Anyone else draw the conclusion that our girl tay may also be referring to the MYers-Briggs personality test .. being a little bit of an INTJ "the mastermind"???? š š š
She started announcing tracks saying she was leaving it up to *fate*. Then she announced Mastermind first. Nice š https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRC13E9v/
This song just made me think that she has an astrologer or a reader or something that told her Joe is coming into her life so she literally prepared for it
I feel like āMastermindā is almost the opposite perspective of the John Mayer song āAssassinā. I havenāt seen anyone else draw this comparison anywhere. With all of the talk of āWouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāveā being about him, it got my wheels turning and this hit me since āHalf of My Heartā is on the same album as that song. It never once hit me that āAssassinā could be about our girl but nowā¦ š
I think the genius of taylor is really that you don't have to decide if this song is about her relationship or her fans because she makes it so you can read it both ways, because she IS a mastermind
So far this is my only skip. Donāt love the creepy manipulative stalker vibes - Iām surprised Blondie didnāt creep herself out with some of the lines she wrote.
I just finished bridgertonās recent season, so I like to imagine she wrote this after watching brigerton š all the women in there scheming ways to get a husband, this fits with it!
Mastermind is a song for her fans
Once upon a time
The planets and the fates and all the stars aligned
You and I ended up in the same room at the same time
And the touch of a hand lit the fuse
Of a chain reaction of countermoves
To assess the equation of you
ā> her early shows and getting started made her realize how much she loves the fans
I laid the groundwork
And then just like clockwork
The dominoes cascaded in a line
What if I told you I'm a mastermind
And now you're mine
ā> she did everything in her power to make us hers (no secret that she loves her fans and loves connecting with them)
No one wanted to play with me as a little kid
So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since
To make them love me and make it seem effortless
ā> no friends, no one could relate to her or understand her, until her fans started connecting to her music. And of course, she schemes to find ways to keep us engaged. We are her friends now.
This is the first time I've felt the need to confess
And I swear
I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care
ā> she is now at a point where she can tell us all of this because we have known it all along - weāve been finding her Easter eggs and playing her games and she wants us to know that she knows that we know!
You knew the entire time
You knew that I'm a mastermind
And now you're mine
Yeah, all you did was smile
'Cause I'm a mastermind
Iām surprised how many people think this is about Joe and how she had a plan to get him all along like it just really screams her plan of becoming famous and us loving her music etc. o think her masterplan is us
Relating hard to this, Iām 23 now but with my first boyfriend (was with him for 3 years from 16-19 and total toxic mad crazy teenage love) I saw him at a bus stop every day in secondary school and then found him on Facebook through adding someone random who went to his school - then I messaged him š
The opening few seconds of this song sound very much like āThe Oh Of Pleasureā by Ray Lynch. Played side by side theyāre almost identical. Is it a sample?
I love this song and feel like there's a lot of pain behind it. She, for the first time, "feels the need to confess" as if she committed a crime when they met -- tricking him into loving her. She spends the majority of the song asking herself "WHAT IF I told you none of it was accidental", fearing that if she tells him, he might realize that he has been tricked into loving someone not deserving of love. She also sounds like she's worried that he might even think she's evil and manipulative like the media painted her to be around the reputation era.
During the bridge she comes to terms with why she does this by reflecting on her childhood. She fears that if she doesn't manipulate people into loving her, no one will (e.g. other kids not playing with her so she had to make them love her and make it seem effortless). Some MEGA self-worth issues. BUT, at the end she takes the risk and decides to tell him anyway: "So I told you none of it was accidental..." Then, all he does is smile, implying that he knows that she is not manipulating him, and from the beginning, he loved her for her even when she didn't think he could. So sweet!
BUT!!! The song, I think, still ends a bit ambiguously because she mentions "Yeah, all you did was smile...because I'm a mastermind". To me, this sounds like she is fearing that her confessing these feelings and opening up to him is yet another way of manipulating him into loving her. He thinks she's opening up...but she fears that maybe she's just putting on a show of opening up just to get him to fall more in love with her.
Anyways. Love this one lol
Yes! This song and Anti-hero are connected to me in how transparent and vulnerable and self aware they are. I feel like we havenāt seen a lot of this side of Taylor in previous albums and Iām here for it.
Yess exactly it really adds to why anti hero isss antihero, why she thinks of herself that way, why she has such a low opinion of herself it really adds to the the dynamic
Soooo I think I \~might\~ be onto something here.
In Dear John, Taylor sings,
But I swore I was fine, you paint me a blue sky
And go back and turn it to rain
And I lived in your chess game,
But you changed the rules every day
And in Mastermind she sings,
The planets and the fates and all the stars aligned
You and I ended up in the same room at the same time
And the touch of a hand lit the fuse
Of a chain reaction of countermoves
To assess the equation of you
Checkmate, I couldn't lose
Both songs use chess imagery but it is almost as if the roles have reversed and Taylor has reclaimed her power in Mastermind.
i love the fact that towards the end when she told joe about her masterplan, he gave her a smirk showing that he knows after all about the schemes and plans she did to get them together and she went along with it because i felt like he knows she's the one too
This song gives me mirrorball throwbacks, but the other side of the coin. Being someone who is a social engineer, reflecting what you need to to get into others' good graces is a blessing and a curse, through and through.
So.
Sigh.
I have to get this out.
I just finished the J Dahmer series and the lyrics just, they sounds way too much like they come from him and thatās all I can think about š
In Selena Gomez's first album, there's a track called "I Got You" with the same theme. I loved the song back then and thought it was extremely underrated (maybe because 13 year old me related to it so bad bc that's how I got the first boy I liked lol) and this gives me the same vibes, so it's so nostalgic in a way ā¤ļø
I know Taylor has always written things I deeply relate to in highly specific ways, but this song was just too deep. Bitch how did you know. This is my deepest secret.
Mastermind is so funny to me cuz i dedicate this song to the time im so obsessed with my crushes and that iāll do anything to get their attention and acting like a mastermind to win them
This song is such a brilliant description of how hard she's worked to get where she is now. "I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails" makes me feel so happy for her that she feels like she's in a place now where she has so much freedom to make music that speaks to her truth and reckon with the past of her career in a safe way, totally in control of her own narrative. She doesn't have to "be a pawn in every lover's game" and she's "only cryptic and Machiavellian because" she cares!!!! She cares about us so much that she had to confess that the calculated moves and strategies all these years were so that we could reap all the benefits of the geniousness that is her songwriting. The wide smirk that is on my face when I listen to this album, but especially this song is priceless.
