The Prosecutors: After Dark – Taylor Swift (Bonus Episode)

Podcast: The Prosecutors
Host: PodcastOne
Episode Date: October 14, 2025
Hosts: Alice & Brett

Episode Overview

In this After Dark bonus installment, Alice and Brett take a break from cold case mysteries and true crime to focus on their shared admiration for Taylor Swift. The episode is a freewheeling, humor-filled, and slightly nostalgic conversation about Taylor’s career, artistry, and cultural influence, interwoven with personal anecdotes, pop culture observations, and candid musings about aging and parenthood. Listeners are treated to a lively exchange that showcases the hosts' personalities, providing insight into their non-true crime interests—most notably, their Swiftie credentials.

Key Topics & Insights

1. Taylor Swift: Engagement & Next Phase

• Brett opens with exuberant congratulations to Taylor Swift on her (rumored) engagement, expressing both happiness and playful speculation about receiving a wedding invitation hidden as an “Easter egg” lyric in Taylor’s new album.

  • [04:09] Brett: "Congratulations to Taylor Swift. She's getting married. I'm very happy to hear that."
  • [04:42] Alice: "I assume we're invited. As her biggest supporters, biggest fans ever, that were invited. Multiple episodes."

• The hosts reflect on how Swift might transition from breakup songs to a new, happiness-infused phase, and whether that would affect the quality or tone of her music.

  • [05:22] Brett: "I'm happy for her as long as it doesn't ruin her music... Or if it collapses, even better. Great album."
  • [05:34] Alice: "She doesn't have to quash. There's so much. Some of the greatest music and art actually comes from, like, pure joy."

2. Anticipation for the New Album

• The announcement of Swift’s rumored 12-track album (with a secret 13th) spurs speculation and excitement.

  • [06:29] Alice: "Of course. I mean, I drank that water a little fast. I'm so excited... Maybe the 13th is our invitation."
  • [06:44] Brett: "Of course there is. Because 13th."

• Brett and Alice critique Swift's previous lengthy album, expressing enthusiasm that the upcoming release will be more focused:

  • [06:56] Brett: "'Poet Society' or whatever it's called... There were way too many tracks. You need an editor... So I'm glad that we're getting back to a tight 13-track album."

• Their specific hopes for this album are that it'll be full of high-quality dance anthems (“banger after banger”), reminiscent of 1989's upbeat pop, which they both love.

  • [07:25] Alice: "These are all gonna be like the quality and not. Not the quality. The dance themes of, you know, Shake It Off."
  • [07:37] Brett: "I love 1989. It was so good."

3. Why Taylor Swift Matters

• The hosts transition to why Taylor Swift is a singular figure in modern pop music—her intelligence, artistry, work ethic, money management, lyrical quality, and marketing acumen.

  • [08:39] Alice: "What I respect about her is her artistry, her intelligence behind her music, her work ethic... She also has the creativity and the ability to think outside the box, to imagine what this world can look like if there were no restraints."

• Alice draws a contrast between Taylor and other pop stars:

  • [10:07] Alice: "The beauty of her music... is the lyrics. It's not that they're not great, like beats or things to dance to. The lyrics are mind-numbingly stupid. It's like when you have the comedian who just does slapstick all the time... But she has the tunes, the pop, the beats. But then when you listen to the lyrics... it's like reading a stanza of a beautiful poem."

4. Lana Del Rey Shout-Out & Awards Skepticism

• Brett champions Lana Del Rey as another rare, brilliant lyricist “not a flash in the pan” and laments her Grammy shutout.

  • [10:35] Brett: "The fact that she has never won a Grammy is an indictment of the Grammy. Like, she is incredible."
  • [11:47] Brett: "She's doing like, a countryish type album that's coming out. I know she's released like two songs from it that are awesome."

• Alice and Brett agree that industry awards are largely unconnected to true merit, driving home their appreciation for artists like Swift and Del Rey.

5. Appreciating Live and Stripped-Down Performances

• Discussion of Taylor’s “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” and the transformative power of live/acoustic renditions. Brett shares a conversion moment after hearing "the sad girl version" at Long Pond Studios:

  • [14:07] Brett: "I listened to the sad girl version that was recorded at Long Pond Studios... I was like, okay, I totally get it. Totally get. I've listened to that just over and over."

