ⓎⓄⓊⓉⓊⒷⒺ
Album: 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗱
By: Amanda Cox
"Hey, guys I'm doing this whole album lyrics decoding since there is no explanation just reputation like Kass mentioned— all of this is just my opinion."
∙ ~εïз~ ∙
...Ready For It?
The song is basically of Kass telling the new person she's in a relationship if he's ready for what's coming once they truly start the relationship, seeing how she's doesn't have the greatest image when it comes to relationship.
'Knew he was a killer first time that I saw him'
Kass may be talking in how handsome and/ or stunningly Harry Styles (current boyfriend) was when they first meet. Now when Kass says, 'first time' it could've been when they first met after not seeing each other for two years is where she finally got a good view of how handsome he was and the feeling started to develop.
'Wonder how many girls he had loved and left haunted
But if he's a ghost, then I can be a phantom
Holdin' him for ransom'
In the first verse, Kass acknowledges that she doesn't really know the man she's interested in if he has broken up with many girls or left many of them wanting more as she has in the eyes of social media. But she's willing to rise to the challenge and keep him as a 'ransom' to those who wanted him before her seeing how 'he's a ghost' which means she's not going to be one of the girls and he isn't going to be like those men before him,
'Some, some boys are tryin' too hard
He doesn't try at all, though
Younger than my exes but he act like such a man, so'
This is obviously a line of her referencing to her dating someone who is a bit younger than she usually goes for, of course, she dated boys like Cody Simpson, Austin Mahone, that one rumor with Shawn Mendes but Kass may be stating of her last two past relationships with Neymar Jr who it was 25 (5-year gap) and Aaron Carter 30 (a 10-year gap) and that her new boyfriend acts more of a man to her than any of her exes ever did and he doesn't even have to try and lavish her with many getaway trips or gifts and that doing little things and going to simple dates is enough for her, it shows how she just wants a real relationship one based of love and privacy and not going around and flaunt expensive materials for the world to see.
I see nothing better, I keep him forever
Like a vendetta-ta'
It shows here that Kass is talking about her new relationship sweep her off her feet and that they came a long way. Kass and Harry were seen back in July when they were seen leaving a club for her friend Daniels party, on occasions caught by paparazzi, she knows he's the one cause this relationship will be different from her past ones.
'I-I see how this is gon' go
Touch me and you'll never be alone'
The pre-chorus lightens up a little from the verse and has Kass predicting the course of the relationship. If he'll "touch" her, he'll "never be alone." Now if you don't know Kass than you don't know that this line is a bit sad, she's referring to the paparazzi and media who surround her love life, once you touch her you will never be alone which indicates that the person will be around her chaotic life will not be private and with people and the world asking the question about their relationship.
'I-Island breeze and lights down low
No one has to know'
They run away to an "island" together and put the "lights down low," keeping their relationship a secret from others. Where ever the two couples are, is a place where it is solitude where no one can find them. Now when people did found out about them it was hectic, many choosing sides and people giving their two cents but they will be taking charge in their relationship like they have the past year with no third party.
'In the middle of the night, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby
In the middle of the night, in my dreams
I know I'm gonna be with you
So I take my time
Are you ready for it?'
Kass truly wants a beautiful, sweet relationship. She sings that in her "dreams," they're together and do some incredible things (possibly sexual in nature). Even if these are dreams, for now, she willing to "take my time" because she knows she's "gonna be with you" and asks him if he's "ready for it." This shows how determined she is to take her time with this person seeing how it's worth the wait knowing, in the end, they're going to end up together.
'Knew I was a robber first time that he saw me
Stealing hearts and running off and never sayin' sorry
But if I'm a thief, then he can join the heist, and'
Now, Kass gets the chance to describe herself in the eyes of the man she's interested in. She's a "robber" who steals "hearts," "running off and never sayin' sorry." This probably comes from the media's (or his perspective) portrays of her as a person who can never stay in a relationship with someone for a long time seeing as her previous relationship lasted up for a couple of months leaving her exes with broken hearts and is owning up to it and agreeing that she's a heartbreaker. But instead of negating this here as she does in the media, she invites him to "join the heist" so together they steal many more hearts and perhaps try to steal her heart as no man has ever done before.
'We'll move to an island, and
And he can be my jailer, Burton to this Taylor'
They can "move to an island" together where he can keep her, ample punishment for her crimes. The line "Burton to this Taylor" seems to be a "punny" reference to the rocky relationship between Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, two actors in the 1960s who relationship went down the hill seeing how the media and paparazzi kept trying to interfere leading to two couples to get married in Africa to avoid their private life to be ruined than it was back then. Telling us that Kass and her new man will not be dictated by society's expectations of them.
'Every love I've known in comparison is a failure
I forget their names now, I'm so very tame now
Never be the same now, Now'
Despite this romance being so wild, Kass enjoys the passion of it and calls all other loves failures and claims to have forgotten "their names now." She stating here that with all the expensive trips, glamorous events, and talks the world has of her previous relationship they don't compare to this one right now, that she forgot all about them. she goes on to say that she's "so very tame now" and that she'll "[N]ever be the same now." Of course, as continue in the song, we see she's planning to make changes in this relationship that she didn't in the last one, which is to keep it private than the last ones.
'Baby, let the games begin
Let the games begin
They are going to see how far they can take this relationship while keeping people in the dark.
