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 🥰

yes

Christ, there are people out there judging wispy hair.

happily these are the moments I find occur on MN and not in real life.

Yanbu.
Young women are quite capable of writing classics.

You would have a point if white people hadn’t ripped off black music for decades, even Elvis did it.

I agree. Her lyrics are very clever and the songs are all bangers.

I will never understand why she is dismissed so much as having written her own songs.

Why??? Does anyone doubt Ed Sheeran writes his songs? Or Billie Eilish (who co-writes with her brother). Yes she uses co-writes at times but a lot of that is to do more with production and experimenting with sound. Sometimes she is sent the full melody, sometimes she writes the entire thing herself. But she always writes at least some of it. Her lyricism is unmistakable. She has just the most beautiful way with words. Even her most simple lyrics just hit a punch.

Some people don't take her seriously because she looks a certain way, her parents had money (not mega rich though) and she has had some famous ex-boyfriends.

Also, the sexy baby/monster on the hill line I don't just relate to her height. She's the monster on the hill because she's always going to be Taylor Swift and hugely famous. She can't escape that. She accepts it's her own doing though. The sexy baby thing is a (very funny) Tina Fey reference.

The racist comment has been deleted now.

TS is awesome. I started listening with my then 10 year old who was a huge fan. We are all still fans now nearly 7 years later. I'm mainly a rock and country girl but TS is my favourite female artist of all time.

The lyrics of her songs are written and pitched at people out of their teens.listen to exile and Tolerate it.

I’m not implying anything. I’m quite clear that you have to be doing the most impressive mental gymnastics I’ve ever witnessed if you think 1) there is an interpretation of the phrase ‘going death con 3 on Jewish people’ which is not anti-Semitic and 2) if you don’t realise that the very act of describing imbalances in the music industry as somehow the responsibility of Jewish people is anti-Semitic.

This is a thread about Taylor swift, it’s not the place for you to spout apologia for an anti-semite. Go and start your own thread about Kanye if you want to do that.

Agree shes amazing. Folklore in particular.

I'm not good at discerning hits from albums

isn't about half of Midnights just her?

she works with Jack Antonoff a lot but why not? They work brilliantly together, I love his work with the Bleachers but I posted some here once and just got "who"?

but yes, frim memory, I think about half of the current album is just her on the credits (i might be getting my albums mixed up).

does anyone deny Matty Healy's great lyrics because his bandmates are sometimes credited?

@CantFindTheBeat it is wispy though and it's my opinion.

@NeverTalksToStrangers2

She has just the most beautiful way with words. Even her most simple lyrics just hit a punch

Can you give an example? I just don’t see it. It’s all cliches and been done a thousand times before.

Tons of examples on the thread.

Which bits hit a bunch? I just see entire song lyrics copy and pasted.

Post Malone is also incredible song writer !

Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Adele and Harry Styles I think are likely to be the music icons of this generation.

All outstanding songwriters and performers. Taylor is not ahead of the others, so not 'once in a generation'.

its pretty clear that you’re happy to excuse Kanye because you hold the same revolving beliefs.

Even though I was born in 1989 I just can't relate to Taylor Swift music/lyrics. Somehow she is basic and problematic all at once, but not in an intriguing way like say Billie Eilish. Although I can't deny Taylor's working ethics and grit, that surely deserves respect.

I think she's grown up with her music. I'm the same age as her and have listened to her music on and off since her debut; I could relate to her songs at the time and if you look at her discography chronologically (not counting TVs but when the originals were released) I personally think you really notice it. She has a fairly unusually vast body of work and it's not surprising to me she resonates with a lot of people across different ages- she captures a wide spectrum of stuff.

Chypre "Somehow she is basic and problematic all at once"

Taylor's right - it is exhausting always rooting for the anti hero! 😂

Again, OP said 'generational'...so we now are judging her against the very best.

Co-writing songs (pretty much all her big hits) with a team of collaborators does not make one a 'generational songwriter'.

Freddie Mercury sat down at his piano and wrote "Bohemian Rhapsody".

That's a generational songwriter.

Co-writing chessy pop songs (none of which are global anthems that every man their dog knows) means she can never be considered generational.

She's good.. but needs a different theme.

I've posted lyrics I love on a similar thread a few months ago and had people saying they didn't get it. So I'll direct you to songs.

Clean
Tolerate it
Would've, could've should've
Dear John
Marjorie
You're on your own kid
Right where you left me
Last kiss
Bigger than the whole sky
New Romantics
Death by a thousand cuts

If you can listen to 5 songs from that list, any 5, and still say she's not great, then fair enough.