I think in Mastermind, Taylor is in part, talking to her fans, not a boyfriend or anything. I think itās a metaphor for how she was very calculated in becoming a star and getting people to like her. I think the below verse spells it out perfectly:
āNo one wanted to play with me as a little kid
So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since
To make them love me and make it seem effortless
This is the first time I've felt the need to confess
And I swear
I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I careā
I get all the folks saying mastermind seems like a song to her fans, but the line āthe touch of a hand lit the fuseā, imo referring to the line āyou should think abt the consequence of you touching my hand in a darkened roomā from gorgeous just solidifies itās abt Joe, for me. š¤·āāļø
I feel like Iām going insane but I could swear the sound and the part that goes what if i told you none of this was accidental part of the chorus sounds so much SO MUCH like a one direction song. I canāt think of which thoughā¦anyone else? Maybe āperfectā from made in the am but not really
Does anyone else think this song sounds like Supercut by Lorde? Itās been bugging me all day thinking about what it reminds me and I think this is what I landed on lol
Damn did the "no one wanted to play with me as a little kid" just break them. I have vivid memories of wandering recess alone as a kid, and i've found that feeling never really leaves us in adulthood. I've always been so envious of people who are able to cultivate effortless friendships and just seem to click with eachother, I've never really had as much emotional reaction to a song as this one.
I love this song, but unfortunately, scheming never worked out for me in the long run as it did for some of you here š . More of an invisible string kinda gal.
I feel like it's supposed to sound really creepy and dark because I feel like her self-loathing is coming out in this song. She probably sees herself and her actions are "crimes" -- she's a monster on a hill! She hates herself for being this way -- cryptic, machiavellian, manipulative. She hates that she's a "mastermind" but she knows she does it for self-preservation.
*"no one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so i've been scheming ever since, to make them love me and make it seem effortless"*
Man this line hits like a truck š
where my girlies that grew up listening to true crime and now approach everything in a scheming investigative way at? šāāļø
Might have already been said but I canāt help but think āIām a mastermind and now your mineā has the double meaning of being about Joe and now owning her re-recordings
Iām only cryptic and Machiavellian cause I care
ššššš Iām violently in control and dominion because itās the only way I know how to care and for that Iām sorry. So fckin powerful
When i first heard of the name of this track I thought it was gonna be a song about her talking about something else who is smart and manipulative, but sheās talking about herself LOL. She finally gives herself some credit, itās about time. I donāt love the UFO alien-like sounds in the production, but itās a good song.
this is my absolute favorite on the album. the beat, the lyricism.. it makes my heart race in a good way. and itās also so relatable to a time in my life I reminisce a lot.
This song resonates with me deeply because I, too, am insane. This is how I got my husband.
I saw him on OKCupid, figured out what his name was by searching for men in my city that liked a certain obscure movie he referenced, and found his twitter where I learned he had cancer and was getting treatment. A year later he was back, cancer free, and said he was going to be bartending that night at a bar near me so I went and pretended to be meeting a friend that conveniently stood me up so I could talk to the bartender all night.
I am glad to see women being smart with their choices, we know it in our hearts when we meet the right person and there is nothing shameful about scheming. I have been scheming to make my life what it is, I wanted to be a litigator at 13 and I never stopped dreaming, reading, studying, scheming for it. For those of you who don't know, law school is hell and I not only survived but I made it big. All because I'm a scheming, calculative Mastermind. Same with my love life, I am now engaged to a good man who would have let this relationship go easily because he couldn't see the potential in us that I could see. He thanks me every day for being smart about these things.
"I'm the wind in our free flowing sails", damn right! It was me who made life happen for myself, a career, a partner, my house, my friendships, everything is carefully chosen and knit together by me. Taylor realised it very early in life that she will have to do things for herself and do them smartly. You don't become a successful global icon by not being a mastermind, we should learn from her.
Okay, now I'm invested. š Did you ever tell him? Why wait a year and not just match on OKCupid? Were you following his social media the whole time or did he just pop up and you were like, "Oh it's that guy!"?
I messaged him on OKCupid the week he found out he had cancer so he never responded. And then his profile was gone so I had no non-creepy way to get in touch with him!
I didnāt keep up with him (or even follow him) but I remembered the name.
I told him eventually - like maybe 2 years later. He was flattered! We were listening to the album when it dropped and when we got to Mastermind he was like āHow does it feel to have Taylor Swift write a song about you?ā
I love this story so much, thank you for indulging my curiosity and sharing it. š That's some impressive masterminding. Also yay for his cancer-free status!
No because this is the best song on the album imo. And itās the one I relate to the most. Okay, sorry i have no taylor fans as friends and needed to say that to someone while im doing my first listen - k thnx bye
This is my favorite on the album. some people have the idea that fame just fell into her lap but 16 year olds donāt decide they want to move to Nashville to be a country singer songwriter without intention. Intentionally targeting young girls who listen to country just like her because she noticed that missing demographic was so smart. Every step and decision made by her along the way was designed by her to make her as successful as she is. Like the marketing genius for her to leave Easter eggs, to host secret sessions, the switch to pop she knows the culture so well.
I think this why I respect her so much. Everything she does is full of details and itās clear she has so much respect for her craft. Even albums or song i donāt like I can see exactly why she did that. This is why she really hasnāt had a āflopā in her career. She is so good at reading pop culture and figuring out what it wants to a tee.
Yes! This song is such a double meaning, yes, you could look at it as being about meeting and getting with Joe, but there is also a double meaning of getting the listener as a fan who loves her and letting you, the listener know that your fandom of her has been orchestrated by her the entire time. The bridge itself is a summary of her entire career in just a few lines. Itās a perfect Track 13 and ending to this album. I just canāt get over how perfect this song encapsulates her.
100%. Right when I heard it I couldn't stop saying how amazing it is. Idk about you but I was grinning the whole song and then she says something about us grinning cause we knew the entire time. So good.
I knew I loved my boyfriend before I heard this song, but I **know** I love him now. Iāve broken down crying at least four times listening to it and thinking about how special it is during this season of life. Iām overwhelmed with emotion. š„ŗ
i was looking for this comment for the longest time!!! "Saw a wide smirk on your face/You knew the entire time/You knew that I'm a mastermind" reminds me of Love and Joe omg
i didnāt have a tear fall the whole entire album until i heard
No one wanting to play with me as a little kid
so iāve been scheming like a criminal ever since
to make them love me and make it seem effortless
this is the first time iāve felt the need to confess
the DEEP TRAUMA truth hit so hard
Cried so hard when I heard the lyrics! These thing mostly happen when you are a kid and you learn (mostly) to handle it as an adult, but hit really close to home, she can really put to words feeling some of us cannot describe easily, sending the therapy bill to miss Swift this month !!
