Taylor Swift

[stevemacdonald]

Sept 20, 2009 15:12:33 GMT nicola said:

Taylor Swift is a teenage girl who writes songs that relate to other teenage girls like Avril Lavigne has done. I remember when I was 16 and I thought Lavigne was amazing - because I loved her attitude and all of that. Listen to it now, it's all way too immature. But that's age for you. I really wouldn't expect other demographics to relate to Swift's songs if her case is anything like Lavigne's.

But I might have more to say once I give her albums a listen when they arrive for me in my library.

It's easy to see Avril Lavigne's influence on Taylor Swift. A few years ago Avril made a video called "Girlfriend" in which she played two roles: the brunette who was portrayed as bad and the blonde who was better and more deservng of the guy the brunette was with. Taylor came out with her award-winning video for "You Belong to Me" in which she also played both a good blonde girl and a bad brunette girl, with similar storyline to Avril's.

Taylor is getting by on awesome good looks, a delightful voice and a terrific personality. Her songs are cute and catchy, if a tad lightweight. Avril got launched on cool looks, a tough attitude, and solid songs that get you hopping. I'd like to see Taylor incorporate more of Avril's approach in the future. Interestingly enough, Avril Lavigne started out as a country singer before turning pop. Taylor is clearly making her mark in the pop universe and will probably head there to stay.

[sharon]

I actually only liked two songs of Avril Lavigne.
She is a bit too much sometimes. She's great, but in some of her songs, her accent annoys me a bit.
She also has said many things which were to me a little inapproperiate. But besides that, some of her songs have a good message in which I can relate to.

Anyway, Taylor is making country music popular again. I liked some country songs, like Shania Twain or Faith Hill. But they always seemed quite the same. Esspecially the very older country songs are all a bit, well, old... i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

The funny thing I see in many of these music video's,
If the artist is a brunette, then the 'evil popular girl' in the clip is always blond.
And in Taylor's video's it's always the brunettes who are 'evil popular girls'.
Very funny, cause in most movies you see it as well, although many blonds are used as 'evil popular girls' in these high school movies.

I really like Taylor for her personality. She is great with everybody.
I've seen many of these video's on Youtube from fans who went to a 'meet & greet' with Taylor.

It's like standing in a supermarket in line waiting for your turn, only to say hi and get a picture i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
But she really takes her time for her fans, always very happy and surprised if a fan gives her a 'homemade' gift.
Very genuine and thankful!

I'm glad the whole topic about the MTV thing is over...she seems to have forgotten about it as well

;)Sharon

[Elliot Kane]

Nicola - I'm in my early forties and I love Taylor's music. I know a lot of people who are both older and younger than me who think she's terrific. Her music appeals across age and genre, which is part of why she's so popular. Some people just have that special something that makes others sit up and listen, and whatever it is, she has it.

Maybe she just knows how to talk to the dreamer in all of us; maybe it's because she puts so much of herself into her music - I don't know. But whatever it is, I and many millions of people around the globe love it

Also, as Sharon says, the personality. Can't fault that!

***

As for Avril - she had some really terrific songs on her first album, but the problem was she was far more mature as a teen than she is as a young woman and her music nose-dived accordingly. Songs like Complicated and Sk8er Boi are terrific.

Avril started as Country, Steve? Are you sure? Her first album was not even remotely Country and it would be an unusual Canadian who went for Country...

As for the 'playing two roles' thing, it's certainly not new or unique to Avril.

[nicola]

Victoria Beckham did it even earlier. To some extent, you may say Shakepear's Sister also did it.

As for Swift, I'll reserve judgement until I hear her albums.

I don't like Avril Lavigne anymore, not any of her albums, though she did do a good song that I can listen to even now called 'I'm With You'. If I listen to pop music, it does have to be mature. I don't listen to any of these pop princesses - I like people like Delta Goodrem, Sarah McLachlan and Vanessa Carlton - more recently, surprisingly, Mandy Moore has turned over a new leaf.

[stevemacdonald]

Sept 20, 2009 19:58:02 GMT Elliot Kane said:

...Avril started as Country, Steve? Are you sure? Her first album was not even remotely Country and it would be an unusual Canadian who went for Country...

Okay, maybe it's misleading to say she "started out" as a country singer -- but her earliest performances before she was signed by a major label were primarily country music. I know, it's hard to believe and I don't blame you for questioning it. However, if you research her a tiny bit you will see I am not mistaken.

Taylor's playing both parts in her video was basically an homage to Avril, given that their songs cover the same territory.

[Elliot Kane]

Oh, I believe you about Avril, Steve. Just seems very weird looking at how she developed. Found her own sound in the end, I guess. The 'started out' part was somewhat misleading as to what you meant, though

As for Taylor homaging Avril - I think it may have more to do with Taylor's Fearless album inlay, which features her in both roles. I've certainly never heard/read her say that she blatantly homaged Avril and she's not usually at all backwards about coming forwards, as it were. She sees her songs as stories in her head as she writes them, apparently.

