Taylor Swift is sort of a genius about how she promotes her albums. She’s able to change it up over the years, and she still manages to keep it fresh. I also applaud her for consistently hustling – she believes in doing the interviews, she believes in making the TV appearances and shilling and asking people to care about her music. I like that about her. Taylor just previewed the third song off of her new 1989 album. This song is called “Welcome to New York” and obvious song is obvious. I mean, it’s not bad or anything (it’s no “Hot Child in the City” but whatever), but it’s so obviously about Taylor moving to New York and setting herself up as a nouveau Carrie Bradshaw, only with more music and less sex. Here you go:
Taylor also did a surprisingly good interview with Australia’s 2DayFM. She talks about songwriting and writing about ex-boyfriends and whether it’s “sexist” that she gets made fun of while Ed Sheeran is also writing about his ex-girlfriends. Taylor is very… I don’t know. She’s grown up a lot in the past few years. She’s more confident, but it’s more than that – she’s actively participating in making her image more mature. Like, she’s not doing the innocent-little-girl routine anymore. Thank God. Here’s Taylor talking about sexism in how the media treats her blind-item:
“My first album came out when I was 16, so I would write about my life as I saw it, as I felt it, and then what happens is as you get more successful, which you’re lucky if that happens, you have more and more people paying attention to what you’re doing and you’ve been doing it the same way your entire career as a songwriter, but all of a sudden the perspective has changed. They use kind of you writing songs about your life as a way to play detective and for me I have a really strict personal policy that I never name names, so anybody saying that a song is about a specific person is purely speculating…You’re going to have people who are gonna say, ‘Oh you know, like she just writes songs about her ex-boyfriends,’ and I think, frankly, that’s just a very sexist angle to take. No one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says it about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love life and no one raises a red flag there.”
To be fair, when Ed Sheeran followed Swifty’s lead and wrote a blind-item song called “Don’t,” it was as big a deal as Swifty’s blind-item songs. And from what I’ve heard of Bruno Mars’ songs, he doesn’t really frame them like blind items. Same with Sam Smith, who goes so far as to make his songs gender neutral so all people can relate to them, gay or straight. Plus, Swifty not only writes songs about specific exes, she also writes songs about girls she hates. So, is it sexist to talk about Swifty’s songs? Eh. Here’s the video of the interview… despite the fact that I’m rolling my eyes at Swifty’s “sexist” argument, I like her whole vibe here. Our Swifty is growing up, you guys.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and Pacific Coast News.
Sure sweetie, Though those guys specifically that you mentioned DO NOT frame songs the way you do, and on the other hand One could also argue that is immature and cloying af to date KNOWN douchebags and all types of innapropriate partners then come crying to anyone that will listen about them breaking your tender loving sparkly marshmallow thin voiced heart
yes! i dont know any other artist, male or female who had so many Showmances and then wrote songs about it. Ed doesnt come close, but his song was totally like Taylors because everybody knew it was about Elli Goulding or whatever her name is. And he got crap for it, too. Taylor just gets more because she is doing that for years and its not just one song but multiple.
Showmance is your opinion. In general, she writes about relationships. And it sells, just like Adele wrote about her past relationship. Tori Amos (Boys for Pele), Alanis, Amy Winehouse, Bon Iver, Nas etc….
She’s young and she’s allowed to use her life experiences to write songs. Every artist, young or old, does it. And we only know about her relationships because we read about them constantly, because we want to. That’s OUR choice. Maybe people would have more fun with her songs if they didn’t analyse every romantic date she ever had.
+1 @ ARTEMIS
come on, do you really think Taylor falls for every male celeb in the closet?
I think the fact that Taylor’s exes are famous has earned her criticism. If they were anonymous guys, the blind item thing wouldn’t be an issue.
@Artemis
Oh, come on. Adele’s boyfriend outed himself, stating that he was owed royalties from the record due to the fact that he was its artistic inspiration, Amy Winehouse never hinted at anyone for publicity *and she and her men had real problems and real relationships* and people have been speculating that Uncle Joey was Alanis’ inspiration since the beginning of time.
