Here are some photos straight out of the 1980s. Look at them! It feels like these photos are what would happen if 9 to 5, Coal Miner’s Daughter and Fatal Attraction had a baby with curly hair and predator eyes. So, yes, this is Taylor Swift’s cover and photo shoot for Teen Vogue’s August issue. I will maintain that Swifty is a pretty girl, but for formal photo shoots, she needs help. She needs great lighting and she needs to not look so sneaky and squinty. I think she’s attempting to look girlish and coquettish, but I feel like she’s unhinged and about to stab me. Anyway, here are some highlights from her interview:
On her tours: “I love getting ready: the makeup, the dresses. I write lyrics on my arm for every show.”
On her favorite dress: “I get to wear it every night on tour at the end of the show when I’m singing “Love Story.” It’s long and sparkly (big surprise, right?) and a total princess dress.”
What she would do if she wasn’t singing: “I’d be doing something creative and idea-related—like coming up with ad campaigns or writing novels. Or I’d work with kids!”
On her nerves just before performing: “I do [get nervous]. But only if I’m not sure what the audience thinks of me, like at award shows. I never look down at the front row! My heroes watching = nerves!”
On the fictional character she‘d like to befriend: “Detective Olivia Benson from Law & Order S.V.U. I sit in my apartment and watch hours of that show. So I sort of feel like me and Olivia are BFFs.”
On her best friends: “My friends all have different jobs — some I get to see at award shows, some I see when they’re home from college, some are in my band! I’m so lucky to have so many people I love and trust.”
Pop culture guilty pleasures: “Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant, 90’s one-hit wonders, watching YouTube videos of kittens, the app CatPaint . . I CatPaint all my pictures. It’s weird.”
[From TeenVogue]
I often have to remind myself that Swifty is actually an adult, that she’s 21 years old and living independently and everything. Usually, she seems really immature for her age, but she didn’t come across too badly here.
By the way, I’d just like to offer this stop-gap measure, since I know I’m going to be accused of “hating on” Swifty. Here’s something that annoys me: commenters who declare that I “hate” a celebrity just because I don’t like what they’re wearing, or because I point out something dumb or silly the celebrity has done, or because I simply find a certain celebrity annoying, or not half as brilliant and wonderful as other people find them. I’ve been accused of “hating” Taylor Swift before – and I don’t. She’s not my type of girl, but I appreciate that some of you are mothers to little girls who look up to Swift, and I can appreciate that Swifty is a better celebrity role model to young girls than many other celebrity women.
Personally, I used to really like her, but my opinion on Swifty changed during the John Mayer thing, when it is widely believed that she was fooling around with him undercover, and then he dumped her and she wrote a song about it (“Dear John”), as is her M.O. for whenever anyone dares to dump her (it happens a lot). I thought that whole thing was rather sketchy, so imagine what I thought of the Jake Gyllenhaal debacle. It was a double-whammy of sketchiness that I just can’t get over.
People who like her will defend her saying that she’s young, and this is the time for her to make mistakes and have a crazy love life, and sure, that’s very true. I think if you look past Swifty’s love life, she is a good person and a role model for young girls. And yes, it could be so, so much worse. So I appreciate the variety Swifty offers. Can we go back to making fun of these photos now?
Photos courtesy of Teen Vogue.
I’m in love with the sweater on the cover. Everything else is meh. And I think you make a good point: she is a better role model for young girls, but I can promise you I won’t be teaching my potential future daughters to act like her.
They won’t be playing naieve and ditzy then dating men who are a decade older than they are. She should just own who she is. You can be into cutsey things and still want to peruse an adult love life, there’s nothing wrong with that. She is sending the message that you should hide your boyfriends from people or publically air your dirty laundry? That is not a good role model.
/rant.
always heavy lipsticks
she resembles nicole kidman somewhat.
Eeeeek! I know she’s thin, but someone please tell me that first photo in the black print dress is Photo Shopped to death! Her waist looks about to disappear.
the second to last picture is def a “im sneaking into your house to watch you sleep” kind of look.
the dated lipstick doesn’t help either. I’m 23, so not too far off from 21, and I can’t stand the girl and her songs about rainbows, butterflies and magic dust. Most of the time, its just slow talking to music. I understand being young and finding out about love, but good god.
