Taylor IS on Kelsea’s self-titled album (2020) and SHE is the track 4 falling out on Subject to Change (2022)

I know you aren’t going to believe me.  Taylor and Kelsea at least had a dalliance, if not full-on dated.  Here is the link to my 2020 albums ranking:

https://kit10phish.wordpress.com/2020/12/11/the-good-2020-albums-countdown-28-14/

I provide it because it’s date/time stamped to Dec 2020.

In it, I said I can hear Taylor Swift on several albums that year.  All for people who are known associates of hers.  All uncredited.  Here’s the blurb from that post:

OK, I Know Halsey featured on The Other Girl, track 4 of Kelsea’s self-titled album from 2020.

Ashley…is Halsey, P.S. I hadn’t known that but was looking for possible pseudonyms.

Don’t take my word for it. Listen for yourself.  A good place to compare and hear that there are 3, not 2, distinct voices is:

0.55-1.00 is Kelsea alone

1.04-1.12 is most definitely Taylor Swift according to my ears

1:26-1:30 is Halsey by herself

Kelsea Ballerini – the other girl (with Halsey) [Official Audio]

Now, I tried to compare the studio version of the song to the live CMT duet, but alas, they were lip syncing (not bashing, just stating facts) so it’s the exact same song.

The part that I heard Taylor on has lyrics:

Taylor says she’s a scarlet letter (fraught with adultery, witchy stigma vibes) in Love Story:

Original lyric said “This love is DIFFERENT, but it’s real.  Different like gay.  Because what straight, white love pairing is so off-putting to parents and society?

Then, in New Romantics Taylor introduces herself again using scarlet letter:

In this context scarlet letters is some trait that’s stigmatized by society.  And she says this group of misfits she is hanging out with in NYC has different scarlet (aka stigmatized) letters.  How about LGBTQQAA perhaps?  And she says, hers trumps all of them.  In the song she goes on to describe:

To this group love = danger.  P.S. there is nothing dangerous about a wealthy, white lady dating a wealthy white man…  To emphasize her point Taylor talks about switching sides.  That’s bisexual.  Or they “switched” from hetero to homo.  To drive home that she’s talking about gay love and being a part of the marginalized gay community, Taylor talks about the terrible, cruel rumors, which just like in Betty (another song with gay undertones) are true.  Every day these LGBT folk are battling for rights and visibility and equality but every night they’re alone with their lover, peaceful and happy.  

That’s all to say it’s very interesting that those are the lines I hear Taylor on in Kelsea’s song.  Like it goes with what Taylor has been telling us in other songs.

Back to The Other Girl video/song:  

At 1:44 Taylor says, “I, eye?!”  WTF, now eye theory 

2:08 is a repeat of Taylor singing the red dress part, but it’s a lot harder to distinguish her voice from this point on in the song, because I don’t think she sings alone.  There may or may not be a “girl” she sings by herself, but I couldn’t tell for sure…

So Taylor sang uncredited on an album with friends, big deal, you say.

HERE’S WHY THIS MATTERS:

On Kelsea’s 2020 album she talks about falling out with someone on her track 4.  And everybody assumed it was about the credited feature, Halsey.  But we have no story, no blind, no evidence of what happened between Kelsea and Halsey, if anything.  I think Kelsea is talking about Taylor!

DOIN’ MY BEST 

[Verse 1]

2020 was a weird year

Album dropped at a weird time

Ain’t the homecoming queen but better believe I cried

And therapy for one turned

Into therapy for two

When you get married that young, you got a lotta shit you gotta get through

Kelsea got divorced.

…[Verse 2]

I was friends with a pop star

I put ’em on track four, but

Wish I could take it back, I would’ve nevеr asked

If I knew we wouldn’t talk anymorе

…[Bridge]

I live in my head ’til the sun’s up

Even I can admit that it’s fucked up

And you’re pushing for perfect your whole life

And it didn’t work out

But, damn it, I tried

The bridge just might have a double meaning.  On the one hand Kelsea is talking about releasing her self-titled album that she worked really hard on, during a time promo couldn’t be done, so maybe it did worse then she hoped/anticipated.

A 2nd meaning could be that Kelsea is overthinking.  The sun (Karlie) is out, centered in Taylor’s life.  Kaylor is on-again.  Kelsea says Taylor using her (Kelsea) as a back-up gal when Kaylor is off is fucked up.  In this context the “you’re” shifts to Taylor possibly.  She’s the one with the perfect image she’s trying to maintain.  And that keeps her closeted.  And being in a closeted relationship sucks for both Karlie (Kaylor on) and Kelsea (Kaylor off).  But damn it, Kelsea tried to have a proper relationship with Taylor.