Can someone explain the Taylor Swift phenomenon to me?

Seriously, though, of course she had help. Her parents were well-to-do and helped finance her aspirations. Toby Keith invested in Big Machine when they were getting off the ground. She had a cowriter for most of her first album.

That doesn’t make her “bought” or imply that she’s just a pretty face that Big Music found and molded into a formula guaranteed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. It took a lot of effort for her to get from doing free shows at Sea World at age 12 to being the biggest act on the planet.

And…she did it without Disney.

It’s really quite an achievement. I wonder if she envisioned becoming a billionaire by her early 30’s. Her future is limitless. I’d like to see her stretch her voice a bit and do some blues covers or collaborate with a blues band.

What’s that you say?

So this isn’t about music, it’s about generating money by appealing to the lowest common denominator. Seems like the word for that is “contrived.”

I can help: he said:

What on earth? That’s not at all what he said. Are you yanking our chains?

Ya think?

No I’m 100% serious. If you go for lowest common denominator you’re not trying to appeal to people who live and breath music. The music takes a back seat. What’s the fascination then? Pick any article and it’s far less about the music than it is about the sales. As if massive sales were the yardstick for measuring great musical art (hey, Macarena!! AIGHT!!).

So mainstream. Like iPhones and dogs are shit because they do stuff everyone likes. I use semaphore and have a pet iguana.

That’s somehow even worse.

Right: Swift’s fans are way too obsessed with her music, and don’t realize that people who live and breath music don’t find it appealing.

Cool story, bro.

Uh, no they’re not. They’re obsessed with cult of celebrity.

You tell 'em!

It may be worth, at this point, distinguishing between “serious” and “sincere.” I’ll accept that you’re sincere. What you’re saying is deeply unserious.

The point is that I’m saying this stuff to you and many of the answers I’m getting are roundabout agreeing. Smapti’s last message is a fine example.

So only musicians with poor parents and non supporting fellow musicians should ever be recognized as worthy of having fans?

Nah, I’m pretty sure it’s the yanking chains thing.

Moderating:

Yes. I think the question asked has been answered, and this thread is now heading into unpleasant territory. I’m going to close it for a while. Maybe for good.

Moderating:

By popular demand, I am re-opening this thread. I am also banning @martyg from it.

This

is basically a thread shit. And while you posted a couple of constructive items, your recent posts have been borderline trolling. Taylor Swift is not to your tastes. That’s fine. But please let the fans and the curious non-fans get back to discussing her.

Thanks, for reopening, @puzzlegal.

Just in time to note that Taylor’s latest album is her 13th No 1 debut record in a row.

And I do mean record - it’s particularly interesting to me that the album has been put out in so many physical formats. I usually associate physical formats with hipsters and old fogies.

Finally, there’s a musical artist who is capable of outselling Taylor Swift…

…and her name is Taylor Swift:

Now that this thread is open again, I’m going to go truly mundane and pointless.

Until I saw that snippet, I had not known that Taylor Swift and I were born in the same hospital, though nearly two decades apart. Other than amusing (to me) to bring up when I’m around people talking about Taylor Swift, I really don’t see how this fact is important or useful.

Now I need to go find some other Taylor Swift conversations to drop this in, or wait until we’re both riding the same lift at Beaver Creek.