Taylor’s New Remix Of “Fortnight” Is Prob Her Clubbiest Bop Yet
Not her making this sad song a turn-up anthem?
Taylor Swift is still lost in The Tortured Poets Department. She’s been wandering the cool-toned halls of her 11th studio album for a while, obsessively expanding it with new material. First, she turned Tortured Poets into a two-hour double album, TTPD: The Anthology. Then, she released three demo versions of tracks from the original record. Now, she’s found another way to tweak this era’s melancholic hue. On May 21, Swift and Canadian DJ BLOND:ISH released an EDM remix of the album’s lead single, “Fortnight.”
This club-ready remix was certainly a surprise. The two artists have never worked together before; however, it seems Swift believed her tortured rhymes needed a little ~oontz oontz~ for the summer. BLOND:ISH first hinted at the collaboration on her Instagram Stories, asking fans to guess the “curveball” she was about to drop. Hours later, the DJ shared a video of her toasting to the remix’s release, saying: “We’ve been Swifties for a fortnight now.”
The original “Fortnight,” which features Post Malone, is one of the saddest tracks on the album. It certainly has competition, such as her longing for a defeated romance on “LOML” or defining multi-tasking her sadness with productivity as an “art” on “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.” Relatable, but still depressing nonetheless.
Sweeping with dark synths, “Fortnight” sees Swift reminiscing about a short-lived romance that deeply affected her. Her ex has moved on, but she hasn’t — and she’s painfully aware that wallowing in “what-ifs” will only make finding closure harder. That emotional spiral can be seen in the music video, where Swift tries to forget her relationship with Malone’s character through shock treatment. (That method gives a grim new meaning to the chorus, where she wails: “I love you / It’s ruining my life.”) Despite her extreme attempts, those memories are stuck with her.
On the surface, it’s hard to imagine Swift’s melodramatic lyrics gliding on an uptempo beat. But somehow, DJ BLOND:ISH’s late-night club production fits decently well.