End Game
'End Game' centers around the idea of Kass wanting to be some guy's 'end game' or the one that he's aiming for. This song is a big factor in this album since she herself says, 'Reputation' in the lyrics.
'I wanna be your end game
I wanna be your first string
I wanna be your A-Team (Woah, Woah, Woah)
I wanna be your end game, end game'
Jenner starts 'End Game' with a chorus where she tells the man she wants to be his "end game," "first string," and "A-Team." Respectively, she wants to be his goal, his first pick, and the one he relies on. She wants them to be close, and she wants to be his focus. Lol, Harry did say someone needs all his attention.
'Big reputation, big reputation
Ooh, you and me, we got big reputations
Ah, and you heard about me
Oh, I got some big enemies (yeah)
Big reputation, big reputation
Ooh, you and I would be a big conversation
Ah, and I heard about you (yah)
Oh, you like the bad ones, too
The post-chorus shows Jenner claiming that they both have big reputations, but almost sardonically. Are these reputations ones for personal success, or are they for dating too many people? Kass doesn't make it clear, but whatever the case, she and Harry are certainly well known, and when they date it's going to "be a big conversation." In addition, while she has "some big enemies," which she is mainly talking about her family who has been feuding for the past year— are now her biggest enemies but she doesn't care, she's intended because he "heard about" her and apparently "like[s] the bad ones." Which can be that he likes how she's going for what she wants even if it makes her look like a bad person. Since that's the persona Kass seems to be adopting currently, he's very interested in her no matter what is said about her.
'You so dope, don't overdose
I'm so stoked, I need a toast
We do the most, I'm in the Ghost-like I'm whippin' a boat
I got a reputation, girl, that don't precede me (yah)
I'm a call away whenever you need me (yeah)
I'm in a G5 (yeah), come to the A-Side (yeah)
I got a bad boy persona, that's what they like (what they like)
You love it, I love it too, 'cause you my type (you my type)
You hold me down and I protect you with my life'
In the first verse, Future raps about the main themes of the song. He almost takes on the role of the person Kass is singing to, but there are some differences between the Future is and who this fellow is, so it seems more likely that he's rapping on Kass's side of things just from a male perspective. He claims that the girl he's interested in is "so dope"; and when he tells her to not "overdose," the listener wonders if he's telling her she doesn't have to try too hard, she already has his undivided attention. The future is excited about her and wants to celebrate. They're going to party and drive around in fancy cars together. The fact that Future's "reputation . . . don't precede me" probably means that he's able to outrun his reputation and is always doing bigger and crazier things. He offers to be a "call away" when his girl needs him and claims to be in a G5 (or small private jet and encourages her to "come to the A-Side," a reference to the main side of a vinyl record--the place where the best music is kept while the less good music is put on the B-side. Now, this is definitely about Harry seeing how they both make music and by going to A-side which is the best music there going to a different road than they originally thought they needed to go.
Future claims to be a "bad boy persona" and are confident that's what women "like." This woman in particular seems to "love it" and also happens to be Future's "type." But beyond liking each other and being a good match, they also complement each other's strengths. She keeps him grounded, and he protects her "with my life." What she lacks he doesn't, what he lacks she doesn't. I may totally wrong and it's just Future actually rapping to someone else but u like to believe in a way it's Harry speaking to Kass.
'I don't wanna touch you, I don't wanna be
Just another ex-love you don't wanna see
I don't wanna miss you (I don't wanna miss you)
Like the other girls do
I don't wanna hurt you, I just wanna be
Drinking on a beach with you all over me
I know what they all say (I know what they all say)
But I ain't tryna play'
In the pre-chorus of "End Game," Kass takes the lyrics a step deeper. She claims that she doesn't just want casual sex because she's afraid that the relationship won't be grounded and won't last. She doesn't "wanna be / Just another ex-love you don't wanna see." She doesn't want him to leave her broken-hearted. She doesn't want to have to "miss you / As the other girls do." Now this is interesting since her older sister Kendall had a fling at one point with the current person she's in a relationship and she may be stating how her sister is 'missing him', many think she's stating this cause she doesn't want to be like her sister who is still high strung on him even if it's been two years of they're short romance.
Rather than hurting him (as her "reputation" might suggest she could), she would rather them be happy together, "Drinking on a beach with you all over me." And despite the media and others saying that she's a "player," she claims that she doesn't wanna "play." She just wants to be with him and be herself without getting a valuation from others on what they think of her, him, or them together.
'Now well, when I was young, we connected
When we were a little bit older, both sprung
Now Ed Sheeran sings in this verse but you can connect the connection between both Kass and Harry— like I said I can be wrong since Ed himself may be in a relationship but every lyric count so I'm seeing this in Kass and Harry's perspective— this can be where they met when they were younger back in late 2013 and early 2014 they created a connection— a friendship but once they met again a bit older, both strung— feelings develop at this point— that's when the relationship started.
'I got issues and chips on both of my shoulders
Reputation precedes me and rumors are knee-deep'
Kass has a bad past of relationship that left 'chips' on her shoulder which can be seen as a weight she couldn't shake off from the previous ones that left a heavy feeling around her.
'The truth is, it's easier to ignore it, believe me'
Her reputation is worst than reality makes it seem— I mean she's in constant fights with her loved ones since the whole Kimye side and it can take a toll on someone.
