Taylor Swift is a fan favorite for so many demographics, and no one has ever questioned why. She’s smart, beautiful, poetic, and extremely talented. I have to admit, I loved her as a little girl but jumped on the bandwagon of hating her through my teenage years because people claimed she was inauthentic, phony, and untalented. As a 19-year-old, I now see that all that misplaced dislike was truly stupid. She writes more pop songs than any other artist I know of, and they’re almost always littered with beautifully articulate language that expertly conveys her feelings of romance and relationships to her audience.
I don’t believe I’ve ever heard of someone quite like Taylor Swift. Many claim that her songs are easy to understand and that she writes simple metaphors that anyone can comprehend. I don’t think that’s entirely true. Her florid writing encapsulates the millions of emotions felt by so many girls and women during the highs and lows of their relationships. She has an above-average understanding of semantics and literary techniques that she weaves within her songs to make them sound aesthetically pleasing. All the other pop songs, even those ones we call “good”, don’t do half of what she does. They use simple rhymes and basic elementary-level words that listeners don’t have to think about and you can just nod along to and enjoy the melody. Mixed with her lilting voice and huge vocal range, Taylor Swift is truly a gold mine where musical talent is concerned.
I really never was a huge fan until I heard the Tortured Poets Department album. It was after listening that I began to realize how talented she truly is, and how amazing most of her songs are. I fell in love with “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”, “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me”, and “So High School”. Something about her cadence and low register in these songs resonated with me and it clicked: I like Taylor Swift.
The amount and intensity of hate that she receives is unparalleled and it’s disappointing how the media tries to villainize her. While I don’t know the ins and outs of all of her political beliefs or what she does with her free time, I can say that she is one of the most talented artists of her generation. I have observed, however, that she will do anything for her fans. There have been various occasions on which she could have canceled her shows due to rainstorms or other difficulties, but she plays through the hardships and puts her all into her performances. For people who dislike her, remember that being able to separate the art and the artist is vital, and even if you don’t like her as a person, you have to admit that her songs are touching and thought-provoking, plus, she’ll always put forth the effort that is so lacking nowadays in many musicians.
Not only is she a great songwriter and performer, but she’s also an inspiration. Many impressionable little girls learn the importance of friendship and dedication through Taylor. I’ve seen so many young girls trading and making friendship bracelets, bonding over her music, and dressing up like Taylor would. My 11-year-old cousin loves Taylor, and it’s been a sweet way for me to bond with her as she grows up and we have less in common than we used to. Whatever your political beliefs are, you can see that Taylor stands up for what she believes in and isn’t afraid to call people out, especially misogynistic nay-sayers who doubt her and sometimes humiliate her on public television. She’s a strong force and exhibits many qualities that a leader would. If parents want their daughters to be inspired by anyone of this day and age, a good place to start is with Taylor.