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Location: It was a temporary mural and is no longer up. 

Be still Swiftie hearts, the social media countdown tease may be over, but in addition to Taylor’s new single, she has also commissioned a mural in the Gulch neighborhood in Nashville.  For days leading up to the release of new music, Taylor left cryptic clues all over her social media. The new Kelsey Montague wings were a piece of the puzzle to unveiling the new single “ME!”, and now that it’s out, let’s break it down with a mural and lyric analysis.

What’s in the Wings?

Kelsey Montague is famous for hiding symbols within her murals to represent various cities across the globe.  Taylor Swift has a reputation of including “easter eggs” in posts, lyrics, and music videos. Together they make the perfect pair, and there are many classic Taylor icons in the new wings, so let’s take a closer look.

• There are 13 hearts in the wings, which we all know is Taylor’s lucky number.
• There are 7 stars, and the next studio album will be her 7th.
• Cats!  Taylor famously adores her cats, and they even make a cameo in the music video for “ME!”  She constantly posts pictures of her two cats Olivia and Meredith, however there are 3 in the mural.  She has since confirmed on social media she now has added a new furry member to her family.
• There are two ladybugs embedded in the wings.  Ladybugs are a symbol of good luck and could possibly represent that bad omens are behind Taylor (the Reputation era).
• Pastel colors and rainbows of the mural match the color scheme of the teaser posts Taylor used as a countdown to the new single.
• Butterfly wings seem to represent a metamorphosis taking place as Taylor begins a new chapter of her life with new music (and an impending album).
• Taylor has posed with one of Kelsey Montague’s murals before.  Back in 2014, Taylor snapped a photo with Montague’s New York City wings, which went viral.

Photo: Kelsey Montague & Taylor Swift

How does it tie to the lyrics?

The song “ME!” seems as though “Blank Space” and “You Belong With Me” had an ultra-pop baby.  She embraces her “psycho” girlfriend persona, while still remaining adamant that she is worthy of the relationship in the song lyrics.  Although Taylor claims she knows that she’s a handful and “I know I never think before I jump,” and “trouble’s gonna follow where I go,” she still proclaims, “you’ll never find another like me.”  Right before the release at midnight on 4/26, Taylor noted that this song is about embracing individuality.

Before the release of the debut single, Taylor embraced the snake moniker given to her through nasty feuds and social media bullies.  She seems to be turning a corner, embracing a change into the light (literally), with colorful flowers, hearts, and rainbows. In addition to being spotted wearing cowboy boots in the music video and a quick camera shot featuring a Dixie Chicks portrait, Taylor’s location selection of the mural might be an indicator of the new music to come.  She famously bowed out of the country music scene and moved to New York City to create the 80’s synth-pop inspired album 1989.  Since her Music City departure however, she has written the song “Better Man” for Little Big Town and collaborated with Sugarland on “Babe.”  Could this new mural indicate that she is returning to her Nashville country roots? Whether sonically, thematically, lyrically, or through major collaborations, it will be interesting to see if Nashville has a presence in her 7th studio album.  One thing we can be sure of however, is that if Reputation was a resurrection, this is a metamorphosis.

Heather Brown, a Nashville Guide writer
Hailing from the Old Dominion, I've easily adapted my "Virginia is for Lovers" slogan to the "Nashville is for Music Lovers" lifestyle. After moving to Music City from Oklahoma City, I've explored middle Tennessee through the lens of artists' paintbrushes and urban canvasses. I've enjoyed eating, sipping, and dancing my way through Tennessee's capital while pausing periodically to strike a pose throughout the journey.

Location: 2902 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204

Relax Max Apparel aims to create pieces that have "simplicity with a rock and roll flare," so it's only fitting that the Relax Max mural in Nashville takes Music City's progressive current and combines it with the obvious reputation of music to make a mural with a moral compass that all Nashville natives can live by.  Everyone knows that Nashville's nickname is "Music City," and no one needs to question why. However, Allan Geiger’s mural has a message that is jam packed into a simple phrase.

