Taylor Swift, Why The Hate?

[gblews]

I certainly don't hate her but I do find all the accolades to be puzzling. I have a very open mind when it comes to music and I have found her songs so utterly forgettable that I no longer even bother listening when they pop up on Pandora.

In terms of her ability to write pop songs, she obviously knows what a "hook" is and the amount of emphasis to place on it but her hooks are really uninteresting. She does not appear to have any gift for melody at all. She is a much lesser version of Katie Perry with respect to her songwriting.

Her singing is average. She is nowhere even close to contemporaries, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Beyonce, nor does she possess those ladies' charisma. From a musical and performance standpoint, Swift, to me, doesn't appear to be that much different from Justin Beiber, she is just in a somewhat more commercially viable package.

Kanye West's little stunt has seemed to have cast her forever in the role of "victim" or perennial underdog which, IMO, has made her an easy person to vote for when handing out awards even though her work rarely rises above average.

If she was a mega talented singer like a Clarkson, or mega talented pop songwriter like a Katie Perry or Alicia Keys, or a charismatic performer like Lady Gaga or Beyonce, I would say to hell with the haters, this woman is the s""t. But she isn't any of those things yet she she continues to be a media darling and award show favorite -- like Beiber (minus the awards).

I don't hate her but I can easily see why others may.

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Perhaps it's coming from country fans who resent her for 'selling out' and going pop?

[Squiggy]

ManOnTheWave wrote:

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Whether justified or not, she has the reputation, tongue in cheek or not, of dating someone a week to dump them and write a song about them. I don't hate her. I'm just glad I don't know her.

That's the reason.

[Jax]

Mr. Adventure wrote:

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I don't know about hate but I do know that it's a source of amusement that so many of her songs are about problems with boys that it leads to speculation that maybe it isn't the guys who are the problem. At least personally I've always found it more amusing than actually spiteful.

ManOnTheWave wrote:

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Whether justified or not, she has the reputation, tongue in cheek or not, of dating someone a week to dump them and write a song about them. I don't hate her. I'm just glad I don't know her.

This.

[HaventGotALife]

Her shtick is getting old. She isn't a 16-year-old writing love songs anymore. She is a superstar who has a hit list of romantic love songs, nothing else. Either she broke up with her boyfriend, or she's in bliss, usually as a teenager.

I am over being a teenager. I didn't particularly like being a teenager. It wasn't all that great, and I find people talking about it like it was the "best days of your life" is not only cliche, but caused me a lot of trouble when I had a bad day as a teenager. "This is a as good as life gets, and I'm not making the most of it." I actually had these thoughts because everyone was telling me about "freedom." Therefore, it can be damaging.

When I see someone as successful as Taylor Swift I expect them to be talented, first of all. She is not a vocalist. When she hits her next high note, it will be her first. And she has no social commentary. She made 21 million dollars in 2011 alone. And for what? Teenage love?

Michael Jackson had "We are the World," "Black or White," and "Man in the Mirror." Garth Brooks had "The Change," "We Shall Be Free," and "Standing Outside the Fire." When you get this big you say something about the world that hasn't been said before, and hopefully, has a positive impact. Where is that from Swift?

More than that, there was a varying voice in the love songs of Brooks, in particular. "The Thunder Rolls" about spousal abuse from third-person, "Shameless" was a love song from a man who didn't want to write one, etc. This is nowhere in Swift's music.

She had an opportunity, a big one, by switching the sex of the soldier that came home on the "Ours" video. Instead, it's just another love song that will fade into obscurity as soon as people get tired of her. Her music will not last after her career is over. She is a flash in the pan, gets really hot, and then fades away. I can't stand to listen to her anymore.

She never grew up as an artist, and that is what I hold against her.

[the G-man]

Mr. Adventure wrote:

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I don't know about hate but I do know that it's a source of amusement that so many of her songs are about problems with boys that it leads to speculation that maybe it isn't the guys who are the problem...

That's pretty much it from what I can see.

She's talented and beautiful but she spends all her time whining (in song) about how she can't find the right guy.

