Taylor Swift - a Phenomenon

[DGS49]

My home town of Pittsburgh has been invaded by a virtual army of Swifties. Concerts Friday and Saturday night, each attended by seventy thousand plus.

No rioting, of course.

So I spent some time on YouTube listening to some of her stuff. Maybe I'm missing something, but she seems profoundly mediocre. Kinda like Madonna was in her day. He voice is not bad, but she has no range, and most of the time her voice is distorted by a phantom choir singing along with her.

What am I missing?

 

[Mac-7]

My home town of Pittsburgh has been invaded by a virtual army of Swifties. Concerts Friday and Saturday night, each attended by seventy thousand plus.

No rioting, of course.

So I spent some time on YouTube listening to some of her stuff. Maybe I'm missing something, but she seems profoundly mediocre. Kinda like Madonna was in her day. He voice is not bad, but she has no range, and most of the time her voice is distorted by a phantom choir singing along with her.

What am I missing?

You nailed it

But the teenie boppers like her so she’s hot stuff

At least in public

Her private life is a different story

Men walk all over her

 

[1srelluc]

She has a purdy mouth.

 

[Dogmaphobe]

My home town of Pittsburgh has been invaded by a virtual army of Swifties. Concerts Friday and Saturday night, each attended by seventy thousand plus.

No rioting, of course.

So I spent some time on YouTube listening to some of her stuff. Maybe I'm missing something, but she seems profoundly mediocre. Kinda like Madonna was in her day. He voice is not bad, but she has no range, and most of the time her voice is distorted by a phantom choir singing along with her.

What am I missing?

You are missing the fact that you aren't in the age group that is expected to like her.
From my experience, I'd say there is a small percentage of people who like what they like.

The rest like what they think they should like.

 

[MaryL]

I saw her CD's on sale in a Starbucks. She's newer version of Madonna. Been there, done that.

 

[Calypso Jones]

mass hypnosis.

but you're right. Her songs are stupid and she is mediocre.

 

[lg325]

Even when she did country music it was pretty much like it is described in post 1. The young lady is a big success and I hope her life goes well. Just her music isn't my cup of tea.

 

[MarathonMike]

She is an indication of how empty pop music is today.

 

[1srelluc]

mass hypnosis.

but you're right. Her songs are stupid and she is mediocre.

 

[Michael1985]

My home town of Pittsburgh has been invaded by a virtual army of Swifties. Concerts Friday and Saturday night, each attended by seventy thousand plus.

No rioting, of course.

So I spent some time on YouTube listening to some of her stuff. Maybe I'm missing something, but she seems profoundly mediocre. Kinda like Madonna was in her day. He voice is not bad, but she has no range, and most of the time her voice is distorted by a phantom choir singing along with her.

What am I missing?

I've never had any issue with her as a vocalist, but her reputation as appealing mostly to screaming and fawning teenaged girls is what puts me off her music.

 

[SweetSue92]

My home town of Pittsburgh has been invaded by a virtual army of Swifties. Concerts Friday and Saturday night, each attended by seventy thousand plus.

No rioting, of course.

So I spent some time on YouTube listening to some of her stuff. Maybe I'm missing something, but she seems profoundly mediocre. Kinda like Madonna was in her day. He voice is not bad, but she has no range, and most of the time her voice is distorted by a phantom choir singing along with her.

What am I missing?

Was never a fan myself, but my daughter has been for years and years. She got Eras tix here and we went and...frankly, I was blown away by Swift's performance. Over three hours she performed...just her, not including the openers.

Her early stuff was quite mediocre, I'll agree. But her new album "Midnights" was rated a 5 by Rolling Stone: an "instant classic". It's tightly produced and very clever.

 

[DudleySmith]

Even when she did country music it was pretty much like it is described in post 1. The young lady is a big success and I hope her life goes well. Just her music isn't my cup of tea.

Pretty much my own view. Nobody is forced to buy tickets or music. Apparently she puts a good show and keeps her fans happy. She's better than those silly Boy Bands by a long shot. I don't see her as resembling Madonna at all; she isn't the Slut Queen and Fag Hag Madonna was. I only own one song of hers, a cover by Jackie Evancho, and it's okay pop lyric wise. The CD is mix of pop covers and classical covers, and a couple of her own songs she wrote or co-wrote.