“They use kind of you writing songs about your life as a way to play detective and for me I have a really strict personal policy that I never name names, so anybody saying that a song is about a specific person is purely speculating…the most important thing for me is maintaining artistic integrity which for me as a songwriters means I still continue to write about my life….I could very well water it down…I could say the sky is blue and we’re dancing, we’re in a club and it’s great….”
So on one hand she’s saying that she has the integrity to not name names, but on the other she’s saying that she’s writing about her life and refuses to be vague about it. Which is good, since everyone knows that leaving puerile alphabet games in one’s liner notes and referencing plane jewelry, maple lattes, and the guy’s name in two different song titles is NOT the definition of maintaining a strict personal policy of no privacy violation.
She needs to decide if her actions are going to synch with her new grown-up feminist image.
@Artemis. Happy Belated Greek Orthodox Name Day to you. It was yesterday in case you aren’t actually Orthodox and/or didn’t know.
P.S. Fully agree with your comment!
@ Artemis
I think you’re severely underestimating Taylor Swift’s PR brilliance. I love Taylor Swift, but I don’t believe most of her innocence schtick nor most of her relationships – she would’ve been eaten alive in the industry if she was that naive. I think she’s a lot shrewder than people give her credit for (and I love that about her).
We are all made of stars: i’m still traumatised that Uncle Joy broke Alanis Morrisette’s heart to that extent. it ruined Full House for me especially because he was my favourite Uncle when I was growing up.
What? At least Ed Sheeran writes about his love life and “Don’t” is supposed to be about Ellie Goulding I think. It’s literally a blind – so why is nobody calling Ed immature? She shouldn’t overrate the whole thing, but she has a point in my opinion. People were quick to judge her because of her relationships, affairs and songs, the same doesn’t apply to male songwriters. Maybe she contributed to that by playing the good girl too well, but still. God, I’m not even a fan, why am I defending her! 😉
Everyone was judging Sheeran for that song.
Taylor Swift catered her all career with this though. Her “Red” album had hidden massages to make it clearer who it was written for. And Katy Perry , Rihanna dated with famous dudes too but they were not aimed for this ‘sexist’ allegation more than their men counterparts.
As far as I know Katy Perry and Rihanna don’t write their own songs.
Katy Perry co-writes her own songs with her corporate songwriters, just like her frenemy Taylor crazy eyes.
+1. Also, she’s HAS named names. “Dear John,” anyone ?
Well, do you know how you “co-write” a song as a singer? Just change one word of the lyrics or so and *tadaaaa* you have to be named cowriter.
I’m just saying that it not necessarely says alot about how talented someone is in writing their own songs.
So much for that 😉
QQ you on a roll this morning honey.
That song sounded pretty bad but it will probably do well because of the catchy refrain/title.
I think you’re giving her too much credit, QQ.
The issue, IMO, is that it’s her MO, not an isolated thing. It is her niche. Is that even art(istic)?
Questioning that is NOT sexist.
I have a thing for catchy pop, and I like Taylor’s overall business sense…but I just can’t defend the blind item songs. I wish she would just write the song and leave it at that, but she doesn’t.
Taylor, do ANY of those men leave clues in liner notes that spell out things like “MAPLE LATTE” or “HYANNIS PORT”? She made it a game! How can she complain if people play that game?
The girl is humorless and takes herself way too seriously. If she’s not careful, she’ll morph into Morrisey when she gets older.
Ha! She WISHES!
This! She Has not grown at all since the golden globes when Tina and Amy lightly joked about her. Also her go to argument against criticism of her songs is to call them sexist. 90 percent of her songs are a burn book about ex boyfriends and “mean” girls, it is not sexist to point that out.
It comes across as hypocritical, esp. she’s spent her entire career cultivating this “I’m not like those other girls” image.
I said the same below. There is no self-deprecation with this one.
Have you never seen her on a talk show? See a clip from Graham Norton. She is perfectly aware of her image and has no problem making fun of it.
