Taylor Swift TAKEDOWN: Is her music here to stay?

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2 ай бұрын

Taylor Swift is the biggest musical artist in the world, but does the world really know her music? Are her songs made to last? Watch this video for my analysis and some lighthearted fun!
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10. CLASSIC- Among the best albums ever
9. MASTERPIECE- The pinnacle of the artist’s career
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7. VERY GOOD- Very enjoyable with few missteps
6. GOOD- Solid album with a few great songs
5. FINE- OK album but not very interesting
4. DISAPPOINTING- A real letdown that should be much better
3. BAD- Hard to listen to all the way through
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1. TERRIBLE- One of the worst albums ever
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Пікірлер: 44

@Bobmacca64 Ай бұрын

Hi there, Kyle. Fun video:) I'm French and while Taylor Swift is big over here, I have a feeling she's mainly a phenomenon in the US and English-speaking countries. Also, her being a woman, with charisma and talent, in an age where young women especially are looking to find a strong woman to inspire them, cannot be overlooked. Wil all of this be relevant in 40 or 50 years time? Tempted to say no because someone else is bound to take that place away from her one day. Hence her being in the ' here and now' as you said. Because she probably suspects this won't last for ever. Anyway, just my take on things:)

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Yes, I wonder if the here and now is her whole strategy. She knows it won’t last so she’s making the most of things while she can.

@PedroAmayaDiaz Ай бұрын

@@TrackXTrack Without a doubt, she and everyone around her are “squeezing” the moment….. and casting a glooming shadow over new and possibly great talents! And about that, as a request, I would like to see some of your insight over new artists and bands, if there are any, that draw your attention. I have 7 versions of Sgt. Pepper….. and it’s gettin better all the time!!!!!! But as much as I love that, I am also wanting “something great” in the present…. That I can buy a fresh new record, and go to see that live! Kind regards, and thank you for being out, sharing all of this, and keeping the feedback on!

@catsofsherman1316 Ай бұрын

Since I don't know any of her songs now, I can pretty safely say I won't remember them 20 years from now. I laughed at your quip about Ryan Adams' cover of Shake It Off. The advent of the internet has made a unified culture a thing of the past.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Ryan’s version is worth seeking out!

@tedharrington5432 Ай бұрын

You better hope those Swifties do not come after you...

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

I’m sure I will hear from a lot of them!

@tedharrington5432 Ай бұрын

@@TrackXTrack 🙏

@MiKa-im3tm Ай бұрын

I think that the key here is the death of radio and tv… in the 80s, The same stars and songs were constantly on the radio and tv and we’ve had nothing other than radio and tv! None of of the current stars comes close (as a figure or music) to MJ, Madonna or any the mega stars of the 80s, 70s and 60s but if we put that aside, it’s all about today’s media format that’s making it all fragmented… there isn’t a unified culture any more, you can choose who to listen to and that’s why you’ll know Taylor but not her songs, you’ll know Beyonce but not her songs and you’ll be shocked to know how big they are unless you’re a fan! Mega stars and their fans are subcultures these days and I doubt that the next generations will be interested in the current stars for that same reason and because their work isn’t imbedded in the culture like stars from previous generations

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Interesting how culture and entertainment have evolved over time. Swifties are a subculture. A REALLY BIG subculture.

@catherine6653 Ай бұрын

I just saw Sarah McLachlan and was amazed by her beautiful voice, beautiful piano playing, and guitar. I have listened to Taylor and her talent is average.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Sarah is great! Fumbling is a classic album!

@josephtafur Ай бұрын

I think Blank Space, Style or Out Of The Woods could also be her Billie Jean.

@veddyveddygood Ай бұрын

I thought Shake it off was her signature song.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Not sure people will still be playing those decades from now but only time will tell

@IXXVIIVII Ай бұрын

Who’s the problem, me?

@JulianBaird Ай бұрын

I hadn't given this topic any thought before now, but I really like the way you presented your view and arguments. And I probably do agree with you. Only time will tell though. A really good opinion piece, nice work! :-)

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Glad to hear I made you think about the topic. That’s my goal. Thanks for watching!

