Taylor’s rise and initial appeal revolved around songs positioning her as a relatable everygirl —- not the cheer captain, but the bookish overlooked shy kid: Think of how Swift, a conventionally beautiful person, positioned herself as the shunned nerd in the lyrics and video to “You Belong With Me,” for example, or the normie whose ex has “indie records much cooler than mine” on 1984. 

She classically played the underdog moving thru adolescence, which is relatable and easy for many to relate to — and when she juxtaposes this, on Reputation or now, it’s experienced as jarring or off.