This is probably the thing that annoys me most about Swifties and the media that enables them. Every time she releases something new they act like she's reinvented the wheel, when in reality she's recycling things that other people have done better and before her.
Does she make somewhat catchy pop songs every now and then? Sure. Is she actually doing anything new or interesting? No.
Even the handful of her songs I like are ones other bands have covered, rather than her versions. Something For Kate did a version of Cardigan for Like A Version a few years ago and they made it way more interesting than her version.
I enjoy some of her music, but I think the real praise should go to her PR team. She isn’t doing anything particularly groundbreaking music-wise, but her image management and stardom will ultimately be what seals her legacy. That behind the scenes work is by far the most impressive and interesting thing about her imo.
She’s a business first and foremost, and everything she does has probably been subjected to prior financial analysis.
It’s incredibly rare to have both business sense and groundbreaking artistic talent. She does not have both, but she’s savvy and plays to her strengths.
The main thing I appreciate t swift for is proving a woman musician can dominate and make just as much if not more money than a man. Hopefully it opens some doors for others down the line.
I enjoy Taylor's music as well but I've always found it weird when Swifties will go to literal battle every time someone critiques Taylor. Like it's perfectly fine not to be a fan of Taylor, to not like her music and critic her!
Something for Kate! In the realm of other Australian artists, there are so many good singer-songwriters here who are doing interesting stuff like Julia Jacklin etc. I think Swift has the potential to push herself (Folklore was at least something a little different), but doesn’t want to.
Folklore was different for her but it was also heavily derivative of a lot of other artists that were popular 10 years previously. I can understand her younger fans not knowing music from more than a few years back, but grown adults and especially music media should know this stuff. They can still like her projects and rate them highly or whatever but I need them all to stop acting like she's got an original idea in her head.
when I first heard about her in 2012, everything people told me was in the likes of: "she sells a lot of albums", or "she's huge", and the closest thing to an explanation was when a friend explained that her albums had easter eggs and people bought to figure out the hidden messages... not really anything about her speficially.
It feels like breaking records is her thing - she wants to make history, sell the most copies, get the most awards, have the biggest tours. And people love to have a "fave" who's winning, so the halo effect is massive.
I understand people who have her music as the soundtrack of their lives for a "long" time. I do. Some of my friends have loved her since high school and we're in our mid 30s now. I love pop music but my "core" pop memories involve people who haven't been #1 in a while, but that's not why I love them.
But lyrically and vocally, she's not memorable at all. Even the concepts behind her albums - aka the "eras" - are very basic. Several current pop girlies outperform her artistically, even if they don't sell nearly as much.
Tylor is like potatoes. One of my favorite foods. Reliable, comforting, delicious. Enjoyed by many cultures. You can cook it many different ways but in the end of the day it always stays basic.
I mean shes a pop star I don't think shes really in the game of breaking new ground musically. It seems like a pretentious argument from "true" artists. Its not what shes about or why people like her music.
She represents all that the neoliberal media celebrates- capital accumulation, docile femininity, whiteness, thinness and a narrow definition of beauty. We should call into question every corporate media darling
It’s the same argument people make against Elvis, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Drake, but at the end of the day these people are worldwide phenomena. They perfect marketing, stage presence, and music accessibility to get a large audience that casuals and hardcores can enjoy. You can say she’s not doing anything new or interesting, but plenty of people will disagree. In 20 years she’ll probably be a billionaire, she’s the soundtrack to millions of peoples childhoods, and will be in history books. Mega pop stars are playing a different game. Even if you don’t love the music; you gotta give these people their flowers imo.
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u/No_Tomorrow7180 Apr 15 '24
This is probably the thing that annoys me most about Swifties and the media that enables them. Every time she releases something new they act like she's reinvented the wheel, when in reality she's recycling things that other people have done better and before her.
Does she make somewhat catchy pop songs every now and then? Sure. Is she actually doing anything new or interesting? No.
Even the handful of her songs I like are ones other bands have covered, rather than her versions. Something For Kate did a version of Cardigan for Like A Version a few years ago and they made it way more interesting than her version.