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

[617]

I like some of her songs, though I know very few.

I love her kick ass fuck you approach to re-recording her older albums. The current owners of the old recordings will soon find their inverstment is worthless.

There are about a thousand artists who complain about getting bilked out of their masters, but you have to respect Taylor for wielding her fandom and just remaking the damn albums.

 

[DMill]

it seems most posts reflect a general Positive vibe towards her as a businesswoman, performer and pop star. I wonder how good her catalogue of music will be remembered 30 years from now. Will she be revered like a Joni Mitchell for example? First off she is only 33, so plenty of time to make some changes to being more than a pop star If she wants. I think at some point she will be faced with redefining herself and exploring content outside of being the beautiful woman writing about ex-boyfriends. I actually think she has it in her. It just depends on if she cares enough about the craft Or if she becomes Madonna and is content with a billion dollar portfolio and riding it out.

 

[Anton D]

it seems most posts reflect a general Positive vibe towards her as a businesswoman, performer and pop star. I wonder how good her catalogue of music will be remembered 30 years from now. Will she be revered like a Joni Mitchell for example? First off she is only 33, so plenty of time to make some changes to being more than a pop star If she wants. I think at some point she will be faced with redefining herself and exploring content outside of being the beautiful woman writing about ex-boyfriends. I actually think she has it in her. It just depends on if she cares enough about the craft Or if she becomes Madonna and is content with a billion dollar portfolio and riding it out.

That's a great point. It will be interesting to see how her subject matter matures along with her.

Great take, DMill!

 

[spiral scratch]

I can't speak to her whole catalogue, but I've listened to the latest LP a dozen times or so. It's a solid pop record with catchy hooks and great songcraft. It's not something I'm super invested in, but it has a lot going for it. It's fun to slap on and dance around when I'm working on other stuff.

She's also worked a lot with Jack Antonoff and together they've co-wrote and produced some of her biggest hits. He's a super talented guy too, and they seem to have great chemistry creatively. If you don't know who he is, check out his pedigree. You could see this as further evidence of her skill in seeking out great talent to work with.

He's worked with Lana Del Rey on some of her big records too, like "Norman Fucking Rockwell". Now that's what I would consider a great fucking record.

 

[Ron Party]

Well try Beth Hart.

That woman can sing and write. Saw her live maybe 6 years ago. Just phenomenal. Great collabs with Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck and most recently on the title track of Walter Trout's new album. IMO she's the closest thing to Janis but more bluesy. One of my favorites for sure.

 

[DavidEdwinAston]

That woman can sing and write. Saw her live maybe 6 years ago. Just phenomenal. Great collabs with Joe Bonamassa, Jeff Beck and most recently on the title track of Walter Trout's new album. IMO she's the closest thing to Janis but more bluesy. One of my favorites for sure.

I think a better actual voice than Joplin. But who's counting!

 

[valerianf]

No Taylor Swift for me.
There are so many talented female singers around.
Shakira? Dido? Haley Reinhardt? Joane Osborne...

 

[DMill]

No Taylor Swift for me.
There are so many talented female singers around.
Shakira? Dido? Haley Reinhardt? Joane Osborne...

But what is talented? Billie Eilish just won another Oscar. What credential validates her Or Taylor? I’m not a Swiftie, my kids listen to her. I mostly just see potential. Clearly she is the most popular music star in the world. Not saying that makes her great, but she is way more than a fad at this point.

For me, I’d love to see her take a risk outside of pop music. Gaga did it Like it or not. Even Miley Cyrus did it with her work with Flaming Lips. I loved those Beatles covers she did. Lips were a band I grew up on experimenting at every turn.

My point is there is definitely talent. Just maybe not subjectively what I like. As a boy I remember watching Talking Heads on SNL and my dad saying who the F#ck is this guy. Love my dad but he sure did get it wrong on not getting past his Woodstock bands he loved and see something special.

 

[Axo1989]

I can't speak to her whole catalogue, but I've listened to the latest LP a dozen times or so. It's a solid pop record with catchy hooks and great songcraft. It's not something I'm super invested in, but it has a lot going for it. It's fun to slap on and dance around when I'm working on other stuff.

She's also worked a lot with Jack Antonoff and together they've co-wrote and produced some of her biggest hits. He's a super talented guy too, and they seem to have great chemistry creatively. If you don't know who he is, check out his pedigree. You could see this as further evidence of her skill in seeking out great talent to work with.

He's worked with Lana Del Rey on some of her big records too, like "Norman Fucking Rockwell". Now that's what I would consider a great fucking record.

NFR is perhaps her best album to date (imho). For me that's a little bit in spite or Antonoff's sonic contributions. I prefer some of the more eclectic background elements on some albums prior (almost inaudible rap from A$AP Rocky, various non-musical sonic textures, etc) but those subtleties certainly don't overshadow her material either way. I haven't spent enough time with her long-titled latest LP actually.

I just spent some more time with Swift's initial change-of-pace LPs Folklore and Evermore. Like some others here I find the material is a bit bland, so I can't get through focused listening to a whole album. But well-crafted and no reason not to like it if your tastes lean that way.

 

[valerianf]

"But what is talented? "
For some talent gauge is the number of records sold.
In that case Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston are at the top.
For others, it could be the vocals or a certain type melody.
Billie Eilis, Lana Del Rey and Miley Cyrus are in this category.

