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From a country girl to an artist of the decade.
She started as a country singer with golden locks and impressive writing skills for a young woman. Ten years later, Taylor Swift is a household name. Not only that, she outgrew the country scene, and implemented various genres in her music, while always having a good idea on how to sell the visual aspect of her career. Many still find her to be “too calculated” or “always playing a victim.” Everyone has an opinion on Taylor, and that’s part of her appeal. Well, that and the fact that she outsold legendary musicians and received an award for the artist of the decade. Rather impressive.
There’s another element to Swift’s celebrity everyone seems to overlook: no one really knows much about her. We know what she wants you to know: she loves cats, British guys, has plenty of girlfriends. But, unlike with many other artists, Taylor Swift is keeping her guard up, which only leaves people wanting more.
Taylor just turned 30, and her fans grew up with her. From love songs about her ex-boyfriends to celebrity feuds and finally, to get to that place where she’s comfortable being in her skin, Swift proved that honesty still sells. But being a woman in a men’s world was hard enough. Becoming more significant than anyone else, that’s just a perfect combination of PR, talent, luck, and extra hard work.
Beyonce has a more significant cultural impact; there’s no question about it. Rihanna is that girl you want to be best friends with because she oozes cool. Self-proclaimed bad girl Riri may be the only artist who came close to having all the star elements, similar to Swift. But it seems like she got more satisfaction from making beauty and clothing items. Her show Savage x Fenty burned all the Victoria’s Secret’s illusions that made the 90s and 2000s. However, in the music world, Swift got more awards than the Beatles or Michael Jackson, and all albums from the 2010s, Speak Now, Red, 1989, Reputation, and Lover, were critical and commercial successes. It’s funny how the top of the music world now belongs to women. Back in the 80s, the biggest stars were Jackson, Prince and George Michael, plus Madonna, but the tables have turned.
Taylor Swift’s feminism isn’t as overt as some would like it to be. But she was one of the first celebrities to stand up to a radio DJ who groped her. The sexual misconduct trial from 2017 is one of those moments where we felt like we saw the real Swift, and it was an epic win because it was happening at the same time as #MeToo grow bigger and stronger.
People who aren’t Swift fans keep pointing out the obvious: she’s always singing about her exes and her enemies. Let’s have a reality check: the majority of modern classics are inspired by relationships, good or bad, romantic or platonic. Even Chopin and Beethoven used lost loves to create masterpieces, so it’s time to stop singling out Taylor Swift.
Most of the year, Taylor Swift is quiet and away from the spotlight. Despite the debacle called Cats, Swift’s only real competition now is her previous public persona. Well, we don’t know what will next Rihanna’s album look like, but the music scene is big enough to have more than one female artist rocking the world. As for Taylor Swift, she’s one of the most charitable celebrities, plus her relationship with her fandom is marvelous. Instead of focusing on her flaws, it’s time to face the music: Taylor Swift is the artist of the decade, because of hard work, not because Kanye West made her famous.
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