By Lark Chadd***
Taylor Swift has had the public talking since 2006.
With her start as a young country sensation, she has journeyed through the genres of country, pop, and even indie/alternative, and has done so with ease.
While she may not be your favorite, it is undeniable that she has made some of the greatest impacts on the music industry seen by our generation.
And here are seven reasons why.
Has great stage presence
It’s difficult to narrow down Swift’s greatest performance of all time – she has headlined five concert tours and three one-off concerts, and performed in 21 music festivals and 195 live events.
Her fans love her mash-up performances, which includes her most recently performed rendition of Cardigan, August, and Willow at the 2021 Grammys.
The aesthetic aspect, the energy, and the way in which she combines her songs come together to bring about the perfect storm.
Relatable
One of Swift’s most evident talents is her ability to express her emotions, whether they be sadness, confusion, heartbreak, love, or joy, in a way that resonates deeply within the listener, and aids them in turning their pain into something beautiful and empowering.
Writer of The Daily Targum notes that with a deeper look into Swift’s music, there is a philosophical meaning to be found. “Many of her songs give meaning to feeling young, looking for simplicity in life and staying true to yourself”.
Models female empowerment
Being a woman in the entertainment industry, taking criticism becomes part of the job.
Swift, specifically, has had many accusations thrown her way having to do with only writing songs about her exes, painting herself as a victim, etc.
In an interview with Jules, Merrick, and Sophie, she comments that “no one says that about Ed Sheeran. No one says that about Bruno Mars. They’re all writing songs about their exes, their current girlfriends, their love life, and no one raises the red flag there.”
Exactly.
Also, the rumor that all of her songs are strictly about exes is just false. She has released plenty of songs centered around empowerment and individuality, such as The Man, New Romantics, and Shake It Off.
Writes her own music
Swift is a credited songwriter on all of her songs.
While she does collaborate with artists such as Jack Antonoff, Max Martin, and Ed Sheeran, every single song of hers is credited with her name.
After accusations and speculations of her not writing her own music, she intentionally wrote each song on her third album “Speak Now” entirely solo, without including co-writers.
Click here for a list of every song Swift has written completely on her own.
Sings in a range of musical genres
Swift has notably experimented with pop, country, folk rock, and alternative musical styles.
Experiment is a loose term, considering each album released has reached the top of the Billboard charts.
Her transition from country to pop was her most notable, with 1989 reaching sales of over 9 million copies.
Her movement from “Reputation,” to “Lover,” to “Folklore” was also very significant. She has been nominated for 42 Grammys and has won 11 times.
Speaks up for underrepresented communities
Swift has outwardly spoken on using her platform to take a stand for LGBTQ+ rights, most notably in her song and music video titled You Need to Calm Down.
In the song, she advocates for the rights of underrepresented communities, and acknowledges her lack of speaking up on political issues in the past.
The music video features many famous members of the LGBTQ+ community, with a vibrant color scheme and concludes with a message urging her fans to sign a petition in support of the Equality Act, which was meant to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in their places of work, home, schools and other public accommodations.
Communicates with Easter eggs
Swift is famously known for her “Easter Eggs” that she leaves for her fans.
Easter eggs include hints colors, messages encoded in lyrics, visual hints in her music videos, and more.
“I love to communicate via Easter eggs,” Swift told Entertainment Weekly back in 2019. “I think the best messages are cryptic ones.”
Swift claims that this provides her with the ability to strengthen her bond with fans, and her fans would definitely agree.
Most recently, Swift spent months teasing the re-recording of her album “Red (Taylor’s Version)”. Swifties have already picked apart all of the hints dropped through this content and are anticipating a new re-recording to be released sometime soon!
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