'Even when we'd argue, we'd not do it for long
'And you understand the good and bad end up in the song'
The couple fight like any couples do but it doesn't last long or isn't too harsh and that in the end, they're pretty good together.
'For all your beautiful traits and the way you do it with ease
For all my flaws, paranoia, and insecurities'
Kass goes on to contrast herself with her boyfriend and claims that he's at "ease" and has truly "beautiful traits." On the other hand, she's painfully aware of her own "flaws, paranoia, and insecurities." She knows she's made "mistakes," many of them wrong. But she doesn't view getting together with him as a mistake.
'I've made mistakes and made some choices, that's hard to deny
After the storm, something was born on the 4th of July'
I've passed days without fun, this end game is the one
With four words on the tip of my tongue, I'll never say it'
For them, "something was born on the 4th of July" when they got together, and even though Kass has her share of difficult days, she views her current guy as her "end game" and even hints at engagement but this can be Ed speaking now I mean have you listened to his new album? She mentions "four words on the tip of my tongue," which we can guess are "Will you marry me?" But he's still nervous and says perhaps not quite truthfully, "I'll never say it." Which shows the next step is closer than people expect.
'I hit you like bang'
Finally, Kass takes her own verse on her song, and she uses it to continue to develop her "bad girl" persona. She comes in hard to the relationship, but when it ends, she knows it'll be unforgettable.
'We tried to forget it, but we just couldn't'
They tried to forget it— their feelings I assume but couldn't.
'And I bury hatchets, but I keep maps of where I put 'em
Reputation precedes me, they told you I'm crazy'
She holds grudges even if she pretends not to--she keeps "maps of where I put" hatchets that she's buried in order to come back to them when she needs them the most. And this slightly crazy "reputation precedes" her; any guy who wants to date her is going to have to deal with everyone telling him that she was somewhat unhinged. Her reputation can also be based on how chaotic and well-known her family is and that even there reputation will not just proceed with her but him as well.
'I swear I don't love the drama, it loves me'
The drama she's been under with her family, she's telling him she's not looking for trouble but the trouble is looking for her whether she likes it or not. The problem can be between herself and her sister Kim and how Kendall since she is dating her ex.
' And I can't let you go, your handprints on my soul
It's like your eyes are liquor, it's like your body is gold'
Kass fights for herself and claims that she's not motivated by the drama--the drama just happens to be on her for some reason. She hopes that doesn't keep him from being with her because they've already been so close. He has "handprints on my soul"; he's heavily influenced and affected her. His liquor-like eyes and golden body entice her and draw her in. They mesmerize her and shows her that he's very special, something she wants to keep to herself.
'You've been calling my bluff on all my usual tricks
So here's the truth from my red lips'
Not able to keep up the tough-girl facade around him, she sings that she'll tell him a "truth from my red lips" it can be how she's feeling being the center of attention and her feelings of him as she leads back into the chorus about wanting to be his "end game."Kass tends to develop her devil-may-care-do-what-I-want facade in the verses and then reverts back to the sweeter, pure-sweet-relationship-craving Kass that we're more familiar with. Usually, pop artists use verses to tell stories and keep a narrative moving, and then they use the chorus to highlight the major themes or big ideas of a song. If Kass's doing that here in the lyrics of "End Game," then the meaning of the song could very well be that while she feels she has to play a role in a narrative that the media has given her, what she truly wants--who she truly is--is still the old Kass that we know and love.
I Did Something Bad
Kass has turned over a new leaf and is now a tougher, stronger, harder, version of herself. She's not going to roll over for anyone or wait for someone to come save her. She's ready to take control of her own life even if it means destroying her enemies. Now, this is an interesting song many do think it's about her family but even more her own mother? Why? Let's dive in...
'I never trust a narcissist
But they love me'
Kass is clear that she doesn't trust those who see themselves as the most important person— her family however they can't get enough of her and want to be in her spotlight and the things she has. The fame, wealth, fans heck even her boyfriend.
'So I play 'em like a violin
And I make it look oh-so-easy'
'Cause for every lie I tell them
They tell me three'
Since those narcissists can't get enough of her and want to be part of her life, she "play[s] 'em like a violin and makes "it look oh-so-easy." And she doesn't feel bad about using them or manipulating them because even though she's lying to them, they're lying to her far more. Her sisters may think they won their feud from last year maybe she's hinting that in reality, she has them where she wants them. It can also be based on how she didn't tell them she was dating and didn't feel bad when not telling them but letting them find out through media itself.
'This is how the world works
Now all (s)he thinks about is me'
She justifies her actions further by claiming that "[t]his is how the world works." She's playing by the rules her enemies have set, and she will come out on top because "all (s)he thinks about is me." She's made even a narcissist's focus around her. It can be that Kim has been thinking about her since this feud?
'I can feel the flames on my skin
Crimson red paint on my lips
If a (wo) man talks shit, then I owe (her) him nothing
I don't regret it one bit, 'cause (s)he had it coming'
In the pre-chorus, Kass powers up for the chorus by singing about "flames on my skin" and "crimson red paint on my lips"--perhaps she's talking about tattoos— her snake tattoo
and lipstick--and claims that she "owe[s] . . . nothing" to a woman who "talks shit" about her. She's not going to try to appease anyone or to make them feel good when they hurt her. And she doesn't regret using a woman who does it because "(s)he had it coming." She deserved everything she got and everything that she gave her. It can mean Kass isn't going to let Kim off the hook for what she did to her back in 2016.
