Taylor Swift - explain the appeal to me please?

[Sakrysta]

Almost every pop sensation that comes along, I end up understanding the appeal. I don't always share it, but I can usually explain it. But ultimately, I just do not understand how Taylor Swift got to be such a phenomenon.

I really don't want this to be a thread for trashing her. What I'm looking for is maybe someone who can help me get it.

I just watched an old live TV performance of hers (well, a few months old, anyway). Bless her sweet little heart, she can NOT sing. She kind of whines, sometimes on-pitch, sometimes just nearby. There's no breath training. The phrasing is, to be generous, awkward. She's not even all that engaging as a performer. You know, some people can't sing, but they can put over a song like nobody's business. Not Taylor. Not at all.

And then there's the songwriting. While there's a certain youth and innocence to her songs, the fact is that they're just poorly constructed.

As an individual, I find her fairly charming. She seems to handle her fame well, presenting herself with good grace. And I can see where the subjects of her songs would appeal to young teen girls. But the awards she's getting, the critical acclaim - I just do not understand it.

Does anyone else agree with me? What am I missing here?

 

[RoJoHen]

I've never seen her live, but I think her songs on the radio are catchy as hell. Like, I hate how catchy they are.

 

[bigdaddy]

I think she is only famous for dating that Twilight guys.

 

[Daneel]

Taylor Swift's appeal? In two words: she's hot.

As for her music, it's not really my thing (some of her songs are decent, however, I'm certainly not what you would call a fan), but for what it is, she seems reasonably talented.

 

[Sakrysta]

I actually kind of agree that her songs are catchy. For a while there, every time "Love Story" came on, I would listen. But you know what? It was for the song's climax, where the boy proposes to the girl. The rest of the time I was cringing or rolling my eyes at the Romeo Scarlet Letter Juliet pebbles.

I hate the new one. Everything about it bothers me - moping teenage girl mooning over boy too stupid or shallow to know she's better for him than his current girlfriend. "You belong with me-hee-hee!!!!"

 

[RoJoHen]

I hate the new one. Everything about it bothers me - moping teenage girl mooning over boy too stupid or shallow to know she's better for him than his current girlfriend. "You belong with me-hee-hee!!!!" :angry:

Well, she is a teenage girl, ya know? She's allowed to sing about that stuff.

 

[Sakrysta]

^Sure, but how does she win Grammys and stuff for it?

 

[RoJoHen]

I've never understood why anything wins a Grammy.

 

[Jetfire]

Taylor Swift's appeal? In two words: she's hot.

As for her music, it's not really my thing (some of her songs are decent, however, I'm certainly not what you would call a fan), but for what it is, she seems reasonably talented.

I was gonna go with Pretty, but yeah she is HOT!

 

[Agent Richard07]

^ That was my first thought when I saw this thread. That and her songs are catchy.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I've never heard one of her songs(well outside of the SNL monologue song) so I am speaking from an outside perspective. She seems like a sweet, wholesome, cute, blonde, white girl. America loves those no matter what they do.

Hell I am surprised Prussian Blue is not topping the charts.

 

[Jetfire]

^
One day they will...if they change the message of hate...

they are like the Nazi Olson twins lol

 

[Mike Farley]

I hate the new one. Everything about it bothers me - moping teenage girl mooning over boy too stupid or shallow to know she's better for him than his current girlfriend. "You belong with me-hee-hee!!!!" :angry:

Well, she is a teenage girl, ya know? She's allowed to sing about that stuff.

Yeah, she feels things about stuff!


It seems she thinks Romeo and Juliet had a happy ending. I'm also pretty sure she had NO idea what being a "Scarlet Letter" means.

 

[ParticleMan]

I actually kind of agree that her songs are catchy. For a while there, every time "Love Story" came on, I would listen. But you know what? It was for the song's climax, where the boy proposes to the girl. The rest of the time I was cringing or rolling my eyes at the Romeo Scarlet Letter Juliet pebbles.

I hate the new one. Everything about it bothers me - moping teenage girl mooning over boy too stupid or shallow to know she's better for him than his current girlfriend. "You belong with me-hee-hee!!!!"

Whenever I hear that new song about the whining about the dude going out with the cheerleader instead of her, I want to yell, "IT'S BECAUSE THE CHEERLEADER PUTS OUT!"

 

[The Wormhole]

"You Belong With Me" has the stupidest lyrics.

"She wears short skirts. I wear T-shirts"

Here's how I interepret this line:
Nameless girl is only wearing a mini-skirt. And nothing else. Taylor Swift is only wearing a T-shirt. Presumably a long one which goes down to her knees. Is it any wonder why the guy is noticing the other girl instead?

 

[MNM]

"You Belong With Me" has the stupidest lyrics.

"She wears short skirts. I wear T-shirts"

I've certainly heard worse lines.

Having been to a concert of hers, while she's not my cup of tea musically, I dont think there's anything particularly bad about her music, and she puts on a good live show.

 

[Othello]

Almost every pop sensation that comes along, I end up understanding the appeal. I don't always share it, but I can usually explain it. But ultimately, I just do not understand how Taylor Swift got to be such a phenomenon.

I really don't want this to be a thread for trashing her. What I'm looking for is maybe someone who can help me get it.

I just watched an old live TV performance of hers (well, a few months old, anyway). Bless her sweet little heart, she can NOT sing. She kind of whines, sometimes on-pitch, sometimes just nearby. There's no breath training. The phrasing is, to be generous, awkward. She's not even all that engaging as a performer. You know, some people can't sing, but they can put over a song like nobody's business. Not Taylor. Not at all.

And then there's the songwriting. While there's a certain youth and innocence to her songs, the fact is that they're just poorly constructed.

As an individual, I find her fairly charming. She seems to handle her fame well, presenting herself with good grace. And I can see where the subjects of her songs would appeal to young teen girls. But the awards she's getting, the critical acclaim - I just do not understand it.

Does anyone else agree with me? What am I missing here?

It's really simple. She's got a great story about how she pursued her dream as such a young age and did it and she sings songs that every teenage girl can easily relate to. And as a previous poster said, her songs are catchy as well so even older folks can take to her music. She's also very humble and someone a parent can easily point to and say "you know, that's someone whose work ethic, humbleness and class under pressure is someone I don't mind my kids listening to" instead of some rapper who talks about using women, calling them hoes or some such crap.

 

[Top41]

There's something really likable and down-to-earth about her, and as others have said, her songs are pretty catchy. Personally, I really like her voice! It's unique and she doesn't sound like everyone else out there, you know? I'm also a fan of country-pop, so I like the style of her music as well.

 

[captcalhoun]

i thought she was hot and funny on that skit on the CMAs where they put her in Trek.

i saw her on Strictly i think it was (Dancing With the Stars UK version for you clueless people) and thought she was pretty decent as a singer.

that's all i know.

 

[Jetfire]

^^ @ Top41
I like her voice to...Someone in another post once stated she is Like Avril Lavigne...who I like alot.

I don't see anything wrong with Taylor Swift...in a few years there will be another young pretty singer people will be all over...it happens.