Taylor Swift shouts out to LBGTQ fans, GLAAD on anti-hate anthem 'You Need To Calm Down' - USA TODAY

Maeve McDermott and Joshua Bote USA TODAY

Published 8:32 AM EDT Jun 14, 2019

Taylor Swift's return is imminent, promising a busy summer for listeners and patient Swifties alike.

The star announced her new album, "Lover," on social media Thursday, as well as a new single titled "You Need To Calm Down."

An improvement on Swift's enjoyable yet overly earnest lead single "Me," "You Need to Calm Down" is cheekier and more understated, a more promising example of what fans can expect from her new record.

Set for release Aug. 23, the 18-track record will also feature the Brendon Urie-featuring "Me!"It's her first full-length album since 2017's "Reputation."

The album art, credited to "artistic genius" Valheria Rocha, features Swift in glittery rainbow technicolor — a different color scheme than the icy melodrama of her 2017 album "Reputation." 

"Why are you mad when you could be GLAAD?" Swift sings on the new song, releasing an accompanying lyric video that makes it clear she's name-dropping GLAAD, short for the powerful Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation organization.

"Thank you @taylorswift13" the organization wrote to Swift on Twitter, posting screenshots of GLAAD's mention in the lyric video.

Swift's new album's artwork matches the visual aesthetic of the bright, fantasy-filled music video for lead single "Me," as "You Need To Calm Down" advances the trap-infused pop sound she sought on "Reputation" with a simplistic, booming beat, offering lyrics like "shade never made anybody less gay" that nod to her LGBTQ fans while centering the song as an anti-hate anthem.

Released during Pride month in June, "You Need To Calm Down" suggests that Swift is being more intentional in recognizing her LGBTQ listeners.

Swift encouraged her fans' Easter egg hunt upon the "Me!" music video release by promising that the album's title was hidden somewhere in her next video, with eagle-eyed fans noticing the word "lover" emerge at one point in the clip.

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https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2019/06/14/taylor-swifts-you-need-calm-down-boosts-lbgtq-fans-new-single/1450734001/

2019-06-14 11:20:00Z
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