 

[Robin L]

it seems most posts reflect a general Positive vibe towards her as a businesswoman, performer and pop star. I wonder how good her catalogue of music will be remembered 30 years from now. Will she be revered like a Joni Mitchell for example? First off she is only 33, so plenty of time to make some changes to being more than a pop star If she wants. I think at some point she will be faced with redefining herself and exploring content outside of being the beautiful woman writing about ex-boyfriends. I actually think she has it in her. It just depends on if she cares enough about the craft Or if she becomes Madonna and is content with a billion dollar portfolio and riding it out.

I guess it's worth noting that Joni Mitchell at one time was the beautiful woman writing about ex-boyfriends. Rather well, at that:

 

[AdrianusG]

But what is talented? Billie Eilish just won another Oscar. What credential validates her Or Taylor? I’m not a Swiftie, my kids listen to her. I mostly just see potential. Clearly she is the most popular music star in the world. Not saying that makes her great, but she is way more than a fad at this point.

For me, I’d love to see her take a risk outside of pop music. Gaga did it Like it or not. Even Miley Cyrus did it with her work with Flaming Lips. I loved those Beatles covers she did. Lips were a band I grew up on experimenting at every turn.

My point is there is definitely talent. Just maybe not subjectively what I like. As a boy I remember watching Talking Heads on SNL and my dad saying who the F#ck is this guy. Love my dad but he sure did get it wrong on not getting past his Woodstock bands he loved and see something special.

"Billie Eilish just won another Oscar"

I'm sorry, i didn't follow the Oscars, but what did she win it for?
Did she create some film score or is she an actor as well, and hence won the Oscar as an actress?

 

[spiral scratch]

I haven't spent enough time with her long-titled latest LP actually.

I like that one quite a bit too. I didn't think about Antonoff detracting from her sound, they did write some great tracks together.

I think the thing that most immediately appealed to me about Swift is her songs are busting with great hooks and I love hooks. There isn't a bad song on the record, no filler. Not too many artists I hear that put out a solid 10 track LP without a few, if not several weak tracks. Really, vocal talent and and lyrical content aside she writes great catchy pop tunes. I actually think she's got a fine voice and her lyrics are where she's at in her head. Are there artists out there with better vocal talent? Yeh, maybe, but I don't really think about it that way. "She's no Sinatra", yeh whatever. Who cares. She's worked hard, she's putting it out there and it's paying off for her big time. Good for her.

 

[krabapple]

"Billie Eilish just won another Oscar"

I'm sorry, i didn't follow the Oscars, but what did she win it for?
Did she create some film score or is she an actor as well, and hence won the Oscar as an actress?

This year she and her brother wrote/perfomed one of the nominated Best Songs, from Barbie=: "What Was I Made For?"

It won.

Previously they won for writing/performing "No Time To Die" for the last James Bond film.

At 22, this makes her the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history.

 

[Count Arthur]

I thought Taylor Swift was an American football player.

 

[AdrianusG]

This year she and her brother wrote/perfomed one of the nominated Best Songs, from Barbie=: "What Was I Made For?"

It won.

Previously they won for writing/performing "No Time To Die" for the last James Bond film.

At 22, this makes her the youngest two-time Oscar winner in history.

Amazing, didn't know that.

i gave her last album (is it the last one?) Happier than Ever a listen some time ago, didn't hate it but wasn't impressed either.
I'm not easy to impress anymore, especially with new music,
then again, i might have an eclectic taste. or actually i do!

 

[Axo1989]

I like that one quite a bit too. I didn't think about Antonoff detracting from her sound, they did write some great tracks together.

I think the thing that most immediately appealed to me about Swift is her songs are busting with great hooks and I love hooks. There isn't a bad song on the record, no filler. Not too many artists I hear that put out a solid 10 track LP without a few, if not several weak tracks. Really, vocal talent and and lyrical content aside she writes great catchy pop tunes. I actually think she's got a fine voice and her lyrics are where she's at in her head. Are there artists out there with better vocal talent? Yeh, maybe, but I don't really think about it that way. "She's no Sinatra", yeh whatever. Who cares. She's worked hard, she's putting it out there and it's paying off for her big time. Good for her.

That’s less a criticism of Antonoff’s work than a function of my taste which swings more towards musique concrète than piano.

I thought Swift’s recent collab with Lana was pretty good actually, if you noticed it. Their voices worked well together. As for pop generally I’m not a fan of hooks, so may fail to appreciate well-crafted examples of same.

 

[risandipra]

I enjoyed her early albums, and I think "Red" is the most memorable . From the "1989" album forward seemed like trying too hard to impress.

 

[Axo1989]

As it's been at least half a day since the release of Taylor's Tortured Poets album I dropped by for everyone's impressions. Y'all must be sleeping in.

I'm not intimately acquainted with her entire oeuvre so I can't do depth on the subject (try Laura Snapes' take in The Guardian instead). But Apple decided I was interested in said new release (I mean I've listened to Folklore and Evermore so their's sufficient algorithmic trigger) so there it was along with Pierce the Veil (a nice cover of Karma Police) and Alice Glass (a relatively dreamy one for her) and London Grammar (conspicuously micro-dosing in the rainforest on a NATURE collab) and ...

Back to Tay Tay, there's more of a Lana vibe permeating things (Taylor being an admitted admirer and mate) including some smokier stuff that eschews pop effervescence or country crooning and thus works for me like I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can). And a nice collab with Florence + The Machine on Florida!!! that sounds darker and really quite good overall and has some bite. I probably won't listen to all of it in one sitting but I did last longer than any previous attempt so there we are.

 

[A Surfer]

I enjoyed her early albums, and I think "Red" is the most memorable . From the "1989" album forward seemed like trying too hard to impress.

If she was trying to impress, it worked.