When asked about the concept for the mural, Geiger stated, “I'm a fan of saying powerful messages in the shortest amount of words.  At first, I created this message on a graphic tee but with my love for street art, it felt right to have it painted somewhere in a public area.”  He sees music as a form of therapy, and believes his art is the way he can spread love through the world. Most of his art is in black and white, much like the mural, to allow audiences to radiate color themselves.

Photo: Nashville Public Art

It is interesting to stumble upon a mural featuring records in a digital age.  Music is at our fingertips, and chances are you’ll spot passerby sporting headphones even as you stand looking at the mural in 12 South.  Geiger believes, “Records are an art piece itself. CDs you will take a pen or car keys to crack it open, streaming is just a click away... but records you handle with care and reminds me of how music is a form of therapy.”  

The most common factor that draws people to Nashville is music.  Many residents create music themselves and have been immensely drawn to a strong melody and the power of lyrics to heal hearts, calm minds, and unite audiences.  Living in Nashville offers the opportunity to deepen that experience with music and allows locals to become more in tune with the community that music creates. Geiger noted “I want for people to understand that we only get one shot at this thing called, life.  So listen or make some music and let it inspire you.”

Music speaks a language that transcends all people.  It is through music that many of us cope with life, and music can serve as a platform to start an important dialogue that will enable us to shift to acceptance instead of exceptions.

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Heather Brown, a Nashville Guide writer
Hailing from the Old Dominion, I've easily adapted my "Virginia is for Lovers" slogan to the "Nashville is for Music Lovers" lifestyle. After moving to Music City from Oklahoma City, I've explored middle Tennessee through the lens of artists' paintbrushes and urban canvasses. I've enjoyed eating, sipping, and dancing my way through Tennessee's capital while pausing periodically to strike a pose throughout the journey.

Location: 4822 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, TN 37209

Jake and Hana Elliott co-own WHAT. Creative Group to spread art and inspiration throughout Nashville.  Jake has also worked with The Nashville Walls Project, which has an initiative to paint Music City and breathe art projects into the various neighborhoods throughout the capital.  The “Wish for Peace” mural outside of the Global Education building is one result of these artistic efforts. The mural represents more than just a hashtag moment; it has an incredible story of strength that inspired artist Jake Elliott.

The mural features the #wishforpeace hashtag, as well as a plethora of multi-colored origami cranes originating from a dandelion.  Origami cranes represent peace, and have an illustrious story dating back to World War II. A popular art form in Japan, origami took off in the 16th century when paper use became widespread (although it is thought to date all the way back to the 6th century).  The Japanese believed that cranes lived up to 1,000 years and honored the bird. The crane represented good luck and longevity. Japanese legend says if you fold 1,000 cranes (senbazuru) then the gods would grant you a wish. Paired with dandelions, a flower that will "grant wishes," the mural represents optimism and hope.

Photo: WHAT. Creative Group

After being hit with atomic bombs during World War II, Hiroshima and Nagasaki experienced a high death toll and absolute devastation.  While many deaths were immediate, citizens of both cities experienced health issues in the years to come due to radiation exposure. Sadako Sadaki, a subject of the Peace Museum in Hiroshima, Japan, survived the atomic bombing as a young toddler, but was later diagnosed with Leukemia by age 12.  The young Japanese girl coped with her suffering by folding paper cranes. She hoped that by folding 1,000 cranes, her wish to survive would come true. Sadako, along with other victims of war and suffering, is honored at the Hiroshima Peace Park.  

After visiting the Peace Museum in Japan, Elliott got the idea to paint a mural to spread the message of global peace.  Outside the museum in the Peace Park, Elliott saw tens of thousands of paper cranes, sent by children from all over the world.  Elliott wanted to keep the conversation going. The commitment to peace reverberated through the park, and this was a souvenir worth bringing back to Nashville.

This experience planted a seed and Elliott began brainstorming ideas to bring back to Tennessee.  While planning the mural, he said, “We also wanted to activate people who saw the mural around the idea of peace. How can we make this not only a beautiful scene, but involve people in it? How can we get them thinking about peace?”  Elliott wanted to tie the global representation of peace with an icon that would strike a chord with Nashvillians.  Dandelions were the perfect representation for locals. “I remembered that my sister taught me how to make a wish by blowing on dandelions when I was a kid, and we loved the idea of combining multicultural “wish” symbology on this mural,” Elliott stated.  The cranes and dandelions marry the idea of how people around the world make a wish, and can hopefully translate to all visitors.

