【Watch Devil’s Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge Online】

It’s 2017,Watch Devil’s Night: Dawn of the Nain Rouge Online so you probably already have an opinion on Taylor Swift. No one has been written about more; had every move questioned, every friend analyzed. She didn’t speak out enough about the election! She entered a restaurant with a man! She didn’t havea Fourth of July party this past summer, and no less than a dozen articles were written about that fact. Not as spoken about, however, is how damn smart she is. Give or take a Beyonce, she’s arguably the most popular artist on the planet (and her sales numbers, for the record, crush Queen Bey’s.) You don’t become a world-famous pop star by accident, of course, but her mix of ambition, foresight and media savvy are perfectly suited for this moment in time with its 24/7 news cycle and #takes and social media.

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift has a cold, still soars at first and only 2016 show

Swift, a student of fame who told GQin 2015 that she used to watch Behind the Music "every day," searching for downfalls and where people went wrong, is well awareof these facts. Her Kim and Kanye feud/bad press from last year is so fascinating not just because it happened, but because a stumble like that took so damn long to occur. Girl had a near 10-year run of flattering news, practically unheard of in the modern age, amassing an army of fans and admirers. So, facing some pushback for the first time in her career, what happened? She disappeared, studied up and plotted. And now? I can only hope that like the snake in the videos she’s been teasing on social media all week, she’s shed her skin and is ready to begin anew, stronger and more powerful than ever.

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift's new album, 'Reputation,' is coming in November omg

Swift announced on Instagram Wednesday that her new album is called Reputationand dang if she doesn't look like someone straight out of fucks to give.

View this post on Instagram

The snake videos and album cover point to a woman who has heard some criticism, is owning it, and might be ready to get a little real. Recall that during the Kim kerfuffle, people were posting the snake emoji on Taylor's instagram -- and it wasn't a compliment. It’s no secret that stars, particularly women, are held to impossible standards. Just because Swift is usually so good at executing those punishing requirements – always grateful, smiling, and girl-next-door charming – doesn’t make them any less taxing. That’s why it was a such a goddamn delight to see a glimpse of the complicated, real person who many suspect may be underneath the perfectly curated Instagram shots. The woman who returned her back catalogue to Spotify the same day her nemesis Katy Perry released an album earlier this summer isn't the nicest girl in town, but she sure as fuck is fascinating. I want to grab a drink with that lady.

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

My dream is that they are peeks behind the curtain of a powerful woman who is ready to relax a little bit, throw off the terribly unfair word "relatable," and lean in.

There is a moment during her 1989 World Tour, while she sings "Wildest Dreams" while playing piano, where she turned to the audience and gave a big ol' exaggerated wink after singing the lyric, "His hands are in my hair, his clothes are in my room." The audience laughed knowingly. It's one of the most memorable moments of the concert because, planned or not, it felt like a droll comment on the constant speculation about her love life. "Can you believe this shit?"A more off-the-cuff Swift was also on display during her recent legal woes. Not to be flippant about what I'm sure was a difficult personal experience, but from the outside, reading about how she brushed off the defense attorney's sexist and victim blame-y questions like they were a bothersome flea she was deigning to deal with ("The only person who would have a direct eye line is someone laying underneath my skirt and we didn’t have anyone positioned there") felt empowering and raw. Sure, there’s no way to know for sure whether these events are her own moments of frustration, perfectly normal bad days, or, yes, mere coincidences. But my dream is that they are peeks behind the curtain of a powerful woman who is ready to relax a little bit, throw off the terribly unfair word "relatable," and lean in.Fans have now seen some of the cracks in the armor during her various dust ups. She's not the girl next door. She's Taylor Swift, y'all. She makes great music, runs an empire, and seems to be living her best life. Bend the knee.

bow down, haters Credit: CUMMINGS/AP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

She played the game perfectly to get to the top; now that she's there, I hope that -- like Beyonce has the last couple years -- she gets to more or less opt out of the fame game, shake it off, and make some honest art, however that manifests. Magazine article? No thank you. Goofy late night appearance? Not if she doesn't find it funny. Who's she dating? Some hot dudes. Jealous much?

Obviously, the public persona that got her from small town girl to country star to pop supernova will probably continue to work just fine, give or take some snarky tweets from people whose opinion she doesn't need to worry about. And maybe that's what's planned. Perhaps the lead single will be a kickass love song, and Swift will start sending gifts to Tumblr fans and morning shows will fawn. But, ugh, think of the possibilities if she got just a few degrees darker and gave fans more glimpses behind the mask of perfection. Who the hell is the exact same person at 27 that they were when they were 16? The worst people we knew in high school. End of list. Swift's evolved. Show it.

The singer has said that her long-term goal as an artist is to surprise, not shock. We now know that a new single will drop this Friday, signaling the beginning of a new chapter in her life as a public star. Here's hoping the woman behind the music decides to land a few good surprises in this new era.

Wouldn't that be something to talk about?

---

Featured Video For You

---

Taylor Swift mini-me wins 'America's Got Talent' in the cutest way possible

---

Topics Celebrities