Dori Week 2- Taylor Swift: Artist of the Decade

    Hi everyone! So for anyone who didn’t already know, I’m a pretty big fan of Taylor Swift (what you’d call, a “Swiftie”). I am here to list a bunch of reasons why and see if I can persuade anyone else to become a fan, as well. 

    First of all, it is undeniable how talented Taylor Swift is at songwriting. She writes all of her songs and clearly devotes a lot of time to crafting them in a polished yet authentic, relatable way, which not all artists are capable of doing. Look at her more recent albums like Folklore or Evermore, for instance. The lyricism, story-telling, and imagery are astounding. I literally learned at least a few more vocabulary words from her songs and could very much visualize the detailed scenes she was setting. 

    Secondly, Swift’s range of musical genres in her discography is impressive and shows how versatile she is as a musician. From her country roots in earlier albums (Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, and Red), upbeat and electronic pop (1989, Reputation, and Lover), and alternative, mellower music (Folklore and Evermore), Swift shows how multidimensional she is, and that she can experiment and grow as an artist.  

    Thirdly, Swift is a great role model in general. In her song and music video “The Man,” Swift calls out some of the double standards between men and women in the media and society--and is a proud feminist. Also, in 2015, Swift sued a radio host for a mere one dollar due to sexual harassment she experienced, in order to empower women to come forward if they were in similar circumstances. Further, a few years ago, Swift made the powerful decision to become politically outspoken, publicly speaking out against voting for homophobic and transphobic legislators, even though she was risking her career declining--which infamously happened to “the Dixie Chicks,” a girl group she admired growing up.   

    Lastly, Swift is generous and cares a lot about her friends, fans, and family. Before the pandemic, Swift would host sleepovers and album premiere parties with her fans. She has performed at fans’ weddings and visited them in the hospital. Despite not being particularly active on social media, Swift still makes sure to promote the music of her friends like Ed Sheeran or Selena Gomez. Moreover, Swift has songs dedicated to her family, e.g., “I Had the Best Day” and “Soon You’ll Get Better,” and to her high school best friend, Abigail, e.g., “Fifteen.”  

    I could go on, but I don’t want to make this post too long! I hope whoever is reading this learned something new about this inspirational artist and, perhaps, will appreciate her more. There is also a documentary on Netflix about her that I highly recommend. Let me know what you think of Swift and if you’ve listened to her music before! 

https://mediashelf.us/12-reasons-taylor-swift-is-a-great-role-model-for-young-women/  https://www.glamour.com/story/taylor-swift-is-the-artist-of-the-decade