This mural, along with Sadako’s story, can teach future generations about past mistakes and inspire us to create a world with a brighter future.  Also embedded in the mural is a commitment to elevate Nashville art. Elliott also wants to challenge the Nashville community to embrace art with commentary, take risks, and push past safe designs.  Art has the power to provoke, which may not always be comfortable, but artists have so much to say, and we should create a space for that commentary in our city.

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Heather Brown, a Nashville Guide writer
Hailing from the Old Dominion, I've easily adapted my "Virginia is for Lovers" slogan to the "Nashville is for Music Lovers" lifestyle. After moving to Music City from Oklahoma City, I've explored middle Tennessee through the lens of artists' paintbrushes and urban canvasses. I've enjoyed eating, sipping, and dancing my way through Tennessee's capital while pausing periodically to strike a pose throughout the journey.

Location: Rolf & Daughters, 700 Taylor St, Nashville, TN 37208

If you've strolled through Germantown for a cup of coffee or enjoy dining in the flourishing Nashville neighborhood, you've likely come across Shantell Martin’s uplifting mural on the facade of Rolf & Daughters. The loopy lines and printed phrases join together to bridge ideas and merge faces into a community of shapes that invite the viewer in for a closer look. Martin's creative process involves highlighting conversation pieces and expressions onto a canvas to evoke a response from viewers.   

Martin’s signature style features black lines on white canvases.  She explains, “I used to use colors and do very detailed pieces, but slowly over time, almost like a language evolving it has become more focused and simplified while still exploring a lot of more complex themes and asking more complex questions.”  Martin aims to generate a "stream of consciousness" that serves as a visual narrative. It serves Nashville well, adorning the walls of a chic restaurant. The communal tables, which promote conversing and connecting, in Rolf & Daughters is the perfect setting for conversations that Martin wants to inspire.

Photo: Danielle Atkins

Martin's work explores the idea of identity and she poses the question, "Are you being you?"  As a child, Martin struggled as a mixed child in an all white family. Art became an outlet to explore her identity, creativity, and expression.  Spread throughout the mural you'll also notice phrases like "Light On," "Look Forward," "Grow," and "Nash." Through her work, Martin wants to spark a sense of joy and curiosity in viewers about their own lives.  She blends faces, words, and ideas into wavy lines that connect concepts and themes of positivity. This work highlights themes of intersectionality. When it comes to connecting with each other, Martin offers this piece of advice:  be present. “It seems simple,” she says, “but it's actually very hard to be present. It requires that you are yourself and that you give yourself, openly and with vulnerability, to the world. But I think that's what ultimately is the key to connection.”

Photo: Shantell Martin

"Are you being you?" is an interesting question to pose in Nashville, a city that beckons dozens of people to move here every day.  Whether in search for stardom, new business opportunities, or just a fresh start, Music City is an interesting place to search for your authentic self.  Martin claims it's a question that has served as her personal compass as she navigates through the world. She often reflects “Am I being honest and truthful and seeking that same honesty and truthfulness in my life?”  By asking that of her audience, they can also reflect on what their purpose is.

Nashville is known for its musical prowess, but the art in the city is giving the cultural counterpoint a run for its money.  The city has evolved in so many ways over the past decade, not just with music, but in cuisine, art, and tourism. Martin’s art reflects that evolution and occupies the space to grow with the city. Check out Rolf & Daughters for both edible and visual deliciousness.

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Heather Brown, a Nashville Guide writer
Hailing from the Old Dominion, I've easily adapted my "Virginia is for Lovers" slogan to the "Nashville is for Music Lovers" lifestyle. After moving to Music City from Oklahoma City, I've explored middle Tennessee through the lens of artists' paintbrushes and urban canvasses. I've enjoyed eating, sipping, and dancing my way through Tennessee's capital while pausing periodically to strike a pose throughout the journey.