'They say I did something bad (bad)
But why's it feel so good?
Most fun I ever had (had)
And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could'
Kass reflects on how the media and sees her actions as she did something bad. When she uses someone who has hurt her, the world claims she "did something bad," but she wonders why "it feel[s] so good." The feeling and the claim are opposite to each other, and she seems pretty confident that the feeling is the correct one. She goes so far as to say that it was the "most fun I ever had / And I'd do it over and over and over again if I could." While she's not clear about what exactly this action was, she's happy that she took it.
'Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap'
Kass is describing herself as a "death trap" for those who doublecross or try to use her.
'I never trust a playboy
But they love me'
While the first verse was about narcissists, verse two has her going after "playboy[s]" who think they're good with women and can "play" them. This can be seen in her previous relationship. She recognizes them and doesn't trust them even though she inspires actual "love" in them.
'So I fly 'em all around the world
And I let them think they saved me
They never see it comin'
What I do next'
Having more money than them, she flies "'em all around the world" and lets "them think they saved me," but she's truly the one in control of the situation. When she refers to them thinking they saved her, she seems to be referring to arrogant men who see her as someone who may be her only true love or a relationship that will help. They see themselves as some sort of savior who could be the "one and only" that Kass needs
'This is how the world works
You gotta leave before you get left'
When she leaves them, "They never see it comin'." She's the one who breaks it off, and she does so because she's learned that this is how the world works: "You gotta leave before you get left." Instead of waiting for someone she's interested in to hurt her, she decides she needs to be the one to initiate the breaking up.
'I can feel the flames on my skin
She says, "Don't throw away a good thing"
But if he drops my name, then I owe her nothin'
And if she spends my change, then she had it comin'
(ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap)'
The second version of the pre-choruses lyrics changes significantly from those of the first pre-chorus. Here is where people assume it's about Kris Jenner. Not so recently we find out Kris is no longer her manager— we don't know why but we can say it's for what happened in 2016. Kris tells her to not"throw away a good thing," but the justification she needs to do it anyway comes when she oversteps her boundaries and "drops my name." With her name, Kris can really get anything especially as her mom and managed. But Kass feels she "owe[s] her nothin' " meaning her name and fame is all because of her and not her mother or family's name— she doesn't owe them nothing. What's more, she sings, "if she spends my change, then she had it comin'." It is reported that Kris makes a lot of money just by Kass herself and now that she doesn't well suck to be her— I think this is a reference in how these past few months the family especially her mother has been dropping her name on the show hence making money and profit just by that— meaning hey if you keep using my name for money don't be a shock when I hit you where it hurts— you had it coming.
'They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one
They got their pitchforks and proof
Their receipts and reasons
They're burning all the witches, even if you aren't one
So light me up (light me up), light me up (light me up)
The first line of the bridge's lyrics refers perhaps to the Salem Witch Trials, a situation where many innocent people were burnt to death because the Puritan populace was afraid of and overly concerned with the destruction of anyone who might be practicing magic. Kass feels like she's being treated like a witch even though she's able to justify her actions. Her enemies come at her with metaphorical "pitchforks" and what they think is "proof" that she's a terrible person. They even collect "receipts" as proof which is the whole video Kim released as prove Kass agreed to her husband's song. But what does she say to them? She used to trying to avoid it or wanting nothing to do with it, but now she welcomes the fight and encourages them to "light me up." She became stronger and can weather the storm better and nastier than they could ever.
'Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Ra-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta, death trap
Oh, you say I did something bad
(You say I did something bad?)
Why's it feel so good, good?
So bad, why's it feel so good?
Why's it feel, why's it feel so good? (bad)
It just felt so good, good'
The outro allows Kass to emphasize the fact that despite the world condemning her actions, she's satisfied with how she feels about what she's done. This song is mostly on drama and feud who try to ruin her when she tries to avoid the issue with them but learned from their scheming while the other is how her sisters tried to paint her like a mad person who didn't care for her action or how it reflects on her as a person, Kass is telling us that in the end, it felt good to do something bad whether it's true or not baize in then end there the ones thinking about her not the other way around.
Don't Blame Me
"Don't Blame Me" is the extended drug metaphor that Kass employs to describe her relationship with her boyfriend. Throughout the song, she refers to their relationship as a "trip" and to her "baby" as her "drug." She seems to truly want us to believe that she's obsessed with him, but the deeper explanation of the song's lyrics may be that this is what the media wants us to believe about her.
'Don't blame me, love made me crazy
If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right
Lord, save me, my drug is my baby
I'll be usin' for the rest of my life'
Kass continues her strong anti-media, anti-family issue, but she introduces a new one: drug use. She first makes claims that only love that makes her "crazy" is "doin' it right" and claims that this craziness-inspiring is enough to justify her own actions. Being in love makes people do crazy things. For her, her "drug is my baby"--he's the one she needs to be happy or to not go completely crazy. And she's obsessed with him. She foresees herself "usin' [him] for the rest of my life." Kass is stating that he's making her do things she wouldn't have done before but is loving it since he made her find the missing piece in her life- her freedom to do what she wants with her life.