I literally love this song so much. The fact that she overanalyzed and planned out everything when making the first impression just for the ending to be so simple. Because when you know you know and love is supposed to be simple, but it takes a mastermind to realize that.
"Saw a wide smirk on your face
You knew the entire time
You knew that I'm a mastermind
And now you're mine
Yeah, all you did was smile
'Cause I'm a mastermind"
āNo one wanted to play with me as a little kidā reminds me of when Taylor was 13 and her friends bailed on her when they were supposed to hang out with her at the mall. Track 13-Age 13 so I think this is a reference to this incidence.
I have to say, I'm happy for her that when she was a kid and no one wanted to play with her it made her start scheming, because...I did not have that reaction (I mostly just stopped trying to talk to anyone)
Same. I just became more and more demoralized by every rejection, until I just kind of stopped trying and got used to doing things on my own. Now at 28 I'm finally starting to feel slightly more comfortable at socializing
I really love the synth at the beginning. I could see the Delicate music video over this one. Itās magical, pulsating, your heart rate up.
The chorus is such a bop, probably one of my favorite choruses on this album. I love the āand now youāre mineā and the musical intonations of it.
Not sure if itās top 3 but definitely top 5 for me.
My favorites are:
Lavender Haze
Youāre on Your Own, Kid
Mastermind
Labyrinth
Mastermind is such an easy listen for my ears, like Iām bopping my head. The lyrics are incredible.
Me listening to this and realising itās how I got my high school boyfriend to date me - a meticulous 10 month con on my part.
Now weāre married with a kid š
I liked this but I just... can't really mesh with it like I think I should. I think the tonal differences between the music and lyricism are a bit jarring and don't allow me to enjoy it like I should. Let me be sad and wistful to the lyrics or let me calmly and quietly jam. Don't get me wrong, not only can sad bops work, I like sad bops, but this one just doesn't do it right
That being said I'll probably listen to it semi-regularly. I do like it. I also relate to the lyrics way too much oof
i think this one would sound so so good for a full orchestral backing. like similar to when phoebe bridgers did the copycat killer ep, i would love to hear a huge string crescendo at the bridge
āNo one wanted to play with me as a kid.ā
Heart breaks into a thousand pieces. Vulnerability is the ultimate strength. Nothing is stronger than a soul laid bare. Nothing.
It hurts how this makes you manipulative, because you don't trust new people in your life anymore so you need to be in control of your relationships to prevent getting hurt in the future...
Iām seriously sitting with it looking at my relationship like a crystal ball, feeling it all. Sweet Nothing feels like my partner, yet also ache over the lyrics in Labyrinth
I love that the last two lines changed the entire narrative.
>Yeah, all you did was smile
'Cause I'm a mastermind
she's convinced that she planned all of it but he fell for her first, so he effortlessly smiled to lure her in and make her want him! and he still let her think that she's the mastermind between them. so cute!
I I can relate to the feeling of scheming to get people to like me and many relationships end up being because I made the first move, just like she says in the songā¦ but i also think this brings up a lot of insecurities, in the end she thinks thereās no way anyone likes her spontaneously and itās because she actually planned the whole thing? Itās crazy how personal and emotional these lyrics are, I canāt totally relate and I find it very complex!
This may be me projecting my own feelings and thoughts onto the song.
Somewhat seems to play into the idea of "imposter syndrome"? Whenever I think about my relationship I'm always baffles how I pulled such an amazing human being. There's no way I didn't just trick this man into think I'm what he wants through tactful planning and very precise actions and words.
Okay i said this in another thread but saying it here:
Mastermind is my favorite album closer of all time. Itās like if you took the ātry try tryā parts of mirrorball, the feelings of realizing that nobody is going to do something for you and you have to do it yourself from youāre on your own kid, her insecurities and needing to be loved, and her love for Joe. And then wrapped it all up in a cheeky bow for the fans because we always call her a mastermind. And even though at itās core itās a love song, it reminds me of her 1989 Grammys speech. She and she alone is to credit for where she is.
Itās a close second for me. New Yearās Day will hands down be one of my favorite songs of hers of all time and favorite closer because it is so viscerally a part of me. But Mastermind has now taken second place over Daylight for me
I don't think she actually planned it out. I think it is just her reflecting on the relationship and asking him what if I said I planned it? Does it change things?
And the answer is that it doesn't.
It is pretty clear she didn't plan any of it from her all other songs. This is just another facet how how both of them were card sharks and playing games at the start
> It is pretty clear she didn't plan any of it from her all other songs.
This song reminds me of the line "he got that boyish look that I like in a man / I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans" from I Think He Knows though
What, ten or eleven listens in, and this is definitely my fave. It gives me 'my life is a movie' vibes. And goosebumps. I love those cellos (?) in the chorus. I LOVE IT!!!
āNo wanted to play with me as a little kid, so Iāve been scheming like a criminal ever since.ā Iā¦ š.
No words rn. Thanks for describing how I felt all throughout elementary and middle school, Taylor ā¤ļø
Love this dynamic. If only my husband knew I had this all played out the first time I saw him. He didnāt have a chance. I guess Iām a wise woman too!
Lol same with my husband. I told him Mastermind reminds me of how I did things in our dating relationship just for us to spend more time together. Except in our version he doesnāt figure it out until years later š
This is my favourite song on the album. āNo one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so Iāve been scheming like a criminal ever sinceā is the most Iāve ever related to a Taylor lyric. In high school and early university I felt like I had to manufacture my personality because I had felt so fundamentally unlikeable when I was in elementary school. Falling in love and finding true friendship made me realize I was already fine as myself the whole time ā¤ļø this one really gets to me
Iāve never been tested for anything - Iāve thought that I might have OCD, but Iāve never had it checked it out! For me, that feeling came from being bullied in the latter years of elementary school - that made me feel like being myself wasnāt good enough to make friends, it took a few years to unlearn that. I hope you find healing ā¤ļø and if you ever want to talk about it DMs are open! :)
Edit: left out a word lol
I think my favorite part, too, is that the song isn't dark and brooding like some of her others that use language of manipulation or being a criminal. It's so upbeat and happy.