@PedroAmayaDiaz Ай бұрын

Hi Kyle! I am a “Swiftie”, I do enjoy her albums and songs, still I agree on your point of view, and I frankly disagree with her system of squeeze every penny out of their fans (or t heir parents)… About her records and work, for me are “good enough” for now, and I think they have a value on its own…., for the fact that she has been consistent…. For a generation that has been exposed to trends changing every week, this has some sort of “meaning”… and as far of the “test of time”…. We just have to take a look at the work and influence of icons like Janis…. With just a couple of records released, and a just a few massive concerts, yet she got to capture the attention of millions not only in her time, but for generations to come….. the quality and value was THERE! And sadly, we only got to catch a glimpse…. Of that unique voice, of that amazing performance in a stage…. That was something new, to be in front of so many people! With the limitations of thar time, and still deliver…. And go beyond. Many of us don’t expect that from Taylor, and it would be weird from us to “demand” that or from her to “say SHE IS THAT!”…… the greatest acts emerge and take their place, and built their way, with a massive talent that amaze us….. as for the question of is “it is her music to stay”….. yeah, kind of, for quite awhile…. Even without a “Stairway to heaven”….. that kind of “punch” into the “eternity” is reserved for a very few….. even the way to get to the “Hall of Fame”…… is tricky and full of discussion and debate….. and if we try to dive in the trends of music, there are a lot of “worse” offers out there, taking billboard places…. Which lyrics and messages are really a low point in the quality and level of what it takes to engage to younger generations…. That doesn’t make Taylor “great” or “eternal”, but still an alternative among others, if greater or betters acts and talented artists haven’t find a way to connect with us, and amaze us…. It is not our fault. The void will be fill with what we have. And if not “eternal”…. Will be around for quite a while….. the “fandom” Is a response of a need to “hold” into something….. In a time of fast changing trends….. And I have been listening to Taylor since 2010 or so….. 14 years…. Quite some time…. It has some value just for that….. at least for me, and some other 3 or 4 more fans around the planet….. Thank you for raising the question, it was a “trigger” indeed…. But also a way to start a being part of a conversation, which is always great!

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

I’m glad you enjoyed the video and taking part in the conversation. I appreciate your thoughtfully stated perspectives!

@bw5785 Ай бұрын

I was never a Taylor Swift fan - until I listened to Ryan Adams’s take on her album 1989. That album is SO good that I decided to listen more carefully to her songwriting. And yes, I did find some gems. But why did it take another artist (albeit a brilliant one) to reveal the depth in her lyrics? Her image is too pop. star’ish and frothy to give any of her lyrics the gravitas they deserve - imo. Thanks Kyle for quoting Neil Tennant 🎉

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Glad you know the Ryan Adams version ! Great stuff!

@kingdicelille Ай бұрын

She's a talented, very talented, songwriter; singer, performer, etc... I like her a lot, or used to. Because, well, her "popularity", measured by silly streaming measurements of success (the kind that made Billie Eillish, the epitome of crap/ trash in my book, a star), is in no way on the same scale as her talent I mean, where is the popularity of a musical monster like Regina Spektor (don't start me on Joni Mitchell)? TS is good, but her popularity has become ridiculous. You mention Michael Jackson, Madonna, ... But those artists happened before the streaming measurement of success. And I honestly think that's where the issue is. Two streams equal a sale? That is where the problem is. Taylor Swift has understood the rules and releases a 31-track album. 3 times more chances of being number 1 for several weeks. Cynicism is the new optimism. Beyonce has understood it too (27 songs on her latest). Artistic values have gone out the window. I like Taylor Swift, but swifties are just another bunch of morons. God knows they're numerous.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

VERY numerous indeed!

