1. This song by Taylor swift draws attention to the importance of people being themselves. During the beat drop of ME! Taylor Swift sings “I promise that you’ll never find another like me!” This is significant in that no matter how Viola dresses herself up as, she’ll always have her internal thoughts and feelings, which can not be ruled out by her outfit. As a result, she has to truly be herself in order for Orsino to accept her as well. Similarly in the play, Viola had to reveal her true gender identity in order to marry Orsino.
2. The Man shines a spotlight at all the privileges associated with men and shows the underlying gender inequality. In the play, Viola has to change her gender identity in order to gain entry into Orsino’s court. This was because women were not allowed to act professionally during the Elizabethan England era, so Viola had to adopt a male outlook. In one of the lines, Taylor Swift sings, “They wouldn’t shake their heads and question how much of this I deserve.” This is significant as Taylor Swift describes how people would not question her if she were to be a male figure. Similarly, Viola is only accepted and respected by Orsino’s court as a male character rather than being herself.
3. This song was also released in order to highlight the gender inequalities present in society. In the song, Taylor sings from a male perspective and sings “Like, can you not step on my gown.” This phrase is very powerful as it not only advocates for gay marriage but it also tells her fans and audience to stop the discrimination. Her influence is crucial as it changes the way society views the LGBTQ+ community. Similarly, Viola should also be respected as a female rather than just her male outlook. She is human just like anyone else, and there is no reason for her discrimination, which is why it ties back to the significance of this song being added to her playlist.
4. On the beat drop, Sia sings, “To be human is to love, Even when it gets too much, I’m not ready to give up.” From here, we can see that love is a huge part of what it means to be human. Humans have aspects of themselves that they are afraid to share, and when it comes to moments that require those areas to be revealed, Sia suggests that one does not give up. From Viola’s perspective, she is hiding the fact that she is a woman underneath her outfit. Although she is able to mask herself from the members of Orsino’s court, she can not mask her love for Orsino. And as a result, she had to reveal true identity as a woman in order to passionately and fully share her feelings with Orsino.
5. In the song, P!nk sings “We are problems that want to be solved.” Referencing the play, Viola and Orsino is the central problem that needs to be solved in order to resolve the Shakespearean comedy. Furthermore, the song could be categorized as hopeless romantic, which is much of what Viola struggles with throughout the play. Trying to marry Orsino as a guy would have been impossible if she were not to reveal her true identity.
6. In the play, Viola constantly struggles with whether or not she should have dressed up as a man. It has created problems regardless of what she chooses: if she reveals that she is a woman, she will be shamed by everyone around her, but if she does not reveal her true identity, she would not be able to marry the love of her life, Orsino. In the song, P!nk sings, “Mistaken, always second guessing.” This perfectly reflects how Viola constantly thinks of her decision whether or not she speaks it out loud. And as the song suggests, she should simply accept who she is and let time tell what her fate is rather than overthinking all of her negative consequences.
7. This last long is accurately reflected by the title – Jealous. Viola becomes increasingly jealous of Olivia as her relationship with Orsino grows stronger. As a result tells Viola, “Lady, you are the cruel’st she alive If you will lead these graces to the grave And leave the world no copy” (1.5.240-242). Here, Viola is desperately convincing Olivia to stay single rather than to marry Orsino. Viola convinces Olivia that she is the most beautiful, and her beauty would be lost if she were to bear a child. In the song, Nick sings, “I still get jealous,” accurately reflecting how Viola feels towards Olivia