That said, it's unlikely she would have been unaware of Avril's video (Or Hayden Panettiere's, for that matter, in which Hayden uses the wig trick to catch out a boyfriend with a roving eye. Terrible song, though), so who knows?

[socalboy]

Sept 20, 2009 15:12:33 GMT nicola said:

Her talents as a songwriter have been praised by critics in the New York Times, Rolling Stone Magazine, The New Yorker, the Los Angeles Times and dozens of other respected publications. On May 19 of this year, her peers at BMI, which is a prestigious songwriter’s association, presented Taylor with the BMI President’s Award, which their website says “honors an exceptional individual in the entertainment industry deserving of special recognition. The BMI President’s Award is presented only on unique occasions when an individual has distinctly and profoundly influenced the industry.”

I don’t expect to change your opinion Larry, but there is a lot of empirical evidence out there suggesting that Taylor Swift is every bit as exceptional as Elliot says she is.

This kind of appeal to authority doesn't stand up in debates. We are all entitled to our opinions, regardless of what, erm, "experts" say.

Taylor Swift is a teenage girl who writes songs that relate to other teenage girls like Avril Lavigne has done. I remember when I was 16 and I thought Lavigne was amazing - because I loved her attitude and all of that. Listen to it now, it's all way too immature. But that's age for you. I really wouldn't expect other demographics to relate to Swift's songs if her case is anything like Lavigne's.

But I might have more to say once I give her albums a listen when they arrive for me in my library.

That’s funny. I learned that “appeal to authority”, as you put it, is a powerful debate tactic. Nonetheless, I wasn’t debating but simply responding to another poster, and the quote you excerpted was but one of several points I was making.

I’m not completely on board with this idea that it’s all about opinion. If that were so then there would be no way to measure talent and everyone would be an artist. And your blog would be nothing more than telling us that blue is a better color than red. But your reviews are entertaining and useful because they appeal to standards about which we generally agree. Opinions come in when we disagree as to whether someone measures up to those standards.

Writing music of any kind is hard. Composing even a simple musical jingle is a major task, as anyone who has tried it knows. Just like writing children’s books requires a certain talent, even though the audience is unsophisticated. The fact that we liked something when we were young and then grew out of it does not mean we were wrong at the time. Only that our tastes changed.

Taylor Swift writes and sings music for her peer group (though there are a few 40-somethings like Elliot and me who also like it). Whether she will make the transition into more “sophisticated” songwriting is anyone’s guess. And whether she can bring her audience with her is equally hard to know. But if she never writes another tune, she’s already touched a lot of hearts at the age of 19.

[milewalker]

Hi Nicola and Socalboy,

I suspect that we define talent as something like "those marketable skills which appeal to my own personal taste". Talent therefore in my view is both an opinion and an objective reality This is clear from the discussion above - Taylor moves some people, and leaves others cold. What is objective is that she has a strong set of currently marketable skills.

Whether or not we define that objective skill set as "talent" is largely dependant on our own subjective or emotional reaction to Taylor and her music.

[Elliot Kane]

That's largely true, Milewalker, but while a singing voice or a songwriting talent may be judged as 'good' or 'bad' by opinion, Taylor also plays several instruments at a level we could objectively judge to be competent. So I'll mostly agree with you there, but not entirely.

I totally agree that she has 'a strong set of currently marketable skills', though

[socalboy]

It may all come down to how we use the word “talent.” I can recognize that a certain artist has talent but tell you that his talent leaves me cold. While someone else who feels exactly the same as I do about that artist may express their feelings by saying that he has no talent. Same opinion, but different application of the word.

In any event, this is veering precariously into off-topic land. So to bring it back I will only say that Taylor Swift’s talent never fails to impress me.

[stevemacdonald]

Jul 20, 2009 23:26:05 GMT @larryhauck said:

The country music crowd has so many awards shows a year that at some point in time they all receive awards....

So true, so true. They had yet another awards ceremony last night and you'll never guess who won big... If you're at all curious, read here.

[Elliot Kane]

She's up for six American Music Awards, too. In Country, Pop and Adult Contemporary, whatever that is! Most nominations of anyone.

Be interesting to see how that goes...

I find myself wondering how much longer she can keep on being surprised when she wins stuff, but maybe that's just me being cynical.

[BenCMitchell]

Congratulations to Taylor for winning the coveted 'Entertainer of the Year' award! Not only did she beat 3 - time reigning entertainer Kenny Chesney, but she beat 3 - time winning vocalist Carrie underwood as well! All this, along with the fact that she is only 19!!

I am also not surprised at Brad Paisley leading the pack with 6 nominations, and winning the 'Best Male Vocalist' award. He is an outstanding singer!

I can't believe I still havn't got any of Taylor's records!!

[Jillian]

And she also had a fantastic dress! Taylor certainly chooses beautiful clothes -- I've never seen her look anything but fabulous.

[BenCMitchell]

Wow! Stunning...

It must be quite hard playing a guitar in that though!