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

@chocolateorangeinhaler

Her monotone vocals suck the life out of any lyrics. I have to turn her off if she's on the radio. It's like singing but with zero emotion.

I'm honestly surprised by that

I'm not sure what the vocal range is for her

Is this flat?

@Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse

Shake it off is not a great song... How are our brains so different? What are you hearing that I'm not?! I think I'm not attuned to pop music or something. I just don't understand. It's like eating McDonald's or watching eastenders or reading take a break. It's feels like it's for the simple minded.

You feel this way aboyt all pop?

My cousin is like that, only listens to classical. Fair enough. I guess it's unimaginable to me to have life without pop music!

@DaisyNGO you're not going to win anyone over with that 😂 it's mediocre. She's skinny and white and with lots of make up she looks like a stunner. Her voice is OK, her lyrics are OK. She's just found a hole shaped perfectly for her and made a fuck ton of money doing it. She's not anything special.

@DaisyNGO most pop yes. I liked pop as a teenager. It made me horney! And it was catchy and easy to sing along too. Now a days, no, I don't like it. I did hear a song a few years ago that I liked. It was by an artist called camelphat I think... Something like that. It was quite a good tune. High all the time? I did listen to that in the shower.
But I don't like cheesy pop, no.

I agree! Though, I'd say this generations Bob Dylan.

Her songwriting has improved greatly, esp with the two lockdown albums. I adore her. Am a bit obsessed with her at the moment.

I only listen to her albums from Red onwards, but genuinely believe each one gets better and better. Her Reputation album is also wonderful. Gah, love her! (See user name)

Yes I just don't get it.
I kept trying to listen to shake it off because it was her big hit but I don't think I'd recognise it outside of its video context. It's just featureless to my ears. 🤷

[quote Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse]@DaisyNGO most pop yes. I liked pop as a teenager. It made me horney! And it was catchy and easy to sing along too. Now a days, no, I don't like it. I did hear a song a few years ago that I liked. It was by an artist called camelphat I think... Something like that. It was quite a good tune. High all the time? I did listen to that in the shower.
But I don't like cheesy pop, no.[/quote]
If you like Camelphat, you do like some pop. Or disco. Are you very strict about genre descriptions?

This is dance club music I guess - love this

Haven't read much of Shakespeare @beastlyslumber? I agree she's very talented as a musician/entertainer and songwriter but come on likening her to Shakespeare?! Is Ed Sheeran Lord Byron? (I love his work btw)

No Ed Sheeran is Robert Southey.

@DaisyNGO
I don't like cheesy pop. Like I said in my last post. A lot of music is pop. I was thinking about how much I loved Gorrliaz and I guess they are pop. I only know the one camelphat song! So I can't say I'm a massive fan, but I'll check out there other music.
And I think music genres are important.
I'd say I mostly listen to Folk, drum and bass, jungle, dub, country and hip hop... I think genres cross over though and I probably listen to pop versions of those genres as well as the more niche. I just can't fucking stand shake it off or other ridiculous pop songs!

Love Gorillaz

Taylor was originally country and may be classified as folk in some ways. If Haim are folk....Shake It Off is not representative of her huge discography. When I listen to Reputation, I often skip it.

For clarification for many posters who don't seem to understand, Taylor Swift has released 9 albums, all with upwards of 12 songs on them, and only one of those is Shake it Off.

I don't get why everyone is banging on about shake it off? She's released so many songs!

These are three of my favourite live performances, a cover of Can't Stop Loving You

And this version of The Archer

& Soon You'll Get Better

[quote CascadeOceanWaveBlues]I don't get why everyone is banging on about shake it off? She's released so many songs!

These are three of my favourite live performances, a cover of Can't Stop Loving You

And this version of The Archer

& Soon You'll Get Better

[/quote] Thanks for these

To the person who criticised Eminem for writing a song about killing his girlfriend - you know who else wrote about murder a fair bit?

Shakespeare!

It’s a clever, confronting commentary on the fine line between love & hate

Also lyrically the song “Kim” has a lot more hidden meanings, messaging & references than you might expect if you aren’t familiar with his artistry as a whole

It’s a song which makes you uncomfortable, has elements of humour, rage, retaliation…

It’s the dark side of being brokenhearted

It’s too early here for me to intellectualise it much more, but this track has been discussed & dissected a lot.

Shake it Off was the first song that came to mind. Other than that one the only TS song I could think of was Blank Space.
You can’t expect everyone to be familiar with every artist’s complete back catalogue unless they are huge fans.
A question was asked and posters answered with the knowledge of TS they had I think.

Sure, but even when other songs had been recommended people were still quoting SIO as if it's her only song. I think that I wouldn't post on a thread slating an artist as being shit if I only vaguely remembered the chorus to one song released 7 years ago.

Taylor swift has received criticism for being anti feminist FYI

it’s no coincidence that the “evil” girls in her clips are always dark brunettes. She really seems to dislike brunette women!

Does she have a chip on her shoulder that she isn’t exotic?

She isn’t about girl power, she arguably tears other women down by painting herself as the “not like the other girls”

@DaisyNGO

Love Gorillaz

Taylor was originally country and may be classified as folk in some ways. If Haim are folk....Shake It Off is not representative of her huge discography. When I listen to Reputation, I often skip it.

It was on 1989.

@smoko

Taylor swift has received criticism for being anti feminist FYI

it’s no coincidence that the “evil” girls in her clips are always dark brunettes. She really seems to dislike brunette women!

Does she have a chip on her shoulder that she isn’t exotic?

She isn’t about girl power, she arguably tears other women down by painting herself as the “not like the other girls”

She had an early track called Better Than Revenge that was really not nice and derogatory. She's apologised for it since and I do think she has learned and grown as a woman and as a feminist.

I like a lot of TS, but didn't love folklore, though I'm going to give it another go... At the moment though I can't stop listening to Dirty Computer by Janelle Monae, it's just incredible! Not as recent (2018) but every single song on there is brilliant.

Dress - sorry!

When I listen to 1989, .I often skip it.

I never skip Out of the Woods. Like, ever! 🤗

Smoko - no idea what that means. So who am I offending now?

Loved this thread. The pp who linked to the Phil Collins cover, I have a contact who said she disliked TS massively till she heard that. I hadn't heard the original.

I remembered, I didn't have the Exile boyfriend but I did have the Mean ine. "I can see you years from now in a bar, talking over a football game, with that same big loud opinion but....nobody's listening..."

He said that would be me, after failing in my career 🤷🏻‍♀️

I got rid as soon as he said it.

Good Night, Swifties.
Good night, non Swifties.

I don't think I was a very good feminist in my late teens/early 20's either. She's early 30's now and you can see how much she has grown and changed, I think she definitely seems to be more about building women up these days.

Phil Collins actually commented on that cover saying "Such a beautiful voice, she absolutely nails it. Lovely to hear it." which is pretty impressive imo!

Nrtft and I'm sure it has been said by many. But Amy winehouse is the bard. Love is a losing game, is the most sublime song ever.

Over futile odds
And laughed at by the gods
And now the final frame
Love is a losing game

Makes me cry every time I hear it ❤