22

The first verse and pre-chorus of '22' sets the tone for a wild and quintessentially youthful night out. Taylor Swift sings about dressing up and making fun of exes, a reflection of the lighthearted rebellion and indifference to past relationships. There's a sense of seizing the moment, doing things on a whim like having breakfast at midnight, and the possibility of romantic encounters with strangers. The song resonates with feelings of happiness and freedom, yet acknowledges the complexity of emotions present with the simultaneous feelings of confusion and loneliness.

The chorus bursts with a catchy declaration of feeling 'twenty-two', an age that epitomizes the bridge between adolescence and full-fledged adulthood. Here, Taylor Swift emphasizes that everything will be alright as long as she's with her companion, suggesting that companionship provides comfort in a world of uncertainty. There's an insistence on keeping the party going, on dancing through life's unpredictability, and it is this continual dance that promises to make everything alright.

As the song progresses to the second verse, there's a hint of feeling out of place amidst the crowd, where even fame is trivialized with a self-referential quip, 'Who's Taylor Swift, anyway?'. Despite the external noise, the song encourages the listener to 'ditch the whole scene' and indulge in their dreams—perhaps a call to prioritize one's internal world and desires over external pressures.

The bridge and outro affirm the themes presented throughout the song—there's an allure to challenge, represented by someone who 'looks like bad news', and an undeniable pull towards experiencing the night to its fullest. Despite recognizing potential danger or consequences, the decision to 'ditch the whole scene' underscores a deliberate choice to experience life's risks and rewards, an attitude defining the essence of being twenty-two.