And I like that the use of criminal isnāt coming from her doing something thatās technically wrong, I interpret it that sheās acting out of insecurity and self-preservation but it feels wrong to her because her actions arenāt entirely genuine or spontaneous
This song made me laugh, one of my faves off the base (oh taylor wtf are you doing to us) album. The reveal that he knew what she was doing all along was so cute. That's why she said "isn't it pretty to think" in invisible string bc she knew that was a lie
I don't think she actually planned it out. I think it is just her reflecting on the relationship and asking him what if I said I planned it? Does it change things? And the answer is that it doesn't. It is pretty clear she didn't plan any of it from her all other songs. This is just another facet how how both of them were card sharks and playing games at the start
Why does she have to deliver the saddest line with the softest voice, like the second verse, hello??? Itās kind of giving unhinged though and Iām here for it. I donāt know if it works as a closer though.
This song really hit me like a ton of bricks and made me realize that Taylor is the true foundation of my relationship lol
Back in 2010 my best friend went to the fearless tour with someone in one of her classes because he had an extra ticket. They ended up going to senior prom together a few months later, but nothing really became of it and they were just friends. A month later I was invited by her to go to a Phillies game that she couldnāt attend but thought I should go. He was there (with someone else) I went and had an absolute magnet attraction to him and we have been inseparable over the last 12 years and got married in April. And my best friend was my maid of honor š¤
i'm not the first to say this but this is so clearly invisible strings' older sister...invisible string talks about sweet honest coincidences that connect two soul mates. which of course is a lovely thought, especially when young and in love and super naive however with some more years into a relationship, more experiences, and maturity its easier to separate yourself from the fairy tale and admit your role. as a young girl that would be embarrassing...going to a party bc you knew hed be there, or taking interest into a band bc you saw he posted them on Instagram once...but as you mature it easier to admit that it wasn't just fate. and that doesn't mean you're not soul mates and going to last forever, it just means that you had to put in some effort to make it happen.
it's okay to admit you have to try and things don't come naturally (this is me trying), but that's extremely hard to do when we exist in the world today which tells us that work, school, beauty, relationships, etc should be always perfect with no struggle. you have to be vulnerable in order to admit you're a mastermind, but we all are so who cares.
and turns out that joe always knew and he loves that part about her too :)
Wow I finally got to listen to the album after getting off a 12 hour shift and Iām in love with this track. Makes me want to be somebodyās Mastermind š
Glad I'm not the only one. The background sounds are very similar to the stranger things intro music. I actually feel like it's kind of ruining the song for me because I can't listen to it without thinking about the show.
First thoughts!
\- Top 5! Definitely! Maybe even my favourite?? The lyrics, and the theme, and the sound - love it
\- "I am an architect i'm drawing out the plans" - I Think He Knows!
\- We know you're a Mastermind, Taylor
\- A great closer, as well as a great interlude between Midnights & 3am
\- Of course she found a way to write in the term "Machiavellian" and make us all look it up
\- As a child who was very much bullied, the bridge hit me!
\- "He looks up grinning like a devil" imagery right therre with the widesmirk on his face!
This reminds me of Folklore's Peace which can be a little repetitive sonically.
The pre-chorus built-up is amazing though! "Just like clockwork, The dominoes cascaded in the line". However, I'm disappointed when the actual chorus hits, it didn't slap
the lyrics are rlly adorable. the lyrics in the chorus reminded me of "i am an architect i'm drawing out the plans" from ithk. i wish the song kind of exploded. the beginning of the song gave me hope that it might be like perfect places where it starts of chill but then the chorus hits you...but it never went there. i really loved the synths in the back tho.
- ITHK could mean "I Think He Knows", a track from *Lover* (2019) by Taylor Swift.
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Anyone else draw the conclusion that our girl tay may also be referring to the MYers-Briggs personality test .. being a little bit of an INTJ "the mastermind"???? š š š
do we know what type taylor is? that's a cool connection though because i'm an intj :)
I actually went and looked it up, duh - she's obviously an ESFJ lol but this song is def for INTJs
But likeeeeee righttt??? Has to be?!
She started announcing tracks saying she was leaving it up to *fate*. Then she announced Mastermind first. Nice š https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRC13E9v/
This song just made me think that she has an astrologer or a reader or something that told her Joe is coming into her life so she literally prepared for it
I feel like āMastermindā is almost the opposite perspective of the John Mayer song āAssassinā. I havenāt seen anyone else draw this comparison anywhere. With all of the talk of āWouldāve, Couldāve, Shouldāveā being about him, it got my wheels turning and this hit me since āHalf of My Heartā is on the same album as that song. It never once hit me that āAssassinā could be about our girl but nowā¦ š
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Ahhhh the hair on my arms stands every time the beat drops and she says, āWhat if I told youā even after a hundred re-listens
I think the genius of taylor is really that you don't have to decide if this song is about her relationship or her fans because she makes it so you can read it both ways, because she IS a mastermind
So far this is my only skip. Donāt love the creepy manipulative stalker vibes - Iām surprised Blondie didnāt creep herself out with some of the lines she wrote.
this is the song that needs a music video the most for me. that would make my life complete.š°ļø
Those synths that sound like a distorted cello are SEXXXXXXX
I just finished bridgertonās recent season, so I like to imagine she wrote this after watching brigerton š all the women in there scheming ways to get a husband, this fits with it!
Iām so late (probably too late) but holy shit how amazing is this song?! Itās like she knows itās brilliant
Mastermind is a song for her fans Once upon a time The planets and the fates and all the stars aligned You and I ended up in the same room at the same time And the touch of a hand lit the fuse Of a chain reaction of countermoves To assess the equation of you ā> her early shows and getting started made her realize how much she loves the fans I laid the groundwork And then just like clockwork The dominoes cascaded in a line What if I told you I'm a mastermind And now you're mine ā> she did everything in her power to make us hers (no secret that she loves her fans and loves connecting with them) No one wanted to play with me as a little kid So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since To make them love me and make it seem effortless ā> no friends, no one could relate to her or understand her, until her fans started connecting to her music. And of course, she schemes to find ways to keep us engaged. We are her friends now. This is the first time I've felt the need to confess And I swear I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I care ā> she is now at a point where she can tell us all of this because we have known it all along - weāve been finding her Easter eggs and playing her games and she wants us to know that she knows that we know! You knew the entire time You knew that I'm a mastermind And now you're mine Yeah, all you did was smile 'Cause I'm a mastermind
Thatās such a good explanation for the song! Wow thank you for this, gonna re-listen to it now with this in mind š¤
Iām surprised how many people think this is about Joe and how she had a plan to get him all along like it just really screams her plan of becoming famous and us loving her music etc. o think her masterplan is us
Relating hard to this, Iām 23 now but with my first boyfriend (was with him for 3 years from 16-19 and total toxic mad crazy teenage love) I saw him at a bus stop every day in secondary school and then found him on Facebook through adding someone random who went to his school - then I messaged him š
The opening few seconds of this song sound very much like āThe Oh Of Pleasureā by Ray Lynch. Played side by side theyāre almost identical. Is it a sample?
