Is the title meant to evoke the wave of late ’70s and early ’80s bands collectively called the New Romantics? It seems likely. At the very least, the sound resembles the new wave music that inspired them, and Swift’s lyrics sound unusually goth: “Heartbreak is the national anthem,” goes the chorus, “We sing it proudly.” It’s an appropriate end to an album that seems destined to soundtrack heartbreaks across the country.
Is the title meant to evoke the wave of late ’70s and early ’80s bands collectively called the New Romantics? It seems likely. At the very least, the sound resembles the new wave music that inspired them, and Swift’s lyrics sound unusually goth: “Heartbreak is the national anthem,” goes the chorus, “We sing it proudly.” It’s an appropriate end to an album that seems destined to soundtrack heartbreaks across the country.