when an artist releases something new…
This week Taylor Swift released four new songs, and everyone seems to take a side on how they feel about the new songs. These new songs are undoubtedly more lighthearted and less complex, which makes some Swifties angry. When looking at opinions online after the songs were released, there were people who felt very strongly that Taylor Swift’s new songs are bad and poorly produced, and others who felt that the new songs are fun and lighthearted.
why is disliking something cancel-worthy?
One constant opinion I have heard online is that if you don’t like Taylor Swift’s new songs, then you are not allowed to call yourself a Swiftie. A lot of videos on TikTok express the opinion that you can’t truly appreciate her music if you wouldn’t absolutely die for every one of her songs. I believe this idea comes from the stage of Taylor Swift’s career when she was getting canceled by the general public. From that point on, some Swifties have become extremely protective of her music by canceling other Swifties when they talk about their dislike for a certain song.
it’s okay to have “hot takes”
Contrary to some people’s opinion, I actually think it’s okay to dislike a song or even an album. As people, we have the freedom to like and dislike certain things, but that doesn’t mean we are being unsupportive of an artist. For me personally, I didn’t really like Taylor Swift’s new songs, but that doesn’t mean that I hate her or that I don’t support her or don’t want her to be successful. The fact that social media has gotten to a place where you can feel bad for disliking something is really concerning. Especially for younger people whose whole lives are shaped by social media. If we start worrying about what people will say if we state our opinion instead of creating our own “hot takes,” what will make us really us?
stop turning dislike into online hate
One of the biggest issues when Taylor Swift got canceled in 2016 was people constantly posting their hate for her online. To the extent that #TaylorSwiftIsOverParty was the number one post on Twitter worldwide. In an interview for her “Miss Americana” documentary, Taylor Swift remarks on this, saying, “Do you know how many people have to be tweeting that they hate you for that to happen?” So it is okay to dislike something that an artist puts out, but to post online about your opinions in a hateful way takes things too far. That includes hating another fan online because of their opinion.
creating happy music isn’t shallow
Another piece of this issue is that a lot of Swifties share the opinion that they love Taylor Swift’s sad and more cryptic songs more than her songs that are more lighthearted and upbeat. Some even post on TikTok about how they wish Taylor Swift would be sad again or date a certain guy who would make her music sadder. There is no doubt that she creates great sad music, but to create great sad music, the artist must be feeling depressed. There is nothing wrong with Taylor Swift making happier music, because she is clearly happier than she was in her “Tortured Poets Department” era. It’s okay to like Taylor Swift’s sadder music, but remember that she is allowed to write songs about her feelings, especially when she is happy.
that’s show business for you
Of course, being a music artist means having to face rejection and negative comments all the time. Taylor Swift’s newest album, “The Life of a Showgirl,” expresses these feelings. She talks about the negative sides of being a part of the music industry and how she is always expected to overachieve or overperform. It is impossible to abide by everyone’s opinions, and Taylor Swift understands this. She understands that some people aren’t going to love every single song she releases, and that’s okay! But as fans of an artist’s work, we should be able to discern the difference between having an opinion and slandering someone’s work.