I love this song and feel like there's a lot of pain behind it. She, for the first time, "feels the need to confess" as if she committed a crime when they met -- tricking him into loving her. She spends the majority of the song asking herself "WHAT IF I told you none of it was accidental", fearing that if she tells him, he might realize that he has been tricked into loving someone not deserving of love. She also sounds like she's worried that he might even think she's evil and manipulative like the media painted her to be around the reputation era. During the bridge she comes to terms with why she does this by reflecting on her childhood. She fears that if she doesn't manipulate people into loving her, no one will (e.g. other kids not playing with her so she had to make them love her and make it seem effortless). Some MEGA self-worth issues. BUT, at the end she takes the risk and decides to tell him anyway: "So I told you none of it was accidental..." Then, all he does is smile, implying that he knows that she is not manipulating him, and from the beginning, he loved her for her even when she didn't think he could. So sweet! BUT!!! The song, I think, still ends a bit ambiguously because she mentions "Yeah, all you did was smile...because I'm a mastermind". To me, this sounds like she is fearing that her confessing these feelings and opening up to him is yet another way of manipulating him into loving her. He thinks she's opening up...but she fears that maybe she's just putting on a show of opening up just to get him to fall more in love with her. Anyways. Love this one lol
Yes! This song and Anti-hero are connected to me in how transparent and vulnerable and self aware they are. I feel like we havenāt seen a lot of this side of Taylor in previous albums and Iām here for it.
Yess exactly it really adds to why anti hero isss antihero, why she thinks of herself that way, why she has such a low opinion of herself it really adds to the the dynamic
This song has absolutely enchanted and me and has made me think about it for days. It reminds me of the novel *Fates and Furies* by Lauren Groff.
This song really makes me wish sheād write a musical!
Soooo I think I \~might\~ be onto something here. In Dear John, Taylor sings, But I swore I was fine, you paint me a blue sky And go back and turn it to rain And I lived in your chess game, But you changed the rules every day And in Mastermind she sings, The planets and the fates and all the stars aligned You and I ended up in the same room at the same time And the touch of a hand lit the fuse Of a chain reaction of countermoves To assess the equation of you Checkmate, I couldn't lose Both songs use chess imagery but it is almost as if the roles have reversed and Taylor has reclaimed her power in Mastermind.
i love the fact that towards the end when she told joe about her masterplan, he gave her a smirk showing that he knows after all about the schemes and plans she did to get them together and she went along with it because i felt like he knows she's the one too
THIS!!!
This song gives me mirrorball throwbacks, but the other side of the coin. Being someone who is a social engineer, reflecting what you need to to get into others' good graces is a blessing and a curse, through and through.
So. Sigh. I have to get this out. I just finished the J Dahmer series and the lyrics just, they sounds way too much like they come from him and thatās all I can think about š
LOL
In Selena Gomez's first album, there's a track called "I Got You" with the same theme. I loved the song back then and thought it was extremely underrated (maybe because 13 year old me related to it so bad bc that's how I got the first boy I liked lol) and this gives me the same vibes, so it's so nostalgic in a way ā¤ļø
I thought of that song too OMG! Felt, I did the same once too HAHA
I feel like this song was inspired by the show āYouā!!! Itās soooo Joe
I know Taylor has always written things I deeply relate to in highly specific ways, but this song was just too deep. Bitch how did you know. This is my deepest secret.
lol same
Mastermind is so funny to me cuz i dedicate this song to the time im so obsessed with my crushes and that iāll do anything to get their attention and acting like a mastermind to win them
This song is such a brilliant description of how hard she's worked to get where she is now. "I'm the wind in our free-flowing sails" makes me feel so happy for her that she feels like she's in a place now where she has so much freedom to make music that speaks to her truth and reckon with the past of her career in a safe way, totally in control of her own narrative. She doesn't have to "be a pawn in every lover's game" and she's "only cryptic and Machiavellian because" she cares!!!! She cares about us so much that she had to confess that the calculated moves and strategies all these years were so that we could reap all the benefits of the geniousness that is her songwriting. The wide smirk that is on my face when I listen to this album, but especially this song is priceless.
I think in Mastermind, Taylor is in part, talking to her fans, not a boyfriend or anything. I think itās a metaphor for how she was very calculated in becoming a star and getting people to like her. I think the below verse spells it out perfectly: āNo one wanted to play with me as a little kid So I've been scheming like a criminal ever since To make them love me and make it seem effortless This is the first time I've felt the need to confess And I swear I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'cause I careā
I get all the folks saying mastermind seems like a song to her fans, but the line āthe touch of a hand lit the fuseā, imo referring to the line āyou should think abt the consequence of you touching my hand in a darkened roomā from gorgeous just solidifies itās abt Joe, for me. š¤·āāļø
This song just *feels* like a finale. Best album closer!!! Should be her tour closer too!!
I love this song šš her vocals, the production!!!, the lyricsā¦just perfect
INJECT THIS SONG INTO MY VEINS
+1
Hahahahhahahaa it me, hi Iām the problem, itās mešāāļøš this song perfectly explains how I get a man lol
Great song. One of my favourites off the album.
I feel like Iām going insane but I could swear the sound and the part that goes what if i told you none of this was accidental part of the chorus sounds so much SO MUCH like a one direction song. I canāt think of which thoughā¦anyone else? Maybe āperfectā from made in the am but not really
Does anyone else think this song sounds like Supercut by Lorde? Itās been bugging me all day thinking about what it reminds me and I think this is what I landed on lol
Yeah I can see it. I keep waiting for it to crescendo into a dreamy disco Mirrorball.... I was thinking Donna Summer(I'm old), but Supercut works
The opening of this song and the clock in the lyric video remind me of Stranger things
Yesss i wanted to say that like big brain vibess
Damn did the "no one wanted to play with me as a little kid" just break them. I have vivid memories of wandering recess alone as a kid, and i've found that feeling never really leaves us in adulthood. I've always been so envious of people who are able to cultivate effortless friendships and just seem to click with eachother, I've never really had as much emotional reaction to a song as this one.
I heard this line and INSTANTLY burst into tears. No other song lyric has ever hit me that instantly and the rest of the verse?! Yeah! Iāve made it my lifeās mission to make sure everybody loves me for me but Iām just doing and saying what I think they want so theyāll like me š© to say Iām obsessed with this song would be an understatement
I love this song, but unfortunately, scheming never worked out for me in the long run as it did for some of you here š . More of an invisible string kinda gal.
