Romance friends! I'm celebrating my 100th episode this week with an indulgent deep dive into the tear-stained emotion, blind love and delicious word play in Taylor Swift songs. My romance friend Mariah, a Swiftie from way back, returns to the show so we can gush together over the passion, the heartbreak, the artistry, the tiny exquisite emotional universe that is every Taylor Swift song (almost 250 released, and counting).

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

Music

A few of Mariah's absolute favorites:

10 minute version of All Too Well

My Tears Ricochet

Cornelia Street (Live from Paris)

And a few of mine:

Anti-Hero

Exile

Willow

A fantastic round up of the most iconic Taylor Swift music videos.

How to become a Swiftie. "3. Read into her song lyrics. Many of them contain complex metaphors or references to her past works that you may miss on the first listen. Try listening to her music multiple times and reading the lyrics to understand her songs in depth. She usually writes about romance as well as personal struggles." I believe we've got that completely covered.

Taylor Swift doesn't just have an economic impact wherever she goes, she has a cultural impact too.

"This award celebrates my family and my co-writers and my team. My friends and my fiercest fans and my harshest detractors and everyone who entered my life or left it."

The best place to find suggestions for the most romantic Taylor Swift song or observe her songs analyzed by musically gifted fans is the Taylor Swift sub Reddit.

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I'm a J Lo fangirl from way back, and even though the title of her narrative concept film based on the album of the same name seemed ridiculously self-absorbed, I got completely transported by it anyway, because...J Lo. It's not just the story of her second chance romance with the person she never stopped loving, and has reunited with over the age of 50, it's a story about how she learned to love herself in the intervening years. I was also super invested in the making-of documentary, The Greatest Love Story Never Told. But if I'm being honest, that title gave me the ick too — until I discovered that was what Ben Affleck called the emails and letters written to each other as they were falling in love all over again. And just like that, all was forgiven.

https://www.confessionsofaclosetromantic.com

I freaking love the trailer for This Is Me Now. Irresistible! The steampunk heart factory with J Lo toiling away in a sexy tank top, and her homage to Singing in the Rain, are two of my favorite scenes in this short movie.

You don't figure stuff out when everything's hunky-dory — you figure it out when it's hard. Yassss, La Lopez. These trailers are absolutely compelling and were cut by a master editor — J Lo does not play. Bypass the title and get stuck into The Greatest Love Story Never Told.

I got this wrong: Variety actually says "J. Lo has earned more than $1 billion in box office receipts, and that’s just for her rom-coms." But I'm guessing her portion of that was in the multi millions.

Decider film critics can be counted on for the most succinct and mouthwatering reviews.

All you needed to know about the album, documentary and movie project.

"There’s something bigger here that I can share about what I’ve learned in these past 20 years, and when I’ve been making all these records about love, and trying to figure that out.”

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I have the sweetest hangover that I don't want to get over. My first ever visit with my long-distance sweetie was amazing, he's already gone home, and we're already planning our next visit. I'm exhausted, but in the very best way, so I bring you a replay of my second chance romance episode, which I created a little over a year ago after I got on dating apps for the first time in years, hoping for a love like this. And then Twitter brought us together —once upon a time, it was good for something. Never give up, romance friends!

The Long Distance Romance episode that I mentioned.

And the Second Chance Part Two episode that I mention at the end.

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