Therapist Reacts To: Down Bad by Taylor Swift *this got real dark*

Taylor comparing love bombing to an alien abduction is just too good. Her mind is amazing

Waiting for The smallest man who ever lived and So long, London reactions... hands down the best songs on the album

From an article on internet: Describing the meaning behind the song in her iHeartRadio listening party for 'The Tortured Poets Department', Taylor said: "The metaphor in ‘Down Bad’ is that I was comparing sort of the idea of being love bombed. Where someone…rocks your world and dazzles you and then just kind of abandons you." She continued: "This girl is abducted by aliens but she wanted to stay with them…And then when they drop her back off in her hometown, she’s like, ‘Wait, no, where are you going? I liked it there! It was weird but it was cool. Come back!’" Taylor ended by saying: "And so…the girl in the character in the song felt like, ‘I’ve just been exposed to a whole different galaxy and universe and didn’t know it was possible, how could you just put me back where I was before?’"

When you’re listening to the album know that she’s finally found a guy who LOVES her. All of her. He’s not afraid of her fame. He’s the best at what he does like her. Even her bodyguards put down their guard when he’s with her. Travis would rip anyone apart that came after her. He couldn’t be more different than her other guys. He’s weird and goofy enough to match her but down to earth also. She’s HAPPY. Just remember that.

The fact that you knew it was about love bombing from literally the first lyric let's me know this reaction is going to be good.

"for a moment I was heaven struck" chokes me up .💔

The twin reference- She also referred to Matty as her twin flame, plus his songwriting/ artistry is on her level

I think most of folklore/evermore/midnights was Taylor coming to terms with the red flags and end of her relationship with Joe. She’s already processed it and was ready to start over and then Matty came along promising everything Joe wouldn’t just to mess with her for a while

I really like the metaphorical imagery of Aliens and alien abduction! The “beam me up” and “do experiments on” but also “wave at the ship” “and come pick me up”

"So...... he's a dick" made me spit out my coffee. Accurate.

I will say that sometimes you are so heartbroken about a long term relationship then if/when you get lovebombed, and they just leave…… that can hurt more. Rubbing salt and hot peppers in that already fresh wound of loss.

I found it so fascinating in the album, the difference between the joe songs and the matty songs. The joe songs, even back to "You're losing me ", was a slow painful death which she saw and felt it coming, and is its own kind of terrible grief. But the matty songs, like this, are this horrible in your face heartbreak. She is so brilliant with the song writing, and so brave and strong to do the eras tour with all this loss and heartbreak inside. "I can do it with a broken heart "made me cry.

This is a super heavy song and people who aren’t trained in recognizing toxic relationships or haven’t had the experience themselves would probably miss a lot of the metaphors. (I’ve seen younger ladies touting this one as something to be attained, which is super disturbing to me.) my favorite line is “They’ll say I’m nuts if I talk about the existence of you” it falls in well with the alien metaphor but also, doubles as meaning for those who’ve dealt with toxic or abusive situations. People are hesitant to believe when you try to explain your experience because either the person has a reputation for being charming/kind or they just think you’re crazy because “omg but they were so nice to you and did all those nice things. How could they be bad? You’re crazy”. It took me a few listens before that line really hit me.

“The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived” is kind of the follow-up to this. It’ll make you say “OUCH” in an entirely different way.

Once again with the upbeat catchy, dare I say “fun” feel of the song that is so trivial and sad. She is so good about making a cohesive album. Also, I want to throw out my theory that she makes one song based on multiple experiences that relate to the same topic, which may mean different relationships she’s had and not necessarily just one. It’s a thought I have that I feel is true and makes a lot of sense, as we know she draws from all her experiences. Love the reaction! Thank you! “Delicate” subject matter, as is all this album!! Be well!

If she is referencing Matt Healy in this song, she would have started seeing him after Joe. From my understanding, she was feeling ignored and starved for affection after Joe. She would have been going into a relationship with Matt ready for all the attention and love she could get. I think he would have known that and he chose to take advantage of her. I’ve had a similar experience, it sucks when reality sets in. I also completely agree when you said the time frame of a relationship doesn’t always decide its impact on you, no one gets to decide how meaningful something was for another person, regardless of time spent.

Writing about falling for a mad love bomber as an alien abduction is perfect and further proof of Taylor Swift’s sarcastic wit. I’m now really looking forward to - although with a bit of trepidation - your reaction to The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.

Her 'like I lost my twin' is about Matty and how he likes writing poetic song lyrics (like Taylor, so similar interests), and also how he's known to kinda 'mirror' the vibes of whom he's talking to (see him on chicken shop date to see an example of him doing this, he just 'yes ands' whatever the other party is going for). It's a technique to be 'charismatic', but can make the counterpart wonder after a while where the 'playful' personality that just vibes ends, and his 'real' personality begins. Also, her 'I'll built you a fort on some planet where they can all understand it' is a reference to his controversial quotes and how his defense of the quotes was that he was being 'artistic' and that people who take offense just don't understand him (a defense that personally drives me crazy and seems to mostly be used by a certain type of full-of-himself straight young white guy, imo)

I just became a member, cause your reactions are so good to be missed. I love your work, and your vulnerability (no it's not something bad, as people sometimes say). You seem so strong and I like how you explain things.

And teenage petulance could ALSO refer to the way she's received if she says anything. No matter what she felt, if she tries to get express it, she's 'So immature, writes like a teenager..."