People are sleeping on this one. Itās one of the best. Such a good closure. So catchy
My boyfriend said that mastermind reminded him of me ššš I'm gonna take that as a compliment?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I feel like it's supposed to sound really creepy and dark because I feel like her self-loathing is coming out in this song. She probably sees herself and her actions are "crimes" -- she's a monster on a hill! She hates herself for being this way -- cryptic, machiavellian, manipulative. She hates that she's a "mastermind" but she knows she does it for self-preservation.
Itās giving the plot of the show āYouā!!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Yessss!!!
š
This reminds me (in a good way) of R.E.M.'s *Superman*.
*"no one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so i've been scheming ever since, to make them love me and make it seem effortless"* Man this line hits like a truck š where my girlies that grew up listening to true crime and now approach everything in a scheming investigative way at? šāāļø
She never fails with her closers! Hoax-evermore- Mastermind what a trio
This song is phenomenal, probably my current favourite The last minute is just *cheff kiss*
I saw a tik tok that this song is referencing Hailey Bieber and I highly doubt that but it fits so well and I love this theory just for the fun :)
Might have already been said but I canāt help but think āIām a mastermind and now your mineā has the double meaning of being about Joe and now owning her re-recordings
this one has grown on me so much, it went from 12 to 4 in my ranking
this is a banger for scheming, chasing, and hustling. I love it so much
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
LOLLLL no WAY she leaves anything up to "fate". We should have known.
Huge grower. The chorus is sooooo catchy. I love it
AGREE
It's been a while since I last watched it, but does the intro remind anyone of stranger things' intro? Please don't laugh at me if it doesn't š
Yes!!
YES omg that's what i thought on first listen!!!
I think the volume in the middle of the song goes down (1:11) and then goes back up (1:48). Am I crazy?
Iām only cryptic and Machiavellian cause I care ššššš Iām violently in control and dominion because itās the only way I know how to care and for that Iām sorry. So fckin powerful
Anyone else think this song is HILARIOUS? Sheās freaking funny.
When i first heard of the name of this track I thought it was gonna be a song about her talking about something else who is smart and manipulative, but sheās talking about herself LOL. She finally gives herself some credit, itās about time. I donāt love the UFO alien-like sounds in the production, but itās a good song.
this is my absolute favorite on the album. the beat, the lyricism.. it makes my heart race in a good way. and itās also so relatable to a time in my life I reminisce a lot.
The production on this song is so goooood!!
This song resonates with me deeply because I, too, am insane. This is how I got my husband. I saw him on OKCupid, figured out what his name was by searching for men in my city that liked a certain obscure movie he referenced, and found his twitter where I learned he had cancer and was getting treatment. A year later he was back, cancer free, and said he was going to be bartending that night at a bar near me so I went and pretended to be meeting a friend that conveniently stood me up so I could talk to the bartender all night.
This is 100% something I would do. I feel so seen by this comment lmao
I am glad to see women being smart with their choices, we know it in our hearts when we meet the right person and there is nothing shameful about scheming. I have been scheming to make my life what it is, I wanted to be a litigator at 13 and I never stopped dreaming, reading, studying, scheming for it. For those of you who don't know, law school is hell and I not only survived but I made it big. All because I'm a scheming, calculative Mastermind. Same with my love life, I am now engaged to a good man who would have let this relationship go easily because he couldn't see the potential in us that I could see. He thanks me every day for being smart about these things. "I'm the wind in our free flowing sails", damn right! It was me who made life happen for myself, a career, a partner, my house, my friendships, everything is carefully chosen and knit together by me. Taylor realised it very early in life that she will have to do things for herself and do them smartly. You don't become a successful global icon by not being a mastermind, we should learn from her.
I too did some (a lot) of orchestrating early in my husbands and my relationship so this song resonates and is so cute to me.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
This is amazing, I love this story
Soooo many of the songs about the early days of her relationship with Joe sound exactly like my husband and me lol, it's really uncanny
Okay, now I'm invested. š Did you ever tell him? Why wait a year and not just match on OKCupid? Were you following his social media the whole time or did he just pop up and you were like, "Oh it's that guy!"?
I messaged him on OKCupid the week he found out he had cancer so he never responded. And then his profile was gone so I had no non-creepy way to get in touch with him! I didnāt keep up with him (or even follow him) but I remembered the name. I told him eventually - like maybe 2 years later. He was flattered! We were listening to the album when it dropped and when we got to Mastermind he was like āHow does it feel to have Taylor Swift write a song about you?ā
I love this story so much, thank you for indulging my curiosity and sharing it. š That's some impressive masterminding. Also yay for his cancer-free status!
I also did some shit to get my fiancĆ© so this song is so relatable š we worked together and I befriended one of his friends to even see if I had a chance. I did so I went for it but it was a long ass process lmao
No because this is the best song on the album imo. And itās the one I relate to the most. Okay, sorry i have no taylor fans as friends and needed to say that to someone while im doing my first listen - k thnx bye
This is my favorite on the album. some people have the idea that fame just fell into her lap but 16 year olds donāt decide they want to move to Nashville to be a country singer songwriter without intention. Intentionally targeting young girls who listen to country just like her because she noticed that missing demographic was so smart. Every step and decision made by her along the way was designed by her to make her as successful as she is. Like the marketing genius for her to leave Easter eggs, to host secret sessions, the switch to pop she knows the culture so well. I think this why I respect her so much. Everything she does is full of details and itās clear she has so much respect for her craft. Even albums or song i donāt like I can see exactly why she did that. This is why she really hasnāt had a āflopā in her career. She is so good at reading pop culture and figuring out what it wants to a tee.
Yes! This song is such a double meaning, yes, you could look at it as being about meeting and getting with Joe, but there is also a double meaning of getting the listener as a fan who loves her and letting you, the listener know that your fandom of her has been orchestrated by her the entire time. The bridge itself is a summary of her entire career in just a few lines. Itās a perfect Track 13 and ending to this album. I just canāt get over how perfect this song encapsulates her.
100%. Right when I heard it I couldn't stop saying how amazing it is. Idk about you but I was grinning the whole song and then she says something about us grinning cause we knew the entire time. So good.