 

[DudleySmith]

.frankly, I was blown away by Swift's performance. Over three hours she performed...just her, not including the openers.

Yes, she give fans more than their money's worth. the only other music tour acts I know of who did that was Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Willie Nelson, and Grateful Dead's cult following. I'm sure there are others but those I know of personally or from friends. CSN&Y and Wllie I've seen in person.

 

[SweetSue92]

Yes, she give fans more than their money's worth. the only other music tour acts I know of who did that was Crosby Stills Nash & Young, Willie Nelson, and Grateful Dead's cult following. I'm sure there are others but those I know of personally or from friends. CSN&Y and Wllie I've seen in person.

CSN&Y "Guinevere" is a brilliant song. Those dudes were all but communists though. Maybe they were communists, come to think of it.

Probably some of the best live music I've seen was the Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, another piece of music I wasn't a huge fan of 'til I saw it live (like Taylor Swift). I saw Paul Simon and Sting live and they are incredible musicians. And Swift's show was jaw-dropping in production. Never seen anything like it. Probably never will again.

 

[DudleySmith]

I saw Paul Simon and Sting live and they are incredible musicians.

Indeed they are; Sting is particularly good live, as he's very anal when it comes to his music and stage management, at least in the past he was.

The best live performances I ever saw was Sarah Brightman's Vegas shows, and a Jackie Evancho concert. Recordings don't do justice to their voices, they are much better live. Same with Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins, Kathleen Battle, Sumi Jo, and Jonathan Antoine.

 

[hjmick]

I fairly certain we're not her target audience...

Seems to me she's targeting tweens, post-tweens previously indoctrinated in the first group, and the mindless who prefer group-think and are generally incapable of recognizing the mediocrity of what they are hearing.

 

[SweetSue92]

I fairly certain we're not her target audience...

Seems to me she's targeting tweens, post-tweens previously indoctrinated in the first group, and the mindless who prefer group-think and are generally incapable of recognizing the mediocrity of what they are hearing.

We sound like a bunch of grumpy old men, frankly.

Her new album Midnights was rated a 5 star by no less than Rolling Stone, who called it an "instant classic". It's one of the most tightly produced albums I've heard in a long time. I'll be shocked if it doesn't win Album of the Year. At the very least it will be nominated.

As I said upthread, I'll grant that her earlier work was milquetoast and I wasn't a fan.

 

[ScorpioRising007]

My home town of Pittsburgh has been invaded by a virtual army of Swifties. Concerts Friday and Saturday night, each attended by seventy thousand plus.

No rioting, of course.

So I spent some time on YouTube listening to some of her stuff. Maybe I'm missing something, but she seems profoundly mediocre. Kinda like Madonna was in her day. He voice is not bad, but she has no range, and most of the time her voice is distorted by a phantom choir singing along with her.

What am I missing?

My wife and I actually both like Taylor Swift and Madonna. Both don't have the singing voice ranges of other singers... but I look in music other things besides signing voice so that isn't that important to me.

 

[Trickster]

You nailed it

But the teenie boppers like her so she’s hot stuff

At least in public

Her private life is a different story

Men walk all over her

WHy do you feel the need to ridicule her with smears like "teenie bopper-music" and very disgusting and vicious personal attacks?

Very immature.

 

[rosends]

Her music has a number of different types within it. Some is almost pop with a discernable melody, chorus bridge etc. Some is more C/W with a twang and an attitude to match. Much is story songs with less of a stanzaic structure and rhyme scheme and more of a retelling of a series of events. To my ear, there are hits and misses, so some of her songs are hummable, enjoyable and even (occasionally) memorable. There are others that mean nothing to me. I'm surrounded by Swifties -- both my kids (who are beyond their teeny-bopper years) and my wife are avid fans. Rabid even. One child drove 9 hours to Pittsburgh to see her on an earlier tour. For the Eras shows, they all went to Philly and Meadowlands to see her a couple of times. As a birthday gift for my wife, we put together a hard-cover presentation of all over her lyrics so the family (not me) sits around and quizzes each other on the words to the songs. We had to make a second version when she released another album.

Not every band clicks with every listener and not every band reaches fame. It is a confluence of time, genre and mood with a whole mess of luck built in, and she nailed it.