Welcome to New York, Taylor Swift.
Yesterday NYC newbie Taylor Swift released "Welcome To New York," the latest in a long list of songs dedicated to this place. Some are taking issue with it being something of a gentrification anthem—Jezebel writes, "the whole of this feels so tone deaf at this particular, pivotal moment in New York's history, and it is rage-inducing." A simpler issue with it is that it's Not Good.
Out of the three songs she's so far released from her upcoming album, 1989, this is the Not Good-est of them all. [Update: okay, the other songs are growing on us.] "I Knew You Were Trouble," "22," "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together"—the days of the Red album are to be cherished, as T. Swift ushers in her new, empty, bubblegum sound, worlds away from Nashville.
But don't take our word for it, listen for yourself!
This song is basically all the confirmation we need that her supposed-best-friend Lorde is actually out to get her, like a dark art student plotting against the bake-sale-happy cheerleader... because else she would have been like, "Taylor, don't release this."
Since we do not have the ability to contact Frank Sinatra from beyond the grave, and Alicia Keys and Jay Z aren't returning our calls, we asked musician Awkwafina—a New York native around the same age as Swift, and with her own NYC anthem—what she thinks of the song.
"Taylor Swift's new song should be performed by TSA agents at JFK when bright-eyed transplants such as herself land in New York City. It is also the perfect background music for when that same person first witnesses a homeless man yelling/awkwardly defecating on 7th avenue and a woman getting accidentally drop kicked by a moist, shirtless acrobatic subway performer. 'Welcome To New York' is one of those songs that, with just one single radio play, will make at least 10 New Yorkers move to Marfa, Texas. "
Awkwafina's own ode to the city, called "NYC B*tche$," is pretty much the opposite of Swift's... but we're still thinking: collaboration? Mash-up?!