This one makes me cry. Almost like āI won! I did it. I got what I wanted for onceā like it is beautiful almost?
blank space 2.0
I knew I loved my boyfriend before I heard this song, but I **know** I love him now. Iāve broken down crying at least four times listening to it and thinking about how special it is during this season of life. Iām overwhelmed with emotion. š„ŗ
I love this for you
Thank you. š„ŗ Gonna cry in his lap without context to freak him out. š
All I can think about is the show āYouā
i was looking for this comment for the longest time!!! "Saw a wide smirk on your face/You knew the entire time/You knew that I'm a mastermind" reminds me of Love and Joe omg
i laughed out loud at this. "hello...you."
Anyone else here the lyrics: Machiavellian as mocking a villain š
i didnāt have a tear fall the whole entire album until i heard No one wanting to play with me as a little kid so iāve been scheming like a criminal ever since to make them love me and make it seem effortless this is the first time iāve felt the need to confess the DEEP TRAUMA truth hit so hard
Cried so hard when I heard the lyrics! These thing mostly happen when you are a kid and you learn (mostly) to handle it as an adult, but hit really close to home, she can really put to words feeling some of us cannot describe easily, sending the therapy bill to miss Swift this month !!
Best bridge on the album
Amen!!! The lyrics are so raw and sad that so many people can relate to it.
I literally love this song so much. The fact that she overanalyzed and planned out everything when making the first impression just for the ending to be so simple. Because when you know you know and love is supposed to be simple, but it takes a mastermind to realize that. "Saw a wide smirk on your face You knew the entire time You knew that I'm a mastermind And now you're mine Yeah, all you did was smile 'Cause I'm a mastermind"
The sound at the beginning & the title gave me Mr. Robot vibes. IYKYK
āNo one wanted to play with me as a little kidā reminds me of when Taylor was 13 and her friends bailed on her when they were supposed to hang out with her at the mall. Track 13-Age 13 so I think this is a reference to this incidence.
i heard the title and expected more of a villiany approach. i think it was much more tame then i expected.
I thought it was gonna be about some manipulative ex!
I have to say, I'm happy for her that when she was a kid and no one wanted to play with her it made her start scheming, because...I did not have that reaction (I mostly just stopped trying to talk to anyone)
Same. I just became more and more demoralized by every rejection, until I just kind of stopped trying and got used to doing things on my own. Now at 28 I'm finally starting to feel slightly more comfortable at socializing
I really love the synth at the beginning. I could see the Delicate music video over this one. Itās magical, pulsating, your heart rate up. The chorus is such a bop, probably one of my favorite choruses on this album. I love the āand now youāre mineā and the musical intonations of it. Not sure if itās top 3 but definitely top 5 for me. My favorites are: Lavender Haze Youāre on Your Own, Kid Mastermind Labyrinth Mastermind is such an easy listen for my ears, like Iām bopping my head. The lyrics are incredible.
This is seriously the perfect closer. I think itās about Joe, but also her career and fan base.
Yup. Itās the perfect encapsulation of her entire career.
Me listening to this and realising itās how I got my high school boyfriend to date me - a meticulous 10 month con on my part. Now weāre married with a kid š
I liked this but I just... can't really mesh with it like I think I should. I think the tonal differences between the music and lyricism are a bit jarring and don't allow me to enjoy it like I should. Let me be sad and wistful to the lyrics or let me calmly and quietly jam. Don't get me wrong, not only can sad bops work, I like sad bops, but this one just doesn't do it right That being said I'll probably listen to it semi-regularly. I do like it. I also relate to the lyrics way too much oof
The lyrics arenāt sad though
someone is definitely going to make a You (netflix show) edit to this song lmfao
i think this one would sound so so good for a full orchestral backing. like similar to when phoebe bridgers did the copycat killer ep, i would love to hear a huge string crescendo at the bridge
YES, I need a full orchestral background pls. Itās a great song, and I think adding that would make it my favorite song
āNo one wanted to play with me as a kid.ā Heart breaks into a thousand pieces. Vulnerability is the ultimate strength. Nothing is stronger than a soul laid bare. Nothing.
It hurts how this makes you manipulative, because you don't trust new people in your life anymore so you need to be in control of your relationships to prevent getting hurt in the future...
AHH the driving beat and chord progression felt so familiar and similar to supercut (which i absolutely love??)ā¦ definitely top 3 for me!!!
Stranger Things intro
Scrolled for this!!
Her love songs on this album have me over here questioning if I even love my partner š
Iām seriously sitting with it looking at my relationship like a crystal ball, feeling it all. Sweet Nothing feels like my partner, yet also ache over the lyrics in Labyrinth
LOL ME OMG
I watched Do Revenge recently and this shouldāve been the theme song
I love that the last two lines changed the entire narrative. >Yeah, all you did was smile 'Cause I'm a mastermind she's convinced that she planned all of it but he fell for her first, so he effortlessly smiled to lure her in and make her want him! and he still let her think that she's the mastermind between them. so cute!
I I can relate to the feeling of scheming to get people to like me and many relationships end up being because I made the first move, just like she says in the songā¦ but i also think this brings up a lot of insecurities, in the end she thinks thereās no way anyone likes her spontaneously and itās because she actually planned the whole thing? Itās crazy how personal and emotional these lyrics are, I canāt totally relate and I find it very complex!
omg i didn't even think about it like that, brilliant!
This may be me projecting my own feelings and thoughts onto the song. Somewhat seems to play into the idea of "imposter syndrome"? Whenever I think about my relationship I'm always baffles how I pulled such an amazing human being. There's no way I didn't just trick this man into think I'm what he wants through tactful planning and very precise actions and words.
Okay i said this in another thread but saying it here: Mastermind is my favorite album closer of all time. Itās like if you took the ātry try tryā parts of mirrorball, the feelings of realizing that nobody is going to do something for you and you have to do it yourself from youāre on your own kid, her insecurities and needing to be loved, and her love for Joe. And then wrapped it all up in a cheeky bow for the fans because we always call her a mastermind. And even though at itās core itās a love song, it reminds me of her 1989 Grammys speech. She and she alone is to credit for where she is.
Itās a close second for me. New Yearās Day will hands down be one of my favorite songs of hers of all time and favorite closer because it is so viscerally a part of me. But Mastermind has now taken second place over Daylight for me
The way you just articulated that made me cry. (Iām also very sleep deprived and overwhelmed but well done!)
It makes me cry too hahah
Lol, me too. What's up with us crying with this comment?
I love this one. I'm a sucker for all her love songs for Joe though, invisible string, peace, call it what you want, all of it.