I haven’t, but I would imagine that she is okay with it, if she is controlling it. She doesn’t seem to have the ability to be in on the joke, when initiated by others.
YEP! I’ve thought the same thing. She’s extremely defensive. I like people that can laugh at themselves, particularly when called out at an awards show. Can you imagine if they ever did a celebrity roast of her? She would never survive it.
She’s wound so tight that she is going turn coal into a diamond is she thinks that anyone is criticizing her. I’m not a fan of her music because I don’t care about who she’s dated and I certainly don’t want to listen to 3.20 minutes of why he’s so mean. She seems so stunted and stuck at the emotional age of 16.
Oh look: Blandy McBland-Bland again.
Usually, I’d be first in line to voice my support of a decent pro-feminist stance; but I see Blandy’s picture and my brain just kind of… fogs over. And she may be speaking actual words; but all I hear are fart noises. Inoffensive, one-note fart noises.
Yeah. You guys know I see sexism in appleseeds, but even I’m a bit skeptical here. TS deals with sexism, I believe that–a lot of the narrative around her and any female pop star is loaded with it–but the “blind item” thing always struck me more as an appropriateness thing. It *is* a tad exploitative to do that to an ex–put shoe on other foot and tell me you would enjoy that, Swifters. If it’s a “do unto others” thing, for me, that often tests or demystifies a sexism allegation.
I’m pleased this one is finding her feminism, but she also needs to find her critical-thinking hat.
She hasn’t found her feminism; she’s found herself a new publicist who’s rewrapping her usual poor-me-boys-are-so-evil-and-so-are-all-the-other-girls schtick into feminist grown-up Christmas paper.
the difference is that with her and Ed everybody knew who the songs were about. with others their partners are not known (we dont even know if the songs are fictional). Taylor did the big mistake to get into 10 or so PR relationships and then even wrote songs about them. its fair game for people to talk about it if you are so open with it and make money with it.
its fine to write about love, but if its directly about someone the rest of the world knows its just trashy.
that most people only know about her love life has nothing to do with her being a woman, but it is entirely her fault. its hard to deny when so many of her songs are about that thing and so many public appearances are with… well… men who had gay rumours *cough*
Isn’t Ed’s love interest in “Don’t” supposed to be Ellie Goulding? Where’s the secret in that?
That’s what I’m thinking – everyone writes songs about their life and relationships, but the difference is her relationships were a bunch of very famous guys in a row, so everyone tries to guess which one a song is about.
There’s plenty of sexism in the music industry, but I don’t think that is a specific example of it.
She’s fairly benign, so she doesn’t bother me, although I’m not a fan of her music. However, I think Taylor is fairly humorless when it comes to anyone poking fun at her, regardless of the gist of the joke.
You’re just saying that because you eat babies for breakfast! 👶
Nope, that’s reserved for luncheon.
Can one luncheon by themselves? I think not. So you luncheon with fellow eaters of babies? I knew Chris had to have a crew.
Zecret Zociety of Zillas. meets weekly. And for the yearly Zillapalooza fest.
I totally agree about her being humorless. if she had laughed at the Fey/Poehler joking, and brushed it off, it would have been better for her. If you laugh along WITH people, it’s not as much fun for them to make fun of you. if you get mad, they see the reaction and they keep doing it.
she seems like a sweet girl to her fans, but she needs to lighten up.
Plus she could have had fun too, instead of feeling injured.
Agree. You’re not completely grown up if you can’t laugh at yourself.
that welcome to newyork song sounds so generic and bland. it made me cringe.
It sounds like a commercial. Awful.
I see both sides. There is a vein of sexism, but she does play along (naming a song Style). At the same time, she’s stopped constantly alluding to old relationships and only does it once in a while…I think it persists because she was so obvious and over the top about her blind item songs in the past that it still sticks to her a few years later (and it doesn’t help that she occasionally does the blind item thing still)
Agreed. It is sexism, but she played a part in it too by promoting her relationships, calling the paps and then write songs about them.
.
Cogent, poignant and transparent comment. 5 out of 5 stars.
Yap yap yap. Quit talking so much mim.