@jamesbarnhart4395 Ай бұрын

Trying to think of something ‘insightful’ to say in comparison of different times and how music’s delivery methods are different today than 50 years ago. As for the fantastic singers from the past, how many of us know who sang “how much is that doggie in the window”? It was a big hit in the Stone Age but I thought it was Doris Day and it was Patti Page. My point is if any music will be remembered in 200 or 300 years other than the greats of the classic era of music. But to be honest, that isn’t a fair comparison. All pop era music will fade as their fan base dies out. Some may last a few more generations but most will not. Oh, I do enjoy Taylor Swift and Rosemary Clooney but I’m more familiar with Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms... and Vivaldi and the list goes on.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

Time, of course, will tell. I know we have seen acts like the Beatles be embraced by every generation that came after them, including mine and my son’s. We’ve seen it with acts from the 80s and 90s too. My speculation is that Swift will not be embraced by the next generation. Her music is too now-centric and won’t sustain its value to generations to come, who will have their own now-centric music to obsess over.

@bgmchrisc Ай бұрын

The better question is whether anyone from today COULD make music that endures for generations. With culture set up as a nostalgia machine, and every artist having to compete against both all the new music as well as all the music that has ever existed for our attention, no one can break through to all corners of culture in the way the most remembered songs of the past were able to. As you mentioned, in the olden days people had no choice but to hear even the lousy pop songs over and over and over again. As big as Taylor is, the machine doesn't have that same power to get her in everyone's ears. Look at Beyonce, or Post Malone, or the others you mentioned being exposed to. I rarely if ever hear their music, and I'm not alone. The Beatles appeared on one tv show and reached a potential majority of the country. They also had only a handful of other songs/albums at a time from the labels to compete with. Would they have been as successful if people were still buying the big thing from forty years ago? Or if ten thousand other bands were also releasing records every year? We don't like to attribute luck to success, but it's certainly a major factor, and certain generations of artists need to realize that. I would say "Love Story" and "All Too Well" have as good a chance as most music today, but we're in a time and place where almost everything is doomed to be forgotten by our own obsession with the past. Who knows; perhaps she'll be even more popular when she is the past.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

All excellent points!

@dan8381 Ай бұрын

So i can agree with a lot of things stated here. I have enjoyed a lot of her music and respect her. I think there were many good songs that were written that were very radio friendly and for the masses. I however think that ended after the "Lover" album. I think she stopped writing songs for the radio and for the masses and now just targets her fans. I have had to listen to the last few albums because my wife is a fan. The last albums I think starting with Folklore or Evermore have sounded pretty drab with very minimal and sometimes I would say poor production in terms of variety and sound. I think her fans compete wanting to outfan the next, wanting to be in on the insideness of the lyrics, and in on almost every aspect of Taylor's life. I have heard many say they didn't like this newest album only to become suddenly obsessed with it. I think that some fear the reaction of others when they say they so not love it, so they are forced to "love it" even if they don't "like it". Today, it is probably a smart approach. Radio means very little, people can have easy access to any music they want. She has made so much money, has such a rabid fanbase, it is hard to say that it hasn't been a success moving more to that style. It just isn't for me...and it wasn't supposed to be.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

No doubt we are not the target audience for her music. I’m fine with that. But I’d still expect “better” songs from someone so successful.

@user-ch1by3th8s Ай бұрын

My MILF Era, caterpillars, Grimace, "exposed" and "taken advantage of". The music industry hasn't evolved, it's devolved. It's great that an artist's is still selling LPs, CDs, cassettes (?!) and wax cylinders (what, no 8 tracks ?), but not when they're slightly different versions of the same thing AND selling it to minors (who aren't mowing #@*§ lawns to afford them).

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

It’s a sad state of affairs for sure

@pinkzeppelin428 17 күн бұрын

A very informative video about her. Don't get me wrong, Taylor Swift is among the biggest artists out there even though I never like myself, however she couldn't reach the seismic impact of what The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, The Stones, Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, The Velvet Underground & others had done in their primetime. That isn't to say she's terrible & whatnot, it's just she doesn't have that method. I would say that TS will pretty much be remembered a lone time from now, but only time will tell.

@davidgena2667 Ай бұрын

Have never fully listened to one of her songs and don’t intend to. Much ado about nothing but then I’m from a generation many decades ago so I’m really in no position to be critical of today’s flavor of the era……so to speak.

@TrackXTrack Ай бұрын

We’re definitely not her target audience!