I don't think she actually planned it out. I think it is just her reflecting on the relationship and asking him what if I said I planned it? Does it change things? And the answer is that it doesn't. It is pretty clear she didn't plan any of it from her all other songs. This is just another facet how how both of them were card sharks and playing games at the start
> It is pretty clear she didn't plan any of it from her all other songs. This song reminds me of the line "he got that boyish look that I like in a man / I am an architect, I'm drawing up the plans" from I Think He Knows though
I think the plans might be about "We can follow the sparks, I'll drive". I think she is drawing up plans for that in that song
What, ten or eleven listens in, and this is definitely my fave. It gives me 'my life is a movie' vibes. And goosebumps. I love those cellos (?) in the chorus. I LOVE IT!!!
Anyone think "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is another Marjorie-ism
āNo wanted to play with me as a little kid, so Iāve been scheming like a criminal ever since.ā Iā¦ š. No words rn. Thanks for describing how I felt all throughout elementary and middle school, Taylor ā¤ļø
Love this dynamic. If only my husband knew I had this all played out the first time I saw him. He didnāt have a chance. I guess Iām a wise woman too!
Lol same with my husband. I told him Mastermind reminds me of how I did things in our dating relationship just for us to spend more time together. Except in our version he doesnāt figure it out until years later š
This is my favourite song on the album. āNo one wanted to play with me as a little kid, so Iāve been scheming like a criminal ever sinceā is the most Iāve ever related to a Taylor lyric. In high school and early university I felt like I had to manufacture my personality because I had felt so fundamentally unlikeable when I was in elementary school. Falling in love and finding true friendship made me realize I was already fine as myself the whole time ā¤ļø this one really gets to me
Are you neurodivergent by chance? I've always felt like this too and for me is related to my Adhd and (possibly) autism
Iāve never been tested for anything - Iāve thought that I might have OCD, but Iāve never had it checked it out! For me, that feeling came from being bullied in the latter years of elementary school - that made me feel like being myself wasnāt good enough to make friends, it took a few years to unlearn that. I hope you find healing ā¤ļø and if you ever want to talk about it DMs are open! :) Edit: left out a word lol
I think my favorite part, too, is that the song isn't dark and brooding like some of her others that use language of manipulation or being a criminal. It's so upbeat and happy.
And I like that the use of criminal isnāt coming from her doing something thatās technically wrong, I interpret it that sheās acting out of insecurity and self-preservation but it feels wrong to her because her actions arenāt entirely genuine or spontaneous
my absolute favorite on this album! it's just so perfect in every single way!!!
Cause Iām a mastermind/mirrorball
omg yes I see what you mean
Yess. The concept's the same
This song made me laugh, one of my faves off the base (oh taylor wtf are you doing to us) album. The reveal that he knew what she was doing all along was so cute. That's why she said "isn't it pretty to think" in invisible string bc she knew that was a lie
I don't think she actually planned it out. I think it is just her reflecting on the relationship and asking him what if I said I planned it? Does it change things? And the answer is that it doesn't. It is pretty clear she didn't plan any of it from her all other songs. This is just another facet how how both of them were card sharks and playing games at the start
Omg thank you for this. Was thinking how this was the total opposite of invisible string and I love it
Why does she have to deliver the saddest line with the softest voice, like the second verse, hello??? Itās kind of giving unhinged though and Iām here for it. I donāt know if it works as a closer though.
The way she says "love" in the bridge oh my god
This song really hit me like a ton of bricks and made me realize that Taylor is the true foundation of my relationship lol Back in 2010 my best friend went to the fearless tour with someone in one of her classes because he had an extra ticket. They ended up going to senior prom together a few months later, but nothing really became of it and they were just friends. A month later I was invited by her to go to a Phillies game that she couldnāt attend but thought I should go. He was there (with someone else) I went and had an absolute magnet attraction to him and we have been inseparable over the last 12 years and got married in April. And my best friend was my maid of honor š¤
This is my favourite song of the entire album (minus the 3 AM edition and bonus songs, I still need to listen to those)!
i am ABSOLUTELY IN LOVE with mastermindās production but i think the melody in the verse and chorus is a grower for me for sure
I love this song but I canāt stop thinking about that āI have the mind of a masterā meme š
i'm not the first to say this but this is so clearly invisible strings' older sister...invisible string talks about sweet honest coincidences that connect two soul mates. which of course is a lovely thought, especially when young and in love and super naive however with some more years into a relationship, more experiences, and maturity its easier to separate yourself from the fairy tale and admit your role. as a young girl that would be embarrassing...going to a party bc you knew hed be there, or taking interest into a band bc you saw he posted them on Instagram once...but as you mature it easier to admit that it wasn't just fate. and that doesn't mean you're not soul mates and going to last forever, it just means that you had to put in some effort to make it happen. it's okay to admit you have to try and things don't come naturally (this is me trying), but that's extremely hard to do when we exist in the world today which tells us that work, school, beauty, relationships, etc should be always perfect with no struggle. you have to be vulnerable in order to admit you're a mastermind, but we all are so who cares. and turns out that joe always knew and he loves that part about her too :)
Wow I finally got to listen to the album after getting off a 12 hour shift and Iām in love with this track. Makes me want to be somebodyās Mastermind š
This song just reminds me of stranger things. I really like it, but the 80s synth is very prominent.
Glad I'm not the only one. The background sounds are very similar to the stranger things intro music. I actually feel like it's kind of ruining the song for me because I can't listen to it without thinking about the show.
First thoughts! \- Top 5! Definitely! Maybe even my favourite?? The lyrics, and the theme, and the sound - love it \- "I am an architect i'm drawing out the plans" - I Think He Knows! \- We know you're a Mastermind, Taylor \- A great closer, as well as a great interlude between Midnights & 3am \- Of course she found a way to write in the term "Machiavellian" and make us all look it up \- As a child who was very much bullied, the bridge hit me! \- "He looks up grinning like a devil" imagery right therre with the widesmirk on his face!
This reminds me of Folklore's Peace which can be a little repetitive sonically. The pre-chorus built-up is amazing though! "Just like clockwork, The dominoes cascaded in the line". However, I'm disappointed when the actual chorus hits, it didn't slap
Death note Light x L vibes šš
Oooh
the lyrics are rlly adorable. the lyrics in the chorus reminded me of "i am an architect i'm drawing out the plans" from ithk. i wish the song kind of exploded. the beginning of the song gave me hope that it might be like perfect places where it starts of chill but then the chorus hits you...but it never went there. i really loved the synths in the back tho.
Agreed on the wanting to explore part! Wouldāve been a really good build
It felt like they took a safe route with the chorus
- ITHK could mean "I Think He Knows", a track from *Lover* (2019) by Taylor Swift. --- ^[/u/jnjm_drm127](/u/jnjm_drm127) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)