To not understand the fuss over Taylor Swift.

[Partyinthedark]

Now. I don’t dislike or have any hate for the woman at all. She is very pretty, talented and it sounds like she is a good person. Not my taste in music, but some of her songs sound good.

but omg. People seem to be bloody obsessed with the lady. £300 a ticket to the Edinburgh show. People queuing from 5am to get near the front.

as a guide leader in 2010 or thereabouts I remember some 12 year old girls declaring their love for her. But it seems like lots of adults seem to love her too!

Taylor Swift is a great performer - the show looks incredible! I do think however that she exploits her fans financially- for example the multiple drops of the same albums with later versions including more songs so fans who have pre-ordered have to buy another version to have the full album. And then the collectors editions of the same albums with different cover art, again encouraging fans to buy multiple versions to have the full set. Plus charging for streaming rather than movie purchase, the really expensive merch etc.

her fan base are young and are vulnerable to being manipulated into believing they need all this stuff to be a true fan, and they then inevitably get themselves or their parents into dept

She’s a billionaire (or not far off) she doesn’t need to make so much money off her fans(plus the environmental impacts of mass production of merch/albumsetc).

I'm sure that there's a huge amount of people who would prefer to go to listen to Taylor standing still in a jeans and jumper rather than go to listen to Catherine Jenkins or Barbara Streisand. 😂

I'd also say that given the chance most people would prefer a more intimate venue with less production and it being stripped back to just Taylor singing rather than a big show.

Now you’re being ridiculous. Katherine Jenkins is a classically trained mezzo soprano (who, incidentally, couldn’t sell out my local pub, never mind 8 nights at Wembley Stadium). She’s also never written a song in her life. And performs almost exclusively in ballgowns.

What’s wrong with being sexy anyway? What’s wrong with dancing? What’s so virtuous and commendable about jeans and a jumper? Perhaps you need to examine your internalised misogyny and try to figure out why it is you think she would be better if only she were covered up.

People want to see the whole production, the lights, the sets, the costumes… the spectacle and scale of her Eras show is unparalleled. They’d be pretty unimpressed if she rocked up looking like she’s just got back from the supermarket.

West End stars are fantastic singers but I'm not going to pay £££ (in some fairly intimate venues) to watch them in jeans and a jumper. I'm paying to watch a show, thoughtful and creative staging and some great storytelling.

That's what TS she's a great show woman and tells great stories, she got her start in country music which is all about storytelling and she threads that through each song and interlinks it between albums but you don't benefit from that element if you just hear her single on the radio.

I’m not so keen on her style of music but I think she’s great. And if I had a ticket to her show I’d love to go - she’s a great entertainer.

I do agree with this.

I do too actually. I’m on the mailing list and a few times recently saying you can win the opportunity to buy two concert tickets- for £170 each- if you order a copy of TTPD. There is a no purchase necessary option but still, it’s a competition to buy the tickets and I just thought ffs can you not just win the tickets??

I like some of her music but I don’t like being in big crowds of people so I probably wouldn’t attend one of her concerts.

Your joking Barbara Streisand has got the best voices in the world.

To some people.

Many others would have zero interest in listening to her and would not be entertained at all.

I wouldn't go to see her if she played in my local and it was free, because I would have zero interest. Other people would be delighted and would find it amazing. We are all different.

I live in a house with two die hard Swifties. DDs 14 & 15 are OBSESSED. I know so much about her. Where she grew up, her cats names, the meaning behind every song she’s ever written… and there’s so many! I hope after this tour - I’m not going to any shows, they are, with a grown woman friend who is also obsessed - she disappears from the public eye, marries Travis and raises a family. She’s surely peaked already!

Where can she go from here? First woman democrat President maybe? She’d wipe the board all the Swifties would vote for her. Would be a definite improvement on the current candidates.

They're obsessed because she is marketed at young teenage girls.

The cats...all of it is marketing

Who is richer than the church?

my daughter loves her - I don’t mind her - some of her songs are samey - but catchy and she seems a nice person. I know people who pay over £800 per ticket to see her. I’ll try and get some tickets for the August show - I don’t mind. I once paid over £800 to see U2.

Yes. Ppl would go for sure.

A lot of fans feel her best performances are her acoustic ones. I think she would need a guitar and piano though. I would say to keep in mind how she built her career, but from what you're saying, you don't know how she built her career.

I don't think anyone has ever seen Katherine Jenkins or Barbra Streisand in jeans and jumper, but I think that would be okay.

Someone mentioned that she has peaked.

I agree, and I think she is well aware of that fact.

I would be very surprised if she does another world tour.

I think her future will either be no concerts or very small concerts in small venues. I could be totally wrong. Of course I suppose a residency in Vegas is a possibility - if it was a small venue like where Matt Goss was playing. (That was Caesars Palace when I went. I think he did a bigger one afterwards).

And I think she will probably put a lot of work into producing music for others.

She is very big on supporting the next generation so I definitely see her doing that.

There's definitely a bit of a cult around taylor swift.

Do you not think her songs are a bit crap.

The other thing that people point out, is that her dad helped her along the way.

I don't know the exact details, but it's something like her dad bought stocks in a record company - to help taylor get her foot in the door at the record company

My parents never really 'got' The Bay City Rollers
Or with my sister, her obsession with the Beatles.

It's really not anything new.

We barely see the cats these days?! we saw them a lot more before she became really famous. Alan Carr gave her the hilarious cat painting on his show more than 10 years ago. I remember this well because listening to 1989 on the commute was how I was getting through 14 hour days at work.

I'm going to guess a lot of people on here didn't know who she was 10 years ago.

I do lose track because I've been a fan from the beginning.

But I am a bit worried in case something has happened to Olivia, and Meredith!

@Carly944 "Do you not think her songs are a bit crap"

obviously I don't, but do you really think marketing could get people to like crap songs? To this extent?

Wtf are you on about? I know loads of people who have been, or are going, and not one of them are anything like that.
What a pathetic thing to say.

It's not a case of whether you like it or not, she has got the second best voice in the world.
Regarding the merchandise of Taylor Swift, footy pounds for a t shirt, she can see the mums coming a mile off.
With her money she could afford to sell them for half that price.
Sheer greed it's ugly.

Can people see though the marketing plan behind her. She fills a marketing need.

There are no other nice middle class girls singing nice sweet songs.

All the other female singers sing much more risky songs.

They needed someone to fill the mold of sweet , innocent, middle class rich girl, who gets into no scandal.

So young teens will follow her

Do you not think her songs are a bit crap.

Which songs are you thinking of, specifically?

Springsteen merch same price. Hopefully you feel the same way. Presume Springsteen is much richer.

@Carly944 calling a 35 year old woman a "girl" seems strange.

just realised, 1989 "Bad blood" video, Cindy Crawford very much a nod to older fans then as well. Maybe I should start a thread for ...45+ fans?