What? I’m growing up and stuff, you guys.
Sexism! (in response to mimif’s OP, showed up here because sexism.)
She is the same age as me but I always forget that when I read her interviews
I think she has some issues because her choice of boyfriends and the way it always ends is disturbing and questionable. She seems to be very obsessive-compulsive person.
I love this place.. For reals cause we’re
All able to cape for a real grievance and call her simple and innofensive enough but 100% are calling this girl out on her act and the woeth me put upon nature of her umbrage and fee fees when this is something she’s created and perpetuated all on her own
“woeth me put upon nature of her umbrage and fee fees”
Brilliant. You are a Shakespearean gossip-commenter.
I know, I did a full stop at umbrage. I love it when QQ pulls a QQ.
*pets QQ*
*tosses half-fermented, half distilled potatoes at mimif, in celebration*
*hovers glass of oj to catch excess vodka*
waste not want not.
Bingo. She whines and plays the victim. Gaga cries, whines, and plays the victim. I guess there’s no pop stars like Cher and Madonna these days, who were fearless, did what they wanted and didn’t play the victim to the public when there was backlash about it, fair or unfair criticism even.
Taylor has made a career on her boyfriend songs where she’s been wronged over and over, which everyone knows who they are about and there’s lot of songs about lots of famous boyfriends. And then she wants to complain about it when people don’t embrace it or make fun of it and pull the sexist card. She needs to just do her thing, and people will like it or won’t. And she needs to get a sense of humor.
QQ, I want to live inside this comment forever, nothing burns more than the truth. ♡
Her skin is gorgeous!!
No its not sexist; its exploitative to use her famous lovers like that. Or her famous friends, for that matter. I can’t fault her, though. What the hell else is she going to write about? How do u write a pop song about your note-card writing room or your kitty cat. Lets face it – the famous people she screws or pals around with are the only interesting things about her
I listened to Out of the Woods the other day. The whole song is just referencing VERY specific moments in her relationship with Harry Styles, and she hasn’t even bothered to disguise it. There’s no need for that. You could take out all the identifying lyrics, replace them with something similar, and keep the exact same feel and meaning. Suddenly it’s not quite so clear-cut, the song could be about a few different people or it could just be a song she dreamed up. Everyone said the same thing about Ed Sheeran’s Don’t. Change a few lines, no problem.
It actually ruins a lot of her music for me. Out of the Woods is a fun pop song, but I can’t enjoy it because it makes me think about the derpy guy from One Direction and how stupid their whole ‘relationship’ was. If it was vague about all that, I’d have it on repeat.
This. She may not say their exact names but the lyrics are so obviously pointing out facts she wanted us to know about her relationships. So lets pretend you’re all about privacy Miss. He-dumped-me-over-the-phone-in-ten-seconds.
She did the same with Jake Gyllenhall, referencing a scarf we saw them share and a family visit (Thanksgiving – there was an US Weekly photo shoot in Brooklyn) and the lattes we know they ordered. I think her “hookups” are actually setups for PR and future songs. She probably really dates her body guard. Or a girlfriend.
I just listened to it (by the way, there’s a great cover by callmekathleenn) so did Harry get stitches when they were together?
Tell me again how Swifty has learned so much about feminism. No, seriously. She’s still not getting it. About her songs: yes, all songwriters use real life scenarios in their work. But Swifty is no longer using her experiences to write a relatable song and present it to an audience with the intention of relating a shared experience, as the others appear to do. She’s using them to name call, pick fights and even humiliate specific people in her life. It’s not about her audience and relating life experiences, it’s just all about her, and yeah I find that to be a fair criticism. And she needs to stop saying she doesn’t name names because she does, albeit indirectly. And what about dear John? Sorry for the rant, but she’s really making me angry now. Stop playing coy and using feminism and sexist claims to deflect.
Her feminism guru is Lena Dunham so it is normal that she is not getting it.
I agree with you. I think Taylor has some talent, is hard working, is lovely to fans and is not a malicious person. Having said all that, she is so so petty.
