Taylor's “This Is Me Trying”

Sometimes, the bravest battles are those that happen within ourselves, hidden from the view of even the closest observers.

“This Is Me Trying,” a plaintive piece from the darker corners of Folklore, is a poignant admission of struggle. In the lyrics, we find Swift in an emotional and psychological freefall, her lustrous dreams now rusting,

The glow of her potential dissipating into the ether of regrets and recriminations. The track showcases Swift's masterful ability to condense profound, universal sentiments into razor-sharp lines: "I was so ahead of the curve, the curve became a sphere."

Here, we glimpse the fickleness of success, the painful realization that acceleration can sometimes lead to a tailspin. The production provides an equally melancholic backdrop, an interplay of moody synths and hauntingly subdued vocals that plunge us into Swift's tempestuous world of internal conflict.

Yet, for all its aching melancholy, the song holds a core of hope. In Swift's acknowledgement of her trials ("this is me trying"), we see an assertion of her resilience.

She stands at the doorway of her troubles, not seeking absolution, but simply wanting to be seen. The track is an invitation to embrace vulnerability, a powerful testament to the healing power of acknowledging our internal battles, however quietly they might rage.

Best line: “They told me all of my cages were mental/So I got wasted like all my potential.”