to think Taylor Swift is our century's answer to William Shakespeare

[beastlyslumber]

She's such an incredible storyteller and lyricist (and her songs are ridiculously catchy. It's all about the hooks.) Listening to her album 'folkore' this afternoon - she wrote two whole albums in lockdown, you know. And they're both great, but 'folklore' is insanely good. As she moves away from autobiographical writing into character stories, her storytelling is getting even more emotionally direct, and even more fun. She's a total genius. Even on the rare occasions when her hooks and melodies don't grip you, her lyrics always get right to the heart of things.

If there's any justice in the world, Ms Swift will still be celebrated in 500 years for her original, moving, funny, perceptive and subversive writing.

YANBU = Obviously! She is the Bard of Pop
YABU = WTF? She's way better than Shakespeare

Are you her mum?!

pmsl

She is pretty fab. Folklore got me through lock down.

However, Paul Heaton is The Last King of Pop and a lyrical wonder.

Not a fan

I agree, I think she’s brilliant

Are you pissed?

I love Taylor Swift, but it’s impossible to say who will be remembered in 500 years time. She’s certainly had a lot more mainstream acclaim since folklore/evermore though.

Pah. She is nothing compared to Carly Rae Jepsen who is surely, the superior, Kit Marlowe of our modern times.

'I Verily, Verily Like Thee...'

Stop being so ridiculous .

I haven’t listened. The only TS I know is the one about never ever ever getting back together. Like ever. Which I love!
I just wanted to say I enjoyed your YABU / NBU choices 😀

@Disfordarkchocolate

She is pretty fab. Folklore got me through lock down.

However, Paul Heaton is The Last King of Pop and a lyrical wonder.

I haven't followed Paul Heaton since The Housemartins - but they were brilliant, weren't they? The Beautiful South, too. Hmm, I will have to look him up on spotify!

This made me lol
But yes, seriously
Songwriting as storytelling, she is the Bard

Or indeed a bard of our time, those who dislike her can't deny that description surely...

'I Verily, Verily Like Thee...'

Hahaha! Love that

Yanbu, she's the bard! Though I've not
Listened to folklore. Will make amends pronto!

@DaisyNGO

This made me lol But yes, seriously Songwriting as storytelling, she is the Bard

Or indeed a bard of our time, those who dislike her can't deny that description surely...

Yes, I'll accept a bard, if not the bard!

@toastofthetown

I love Taylor Swift, but it’s impossible to say who will be remembered in 500 years time. She’s certainly had a lot more mainstream acclaim since folklore/evermore though.

Has she? I thought 1989 was the commercial and cultural peak but I lost track of this kind of thing in recent years.

@Disfordarkchocolate

She is pretty fab. Folklore got me through lock down.

However, Paul Heaton is The Last King of Pop and a lyrical wonder.

This. He is a living God.

TS not bad too.

@buckeejit

Yanbu, she's the bard! Though I've not Listened to folklore. Will make amends pronto!

It's SO GOOD. Simple, folky, written and produced at home so it's simple and nothing fancy/dancy - but every song on there is incredible.

No, Eminem widely considered to be the modern day Shakespeare.

I'm with you OP. The lyrics to "the man" are spot on. She has totally nailed all sexism and it's so underrated

I thought 1989 was the commercial and cultural peak but I lost track of this kind of thing in recent years.

Some serious emo dude re-recorded the whole of 1989 in a serious, emo way. I can't remember who it was. TS took it in good spirits, but it was a bit bloody cheeky!

She's put out two albums in lockdown - folklore and evermore. They are pretty similar in style. I think folklore is more robust and has the better songs, but I don't know evermore as well yet, so I might change my mind. I think folklore got quite a bit of critical acclaim - for whatever that's worth.

Shakespeare wasn’t a singer… or a song lyric writer.
Has TS written a play I haven’t heard about?
What are we comparing?

@selflove

I'm with you OP. The lyrics to "the man" are spot on. She has totally nailed all sexism and it's so underrated

Right?! So underrated. Personally really love 'mad woman' from folklore for THE song about gaslighting fuckery.

Oh don’t be so fucking ridiculous. Taylor Swift?

Jesus H Christ.

Haven’t heard Folklore but completely agree her songs are brilliant. (Won’t say why I think so - people can write their own ‘content’.) Every time I play my favourite album of hers I emerge with something I’d never noticed before.

But if you want this century’s Shakespeare - try Michaela Cole’s ‘I May Destroy You’. There’s dialogue, in the school episode in particular, that reaches such a level of greatness it takes your breath away.

(Also, in years to come I think we’ll look back on right now as a golden age for poetry in English. Hard to say whether any current poets will develop truly sustained careers.)