• The hosts share favorite obscure or unreleased Swift performances (e.g., "Champagne Problems" on Instagram, “Riptide” BBC cover), emphasizing her musicianship and joy in creating music.

  • [15:09] Brett: "Go on YouTube and look up Radio 1. Taylor Swift, Riptide... Just her and a piano singing that song. Awesome."
  • [15:38] Brett: "You can tell in that video, you can tell how much she loves. Like, the look on her face is pure joy."

6. Swift's Unmatched Drive & Longevity

• Drawing on an old interview, Alice recounts Taylor’s drive to succeed:
  • [15:50] Alice: "How do you think you're gonna make it?... 'because there's literally nothing else I can do. This is all I want to do with my entire life.'... When you see someone do what they love and succeed in it, it's like the most beautiful thing ever."

7. Culture & Music Nostalgia

• The episode loosely shifts to broader cultural observations:
  • The evolution of concert and album culture, with lamentation over the loss of "monoculture" in music.
  • Reflections on how streaming and algorithmic playlists have replaced radio and collective experiences.
  • Discussion of being recognized by fans in real life; how podcasting has changed over the years, measuring success, and aging alongside their audience.
  • [17:17] Alice: "I have found someone has recognized my voice in every one of those states, and it's kind of freaking me out."
  • [25:48] B: "Children. We were little babies, you know? And then now we're, like, cotton getting up there. You know, Someone called me ma' am today, unsolicited, and I was like, oh, do I look like a ma' am?"

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 04:09 | "Congratulations to Taylor Swift. She's getting married. I'm very happy to hear that." | Brett | | 06:29 | "I'm so excited. Maybe the 13th [album track] is our invitation." | Alice | | 08:00 | "Taylor Swift... is a titan of this period." | Brett | | 08:39 | "What I respect about her is her artistry... her ability to think outside the box, to imagine what this world can look like if there were no restraints." | Alice | | 10:07 | "The beauty of her music... is the lyrics... when you listen to the lyrics, you... it's like reading a stanza of a beautiful poem." | Alice | | 14:07 | "I listened to the sad girl version [of 'All Too Well']... I totally get it." | Brett | | 15:50 | "...there's literally nothing else I can do. This is all I want to do with my entire life." | (recounting Taylor Swift’s quote) | | 43:15 | "Enjoy your life, child. Because this is the best years." | Brett |

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [04:09] Taylor Swift engagement discussion begins
• [06:29] Album and track count speculation
• [08:00] Why Taylor is culturally significant
• [10:07] On lyrics as art; contrast to modern pop
• [11:47] Lana Del Rey conversation
• [14:07] Brett's "All Too Well" revelation
• [15:09] Discussion of favorite live/acoustic Taylor performances
• [17:17] Recognition by fans; podcasting culture
• [25:48] Reflections on aging and time since starting the podcast
• [43:15] Sage advice for younger listeners
• [44:49] Discussion of monoculture and the evolution of musical fame
• [46:36] Final nostalgic reflections

Tone & Style

The episode maintains a lively, conversational, and often self-deprecating tone. Both hosts display deep pop culture knowledge, warmth, and humor, openly sharing personal stories and opinions. Their banter is affectionate and easygoing, making the discussion engaging even for non-Swifties or those only peripherally interested in pop culture.

Listener Takeaways

• Taylor Swift’s evolution and artistry are appreciated not just for musical quality but for intelligence, lyrical content, and cultural impact.
• Swift’s blend of joyful and heartbroken phases is anticipated to continue yielding meaningful work.
• The democratization of music streaming has both enriched and fragmented the musical landscape.
• Aging and changing perspectives—both as fans and as podcast hosts—are embraced with humor and honesty.
• Even in non-true-crime episodes, Alice and Brett’s chemistry shines, providing a relaxing, relatable listen.

Closing

The episode winds down with musings about aging, generational shifts in pop culture, and the nostalgia of “monoculture” phenomena. Brett and Alice fumble lightheartedly to invent a proper sign-off for After Dark, finally splitting versions of “She’s Alice / He’s Brett, and this is After Dark.” The hangout vibe continues until the end, where talk of fashion shows, Halloween, and ‘90s references brings the show full circle—back to celebrating deep connections, great music, and making the best of each moment, both as parents and fans.