When I saw this Wonderland magazine cover yesterday, I barely recognized Taylor Swift. You know why? Because it’s been too long since we’ve seen her without bangs!! I’ve actually gotten used to those horrible, too-thick bangs. I guess Wonderland hates bangs though, because they styled Swifty to look… I don’t even know. More like Cara Delevingne than Karlie Kloss. I’m not sure if these are eyebrow merkins or if they just used that brow-mascara stuff on her. But she’s rocking some full-bush brows. It’s an interesting look! When speaking to the magazine, Swifty talked about Twitter trolls, single life, yadda yadda.
On online trolls: ‘Twitter’s dark underbelly is that it gives people a veil of anonymity: they can have a terrible day at work, feel awful about themselves, come home and get drunk and go call someone ugly on Instagram. If people don’t have anyone to talk to about [their problems], they go online and just say wicked, gross, cruel mean-spirited things about people. I wrote ‘Shake It Off’ for my own situation, but also for the situation that everyone finds themselves in now. It’s not a celebrity issue, it’s a people issue.’
Her single life: ‘I’ve been with myself for so long now, I like it. I’m not willing to give up that independence for anyone. Basically, there’s the tiniest, tiniest, tiniest chance you might find someone you can have a real and long-lasting relationship with. In my teenage years, I was enamoured by the idea of romance because I thought it was going to be this ‘happily ever after’ situation.’
Her new album: ‘This was sort of the final phase of the sonic evolution I feel I’ve been on for the last couple of years. I’ve been experimenting with pop sensibilities and then on my last record, I got attached to it. That’s the wonderful thing about trying as many different ways of writing music as possible – discoveries.’
[From Wonderland via The Daily Mail]
I think she’s right about online trolls and how it’s not even a celebrity issue at this point. But I think it’s a woman-issue. I think women are far more likely to get attacked, harassed and threatened online, celebrity or not.
What else is going on in SwiftyWorld? Well, Swifty made Barbara Walters’ annual Most Fascinating People list for 2014. This is actually Taylor’s first time on the list (how is that possible?) and the 2014 list includes Chelsea Handler (?????), Oprah (obvs), Neil Patrick Harris (worthy) and Scarlett Johansson.
Some pics of Swifty outside of GMA yesterday morning:
Photos courtesy of Wonderland, Fame/Flynet.
People on twitter are INSANE. I have an account, but hardly ever tweet. I just watch from afar, but the things that people say shock me.
It really is disgusting.
I like her hair that way. She does have a lovely face.
The veil of anonymity thing is true, but hardly an original observation.
And those red shoes are everything.
Gorgeous!
yes those shoes are amazing!
She looks way better with a harder edge to her look!
It’s not just women who troll online. Women actually aren’t even as bad as men . I often have to post to reddit on behalf of the company I work for, and as soon as I post, all these men start questioning and attacking. It’s almost as if you can’t do anything right.
I think the opposite was meant.
Neither Swift nor Kaiser implied that most online trolls are women. Kaiser actually pointed out that women were more likely to be victims of online harassment.
@ Dana, Reading comprehension fail. She said women are the primary VICTIMS of trolling, not that they are the ones doing the trolling.
oohh noooot a good look on her!!
Great cover photo and I love the different look to her, color to her face, bangs back, hair a little darker for the photo. There’s been so many photoshopped to oblivion cover shots, that I appreciate this one. I have to show my niece this photo. It looks like her in the cover, and she looks nothing like Taylor Swift.
I’ve been wondering for a while, but this solidifies it for me. Taylor got her eyes done, didn’t she? She had a unique eye shape, very cat-like, or something but also kind of squinty, in her early career that I had been noticing for a while did not look quite the same. They have just seemed a little more open looking in recent years. I thought maybe it was fake eyelashes opening up her eyes or touches of botox lifting them up, but maybe she just had her eyes done early, like Reba did in her career. Well, Reba wasn’t this young, but she did it fairly early.
I actually love the different makeup too! It looks well sexy on her, which is not something I’d usually say. Usually she’s very asexual, despite all the leg.