She would fit in well in the 1940’s, me thinks…
Janna, that’s exactly what I thought!! Very, almost eerily, reminiscent of early Kidman.
Why Teen Vogue? Isn’t she like, 21 or something?
Personally, I find odd and disturbing this whole “little girl” image Taylor has, considering she’s a fully grown woman, who’s independent, rich and probably sexually active.
I think she’s too old to play Barbie. The whole “naive virgin” persona is completely unrealistic. Most 21 year olds in the world (like myself) don’t give a shit to any of the values she’s selling with her image.
I don’t understand why it’s so problematic to just let this young female stars grow up and be themselves, instead of playing a character.
I would say sexism, considering how people are so much more tolerant of the male tween stars having adult lives than the female ones.
And yeah, shitty pictures. Too.much.pink.everywhere. And awful retouching.
So horrible! Completely dated.
omg she’s gorgeous here. I love it.
I love her. dgaf what everyone says.
have met her before her concert and she’s a nice, wonderful and smart young lady. and she’s very badass and talented. jealous of her tbh.
I love that she stayed who she is despite of a lot of people saying things and despite fame.
Never even heard a song of hers and she seems pretty annoying,
but the Olivia Benson comment makes me belivie theres hope for her.
Agewise, i’m in the low 20s too… and have found her love quests to be one crazy decision after the next. i know i don’t have any reason to dislike her (i like, not love, some of her songs)and really want to like her but it’s kinda tough when she does stuff like these…
i think she’s really talented and very prettyyyyy though.
Janna – I was thinking the same thing.. she reminds me so much of Nicole Kidman.
Well, the pictorial was intentionally given a dated effect. She looks softer. She reminds me of Nicole Kidman before the botox and a young Kate Beckinsale.
Lovely.
She is a gorgeous looking woman and I wish she would change up the hair/image to look like a woman and not like a teen to get out of that “peter pan syndrome”
@urie yeah she’s very nice. I live in Nashville. Me and my friend, we gonna get coffee then Taylor walked in the coffee shop and decided to buy us coffee I mean all of us in line because she just likes to. She’s so nice. I don’t get why people say she’s acting like a little girl LOL she’s just being herself.
that photoshoot is gorgeous and she’s ridiculously gorgeous in person.
She reminds me of nicole kidman in the 80’s
@Janna, I thought the same thing. Very Nicole Kidman.
You’re all going to hate me, but I like the pictures.
She is a very pretty girl. But she needs to change expression.. wtf.
I think the reason she comes off as so immature and naive is because she has not grown up yet, and that’s because she has not had to deal with the realities of life. She became a star so young that she does not understand what it’s like to REALLY struggle and fail and pick yourself back up, whether professionally or personally. Her life has been a fairytale.
@curleque hmm. maybe but she worked hard since she was 11 and there’s some struggles that comes with it like they won’t play her on radio because she’s too young or won’t take her seriously because she’s too young, disrespecting her because she’s too young or so nice. she really worked hard. she’s self made. her life isn’t all fairytale.
she’s just a happy person and live for the little things that’s why she came of as immature but she’s very mature.
Don’t hate on the Seal Team, but she seems like a very nice kid, and I like most of her songs, especially those on her latest CD. Extremely talented songwriter.
John Mayer has always been a bit of a cad with the ladies, and I think he is a bit icky to go after a girl so young.
I also think people forget how young she still is, because she’s been around for so long. I know alot of girls around her age, and she isn’t abnormal.
I dislike her and her silly toy music. Btw, she was born in PA to an upper middle class family, and from what I’ve read her father’s isa wall street broker that used his money/influence to get her before nashville types. Like all pop stars, beneath the carefully crafted image is a corporate money machine. Why does she need to be doing covergirl commercials – she’s supposedly a singer, not a model – why, to make more money for herself and her management team before her schtick wears itself out, and the public sees what a marginally talented contrivance she is. Her persona is a calculated as any other pop star.
She looks forever suspicious of something. It’s as if she smells something bad.
@jover and why is ellen a covergirl or drew or queen latiffa? I thought they’re a host, actress and singer. if covergirl wants me, I’ll accept too. just saying
the cover picture of her without the writing on it is sooooo nicole kidman.
@jana – i agree.
she looks very much kidman here
The ghostly make-up evokes a dead Victorian.