I don’t think it is right that she gets more criticism than say Ed Sheeran(who also received criticism) but I do think her songs are even more thinly veiled critiques of past relationships and that their is more of a definite exploitive feel to her song writing. All writers draw upon their own experiences to a certain extent but Taylor deliberately adds details to her songs to let the audience know who she is calling out, as if to say, “Look how this awful guy hurt poor little me”.
I guess I feel she is pathetic and using sexism and feminism to deflect criticism of oneself is disgusting. This is similar to her line about a place in hell for women who don’t support women after the Poehler/Fey comments.
+1,000,000
I was reading essentially this article on buzzfeed – same basic notion and whatnot – and you wouldn’t believe the comments. This one was a real ‘winner’.
“They don’t mention them because their music is actually good.
And their voices are perfect.
And they’re not annoying as shit.
And Bruno Mars beautiful.
Taylor Swift is a squirrel.”
Most of the songs Taylor makes that get the real airplay are the ‘blind’ songs. That doesn’t mean ALL of her songs are blind items. It also doesn’t mean that she should be relying on this format so often. But at the same time, I’d love to know why Bruno Mars, et al, don’t get more criticism. He is just sooo whiney. That Grenade song was AWFUL. I honestly, have not heard a Bruno Mars song I’ve liked, and as much as I hate to admit it, I’ve found a handful of TSwift songs pretty catchy.
There is a different opinion towards women singing about exes than when men do it – that’s undeniable. There seems to be a lot more “oh that poor guy” and “what a bitter bitch” than there should be. That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t criticize Taylor – but there is definitely an air of sexism in music like this, even if Taylor isn’t getting hit with it as much as she thinks she is.
To anyone who says “Oh no, it’s not sexism!!!!” just read that damn comment. That’s all you need to know.
What about it you two? Do you know who Bruno Mars dates? Did he confirm who Grenade is about or endlessly trash talk his famous exes? Did he highlight the letters M-A-R-I-A , S-H-A-U-N-E-S-S-A, or M-A-R-I-O in his liner notes? Do you even have the slightest clue who he, Adele or any other artist/songwriter with actual real singing and writing talent is writing about? No, you don’t, because they don’t have to rely on their corporate manufactured images and PR stunts for their records because they have REAL talent. And yes, Ed Sheeran and John Mayer et. al. have been called out for similar behavior, and they’ve hardly made a career out of it, have they?
Did you read my post AT ALL WAAMoS?
Honest to God – go back and read it. Did I say he didn’t have talent? No. Did I say Taylor was more talented? No.
I didn’t say that nobody could criticize swift. I did however say that there was some sexism in the way people react to women singing about exes as a WHOLE.
I guess maybe I offended you when I said that Mars was whiney? Because that’s how his songs come off to me. They’re whiney. The whole “I’d take a grenade for you and face unimaginable pain for you, but you wouldn’t do it for me” song drives me up the wall. On the other hand, we have a song about him not wanting to do anything except sit on the couch with his hand in his pants, another one of the pandering ‘oh you’re soooo beautiful, you don’t need to change – you HAVE to hear this from a man – or how else would you know you’re beautiful?’ I’m not saying they should be criticized for blind items, just that their songs are no more deep, or any less about relationships than Taylor’s.
But did Bruno Mars make his fans ‘guess’ which relationship the song was about? It would be sexism if she did not expand her career over it and we were making a fuss about it out of nowhere . Of course song-writers can use their love life as an inspiration but she is dropping hints about who the song is about and giving blind items.
Amen, and you’re the least crazy person in this discussion. 🙂
Go back and read my post. I never sad that they make money off of blind items, and I never said that people growling about her doing it are sexist. I said that there is sexism in the music industry when it comes to each gender singing about lost love/relationships.
Thanks 🙂 @WAAMOS
I still don’t see it Erinn. Bruno Mars and Swifty are not comparable in this situation. John Mayer can be put in same category with Swifty regarding their dating patterns and petty song writing and I would argue that Mayer got it worse. If there is a sexism in this situation, it is not because we belittle Swifty more than men, it is the fact that she gets away with a lot more than other female pop stars because she is so innocent and sweet. Just like a young schoolgirl.