'I've been breakin' hearts a long time, and
Toyin' with them older guys
Just playthings for me to use
Something happened for the first time, in
The darkest little paradise, shakin'
Pacin', I just need you'
The meaning of the first verse is darker still; in it, Kass sings about how she's "been breakin' hearts a long time" claims that she's been "toyin' with them older guys" who are just "playthings for me to use." She states here that any relationship before this one wasn't what she wanted and needed to leave them since they couldn't satisfy the craving she's been looking for. But in this world she was living in, she found something that she actually needed: "Something happened for the first time, in / The darkest little paradise, shakin' / Pacin', I just need you." She was independent and heartless for a while, but she's found a man who she wants so badly she feels addicted to him, she's able to bring her barriers down for him, to feel vulnerable and weak to the point where she'll gladly let her depend on him on some matters.
'For you, I would cross the line
I would waste my time
I would lose my mind
They say she's gone too far this time'
Kass sings about her dedication to this man. She says that for him, she'd "cross the line," (go against her family wishes in being with him.) "would waste my time" (which is very valuable for her), and would "lose my mind." Do things she wouldn't normally do. And she knows that she looks crazy to others: "They say she's gone too far this time." But she's obsessed with him and his love and she doesn't care. This particular persona of hers has lost control.
'My name is whatever you decide
And I'm just gonna call you to mine
I'm insane, but I'm your baby (your baby)
Echoes of your name inside my mind
This focuses more on her addiction to this guy. She'll be whoever he wants when she sings, "My name is whatever you decide." But this relationship is a double-edged sword. Whether he likes it or not, she's claimed him and is "gonna call you mine." She claims to be "insane" but consoles him that at least she's "your baby." At least she's his insane baby. And he dug himself deep in her thoughts: "Echoes of your name inside my mind." Which means he's her thoughts 24/7
'Halo, hiding my obsession
I once was poison ivy, but now I'm your daisy'
Of course, despite being so obsessed, she tries to still maintain her put-together appearance on the outside and claims to be wearing a "halo" that's "hiding my obsession." Though, perhaps the halo is indicative of more than a ruse. Perhaps she has changed a little because of this relationship. She claims to have once been "poison ivy"--dangerous to the touch or dangerous to approach to most people— but now she's his "daisy"--a harmless, beautiful flower. Of course, this could only be temporary so long as she continues to get the "drug" she craves from him.
'And baby, for you, I would fall from grace
Just to touch your face
If you walk away
I'd beg you on my knees to stay'
This focuses on how far Kass will go to keep this guy with her. She claims she's willing to "fall from grace" or to make herself lower her priority, fame, ideas, or just basically whatever it is to keep him in as long as she gets to just "touch your face"--be close to him, even if those who don't want them together are against it, she'll do anything in her power to keep the love they have for each other to intact no matter what, even if it means letting go of unwanted people. If he were to "walk away," she'd "beg you on my knees to stay" because she needs him so badly. This centers more around two things: how the media thinks she feels about boys early in relationships and perhaps how she really does feel about someone in a relationship at a certain point. She seems too polished and put together to let the attitudes of "Don't Blame Me" be true all the time, and I highly doubt that she's gotten this far in life and career by being so susceptible to longterm obsession in a guy.
Delicate
"Delicate" is that a new relationship is tender and "delicate" because it's in its beginning stages. Kass doesn't give the media any attention in this song and instead focuses entirely on making sure that she's handling a new relationship the right way. She knows that what happened in 2016 with past relationships makes it difficult and fragile to begin any relationship but it's something she's willing to take.
'This ain't for the best
My reputation's never been worse, so
You must like me for me...'
This is perhaps the best line of the entire song, Kass reflects on how while others may think poorly of her, it at least means that this guy like her can't be motivated by wanting to be with someone that everyone loves. If no one else wants to date her, that means this guy must be for real in being with her. It may not even be in his own "best" interest to date her seeing how things are going with her at the moment.
'We can't make
Any promises now, can we, babe?
But you can make me a drink'
But he's doing it anyway, and Kass already really likes him. She knows they can't "make / Any promises" because the relationship is so new, but her line "can we, babe?" suggests that she'd be open to it if he were. With what happened it would make sense why she doesn't want something serious or anyone at all. At the very least though, they can spend time together, so she suggests that he makes her a drink and let them enjoy their time together and let life take them in whatever direction it wants.
'Dive bar on the east side, where you at?'
Kass details a secret rendezvous with her secret love interest. They meet in a "dive bar on the east side" of town and enjoy each other's company away from the public's eye. At this point, she can be talking about them spending time in NYC the majority of time seeing how she lives on the East Side and Harry lives on the West side of London.
'Phone lights up my nightstand in the black
Come here, you can meet me in the back'
She received secret messages or calls from him in the middle of the night where they agree to meet somewhere excluded.
Dark jeans and your Nikes, look at you
Oh damn, never seen that color blue (green)
Just think of the fun things we could do'
'Cause I like you'
Meeting in the 'back' they don't get unwanted attention. He's even dressed casually to blend in, wearing "dark jeans and . . . Nikes." Even when he's so dressed down, she's struck by "that color blue(green)" in his eyes and encourages him to "think of the fun things we could do" they can do together. She's quite certain that she likes him.
