This song can be recognized by most within seconds. It was a cultural phenomenon, charting #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks straight. Listed under the track title "Shake It Off," it is my favorite song from singer-songwriter Taylor Swift's fifth studio album, '1989.' When it was initially released, I remember sitting in front of my family's MacBook computer on AZLyrics.com, captivated by Swift's decision to rap on the bridge. I just kept thinking, "Wait, what? Taylor Swift raps?" Granted, it wasn't a full-on, earnest throwdown, but my nine-year-old self was still impressed by how she branched off into this genre of dance-pop melody. It was catchy. It was fun. It was undeniably feel-good, from the subtle yet playful laughter in the first verse to the routine claps at the end of the pre-chorus. My sentiment towards the song prevails today, even more so given that my likeness for it now lends to the lyrics. The music has taken on a new meaning my eighteen-year-old self can relate to. Amongst the upbeat tempo, I hear reassurance and ambition. It's expressed explicitly in the lines, "It's like I got this music in my mind saying, 'It's gonna be alright," but also implicitly as the song moves onto the second verse, which I love all the more. "I never miss a beat. I'm lightnin' on my feet. And that's what they don't see," Swift sings. These lines perfectly encompass how I felt throughout my secondary education, where there was quite figuratively "lightnin' on my feet," for I was insistent on doing it all. I was everywhere on my high school's campus, running back and forth between the tennis courts (as the girls' varsity tennis captain) and the National Honor Society classroom (as the organization's historian), not to mention the detours I took to check in with FBLA, Yearbook, Film Club, and Fashion Club (all of which I was president of). And as Swift sings, most people didn't see the behind-the-scenes; they didn't see me running up and down the stairs with my tennis uniform in hand to change into later on, and they didn't see me finishing up meeting PowerPoints on my phone in the car passenger seat. Swift continues to speak my truth, singing, "I'm dancin' on my own. I make the moves up as I go. And that's what they don't know." Again, I resonate with these lyrics because as much as it looked like I knew what I was doing, there were many moments when I had no idea, especially when it came to applying to college, given that I'm the eldest child in my family and, thus, the first in my household to complete extensive online applications in our new digital world. Indeed, I took on a lot, but I knew I had an end goal (to get into Columbia University) and understood what it took to get there (hence I did). And so now I say this: "Shake It Off" emulates this mindset of bettering oneself for no one else's approval but one's own. At the same time, it holds a "have fun in life" attitude, encouraging the pursuit of happiness, regardless of public opinion. Moreover, Swift's shift into the pop genre, as a whole, mantles the idea that one doesn't have to put themselves in a box and can be successfully multifaceted. In summary, this song has grown up, as have I, and what I once praised for its catchy tune, I now further praise for its inspiring lyrics. And therefore, whenever I feel down, I know to click play and "Shake It Off."