Even though guys get rarely called out on it. Adele also writes about her exes (I mean she has like 2 albums dedicated to it) but no one gives her crap either. I think Taylor is frankly tired of being constantly told thats all she can write (when she has written other stuff) plus the fact that so does everyone else.
Also, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars both wrote unflattering songs about a woman with their name in the title (Nina, Natalie).
…the big difference being that Taylor makes it a point to coyly give clues as to the identity of the celebrities she is writing about and Taylor always trashes them. Taylor never ever does anything wrong. Taylor is a VICTIM! This may sound like a creative,fun PR game but it is a lousy deal for the celebrity being outed. What’s Taylor’s next song? Is Taylor gong to write a song outing closeted celebrities?
Just because he isn’t a celebrity doesn’t mean it didn’t suck for the guy who Adele wrote about. I’m sure all his friends know it’s about him.
And Taylor does have songs where she says it’s her fault, like Back to December for an example.
So because Taylor has the corporate machine with big money and the top PR teams promoting her then she should be a successful artist? Too bad raw talent doesn’t mean anything anymore. By the way Taylor does not write her own songs. She contributes like Beyoncé but she is not the only writer. Music today is much like anything else,PR,PR,PR……limited talent.
This is right up there with her “there’s a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women” comment. While I like her recent comments on feminism and how she’s learning, she two two steps back on this one. Taylor you put details in your songs that clearly reference specific people. Not only that but you seem to only write about your famous exes and crushes. And I really jumped off the Taylor Swift train when she wrote that appalling song about Camilla Belle (pot meet kettle Taylor). It’s quite irritating but if you don’t want people to speculate about your songs stop making them SO specific. Besides her songs read like she is in real life.
I personally know way too many people who went to school with her (including an ex of hers) and said she was just as clingy and “victim” prone when it cames to relationships back in school.
Yes they did say it about Ed Sheeran. I do not know who Bruno Mars is. They also said it about Justin Timberlake and Cry me a river. It’s not sexist, it’s calling you out on your B.S. Taylor Swift demonstrating once again that she hasn’t the faintest clue what either feminism or sexism actually are.
This.
I don’t listen to her music because its not my kind of music but every songwriter out there more or less write about their ex or partners
Bruno did write when i was your man for his ex. Bon Iver wrote a whole album to an ex For Emma,forever ago. Most famous example is Fleetwood Mac, rumours, which is just about disintegrating relationships in the band
Maybe she is especially blunt or maybe its just that she has a lot of famous exes. But i don’t think she is doing anything unusual.
I get the impression that Robin Thickes album was a lot worse in this regard.
on another note, i like her ‘cat lady’ commercial for diet coke. mostly for all the cute cats. they’re so fluffy!!
I love that commercial! So cute.
Taylor writes a song about everything and everyone who she perceives as slighting her. She wrote a rather mean spirited song about a music critic who didn’t care for her album/songs/her — basically nah, nah I’m better than you are, I’ll be remembered and you won’t, you’re worthless; she wrote a song about the Kanye thing IIRC; she writes very, very thinly veiled BI songs about all of her famous exes and then includes hints practically outing who they’re about in the liner notes of her albums IIRC; she slut shames with the best of them in her songs.
Her songs often seem like up tempo pages from a teenage girl’s burn book.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with a singer singing about relationships; singers have been doing this for how long? But because Taylor Swift has dated famous people, listeners are going to have stronger opinions. And while I would have found Tina Fey’s and Amy Poehler’s commentary slightly rude and thought they needed to stay in their lanes if it had been said about me, I also think Taylor overreacted in her response to it and shouldn’t have even said anything.
Taylor Swift- like every other starlet out there, unfortunately- has definitely gotten some sexist criticism over the years, and most of it has been about her dating life and sexuality, so I do see how she could be a little on the defensive about any and all criticism in that area, plus I also think it’s part of her personality. I don’t think criticism over her songs is entirely sexist though, and if your songs are constantly about how you were wronged in some relationship but never about how you contributed to a relationship’s demise, people are going to pick up on it.
