylor Swift" Debut (2006)
    May 20 2026

    “I was ridin’ shotgun with my hair undone,” and the rest is history. This week, we do a full line-by-line deep dive into a classic, “Our Song” (Taylor Swift, 2006). Join us as we discuss the self-referential recursion (she wrote a song about their song, and that song is their song) and the sounds and silences Taylor chose to define a teenage romance. This is Taylor before anyone believed in her, holding the pen, writing herself into her debut album.

    For more on "Our Song" in the context of Taylor's full debut album, become a paid subscriber at aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe — we go deep on the album in our After School series.

    📩 Want more? Subscribe to our Substack for free to read our Extra Credit essays: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. For more on "Our Song" in the context of Taylor's full debut album, become a paid subscriber— we go deep on the album in our After School series and give you exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics!

    🎧 Listen to APTS on all platforms:

    • Apple Podcasts
    • Spotify
    • Podbean

    Mentioned in this episode:

    “Replay,” Zendaya

    “Replay,” Iyaz

    “Your Song,” Elton John

    Inception, 2010

    Mean Girls, 2004

    “God is a DJ,” Pink

    American Beauty, 1999

    Inferno, Dante Alighieri

    The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer

    Harry Potter, JK Rowling

    ***

    Episode Highlights

    • [03:40] A song about a song
    • [11:02] "Baby" - a term of endearment
    • [22:55] The "Replay" Era
    • [30:29] A very short, very dramatic bridge
    • [37:01] She is the writer

    📲 Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social!

    • TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Instagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwift
    • YouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwift
    • Link Tree →linktr.ee/aptaylorswift
    • Bookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/apts
    • Libro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com

    Featured in Axios Indianapolis.

    #TaylorSwift #OurSong #TaylorSwiftLyrics #LiteraryAnalysis #SwiftieTok #TaylorSwiftDeepDive

    Affiliate Codes:

    Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off!

    Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro

    This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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    51 mins
  • Taylor Swift's Fearless Album | Song-by-Song Lyrical Analysis | After School Paid Preview

    Taylor Swift's Fearless Album | Song-by-Song Lyrical Analysis | After School Paid Preview
    May 18 2026
    “It's the first kiss, it's flawless, really something, it's fearless.” Over on our paid feed on Substack, we’'re in our Fearless era (literally), diving deep into Taylor's second album track by track for our After School paid subscribers. We go through all 13 original tracks, from the sparkly country-pop opening of "Fearless" to the quietly defiant closer "Change,” examining what each song adds to the album, what literary and emotional threads connect them, and how this era set the template Taylor would spend the next eras of her career perfecting. Along the way, we track the evolution of Taylor's fearlessness from a teenager writing on tour buses to the artist who re-recorded her masters and looked the whole industry dead in the eye. Subscribe for free to get episode updates or upgrade to paid to get our After School premium content: aptaylorswift.substack.com/subscribe. After School subscribers get monthly bonus episodes, exclusive content, and early access to help shape future topics! Stay up to date at aptaylorswift.com This episode is exclusively for our paid subscribers. Thank you for supporting AP Taylor Swift! Mentioned in this episode: Album context, album art, and the “Fearless” era’s place in Taylor’s discographyTrack 1: “Fearless”, previously covered in Episode 88: Weather SongsTrack 2: “Fifteen”, previously covered in Episode 124: Time & Episode 125: Deep Dive Track 3: “Love Story”, previously covered in Episode 31: Shakespeare & Episode 32 Deep DiveTrack 4: “Hey Stephen”, previously covered in Episode 1 “Songs that Made us Swifties”Track 5: “White Horse”, previously covered in Episode 33: Animal Studies and Episode 110: High School MusicalTrack 6: “You Belong With Me”, previously covered in Episode 98: Unreliable Narrators Track 7: “Breathe” ft. Colbie CaillatTrack 8: “Tell Me Why” Track 9: “You’re Not Sorry”Track 10: “The Way I Loved You”, previously covered in Episode 52 Psychoanalytic Theory & Episode 53 Deep DiveTrack 11: “Forever & Always”Track 12: “The Best Day”, previously covered in Episode 81: Female ArtistsTrack 13: “Change”, previously covered in Episode 110: High School MusicalThe purpose of the album as a whole: what Fearless was trying to do when it came out in 2008, and what it means now looking back across the full discography Episode Highlights: [00:00] Welcome to After School — Fearless era begins [01:11] Fearless as a sophomore album: branding, stakes, and proving it wasn't a fluke [06:46] Why "Fearless" and not "Love Story": the title as identity [09:00] The album's critical reception and Billboard dominance [12:14] The Kanye VMAs moment and what it meant for the era [29:43] Track 1 — "Fearless": dancing in the rain, connective tissue to debut [01:35:44] Track 13 — "Change": ending on a note of inevitability [01:43:31] What the album is actually about: manifesting fearlessness [01:46:01] The lesson from Fearless: just do the thing, even badly [01:49:27] Taylor's Version and why she started with Fearless Follow AP Taylor Swift podcast on social! TikTok → tiktok.com/@APTaylorSwiftInstagram → instagram.com/APTaylorSwiftYouTube → youtube.com/@APTaylorSwiftLink Tree → linktr.ee/aptaylorswiftBookshop.org → bookshop.org/shop/aptsLibro.fm → tinyurl.com/aptslibro Contact us at aptaylorswift@gmail.com Affiliate Codes: Krowned Krystals - krownedkrystals.com use code APTS at checkout for 10% off! Libro.fm - Looking for an audiobook? Check out our Libro.fm playlist and use code APTS30 for 30% off books found here tinyurl.com/aptslibro This podcast is neither related to nor endorsed by Taylor Swift, her companies, or record labels. All opinions are our own. Intro music produced by Scott Zadig aka Scotty Z.
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    15 mins