AIBU to say Taylor Swift is a once in a generation songwriter?

[HomeatRoseCottage]

I’ve had 1989 TV on all day and she’s just magic 🥰

No. She manages her own career. It's one of the amazing things about her.

You don't seem to know anything about Taylor Swift's career. She has masterminded every single move she's made since her masters were sold away from her.

She has a team, of course. But they don't manage her. She manages them. And a multi million dollar business. On top of her creative work.

You don't have to like her, but it's an objective fact that she is phenomenally talented both as a musician and as a businesswoman.

I really adore (most of) her music, perhaps as we are a similar age and although our lives are worlds apart I have related to her songs at various points of my life and they've resonated. I do think she's a very talented songwriter, but I don't really see the point of trying to prove she's the best songwriter and I don't see why it matters really- plenty of brilliant musicians around; some selling out world tours and breaking records and some travelling around in an old camper van to lose money touring pubs and clubs!

I do find the capi-tay-lism too much though. She's build a parasocial relationship with fans and whilst I believe certainly in the start this was a genuine way for her to give back to them ie the listening parties etc, now it's a way to make money. She's so focused on breaking records, winning awards, making as much money as possible that for me I do listen to her music but I'm not arsed on the rest. The 4 editions of Midnights for example was outrageous, and then to release several more with additional songs on knowing plenty would buy them all was gross. Of course people don't have to buy them it's their choice, but the limited edition and the hype created around them means plenty get swept up in it. There's literally no need to sell 4 identical albums that just have different covers and imagery and make a clock face when put together ffs. The merch is poor quality, overpriced and takes months to arrive.

No she hasn't. Again, I am a big fan of her music and she clearly has a vision, is heavily involved in her career and works extremely hard; but she has a dedicated team around her who put in a lot of graft. Tree for example she's very open about doing her PR, and of course she has management and a whole host of people who facilitate and advise her. That's not to take anything away from her, but it's reality. This doesn't mean she's packaged and prompted as an entity rather than being herself (as far as we know...).

Her dad was aware her masters were being sold, he even made money from the sale, her issue was who they were sold to which I get, but she would have been happy to not own them if anyone else had brought them. Personally I think 1989 TV has confirmed she is bored of the re records now and is just churning them out. The production on a fair few of them is poor, there's even background sounds that are pretty clear on the vinyl that seem to be unintentional- at least make an effort!

Sorry. You're wrong.

She does not have a manager. She is her own boss.

Yes Tree Paine does her PR. But she does what Taylor tells her to do. Taylor has a whole team who do what she tells them to do.

Literally NO ONE is pulling Taylor's strings.

As I say, it's one of the admirable and remarkable things about her. Very few artists have that level of control over their own careers.

And that is the product that has been sold ….

You can call her a product if you like. I find that a dehumanising way to talk. But if she's a product she's certainly produced herself. She's not anyone else's creation.

She's very inspiring in that sense.

She owns 13 management but she does have a series of managers working for her. Do you really think she spearheads and organises everything herself? 🤣

KW is a man who is clearly and acutely mentally ill, doing and saying self destructive and extremely offensive things and needs serious help rather than encouragement of any kind. He doesn't need fans, he needs intervention.

I agree, OP. I think she’s a magnificent force of nature.

There are a few heavy handed duds like You Need To Calm Down. But the ten minute version of All Too Well is a masterpiece.

She decides the vision, direction and details. She makes the deals with streaming channels etc. Of course she delegates lots of things. But no one is managing her. Not sure why people don't believe this? She doesn't have a manager/management team that makes decisions about her career. She makes the decisions and has her staff carry them out.

Of course there are managers in her team, e.g. a tour manager etc. But no one is telling Taylor what to do. She doesn't have anyone managing her. Unlike most big musicians and bands.

Not sure I can say this any more clearly!

Very offensive to mentally ill people. Are you saying people shouldn't be fans of mentally ill people because of things they do/say when ill? He seems fine at the moment so are we allowed to be fans now? Or do we have to hold his past against him even if he was mentally ill at the time?

Don't get the Taylor Swift hype at all. It's banal bubblegum pop which all sounds the same and rather forgettable.

Don't get the Taylor Swift hype at all. It's banal bubblegum pop which all sounds the same and rather forgettable.

She’s not for everyone, but to say it ‘all sounds the same’, you either can’t hear well or haven’t listened to many songs.

😂😂😂😂😂

if you are 12 then it might feel like it

You’re right. In fact Bigger Than The Whole Sky is the very definition of bubblegum pop and is indistinguishable from Shake It Off, which in turn sounds exactly the same as My Tears Ricochet.

Us Taylor Swift fans can only dream of having your sophisticated taste.

Your definition of "seems fine" and mine are clearly very different, given the recent well reported goings on in Italy.

@Panaa became popular after lock down? I think you must be confusing her with someone else. She'd won multiple grammys, MTV awards etc before lockdown. Red and 1989 were absolutely massive albums.

I dint understand why people write stuff like that without apparently knowing anything about it?

Trying to deflect from your extremely offensive comments there!!

What did he do in Italy that suggests he's mentally ill? Nothing.
The only controversies in the months they were in Italy was the alleged oral sex on a boat and the way his wife is dressed.

I said 'bedroom pop' became very popular over lockdown with the likes of Olivia etc...and so I think that that probably brought a lot of new listeners to Taylor and made her more famous.

I never said she wasn't famous before, but that I was stunned by how popular she is NOW, because she wasn't as popular before, as I said they had to give out free tickets to fill the stadium in Ireland when she played in 2018...and that was after those albums, MTV awards and grammys.

Just back from watching the cinema version of the Eras tour. It was sooo amazing. Really exceeded my expectations as a cinema performance. Gutted I couldn’t get tickets for the live concert. Those going are in for an amazing time.

I had a listen to Taylor Swift today - I can see why she’d appeal to the masses but when it come to female singers I think I’ll stick to Michelle Shocked, KD Lang, Tracey Chapman, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Annie Lennox, Delores O’Riordan, Stevie Nicks and Beth Hart.

Yeah it's only in the last two or three years that her popularity reached Adele/Sheeran levels here (although not in album sales it must be said..maybe young teens (Swift's biggest market) dont buy as many of them...perhaps its more about TS bracelets or sparkly things with TS emblazoned on it).

She has her market and good luck to her.

Yes in 2018 they were giving away some free tickets to the reputation tour in Dublin and the UK as a direct result of her 2016 cancellation. It was cool to hate her and so reputation the album didn't get the recognition it deserved. In contrast, the 1989 tour sold out immediately (smaller venues though, admittedly). The rep tour was still a massive success though because it was an incredible show (it's on Netflix, you should watch it).

The tour added to her popularity a lot, it was a genius move really to come back fighting. Lover was big too in 2019, but it was really folklore and evermore in 2020 that cemented her popularity. I don't believe that popularity will ever dwindle again.

I don't believe that popularity will ever dwindle again.

I actually like her, but do people really think this? No one remains super popular forever.