I am liking this new direction Taylor is taking with her image, though.
eh. I like her. I’m not thrilled with how she’s trying to bring Debbie Gibson’s style come back from the 80’s with the hat’s and the bangs, but I like her music.
Honestly, all this is is Taylor Swift jumping on the feminism and sexism trend right now in order to promote her album.
I admire Swifty because she’s one of the few examples of women in the entertainment industry that has exhibited control over her career and made very smart PR moves. This is one of those PR moves. The fact that she’s complaining about sexism in this particular instance is total BS. It was her initial PR move to get the audience so worked up about which exes she was writing about on her last albums. Now she’s basically playing innocent, like her past strategic PR decisions weren’t actually PR decisions, and using feminism, which a lot of celebrities have been in the hot seat lately for, as a way to sell this album.
Hats off to you, Swifty!
Like other people said though, she really could use a sense of humor. To me, the level of control Taylor has over her career is akin to Beyonce. Beyonce also has no sense of humor. Guess it’s a control freak thing.
Uh, let’s be real. Her songs are sugar-coated, corporate, commercial and unoriginal (though fun and cute, to be fair). I wouldn’t read that much into it. That said, she’s definitely growing up.
I see way more criticism of Ed Sheeran and especially Bruno Mars than of Taylor Swift. Also: I knew that when she “discovered” feminism, she’d only use it in order to bash her critics, and most certainly not to show solidarity with other women. She’s entirely ungenuine and she gets worse all the time.
Eh, it does feed into the idea that women are defined by relationships, but she needs to own the fact that she promoted that idea herself. I’ve never understood her whining about the issue – those tracks sold so well in part because of the intrigue. It got people talking. That’s why “Out of the Woods” is about Harry Styles, despite her image change. This is where it really shows how much she still needs to grow up. You can’t sell the idea that you’re in control of your image and then complain about how that image is interpreted in the mainstream. It doesn’t work like that, especially when it’s made you that wealthy.
Shes made a career out of writing songs about famous guys she’s been out with – th media woudnt be interested in any civilians she’ d been dating -thats how shes made her money – its got nothing to do with sexism – thats just her new angle. We’re now supposed to believe sweet little swifty is growing up – I will believe that wen she stops setting her burn book to music.
I don’t mind if she sets her burn book to music, but own it, you know? Don’t sell me that you’re here to run the show and then complain about how the show is run. Part of being an adult is recognizing how your own actions affect people’s perception of you, and that’s where her child star maturation lag really comes out for me.
Picking up on something that was discussed in earlier threads about her, am I the only one who wonders if there might be more to the line “And you can want who you want/boys and boys and girls and girls” in “Welcome to New York”? If this song is about how exciting it’s been to make a home in NYC, and given all the gender-neutral language in her most recent round of remarks about relationships (“it would have to be a truly incredible person”, not “guy”, and stuff like that), it makes me wonder if there’s a bit of autobiography slipped right past people with that. Personally, I think it would make her far more interesting (whereas if it’s simply an add to show how Hip With The Times she is…ugh.)
Yes another angle might be that shes growing up and is exploring her sexuality – imagine th media interest if she suddenly found herself a girlfriend- especially a famous one?
The number one rule of writing, whether a song or a novel: write what you know. Taylor Swift has certainly done it. Every songwriter does it. But most songwriters don’t use their art to publicly and deliberately shame people – and that’s what Swifty does. Sexism has nothing to do with it. Immaturity and bitterness does. It’s not even like it’s a catharsis. It’s more like revenge.
I don’t see anything wrong with it. She’s an artist AND a smart businesswoman. I don’t remember anybody saying anything about John Mayer making fun of women he went out with in his songs.
OT, but found this news article funny..she’s so popular in Canada she can put out nothing and still top the charts.
http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2014/10/taylor-swift-accidentally-releases-8-seconds-of-white-noise-tops-canadian-itunes-chart.html?cmp=fbtl