'Is it cool that I said all that?
Is it chill that you're in my head?
'Cause I know that it's delicate (delicate)
Is it cool that I said all that?
Is it too soon to do this yet?
'Cause I know that it's delicate
Isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it?
Isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't it?
Isn't it delicate?'
In the chorus of "Delicate," Kass cuts straight to the heart of the theme for her song. She's highly concerned that her actions don't scare away her new love interest In the pre-chorus, she had asked if it was true that they couldn't make promises yet if the relationship can work out once it's no longer new and in the chorus, immediately wonders whether she should have "said all that." If she should tell him how she feels even if what there having is too soon for that. She wonders if it's "chill that you're in my head"--has she gone too far by being obsessed with him and only wanting to be with him than anyone else in the world. She explains her reason for her questions is that she knows "that [the relationship is] delicate," but she even wonders if she can push that line. At the end of the chorus, she asks again and again if the relationship really is that delicate after all? Maybe it's not too delicate as she thought but is scared to let past failures of love to dictate it as her past lovers. She desperately wants the ability to be able to push it forward and to be closer and closer to him.
'Third floor on the west side, me and you
Handsome, you're a mansion with a view
Do the girls back home touch you as I do?
Now here Kass is talking about another meeting in secret, maybe her home or his. This verse is really about the two having sex and how he (his body) is a sight to see, she even asked him if other girls touch him the way she does.
Long night, with your hands up in my hair
Echoes of your footsteps on the stairs
Stay here, honey, I don't wanna share'
She explains how he touches her while there being intimate with one another. Then the 'echoes of your footsteps' can be once there done whether is sex or spending the time it's time for him to leave but she wants him to stay with her and doesn't want to share him with no one.
'Sometimes I wonder when you sleep
Are you ever dreaming of me?
Sometimes when I look into your eyes
I pretend you're mine, all the damn time'
Kass now changes perspectives, she's no longer thinking of her obsession with him but she wonders what this guy thinks of her. She wonders if he's as obsessed with her as she is with him and whether he dreams about her. But she quickly goes back to her main theme and lets us know that sometimes she likes to "pretend you're mine, all the damn" where it can be seen as she still doesn't have him at her fingertips. This song was truly seen as a nervous, shy girl who wants to find true love in this world and she may have and isn't ready to let go of it- ever. Her desire to be with this guy but also to not overdo it in a way that would make him think she was coming on too strong. She wants to go deeper and to be stronger, and she's frustrated she has to wait for it to grow naturally and organically.
Look What You Made Me Do
Kass's public persona has changed throughout the year. Her earlier life paints her as a reality TV co-star, darling, sweetheart type, but with the advent of hugely (and often unfairly) negative coverage of her with her family feud, in tabloids and news stories, she's gone on the defensive and then on the offensive. "Look What You Made Me Do" is her explaining some of the changes she's gone through that makes her a different person than before.
'I don't like your little games
Don't like your tilted stage
The role you made me play
Of the fool, no, I don't like you
Kass is complaining about the "games" that her enemies play with her and the "tilted stage" they provide for her--an unfair disadvantage. Some claim this is a direct reference to her sister Kim who made her play the role of a bad person who lies only when it benefits her only. Like how the media were shocked when Kanye called her a bitch and wanted to have sex with her— she narrated it or her advantage when really she didn't.
'I don't like your perfect crime
How you laugh when you lie
You said the gun was mine
Isn't cool, no, I don't like you (oh)'
She's describing the narratives they have created for her in the media and how they interpret her actions based on their own assumptions and bias opinion on her. She calls this attack a "perfect crime" and accuses them of "laugh[ing] when [you] lie." Knowing that what they say many will believe and instantly call her a criminal— the video made everyone see her as the bad guy. Despite their attempt to shift the negative outcome on her, she fights back and makes it clear that their actions aren't "cool."
'But I got smarter, I got harder in the nick of time
Honey, I rose up from the dead, I do it all the time'
Kass begins transitioning into the main idea of her song: her unfortunate need to change and develop to stay strong. She explains that she "got smarter" and "harder." Even when it looked like her enemies would be victorious over her, she "rose up from the dead" and in fact, does "it all the time" because she has to because the weak don't survive if they don't and she is not weak-not one bit.
'I've got a list of names and yours is in red, underlined
I check it once, then I check it twice, oh!'
In her attempts to survive and thrive, she's created "a list of names" and claims that the name of the person she's singing the song to is in "red, underlined." Like a revenge-minded Santa Claus, she "check[s] it once, then I check it twice, oh!" Pardon the joke--I couldn't resist. She's coming for them and plans to destroy them the way they wanted to destroy her.
'Ooh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me do
Look what you just made me do'
The chorus is one simple concept: "Look what you made me do."
We assume it's her becoming "stronger" and "harder" as she mentions in the first verse. Because of what she's had to endure, she's changed and become more survival and revenge focused. She's had to do so to be able to survive in the hostile environment her enemies have created for her. Of course, she's still able to relax at times as she sings about in "Call It What You Want."
'I don't like your kingdom keys
They once belonged to me
You asked me for a place to sleep
Locked me out and threw a feast (what?)'
