Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)

"Fortnight", the opening track of Taylor Swift's eleventh album, carries a melancholic tone and deep introspection about the transience of relationships and the disillusionment of the American dream. The song weaves a tapestry of memories and unfulfilled desires, set in an "American town where the American Dream you thought would happen to you didn’t." This theme resonates throughout the album, exploring the complexities of relationships and the often shattered expectations.

Swift uses the term "fortnight", meaning a period of two weeks, to outline the intense brevity of a past relationship, potentially alluding to her ex-boyfriend, the English actor Joe Alwyn. This use not only evokes the brief nature of the relationship but also creates a melodic contrast with "Daylight", an earlier track by Swift, where she reflects on clarity and hope. In "Fortnight", by contrast, there is a darker resonance and a sense of something that ended before it could truly begin.

The line "I was supposed to be sent away / But they forgot to come and get me" employs a euphemism for being "sent away" to suggest involuntary commitment to a mental facility, indicating the emotional turmoil and isolation Swift faced. This line unfolds into a confession of neglect, both personally and by those supposed to care for her, illustrating a moment of abandonment.

In "All of this to say I hope you're okay / But you're the reason / And no one here's to blame / But what about your quiet treason?", Swift articulates a complex mix of hope, blame, and betrayal. She wishes her former partner well, while simultaneously acknowledging that he is the reason for the breakup, hinting at a silent betrayal, a theme that unfolds in depth in other tracks of the album. This wordplay suggests that, while there are no explicit culprits, there is an underlying pain and an unrecognized betrayal that deeply tainted the relationship.

The chorus "And for a fortnight there, we were forever" captures the intensity with which short experiences can feel eternal. The expression of the briefness of those two weeks contrasts with the permanence of the emotional impact they left, a recurring theme that Swift explores as she laments how the brief lapse of time felt like a lifetime.

The lines "All my mornings are Mondays / Stuck in an endless February" reflect a sense of hopelessness and monotony, where even the days blend into an unending continuity of cold and gray, a metaphor for the emotional wear and tear post-relationship. Choosing February, the shortest month, paradoxically described as endless, amplifies the sensation of an emotional winter that does not pass.

In "My husband is cheating, I wanna kill him", Swift touches on themes of betrayal and vengeance that permeate the album. This line not only reveals an inner desperation but also connects with the song "Florida!!!", where disappearances and dark secrets are central themes, reinforcing the idea of escape and renewal, an attempt to break away from persistent emotional torments.

Finally, the lines "Thought of calling ya, but you won't pick up / 'Nother fortnight lost in America" reflect alienation and loss, highlighting how ephemeral relationships are often expected, perhaps as a reflection of the hedonistic and capitalist American culture that deeply influences intimate relationships.

"Fortnight" is thus a meditative work on the fleeting nature of love, the loneliness of disillusionment, and the quest for meaning in a world that often seems to forget us as quickly as it remembers.