#25 you miss my point completely about swifty and covergirl. THis is why so many people, including young people, despise today’s music and still revere the 60s music; swifty isn’t about music, swifty inc. is about cashing in every way she can before her pop replacements been replaced etc. THere’s no life or soul to her “music”; It’s all staged and fake; if her music is so great why does she need all this media attention, talk show appearances, mag covers,endorsements. etc. Pop entertainment has become so fake and staged that sadly many people can’t distinguish that from authenticity .
jover- that story of yours is very fishy.
i am sure there is thousands of rich dads wanting a great careers for their daughters… but they do not succeed.
And this dad suddenly fooled everyone and did? Not buying it.
She looks nice.
She’s 21? I thought she was like, 16! So glittery and rainbows and unicorns all the time.
This cover looks so autumn for August.
Doesn’t she get tired of red lipstick?
I am so back and forth on this girl! Like her one day and can’t stand her the next. Erg…anyway, she’s talented and pretty. Maybe when she’s more of a grown up, I can make a stand for once and for all.
Not impressed. Too heavy on the makeup. This is a magazine geared toward 12-17 year old gals who already are over-sexed as it is.
@jover yes I despise todays music except for Taylor. her music actually meant something. people feel something when they hear her songs. maybe you just can’t relate to her. and her music souless? go to concerts, everybodys crying. again, people can relate to her.
when a musician became popular and successful, media/endorsements/talk shows are following them. it’s inevitable. don’t blame the player blame the game.
the cover is oddly early 90s looking. I love that bottom photo, and I like the look of the rest, but they are sort of awkward. The bottom photo is lovely though
Role model? She has anorexia! poor girl but that kind of image makes other girls struggle with weaight issues
I don’t understand why people hate on her. As to the idea that most 21 year olds don’t give a shit about the morals she champions, I would have to disagree. There are an awful lot of people who are already “official” adults but have little to no experience with relationships and the emotional affects that they bring. Its just kept rather on the down low, consequently making those people feel terribly alone and intimidated. At my college I would say at least 50% of the prefrosh girls had never kissed a boy, and at least 75% were virgins. However, they were all so self conscious about it that they tried desperately to act cool and experienced (but when you got them one on one they spilled the beans) and a lot of blackout drunk losses of virginity followed. And if someone has barely had any experience up till that point, their idea of the sacredness of sexuality/romantic relations is wildly overinflated leading to some real breakdowns when things go wrong. When that whole sexual relations/experiences thing is extremely accelerated rather than spread out over teenagedom like it is for many people, each things that goes wrong can be more severe.I feel like tswifty has kind of the same thing, wasn’t she home schooled or something and then was abruptly thrown into the world of fame?
as to the idea that “They won’t be playing naieve and ditzy then dating men who are a decade older than they are.”Niave and inexperienced girls are EXACTLY the ones who would be most like to date a much older man.Because they are niave, and wouln’t think the older man was taking advantage of him, and would be likely to fall for all of his tricks. I also don’t see where she is complaining most of the time. She is simply channeling her emotions and stating things, not asking us all to feel bad for her and go beat up someone. Everyone’s emotions are valid, whether you understand them or not.
That said what is with her eye makeup and eyebrows all the time? The alien look is odd.
I’m getting a Kidman vibe as well.
Also, she might be young, but that can’t be used as an excuse for everything she does. If you can vote you’ve got no right to use youth as an excuse for anything.
I love her and she’s so gorgeous here. and geez people here are arguing about this girl’s dating life. we all made mistakes and dated the wrong guy. we all have done that. I just don’t get the hate tbh. other people change dates every week and this girl dates I don’t know 1 or 2 guys a year and everybodys hating on her. my god, grow up people. and I believe this girl is mature. she’s more mature than many adults that I know and most of the people who hates other people via Internet.
preach it, girl! i agree with everything that you said. she annoys the crap out of me because i hate how she, a grown woman, allows her image to be that of a very immature young girl. she very may well be like that in reality but either way, i find it frightening that a woman would allow herself to e viewed that way.
I don’t like her look in these shoots but I laughed a lot when ppls commented that she played a naive baby girl or she looked like a 16~17 yrs girl here. Check it on, it’s for the Seventeen Magazine.
It doesn’t matter if you like her or not. It likes I haven’t ever met you or known about you but I can say I hate you after reading your comment about my idol. I love her because she is really beautiful girl inside and out alive.