Now, this is the most important verse, when Kass mention kingdom belonged to her she is stating how she and her sisters once lived in the same roof at one point in life but they 'locked her out' which goes to see how they left her out of things and did things without her when they themselves had asked 'for a place to sleep' shows how she felt as they took advantage of her kindness and how the kingdom was changing which means her sisters were no longer the people she grew up with her indicating she didn't like it and needed to leave.
'The world moves on, another day, another drama, drama
But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma
And then the world moves on, but one thing's for sure
Maybe I got mine, but you'll all get yours'
Of course, despite her feelings or what others are doing, "The world moves on." There's "drama" every day, and the drama shows no signs of stopping. But Kass doesn't let it bother her; she's meditating on "karma" and what it's going to mean for her enemies, and even if the rest of the world is no longer worried about her or how to hurt she was, she's confident that her enemies will "all get [theirs]." They will get what they deserve especially if she has something to say about it and she does.
'I trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams
I trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams
I trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams
I trust nobody and nobody trusts me
I'll be the actress starring in your bad dreams
(Ooh, look what you made me do
Look what you made me do...'
The bridge's lyrics show Kass getting darker and more serious than we thought possible even in this song: "I don't trust nobody and nobody trusts me." She goes on to say that she'll be "starring in your bad dreams." Her enemies will fear her and be so stressed out and frightened by her that they have stress dreams about what she might do to them. And why is she doing all of this? It's because of what they did to her first: "Look what you made me do." Kass isn't a force to reckon with- if her limits are pushed she won't bark she'll just bite with no warning.
'I'm sorry, the old Taylor (Kass) can't come to the phone right now
"Why? Oh, 'cause she's dead!" (Oh)'
The single most significant lines of "Look What You Made Me Do" has Kass talking to someone on the phone. That someone presumably asks for the "old Taylor (Kass) "--the sweet, pure, kind singer, and "new Taylor (Kass)" claims that "old Kass" is dead. She's moved past her naive innocence, and she's claiming to be ready to hurt those who have hurt her. Kass isn't going to hurt anyone and probably can't hello her motto is being kind to people you guys!! This song seems to be more wishful thinking on her part as she mentally plays out a string of events she maybe thinks she'd like to see happen. "Look What You Made Me Do" seems to play more with the idea of who she'd become if she really let haters get to her. She certainly may have had to become tougher to deal with the hate, but I don't think the "old Kass" is really dead or really that far off, she's a sweetheart with a little devil on her shoulder.
So It Goes...
The song is focused on her boyfriend who Kass finds attractive and who she apparently feels deeply connected with. The song itself though may prove to have further surprises.
'See you in the dark
All eyes on you, my magician
All eyes on us
You make everyone disappear,'
She meets this guy "in the dark" she meets Harry at the club but recognizes that they're both famous so "all eyes [are] on us." The paparazzi first got a glimpse of them together. She calls him her "magician," though, because "you make everyone disappear." He helps her to feel at ease because with him she can forget the world around her.
'Cut me into pieces
Gold cage, hostage to my feelings
Back against the wall
Trippin', trip-trippin' when you're gone'
She also says that he can "Cut her into pieces," which likely is a reference to his ability to make her feel sexually excited and her willingness to be vulnerable around him. The "gold cage" she refers to could be about the excitement that she feels around him and how much power she allows him to exert over her. But really it's a reference to how she's "hostage to my feelings" when she's around him. She's so excited by him that she can barely control herself around him and feels like she has her "back against the wall." In a quick reference to "Don't Blame Me," she claims to be "trippin' when you're gone" because he's an exciting "high" for her.
'Cause we break down a little
But when you get me alone, it's so simple
'Cause baby, I know what you know
We can feel it'
While they may have their rough issues like anyone, when they're alone they can avoid it's meaning how to focus the people can when watching them, their relationship isn't easy and needs effort and time to make it work. But in the end, they get each other, and they understand why they work well together: "We can feel it." They get each other and can feel the energy in the relationship.
'And all our pieces fall
Right into place
Get caught up in a moment
Lipstick on your face
So it goes...'
Even though they're different, different lifestyles, they complement each other and work well together; their "pieces fall / Right into place." And they "get caught up in a moment together." She shows a mental snapshot of him with "lipstick on [his] face," suggesting that they've been making out. But she's not worried: "So it goes..." which means this is how they work well with each other.
'I'm yours to keep
And I'm yours to lose
You know I'm not a bad girl, but I
Do bad things with you
So it goes...'
She wants to be his "to keep" and "to lose"--his call based on his action--but it's apparent that she'd rather stay with him than leave him. And though she's "not a bad girl," she's willing to "do bad things with you." He encourages her to take risks and to step outside of her usual narrative, which can be seen as he helps her with decisions making-decision that are risky but in a good way that helped shape her to who she is now.
'Met you in a bar
All eyes on me, your illusionist
All eyes on us
I make all your grey days clear and'
In the second verse, she describes her role in the relationship explaining that they met "in a bar." And instead of him being her magician, she's his "illusionist" and has the power to "make all your grey days clear." She can make bad things seem good for him as he does for her.
