What is music “for good”? What does it mean for music to evolve to more than a form of entertainment? Is there room in the music industry for politics and social discourse? 

Taylor Swift’s “The Man” may provide context to the reception of social commentary in an industry that has, in general, refrained from crossing the figurative line into politics. Several artists, like Swift or Billie Eilish, have slowly begun to challenge the nonpartisan model that the music industry has traditionally upheld. The commercial success of their recent releases have demonstrated that politics, when palatably presented, can find a space in the music industry.

"The Man,” the fourth track on Lover, is sonically inspired by the synth-pop production of the late 1970s and 1980s and is characterized by flashy harmonies, murky synths and rumbling beats with the distinctive twang of a banjo-inspired sound, perhaps a callback to Swift's earliest music. This blending of sonically classic 80s electropop and Swift's musical roots is characteristic of the modern revival of synth-pop (Macdonald). The late 70s and 80s introduced both a “New Wave” of synth-pop with the evolution of electropop (Edgar et al. 2013) and a time of great change for women’s rights. The passage of Title IX and Roe v. Wade in Congress and the Supreme Court, respectively, and second-wave feminism took place during this period. This attention to the sonic inspiration suggests that often overlooked details like the sonic inspiration of a song can contribute to the overall message Swift hopes to convey; the production style, originating from a period known for landmark cases for women’s rights, allows Swift to construct a basis for the purpose of the song.

“The Man” is situated in an album that Swift describes as a “love letter to love,” but it tells a different story: one of commentary on toxic masculinity and sexist societal double standards. Conversely, it can also be argued that the production of “The Man” detracts from Swift’s overall message. In a comparison of the commercially released "The Man" and later acoustic "The Man (Live from Paris)" release in “Recorded v. Live,” it is revealed that the production of the original release camouflages the emotions felt by the audience when listening to Swift's raw vocals. The acoustic version allows her to emphasize her anger and annoyance which are absent in the original release. The absence of negative emotions in the commercial release allows for the general public to listen to the song, but would take a receptive listener to actually understand Swift's purpose in the creation of the song. The synth-pop production also allows for “The Man” to sonically belong within the Lover album and works as a cleverly veiled tactic from Swift to allow the message to reach those who look for it while allowing the track to still chart.

Although concealing a controversial topic behind a synth-pop production has allowed Swift to reach commercial success it is also what has subjected her to criticism. Why conceal such an important topic behind a curtain of sound? Critics argue that Swift's concealment of controversial topics in her music demonstrates her inability to remain steadfast in her beliefs and often point to Swift's lack of political views until they, conveniently, benefits her the most (Aranock). 

Swift’s “The Man” is not necessarily the first commercially successful nor Swift’s first song that deals with sexism and femininity. Analyzing similar releases from Swift’s counterparts in “(Wo)mansplaining Toxic Masculinity” indicates that feminism is not a novel concept in the music industry. It is, in fact, Swift’s earlier release, “Blank Space,” that is regarded as her first musical response to the double standard perpetuated by Hollywood. Swift’s discussion of a serious topic against an upbeat production with the satirical tone she employs allows for her message to reach the general public. 

Though “The Man” may not appear to utilize feminist rhetoric upon first listen, the accompanying music video clarifies its purpose. Released on February 27, 2020 (the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s ruling of the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote) and directed by Taylor Swift, it solidifies her creative purpose and employs a commentary style she had previously used. Satirical feminist commentary, first employed by Swift in 1989, allows for her overall message to be more palatable for listeners. It is often because of this satirical approach that the intended message for the audience is not clear until it is later elaborated on. For Swift, the message of “The Man” was not made explicit until the release of the accompanying music video which allowed her to utilize satire to implore her audience on how societal double standards are perpetuated by men daily. “A Satirical Approach to Feminism,” reveals that Swift uses the combination of the lyrics with a creative visual approach to illustrate the abundance of daily double standards that women often fall victim to (Kobayashi 2021). From the introduction that later affirms a reference in the lyrics to manspreading and partying on a yacht and a reference to a controversial ruling at a tennis match (Chiu and Shepherd 2020) at the end of the film, Swift utilizes satire to demonstrate the normalcy of double standards.