For the eye thing I think I see what you mean. Check the pap stroll photos though and she’s back to the usual ‘squint’. I think it might be combo opening her eyes more for photos and the makeup/extension combo you mention? Lol or she really could have had work done, did she go absent for a couple months sometime?
You may be right. Maybe she used to accent her slanted up eyes more with the way she did her makeup and she is just changing everything up. I do love that photo of her on the magazine, though.
Here she is at 16. The odd thing is, she wasn’t so gee-golly like she has been in interviews for years. She had a little more fire in her, like talking back to her parents that she was going to drive. She was a little geeky, but more in the normal 16-year-old way, not in that syrupy geeky way I’ve seen her do in interviews. I like her better here than her typical gee-golly interviews.
Maybe she didn’t get her eyes done and it’s just all her different eye-makeup and eyeliner style choices.
Taylor at 16.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vPehq1SHmE
Correction – you wrote Shake It Off WITH Max Martin & Shellback, who also produced the track and wrote most of your recent hit singles – Trouble, 22, WANEGBT.
Your “sonic evolution” involved using the same two Swedish writers/producers that everybody else does – Pink, Britney, Maroon 5, Sean Paul, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry – and apparently not giving them proper credit!
Oh, stop it. Taylor is a good songwriter. Everyone has people that helps polish the songs or arrange or co-write. The Beatles, U2, on and on. An album and a collection of songs rarely stays as-is from the songs being written. This whole Taylor doesn’t write her music is old. Just like Martin Gore writes the songs for Depeche Mode, but those songs are then arranged and built into much more sonicswise by Alan Wilder, when he was with them, or their producers. And most songs have a co-writer. Roland Orzabal was the architect of his songs for Tears for Fears and is the driving force, but he usually had a co-writer that helped finish the product who got credited if they added something, but make no bones about it, he was the visionary and the main songwriter and it was his voice and style of songwriting in those words and everyone knew it, no matter if sometimes one or two people were credited because they added a little something.
And a producer is important on every album for every band, songwriter, and has influence. Taylor isn’t unique in that regard, but she has a vision for her music and is the songwriter.
I think Taylor provides the same input as Pink,Maroon 5 and Katy Perry do with the majority of songs in her Red and 1989 albums. Nothing more,nothing less.
Really Jayna? Which is why her last two albums sound a helluva lot like generic Swedish pop and nothing like her self-penned “country” records?
I’m not denying that Taylor USED to write all her own material, but claiming that her new direction is entirely her own work is fallacious – there’s “polishing” and then there’s writing a few lyrics and having someone else create a very familiar sound around them. She also used to claim she didn’t use Auto-Tune and that’s been proven untrue, so it’s not like she’s above using the same pop template as everyone else. Let’s not pretend she’s somehow different or “better” than Katy Perry or Britney nowadays.
Oh please… the lyrics to her songs are completely in the same style. the only different thing about her songs are the sound and that may have been influenced and arranged by her Swedish pop producers. THe lyrics have Taylor written all over them.
I know you want to dismiss Taylor as much as possible, but it’s simply not true. It has been well doumented, even on this album, Taylor’s songwriting process in the collabs with Ed Sheeran, Imogean Heap, etc., that Taylor writes her songs and 95% and the collab is their for the sound or for minor adjustments. She already comes in with the idea and the lyrics. Imogean Heap wrote a lengthy blogpost on her blog documenting this experience if you care to read it… but you probably won’t as it’s easier to just keep blindly hating her.
I’m not into social media remotely, but damn Taytertot Twitter ain’t the Silk Road, calm your titties.
Swifty has a good point. GamerGate is a recent example of Twitter’s underbelly. It was trolling and misogyny on a whole new level. Women who were attacked by the trolls received rape and death threats, AND got doxed.
http://gawker.com/what-is-gamergate-and-why-an-explainer-for-non-geeks-1642909080
http://www.polygon.com/2014/10/11/6963279/brianna-wu-death-threats-police-harassment
I have heard and read completely different sides to the gamer gate issue. So people should read articles from the other side to get the complete picture. I have no idea which is correct,but obtaining information from far left sources may leave out a few details.
