I’ve grown up in the age of Taylor Swift. She’s been a constant household name for as long as I can remember. Her songs have been played on the radio and at school dances, and her face has been plastered on billboards and magazines for nearly my entire life. With the recent release of Midnights, I’ve come to the slightly shocking realization that I might actually like Taylor and her music. Now, this in itself isn’t that groundbreaking considering that she has millions of fans across the globe. What was shocking to me was how long it took me to realize it.
Before Midnights, I didn’t think that I had much of an opinion of Taylor Swift. After I was convinced (a nice way of saying peer-pressured) into listening to the album, I wondered why I’d been so hesitant to listen in the first place. I thought about all the times that I saw her name on the radio and automatically changed the station or heard her name and tuned out of a conversation. Then I asked myself the million-dollar question: Why?
The following are my instinctual responses to that question, followed by why my critical-thinking mind knows that those justifications are ridiculous.
“All her music sounds the same”
Sure, her music that’s played on the radio can sound a bit similar, but her discography is actually quite diverse, spanning multiple genres. The fact that stations only seem to play five of her pop songs doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) reflect poorly on her or her talent. Plus, the same can be said about many other artists, yet I don’t feel the need to immediately turn off their music.
“There’s so much drama surrounding her and her music”
Okay, but is she an over-the-top problematic artist, or does she just work in an industry that is obsessed with reporting and critiquing her every move? I’d argue the latter. The media has perfected the craft of nitpicking and demonizing women, especially powerful ones. Taylor Swift was 19 when she became famous, and ever since, she has been critiqued on her relationships, body, fashion, career, etc. on a global scale.
Whether I realized it or not, I bought into those bogus, petty, and misogynistic claims. I accepted the narrative that she’s just another drama-laden, mildly talented popstar. Worst of all, it took me nearly 15 years to question it. Truth is, I was wrong. Maybe maturity is realizing that you don’t actually dislike Taylor Swift, you were just socialized to.