'Wear you like a necklace
I'm so chill, but you make me jealous
But I got your heart
Skippin', skip-skipping' when I'm gone'
She likes to keep him close as evinced by the lyric "Wear you like a necklace." Because necklaces are used to make a statement or to enhance one's own look, she's saying that being in a relationship with him makes her a better person, but we realize tongues he really knows her. In addition, she's usually very "chill," but she cares so much about her relationship with him that "you make me jealous." But she does her best to ignore these feelings because she knows, "I got your heart / Skippin', skip-skipping' when I'm gone." She knows he's as excited about her as she is about him, and it makes her happy and content.
'Come here, dressed in black now
So, so, so it goes
Scratches down your back now
So, so, so it goes'
He's dressed in black, a color often used to dress sexily, and the "scratches down your back" probably refers to the intensity of the sex they have.
'You did a number on me
But, honestly, baby, who's counting?
I did a number on you
But, honestly, baby, who's counting?
You did a number on me
But, honestly, baby, who's counting?
Who's counting?
(1, 2, 3)'
When Kass sings that he "did a number on me / But, honestly, baby, who's counting?" She's using a clever pun to show that he's seriously distracted her but that she doesn't mind. Besides, she "did a number on" him too. The relationship is good for both of them, and they're both enjoying it. Kass really doubles down on the sexual side of her relationships in "So It Goes." And it's interesting because she carefully balances how sexual she and him are being in the relationship. In fact, she even gives one verse each to describe their separate roles in the songs.
Gorgeous (this one was hard but I tried)
Kass is describing how her new lover is gorgeous inside and outside yet how dangerous it is to be this good looking.
'You should take it as a compliment
That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk
You should think about the consequence
Of your magnetic field being a little too strong'
Kass sings to the guy who she's hitting on by not hitting on him. It's complicated, but essentially, she wants him to "take it as a compliment" that she's making fun of him and that she feels compelled to be with him be his own "magnetism." She can't quite control herself around him and wants him to know that it's kind of his fault for making her feel this way.
And I got a boyfriend, he's older than us
He's in the club doing I don't know what
You're so cool, it makes me hate you so much
(I hate you so much)'
Despite having a boyfriend she's
attracted to this other guy, and the fact that she can't have him right now makes her "hate [him] so much." She wants desperately what she can't have, a theme we'll see throughout the song. This verse can also be a foreshadow on how in the beginning she couldn't have him since he is connected to someone close to her.
'Whiskey on ice, Sunset, and Vine
You've ruined my life by not being mine'
The "whiskey on ice" and the mention of "Sunset and Vine" suggests glamor and excitement in Kass's lifestyle. But even that can't keep her life from being "ruined" by this guy "not being mine." Which means that their different lifestyle won't keep her away for him.
'You're so gorgeous
I can't say anything to your face
'Cause look at your face
And I'm so furious
At you for making me feel this way
But what can I say?
You're gorgeous'
And in the chorus, we hear why Kass is so attracted to this guy. Apparently, he's "gorgeous" and makes her so nervous that she "can't say anything to your face." Why? "'Cause look at your face." How good looking he is all the reason she needs to be "furious" at him "for making me feel this way." There's really not much more to say than that. She thinks he's "gorgeous."
'You should take it as a compliment
That I'm talking to everyone here but you
And you should think about the consequence
Of you touching my hand in the darkened room'
In the second verse of "Gorgeous," Kass goes back on the offensive. This fellow "should take it as a compliment" that she's ignoring him, and he "should think about the consequence / Of you touching my hand in the darkened room." She can't control herself if he prompts her and puts the blame on him if something happens.
'If you've got a girlfriend, I'm jealous of her
But if you're single that's honestly worse
'Cause you're so gorgeous it actually hurts
(Honey, it hurt)'
She's "jealous" of any "girlfriend" he may have, but she'd even less happy if he turned out to be "single" because being so close to what she can't have "actually hurts" for her, and she desperately wants to have him for herself.
'(Forest green) Ocean blue eyes looking in mine
I feel like I might (wander off and get lost and die) <—- making it up } sink and drown and die'
In the second version of the pre-chorus, Kass sings that his "(Forest Green) Ocean blue eyes [are] looking in mine"--they make her feel like she "wander off and get lost and die" in that very forest because his good looks are so overwhelming, she doesn't know where to look and being blind-sighted makes her hard to walk in the right path.
'You make me so happy it turns back to sad
There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have
And you are so gorgeous it makes me so mad
You're gorgeous
You make me so happy it turns back to sad
There's nothing I hate more than what I can't have
You are so gorgeous it makes me so mad
You're gorgeous'
The outro emphasizes the idea that she's saddened by the prospect of wanting so badly what she can't have. And the reason for her? It's always that he's "gorgeous." The song is passionate, it's aggressive, and it's the story of one person nearly forcing herself on someone else. It honestly makes you stop and think for a moment. You rarely hear a female singer talking like this, and, as a man who hates it when male pop singers blame a woman for being so attractive or justify being annoying because a woman is attractive, I wasn't sure what to make of "Gorgeous." Musically, it's one of my favorite songs on the album so far, but it does give me pause. Ultimately, though, I don't think that Kass is necessarily forcing herself on the guy, and she does seem willing to accept not getting what she wants in the bridge. Personally, I think she's making a statement in this song that women shouldn't be afraid to go after guys. And I think her message is also a little tongue in cheek. "Gorgeous" seems to exaggerate her actions a little, almost as if to say, "Guys, it sounds silly when I say it. It sounds really dumb when you actually believe it."
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