To not get the Taylor swift hype?

[StopBeingASquare]

I have my hard hat on.
Probably going to get my arse handed to me on a plate.

I really don't get all this fuss about Taylor swift, I just find her utterly boring. All this fuss about midnight / album / preorders / codes to then try and attempt to get tickets in Scotland when you live on the cliffs of lands end. Threads and threads about it and people planning their outfits when the gig is a year away, I thought gig attire was jeans and a tour T shirt?! From various YouTube videos I've seen of her singing live I have to say I wasn't impressed at all. Mediocre voice, dodging high notes. I'm obviously a minority here as there's people willing to sell a kidney to just get a code to be in with a chance of getting a ticket.

I saw Pink in Hyde park a few weeks ago where she was singing live, doing incredible acts, dancing, acrobats etc and it was incredible. I'm not trying to compare, but I just find Taylor so average!

Can anyone tell me why there's all of this hype. I'm fully aware my username is rather fitting.

(I'll get my coat..)

Yeah, I’m definitely not a fan and don’t see what the hype is about. But then again I’m a huge Coldplay fan, and I know they’re very marmite. Would be boring if we all liked the same thing.

To the people who think she is "average" and not talented, how many 18 year olds do you think can write songs like 'love story" at 18? That was one of many successful songs she wrote single handedly as a teenager.

I reckon people who think she's average are comparing her to other artists, not to the general population. That would be a ridiculous statement.

Even so few other artists were writing really successful songs and albums by themselves in their teens and most just haven't written the quantity and variety of songs that she has across a different genres. Although many of her singles are mainstream pop she is also written a lot of country and folk music which is completely different.

You’re being very disingenuous OP.

Agree OP. She’s just another pop star in the conveyor belt of mediocrity in recent years.

Think I might listen to some of her back catalogue today. See what she’s about. You’ve inspired me OP! I only know Shake It Off and You Need to Calm Down. 🤔

I'm not sure how many other mediocre pop stars were signed by a label at 14 and are still selling out arenas after 10+ albums. She has been writing successful songs since she was a young teenager. Dislike her music all you want, but some people on this thread are being disingenuous.

I've not understood the Taylor Swift hype since her "Reputation" album.

I was a diehard Taylor Swift fan since she released her first song, still love all her early music and sob my heart out singing along to "All Too Well", but I tried listening to some of her newer songs and they all just sound...the same. They don't have the same feel anymore. I know this is normal and she has grown up (we're the same age, I wouldn't write songs about the same things I would have at 16) but I just hate her new style of music.

I've seen her twice live and she was good, but I wouldn't pay ridiculous money to see her live now.

She writes so perceptively, honestly and insightfully about the emotional lives of women. Any woman who does that tends to be disparaged and compared unfavourably to 'real' music (or books or poetry, depending on the art in question). 'Real' music or literature is, of course, always created by men. The word 'hysteria' is deeply misogynistic and makes me flinch and this gets to the root of some people's eagerness to insist a phenomenally successful woman's success is inexplicable or not truly earned. She has made an incredible emotional connection with her fans through her songwriting and while she won't connect with everyone, it's disingenuous to try to dismiss that.

The stress and intensity around getting tickets to see her has been next level; I think that's indicative of the mess that major event ticketing has become largely because of scalpers and the need to try to get tickets to fans rather than profiteerers. It requires all this faff around preorders and codes, and even so there are tickets up online for thousands of pounds within minutes of the sales going live - imagine what it would be like if they didn't have the additional layers of security in place.

Ultimately, there are plenty of bands and singers and writers who don't resonate with me but I understand there are devoted fans who find their work powerful even if it passes me by. Taylor's albums chronicle a girl then woman's interior life in a way that I find really special. You don't have to like her, no one does and that's fine, but there is an edge of misogyny in a lot of the criticism that isn't fair.

Folklore seems to be the album that made people who’d never really listened to her go listen to her, if that helps?

But tbh, you could listen to the albums they’re on and they’re nothing like that 😂 her singles are usually nothing like the rest of the album.

Her albums are surprisingly diverse really, she leans into quite a few genres and the singles don't usually reflect the rest of the album. I have some albums I'm not as keen on and definitely although I really like her have some skips; but definitely recommend having a listen!

Absolutely agree with every word Edwardian. She is far more prolific and talented than say George Michael for example and he is generally sainted. There’s a misogynist tint to the criticism. That’s why women get defensive.

@EdwardianTable What a great comment!

She is far more prolific and talented than ...

(insert artist of choice.) Seriously, that's always going to be a matter of opinion.

And why does misogyny always have to be brought into the discussion? Most of the posters who have stated preferences have mentioned female artists, eg Pink and Beyoncé. Do women lose their right to a critical voice just because the artist in question is female? I like, among others, Kate Bush, Tori Amos and Sia. I don't automatically jump to cries of misogyny when others express dislike of these artists. I'm also not defensive because I have confidence in my own musical tastes. I don't need anyone's approval. The OP said she didn't get the hype around Taylor Swift. A small number of posters have answered with wonderful, thoughtful, insightful answers which actually answer the question. The rest have flown straight to accusations of misogyny and musical snobbery - which says more about them than they realise.

Exactly, loads of people have said they don't like Ed Sheeran but they have ignored that.

And comparing them with a dead singer like George Michael is plain bizarre.

I'm deeply suspicious of some of these people who are stating the deep meanings behind the songs etc, it's as if they have never heard any music before, and they are sounding pretentious.

I’m pretty sure she’s talking about the misogyny in how female artists are criticised - not that if you don’t like specific ones it’s misogyny.

Recent years?? Her first album came out in 2006 and she’s currently doing a record breaking stadium tour… how many people on your “conveyor belt of mediocrity” are managing that?

The difference is that most people who don't like Ed sheeran for example will simply say- I don't like him his songs are boring; which of course is an opinion and fine. With TS there are some (not all) who seem to want to justify why she's crap and why she's only successful because of her background. Why the additional layer of proving how rubbish she is when it comes to a female singer? It's not all female singers either, same with pink if people dislike her music they don't tend to then repeat half truths or twist what they've read in the press to try and discredit her and then also sometimes mock those who do like. It's just curious really, it's not like taylor gives a shit!

Yes but they haven't felt the need to go about eds background and whether he's deserving or success, or repeating things the press reported from years ago that somehow proved his music is shite- they simply say nah not a fan I don't get why so many are. I'm not sure why you're 'suspicious' of people saying this about her songs usually in response to people saying she doesn't write them herself, they're generic pop or whatever.

@YourNextJobCouldBeInCyber

How am I being disingenuous?

Pink wrote family portrait at 13.
Billie Eilish wrote ocean eyes at the same age.

She writes so perceptively, honestly and insightfully about the emotional lives of women

This is the crux of it I expect, we know things associated with women are seen as lesser and its very rare for the feelings and emotions of women to be centred in popular culture unless its sexual. She also doesn't pander to the fantasies of men in her music or in her music videos etc. She is no doubt gorgeous and not dismissing the societal beauty standard of being slim and blonde; but she also doesn't look and dress much differently to many women and girls who have related to her thought her career as she's grown up. It's fine not to like her of course it is, but the lengths some go to discredit her rather than simply say nah I don't get it is sad.

Not sure why people are shading OP though, they seem very balanced- guessing maybe people haven't bothered reading the replies?

Billie Eillish didn’t write ocean eyes.

I mean, doesn’t take away from your point that lots of songwriters start young, but she didn’t write it.