Taylor Swift has always documented politics with her music, and her album Lover doesn’t make it any different. “The Man” is one of the two political songs on the album along with “You Need to Calm Down.” 

 

Her lyrics call out disparities between men and women, and more specifically calls out how the public recognizes success and power. “I’m so sick of running as fast as I can / Wondering if I'd get there quicker if I was a man,” she sings. She calls out the double standard of working harder and then getting questioned on whether the subsequent success was deserved. Taylor Swift does not approve of being judged based on her sensual activities, since male entertainers are generally exempt from such scrutiny. 

 

Swift is expressing her feminism in more public ways-- releasing “The Man” as a more explicit way than she has ever done before. She’s not afraid to hide it and she’s not afraid to place a beat behind it. Concerning sexism, she points out hypocrisy in that it’s considered okay (and to some degree even applauded) when male performers live and promote promiscuous lifestyles through their music. However, if one of their female counterparts were to do likewise, her actions would not be approved. She metaphorically states that if she “was a man” then she “would be the man.” What Taylor is basically saying is that if she were a man instead of a woman, she would be on top of the music industry. 

 

“The Man” touches on a lot more than the privilege of being believed. She alludes to the trial and excuses women hear for not being believed about sexual misconduct. When she sings the lines: "What I was wearing / If I was rude." She writes about her wonders on how her career would go if she were a man. The idea she is alluding to is that it’s okay in the eyes of society for male celebrities to display controversial sides of their characters. She’s also acknowledging the existence of a glass ceiling which inhibits women from reaching certain levels of success in the entertainment field. 

 

“The Man” is based on there being a strong-sexist double standard in the entertainment industry as well as in society at large. The existence of the norm caused Taylor to pretty much conclude that there will be certain levels she will never be able to reach in the field — although it’s not due to the lack of effort or accomplishment. If the situation were reversed and she were a man, her actions would be exalted and put on a pedestal. 

 

Ladies, remember these words of Rupi Kaur: “We move forward when we recognize how resilient and striking the women around us are.”