At some point, the world is going to say:

"well, then, stop dating jerks"; and/or

"maybe you're the problem, honey."

[HaventGotALife]

Someone has already said that...

[Jono]

Usually what Swift gets up to holds no interest to me, but it does seem a bit over the top to suggest that Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are going to hell for making a joke about you at a Hollywood Award show. Though I did enjoy Poehler's reply.

[Samaritan]

I think there are plenty of celebs to trash and do so much worse, 'Red' was another hit for her so if her next album bombs, which I doubt will the negative attention stop? I find the hate from random people and the negative media obsession now ridiculous.

[The Mirrorball Man]

HaventGotALife wrote:

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Michael Jackson had "We are the World," "Black or White," and "Man in the Mirror."

No, Michael Jackson had none of that when he was 23. And finding artists lacking because they're not as memorable as Michael Jackson sounds like you're setting the bar pretty high.

[stoneroses]

Who

[The Wormhole]

HaventGotALife wrote:

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Her shtick is getting old. She isn't a 16-year-old writing love songs anymore. She is a superstar who has a hit list of romantic love songs, nothing else. Either she broke up with her boyfriend, or she's in bliss, usually as a teenager.

I am over being a teenager. I didn't particularly like being a teenager. It wasn't all that great, and I find people talking about it like it was the "best days of your life" is not only cliche, but caused me a lot of trouble when I had a bad day as a teenager. "This is a as good as life gets, and I'm not making the most of it." I actually had these thoughts because everyone was telling me about "freedom." Therefore, it can be damaging.

When I see someone as successful as Taylor Swift I expect them to be talented, first of all. She is not a vocalist. When she hits her next high note, it will be her first. And she has no social commentary. She made 21 million dollars in 2011 alone. And for what? Teenage love?

Michael Jackson had "We are the World," "Black or White," and "Man in the Mirror." Garth Brooks had "The Change," "We Shall Be Free," and "Standing Outside the Fire." When you get this big you say something about the world that hasn't been said before, and hopefully, has a positive impact. Where is that from Swift?

More than that, there was a varying voice in the love songs of Brooks, in particular. "The Thunder Rolls" about spousal abuse from third-person, "Shameless" was a love song from a man who didn't want to write one, etc. This is nowhere in Swift's music.

She had an opportunity, a big one, by switching the sex of the soldier that came home on the "Ours" video. Instead, it's just another love song that will fade into obscurity as soon as people get tired of her. Her music will not last after her career is over. She is a flash in the pan, gets really hot, and then fades away. I can't stand to listen to her anymore.

She never grew up as an artist, and that is what I hold against her.

Aren't you being a bit too harsh? I'm no Taylor Swift fan, and I'm as sick of her dissing ex-boyfriends through song routine as anyone. But not every singer has to use songs as a means of making social commentary on life and the world.

There is nothing wrong with writing "frivolous" songs and making millions as a result. That's her thing, you don't have to like it, I really don't care for most of her songs myself. But I don't think being famous means she has to have a profound message in her songs because really, who the hell cares? Most of the time, these songs are just something playing on the radio when I'm in the car or I watch the music video channel when I'm unbelievably bored. Not exactly the time when I'm seeking enlightenment over anything.

I do agree she should find a better means of dealing with her relationship issues than wrting songs slamming her ex-boyfriends, but that's neither here nor there.

[Forbin]

Well, I don't think I've ever actually heard any of her music, nor especially care to, but I do think she's VERY beautiful, so I have a few nice pictures of her in my "babes" screensaver file. That's pretty much the extent of my caring.

[Derishton]

The Mirrorball Man wrote:

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No, Michael Jackson had none of that when he was 23. And finding artists lacking because they're not as memorable as Michael Jackson sounds like you're setting the bar pretty high.

I'd agree with this. Up-thread someone argued that at least she's not the Kardashians. I'd also agree with that, but part of me thinks that there's a whole "middle" wherein Swift doesn't measure up.

[Samaritan]

stoneroses wrote:

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Who

James Taylor