Yes, Gawker is a pretty left website but whatever articles a person reads on GamerGate, I think we can all agree that that death threats and getting doxed is beyond the pale.
To Steph —
Here’s the other side.
http://static02.mediaite.com/themarysue/uploads/gallery/ethics/E12.jpg
Hello Kitty…Agree. I haven’t taken the time to study the subject,so I have no opinion but whatever it is,it certainly seems to be quite volatile. Emotions are certainly charged and accusations are flying.
I am a feminist and a life-long gamer and I support GamerGate. Yes, there are lots of misogynists and MRA types in this fight, but they’re everywhere where there’s a woman online. It is terrible and as long as I’ve had an online presence, I’ve experienced that crap personally. However, that issue has now become the entire discussion. Quinn and her ilk take focus away from the absolutely real and very massive issue of corruption in gaming journalism. If you do not have a presence in the gaming world, you will not understand the extent to which this corruption injures the gaming public. If you’re not a gamer, the stakes don’t matter for you. You’re so barking up the wrong tree with that mess.
Swifty’s thesis statement is the underbelly of social media. Our discussion is getting into the merits of GamerGate. For Kaiser’s sake since she just talked about thread-jacking in the Cumby post, we should stick to discussing social media trolling
I don’t read Cumberbatch posts and I didn’t bring up GamerGate.
That observation is about as deep and profound as her lyrics.
She is usually wearing a wig. The thick bangs is part of her wig repertoire. The cover photo is her own thin hair.
Doesn’t look thin to me! Just different. I’d rather trow a wig on than style my own hair! lol
Totally off topic, but I live for wigs. My own hair is enviable, but wigs can give every outfit a truly unique look and you can show different sides of your beauty every day. I’ve been shaving my head for about a year to make wigs extra easy-peasy and I regret nothing. I only judge fake hair when it’s gnarly, which I don’t think Taytortot’s is.
Thin hair? Look at the link I put on here of her at 16 at home and hanging out at high school. She doesn’t have thin hair.
Lol, they gave her a mullet.
I think she looks gorgeous.
Someone in my family who is a fireman, married, dad of 40 goes online at night and talks sh** to Kayne West on twitter.
I think people get so sick of these celebrities and their bs that it feels good to tell them how they feel. I mean for every bad tweet their is a series of 50 fan girls saying omg I love u. Does anyone who criticizes a hater?
How much of this applies to bloggers? The bloggers who trash these célèbre ties but would be OMG love u if they met them?
Some celebs want so badly to silence all dissent because those big bad meanies who don’t treat them like they’re the anchor position of a human centipede hurt their widdle feewings. Sorry celeb snowflakes, you gotta cope.
It’s not criticizing, it’s trashing your problems
on people who have done nothing bad to you. I don’t see how being hateful towards a celebrity is any good should make you feel better!
Moreover we’re talking about people who keep spewing hateful,violent and racist stuff on Twitter.
I’ve never been rude to a celebrity online but I don’t fan girl either.
I was really rude to a DIY blogger and told her that her house looked like spray painted junk. I felt so embarrassed after.
Trolls are everywhere and trolls gonna troll. But everyone who calls celebs on their various bullshit isn’t a jelli h8r and -many- people lump the valid criticism and trolling blather together. Celebrities will attract trolls, thems the breaks; but some celebs, Taylor particularly, thinks criticism and trolling are one and the same.
You are right on about people having problems and taking them out on unrelated people, celebs or otherwise. I think most of the hateful comments out there come from the commentators own problems, insecurities, anger, fear, etc, and have little to do with the person they’re actually saying them to.
Her music bores me but she is a very conventional beauty and obviosly a savvy business woman. Plus I like that she doesn’t dress like a street walker.
I think she looks good with bangs, anyway this look suits her. It gives her that late 80’s vibe and that’s not bad.
She looks like a young Faith Hill.
I like her GMA outfit, the shoes are great.
