does anyone listen to Taylor Swift? tell me what the draw is

[TonyJZX]

ok.... now its got real

my wife and my girlfriend and my wife's boyfriend (aka my son) asked me to get some taylor swift for them

i actually quite like say... Katy Perry... and Lady Gaga... perry on the strength of one album and Lady Gaga based on her work that's NOT her discography... i dont like Poker Face or...Just Dance... I mean that's all I know.

But I cant name one Taylor Swift song.

So tell me, what do you young ladies like about Taylor Swift.

I like her taste in private jets though!

 

[OldHvyMec]

So tell me, what do you young ladies like about Taylor Swift.

You're asking "Ladies" on a 99.9% all male membership forum.

She is a young lady that has earned over a billion dollars and it doesn't look like she's slowing down one bit.

She doesn't need a "single song."
I can't name one song.
I've never heard her voice before.

She's like Beyonce, and Jennifer Lopez they had a few hits, but to name a song. I can't name one.

I remember one Ann-Margret song "Fever", I remember Ann-Margret as more of an entertainer than a singer.

I think that is the appeal vs the "VOICE" like, Whitney, Streisand, Grace Slick, Linda Ronstadt, Mrs. Aretha Franklin, Cher and even Tina Turner,
it's the VOICE that sets them apart, where what you SEE sets Mrs Swift apart just like Mrs Lopez and Ann-Margret. I can't turn away from
Shakira or Sadie Marquardt either. Mercy.

 

[Blumlein 88]

 

[artburda]

my wife and my girlfriend and my wife's boyfriend (aka my son) asked me to get some taylor swift for them

You call your wife's boyfriend "my son"?

 

[Blumlein 88]

Oh, and another thought. She isn't quite the sell out that Ariana Grande is. Ms. Grande, beautiful voice making the most middle of the road, non-important bland BS music imaginable. What a huge waste of talent. Incredibly disgusting.

 

[Pe8er]

I like her voice a lot. I find a few of her songs genuinely fun and well written. Great energy. Ignore the lyrics for the most part, since I'm definitely not the target audience.

@Blumlein 88 what the hell buddy

 

[Raitsa]

 

[Blumlein 88]

I like her voice a lot. I find a few of her songs genuinely fun and well written. Great energy. Ignore the lyrics for the most part, since I'm definitely not the target audience.

@Blumlein 88 what the hell buddy

The hell is that Taylor Swift has 15 times the artistic credibility of Arinna Grande. That just shouldn't be.

 

[Keith_W]

You call your wife's boyfriend "my son"?

He sounds like the kind of guy Taylor Swift writes songs about

 

[Chester]

Calm down ladies

 

[BDWoody]

The hell is that Taylor Swift has 15 times the artistic credibility of Arinna Grande. That just shouldn't be.

I agree Ariana Grande is an amazing vocal talent, but does zero writing. Taylor Swift wrote or co-wrote every song she sings to sold out stadiums.
I'm not in the Taylor Swift fan club, and don't seek out her music to listen to, but I don't think of her as a lightweight.

 

[Blumlein 88]

Well try Beth Hart. Or even Miley Cyrus in recent years.

 

[Digital_Thor]

The only reason I've heard of her, is because she was mentioned in the radio sometimes. Besides that - not a clue - and I respectfully don't really care -except me actually responding to this thread

My first recollection of the offense from someone regarding famous people, was someone who once told me that I should respect Björk, because she's a famous artist - really?
Well, I can respect the hard work and dedication, but you can't force me to like her music or even listen to it, because any given number of other people like and listen to it.
My time, money and ears - are mine. I really have trouble understanding this trend towards fame and money, in regard to this level of worship, when people so often dearly long for peace and general ok health.

"Give credit where credit is due" - so - she's putting in the work to be "big" famous, rich - check. That's all good for her, and I truly wish her everything good in life - minimum stress, a great love life, good health, peace and fun with the family, smooth career and only doable challenges, that will make her grow as a person and live a full life - and so on. But! - I also wish that for anyone else

Right now I listen to Tina Turner - Private Dancer, and soon it'll be Kari Bremnes. Are they good-looking, are they famous enough, are they rich, did they have a boob job, did they sleep around..... I don't know really. But they sound good to my ears, and my humble DIY stereo makes me enjoy it a ton

 

[Svet Angelov]

"but she writes her own songs!''

 

[Vacceo]

I guess she's a global marketing product because I'm not American, I loathe celebrity culture, I don't listen to pop music and yet, I know she's a big musical act.

None of those elements detract from her artistic quality, but undoubtly, she's a well engineered product.

 

[Pareto Pragmatic]

The draw is that she speaks to and resonates with young people today. Just like every mega music pop star in history. You are not supposed to understand the reason why.

What was the appeal of Boy Bands in the 80s and 90s? They all seemed the same to me, band to band and song to song, but not to the kids of the day. Did old people get the appeal of the Monkees, who outsold the Beatles in 1967? Or of the Beatles for that matter? Did old people get the jazz of the 1920s, or the Charleston?

As for specifics, consider "Shake it Off" from 2014. Certainly it fits in the classic genre of "forget (it) and now DANCE!" songs.

Now think about that song in terms of the context of constant social media, and the critical nature of what many experience online. Particularly girls and women. I see the resonance, but then I am around 18-22 year olds all the time. And have been for decades. Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.

BTW, that song (Once in a Lifetime, Talking Heads) does NOT resonate strongly with lots of young people today. Because it posits a house and family as an expectation that is going to happen pretty much on autopilot. And they don't see that as happening for them.

 

[Multicore]

I've been asking around and everybody has the same response: shrug, I don't get it. She earns money faster than the GDP of most countries and yet she is sliced white bread in every dimension: an ordinary looking white girl who can't dance singing forgettable songs in a decent but unremarkable voice.

I considered that she's some intergovernmental or WEF psy-op for social control but I don't think those guys are that good at pop culture. The AI stuff is still too uncanny valley so I think she's human and if some day someone opens her maintenance panel to show off how good their tech is, I'll be the first to eat my hat.

Or maybe it's a sign of the times with <politics redacted> in decline and <more redacted> control replacing <political economy redacted> it's just a real bad time for creative, progressive or transgressive art. Maybe what people want or need most in these times is comfort food?

 

[Rick63]

I'm not a 12 year old girl, so no.

 

[Galliardist]

I've tried... but her songs seem to uniformly condense pretty much every trait I dislike in modern pop in a simple, hard to digest package.

So, I just presume she's very good at those things and that's why she's popular.

I like bagpipe music though, so you can ignore me as any kind of judge of good taste.

 

[delta76]

Her songs do not resonate with me. Most are easy to listen but not particularly catchy to my ears.
I'd rather listen to Katy Perry.
but her performances are at another level. she does not become a billionaire for performing/singing for nothing