Taylor Swift & Britney Spears Basically Wrote the Same Song

Keeping up with Taylor Swift is a full-time job.

Yesterday, the singer/songwriter released the third single off her upcoming album “Lover,” titled “The Archer.” It’s an emotionally-charged song where she talks about looking inward, finding your own flaws and understanding why some relationships don’t end up working out. And she revealed it’ll be the fifth track on the album, the spot that her most sensitive songs (“All Too Well,” anybody?) usually take.

There are lots of theories about the song floating around, like the possibility of it being a “sequel” of sorts to “Delicate,” the fifth track from her last album that references a “dive bar on the east side.” Coincidentally, there’s a bar in East London called the Archer, and Swift’s boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, is from London. The video for “Delicate” also ended in a bit of a cliffhanger, so will we get some clarity?

While we’ll likely spend the next month -- “Lover” comes out on August 23 -- speculating about Swift’s motives, clever tricks and dreamy lyrics, there’s another song that’s been on my mind: “The Lucky One.” Swift released this one on her “Red” album (the one that acted as her first foray into non-country music), but it kind of got swallowed amid bangers like “22,” “Red” and the aforementioned “All Too Well.” But this song is important, especially in the grand scheme of Swift’s career.

“The Lucky One” talks about a small-town girl finally hitting the fame she’d dreamed of and realizing it’s not all it’s cracked up to be; the lyrics explore how fame can cause you to lose yourself in a way. The lyrics are rumored to be based on Joni Mitchell and Kim Wilde, since some of the melody is reminiscent of Wilde’s music, but it otherwise comes off as self-reflective.

Unhandled

Obviously, the speculation and judgment of the masses has been a conflict that Swift has had to navigate increasingly so in recent years. From her many, many high-profile relationships to public feuds, it’s no secret that Swift has endured tons of criticism and been under a microscope since her career took off when she was just 17. At 23, when “Red” and “The Lucky One” came out, she was in the thick of it.

Another blonde starlet who started her career as a teenager and has struggled through the public’s perception of her? Britney Spears! Spears did something no one had really done at her age (read: became a superstar) and was, for all intents and purposes, living the dream. Spears may not have written the song herself (while Swift has writing credits on all her songs), but remember “Lucky,” released in 2000? Spears was about 19 at the time and really establishing herself as the Pop Princess we know and love today.

Similar to “The Lucky One,” the lyrics of “Lucky” discuss a young women, rife with fame, who still feels lonely and like she can’t win. The lyrics of the two songs, beyond the obviousness of their titles, are eerily reflective of each other.

“Lucky”: It's time for make-up, perfect smile / It's you they're all waiting for

“The Lucky One”: You had it figured out since you were in school / Everybody loves pretty, everybody loves cool

“Lucky”: She's so lucky, she's a star / But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart

“The Lucky One”: And they tell you that you're lucky / But you're so confused / 'Cause you don't feel pretty, you just feel used

“Lucky”: And the world is spinning, and she keeps on winning / But tell me what happens when it stops?

“The Lucky One”: And all the young things line up to take your place / Another name goes up in lights / You wonder if you'll make it out alive

These songs were released over a decade apart, mind you; the theme of a talented young woman thrust into the spotlight and getting more (way more) than she bargained for, to the point where it weighs on her mentally, seems to be forever relevant.

Now, will Swift go on to engage in a heated custody battle and have a public breakdown? We hope not, but especially amid the dramatic events that have surrounded these two pop stars and their careers recently (there was the whole #FreeBritney situation and Swift’s battle for her master recordings), the parallels are uncanny.

Britney Spears’ “Lucky” and Taylor Swift’s “The Lucky One” Are the Same Song & I’ll Prove It

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