Pfft. Your body is a WONDERLAND. Did anyone else snicker at the cover and the Mayer connection? Also, those little tween pink hearts are doing me in.
Shh, you sound like a jeal h8r, Kidoo.
GREEN Is my color, mimif. The monster is consuming me, I WANT TO BE TAYLOR, she’s so amazing. *fires off bait bucket into sky, draws little pink hearts in a notebook, writes’ hate’ 50 times*
My bff made me watch that video, you know the one of which I speak. I immediately put on Ghostbusters & Court and Spark at the SAME TIME, sprinkled chunky yellow resin necklaces everywhere and I no lie, kiln dried two ceramic cockatooiel tree stump effigies out of peanut butter in the likes of the poster formerly known as ROBYNSING, and let it all the hate go.
I want to change my name to Dark Underbelly.
Oh wait, I have a Joni Swiftchell song*:
Twiiter is the underbelly underbelly underbelly
it’s not a notecard, a bakegood or the telly
dark underbelly dark underbelly dark underbellydark underbelly
what the helly?
dark underbelly dark underbelly dark underbelly dark underbelly underbelly
I don’t feel welly
* sung to the beat of a 90’s Jazzercise original score.
There’s not a lmfao in the world that can convey my emotions right now.
*mic drop*
*bows down*
*elly, elly, elly
under my umbrelly, elly elly…eh heh heh…
Kiddo, tanning is so 1992. I’m PASTY UNDERBELLY and proud.
Seriously when some post the most petty ridiculous comments , people on this blog just stink of jealous … Funny she selling million of records with her writing while you just post on a celebrity gossip blog , do they pay cause kiddo your here everyday , question do you have a life or friends .
There’s a special place in hell for women like you: right next to me eating Crackerjacks and laughing at the bay-bee cutie Taytertot hearts.
I get a Keira Knightly vibe from that first pic.
Jordan Catalano, anyone? That’s all I could see in the first photo (compared to: https://s3.amazonaws.com/vice_asset_uploader/files/1400186438my_so_called_life_noisey_38.jpg). It’s definitely the hair and the eyebrows.
Oh, yeah, I see it! I think she looks like a teenager in this picture. Even knowing it was Taylor, I had a hard time recognizing her.
I think she’s really strikingly beautiful in this picture (so was Jordan Catalano). I like her regular look, but this is a great change-up. I’m not a big fan of Taylor’s music, but she is very, very pretty.
This is ironic because of the topic but she looks horrible here! It looks like a school pic, and I’m not sure why her face is posed like that. I think she looks best with bangs, it makes her face less squinty.
Listen, I know swifty fans like to defend this girl to the hills and back, but she does not write most of her song lyrics. My friend worked with her in Nashville and stated that while shes super nice and even prettier in person, she did not write most of her songs. Now she may “write” more than her peers, but lets not pretend she’s this wonder kid.
Really? Is that why she got a songwriting deal in Nashville with Sony at the age of 14? I read BS into this comment.
Your friend knows Taylor’s songwriting process for every song she writes? What song did they work on together? Receipts…
Mila, this is what I mean. I believe I said she does not write most of her songs. MOST. NOT EVERY SINGLE SONG EVER RECORDED. Good grief. And she probably helps to a certain degree. But look at the credits for each song. Uh, what do you know? There are more people listed than Taylor as a songwriter. Those are your receipts. Do you know her process? …..that’s what I thought.
If it weren’t for twitter and social media, Ms. Taylor wouldn’t be where she is today. What she must be cognizant of is that she lives America where we have the right to comment on twitter, blogs, etc. without her approval. She wants to live in a big bowl of sugar, but in the end she will only get ants. For someone who supposedly doesn’t care what people have to say, she actually cares too much. Calm yourself Swiftie, your fans would follow you to the gates of Hell….that is if they get written permission from their parents or at least wait till they’re 18.
“Dark underbelly” sounds like something that would be found on Simon Cowell.
*gigglesnort*
Taylor Swift hates anonymity cause she could never be anonymous I guess.