Why Does Pop Music Seem to Have Cocaine on the Brain?

While you were fixated on the redwoods and magic wands of Taylor Swift’s ode to fiancé Travis Kelce’s wang on “Wood,” I was thinking about a different Life of a Showgirl track. Specifically, this line in “Actually Romantic”: “I heard you call me ‘Boring Barbie’ when the coke’s got you brave.” Hearing Swift mention the drug, even as a way to (probably) diss Charli XCX, felt transgressive. Charli herself talks about coke in her music, though it’s coded: The “365” refrain “bumpin’ that” could be about a house beat, a bump of blow or both; “Shall we do a little key? Should we have a little line?”