Welcome back to this week’s edition of the Wichitan’s Song of the Week.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, this week’s pick is “The Man” by Pennsylvania-born singer-songwriter, Taylor Swift.

Released August 23, 2019, as the fourth track to her seventh studio album “Lover,” “The Man” is an anthem about feminism and the feminist movement.

In the song, she sings about the struggles of being a woman, especially in a male-dominated field. She addresses the struggles of gender inequality and the harsh reality of double standards.

The song imagines how her life, career, social interactions and experiences would be if she were a man.

She highlights various criticisms, social expectations and assumptions that women face daily. She also highlights the scrutiny that she has faced or faces for her personal life choices.

Born in West Reading, PA, Taylor Alison Swift is an American pop & folk singer-songwriter best known for her songwriting abilities which have won her many awards. This includes Songwriter-Artist of the Decade or for her award-winning albums and songs. Her second studio album, Fearless which won her, her first album of the year at the Grammys at 20 years old.

Growing up in a small village in Pennsylvania, Taylor Swift had a strong inclination for music but did not have enough resources to pursue it. She had a strong love for country music and always knew she wanted to be a country music artist.

In 2003, at the age of 14, Swift moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams of being a country artist. I

n 2004, she signed a songwriting deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing and a recording deal with Big Machine Records in 2005.

In 2012, Taylor Swift started experimenting with the idea of switching genres from country to pop with the release of her fourth studio album “Red.”

Following the success of hits like “All Too Well,” “22” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift decided to switch from country to pop when she released her fifth studio album and her first-ever pop album, “1989.”

Swift has always defined her discography with her life experiences and being an advocate for marginalized groups. As a woman, she found the opportunity to highlight her struggles in “The Man.” “The Man” explores a side that Swift fans don’t get to see very often.

“The Man” is a great song from Swift’s discography.

In “The Man,” Swift navigates the complexities of being a woman not just in the music industry, but in any male-dominated industry. She explores the poignant nature of the double standards that society has placed on women.

In the music video for the song, the audience is introduced to the protagonist, Tyler Swift, a representation of the patriarchy. Tyler Swift is also a representation of who Swift would be if she were a man.

Swift drew inspiration for the song from her personal life experiences from her debut album and entrance into the music industry to her release of her “Lover” album.

In 2019, Taylor Swift became the first-ever recipient of Billboard’s Woman of the Decade award.

In her acceptance speech, she narrated the series of events that led to the release of “The Man.” She explained that despite her success from her breakthrough album, “Fearless,” her success has been questioned, explained away and negatively criticized.

She explained that she took all criticism as advice. She became the only songwriter on her third album, “Speak Now,” because she was criticized for having too many songwriters. She also took vocal training and lessons because she was called too pitchy.

She narrated that she let public opinion dictate how she lived her life to appease the masses. An example would be the creation of her fifth studio album “1989,” which was in response to criticism about her having too many breakup songs or being too pop to be regarded as a country music artist.

Swift then explained how even after all her appeasements and concessions, she was still being criticized for being a “calculated manipulator” rather than a smart businesswoman.

Swift finished off by stating that through all the criticism, she learned that no matter what she does, she will always be criticized and cast as a villain simply for being a woman (which became the foundation for her sixth and seventh albums “Reputation” and “Lover” respectively.

In the song “The Man,” she reiterates this speech and she reminds her audience of the perils of being a woman in a man’s world.

As stated in previous editions of the Song of the Week, lyricism is an important aspect of any song and Swift understood that when writing “The Man.”

In the song, she utilizes personal experiences and storytelling to narrate her struggles and frustrations of being a woman in the music industry. My favorite lyric in the entire song are:

“They’d say I hustled.

Put in the work.

They wouldn’t shake their heads.

And question how much of this I deserve.

What I was wearing, if I was rude

Could all be separated from my good ideas and power moves?

And we would toast to me, oh, let the players play.

I’d be just like Leo, in Saint-Tropez.”

Expressing her feelings through music and advocating for marginalized communities is a staple of Swift’s discography.

In “The Man,” she delivers a strong commentary on gender equality in the music industry, and she challenges societal norms when it comes to women. She created a song about the struggles of womanhood. The song is a great listen with a powerful message. I rate it 4 out of 5.