From Underdog to Anthem: A Stylistic Analysis of Taylor Swift’s ‘Change’

Abstract

This study examines the stylistic construction of transformation in Taylor Swift’s Change. Guided by a qualitative research design, it employs textual analysis anchored in Fairclough’s (1995) CDA framework, Halliday’s (1961) SFL transitivity system, and Mills’ (1995) feminist stylistic approach. The corpus consists of the authorized lyrics from Change, extracted from Swift’s Fearless Platinum Edition album. The analysis reveals a diverse presence of transitivity processes—most notably material processes, which dominate the song’s narrative. These processes foreground concrete acts of defiance such as “stand,” “fight,” and “sing”, symbolizing the speaker’s reclaiming of power amid systemic barriers. Mental, relational, verbal, and existential processes serve complementary functions, enriching the emotional depth and ideological nuance of the lyrics. Furthermore, the analysis reveals four (4) themes from the song lyrics, and these are: 1) Empowerment, 2) Emotional Depth, 3) Solidarity, and 4) Transformation. The study concludes that material processes linguistically construct a narrative of empowerment and ideological redefinition, aligning with feminist calls for agency and transformation. It affirms the role of music as a semiotic tool for challenging gender norms and articulating collective strength. Future research is recommended to explore Swift’s discography further using expanded stylistic frameworks, including Leech and Short’s stylistic checklist, to deepen linguistic insight and feminist critique.