It’s hard to escape the presence of Taylor Swift these days. Since the release of her first official pop record “1989,” you can hardly turn on the radio without being swept up into a one-man, self-empowering dance party to “Shake It Off.”
In the past months, she’s killed it at awards shows, been on countless magazine covers (including Time) and been the subject of just about every other article shared on your Facebook timeline. (So, surprise! Here’s another one.) She’s a tall, lanky, blonde chick with awkward dance moves and a fragile heart and she’s taking over the world. How does she do it? Listen up ladies, as we take a leaf from T-Swift’s book and learn to live our lives like America’s biggest pop sensation.
1. Dance like no one’s watching
You know those big fancy music awards shows? The ones where America’s most relevant artists put on incredible performances, but the celebrity audience just sits there in their designer dresses and claps politely at the end? Not Taylor Swift! She’s in the front row, dancing like she’s at a rock concert. Take into consideration her height, long limbs, and slight lack of rhythm, and she’s pretty hard to miss.
This ritual of hers has earned her countless sniggers, both from the audience around her and from the media. However, it’s done nothing to stop her from getting her groove on. Think about it: if you get the chance to attend an A-list event, look completely flawless, and have a front row seat to the most popular music acts at the time, you’re gonna dance your butt off! The next time judgmental people around you are keeping you from having the time of your life, remember Taylor Swift, and just shake, shake, shake, shake….
2. Do not be ashamed of your feelings
The number one thing Taylor Swift is criticized for is the constant well of inspiration she gets from her numerous breakups and heartaches. It’s no secret that analyzing her dating life has become something of a national pastime, and the fact that she seems to have a new celeb boyfriend each week has been a fact many people use to belittle her songwriting and make her out to be some kind of oversensitive serial dater.
While you might have expected her take the critics into consideration, she showed that she couldn’t care less what they think. Not only has she continued to turn her heartbreak into beautiful lyrics (and number one hits), but also she addressed the sexist nature of this criticism. Taylor pointed out that no one criticizes Ed Sheeran or Bruno Mars for singing about their ex-girlfriends, but when she does, she’s made out to be clingy and insane. It’s a double standard, and like Taylor, you should never let someone make you feel weak for expressing your feelings.
3. Don’t let people take advantage of you
Remember, you’re the one calling the shots in your life. You’re the boss. But even when you’re Taylor Swift, there will always be people trying to lead you into situations you don’t feel comfortable with. Recently, Taylor gave up her title as everyone’s favorite country princess to pursue a career in pop music. Many people urged her not to, but she held firm in the type of music she wanted to make and artist she wanted to be.
Also, she recently pulled all of her music off of the free music app, Spotify. While this is an uncommon thing for an artist to do, Taylor stood by her idea that her music was art and art was worth paying for. Like Taylor, you should always demand the respect that you deserve.
4. Girl friends are better than boyfriends
Yes it’s true: Taylor does love a good fling with a cute celebrity. But what she’s not as well-known for are the strong relationships she’s built with her girlfriends throughout her career. Did you know that she and her best friend, Abigail, have been inseparable since freshman year of high school? Or that she’s formed super strong bonds with powerful women such as Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez and Lorde? Taylor’s well-known for spending lots of time with her celeb gal pals and hosting the festive parties for her friends at her homes. Think twice the next time you claim she can’t maintain relationships.
5. Always be grateful
Taylor’s not one to let fame go to her head. While she might be the most recognizable face in the music industry, she never forgets where she came from or who got her there in the first place. She’s famous for having an impressive relationship with her fans and is one of the most grateful celebrities out there.
Before the release of “1989,” Taylor surprised her fans by hosting what she called “Secret Sessions” at her various homes around the country and in London. She invited small groups of fans to each of the sessions at her homes to play them her entire album before it was released. This holiday season, she’s reached out to numerous fans through social media and sent them personalized Christmas care packages, each gift accompanied with a note from the star herself. These are just a few of the ways that she’s shown the importance of never forgetting the people who have supported you since the beginning, no matter how far you go in life.
So in conclusion, dance like a white dad to catchy pop music. Cry over a boy who broke your heart and know that it doesn’t make you less of a person. Embrace the parts of your personality that are different and weird and made you want to crawl into a hole in high school, because those are the things that can make you stand out. And, offer something new and brilliant and unique to the world. Or even, in the case of T-Swizzle, make you an international super star.