Taylor Swift appreciation thread

Raymond Lin · 29 Jun 2015 at 12:19

I'm still waiting for the bluray for the Red Tour, I feel that it might ever come.

robgmun · 29 Jun 2015 at 12:46

savagesam117 said:
I'm surprised there is so much love for Taylor Swift here. I really thought this would be the last place!

It really not much to do with music but for the fact that given half the chance we'd all bang her like a barn door in a hurricane.

Raymond Lin · 29 Jun 2015 at 12:48

robgmun said:
It really not much to do with music but for the fact that given half the chance we'd all bang her like a barn door in a hurricane.

I actually love her music, but wouldn't say no to a date either

One · 29 Jun 2015 at 23:46

I've not really enjoyed Taylor's music as music since Speak Now. It's not her music anymore it's Max Martin's music. All her big hits from Red were all produced by him and they were all the really poppy sounding tracks. And for 1989 which is completely a pop album, guess who produces those songs... yup Max Martin. Not only has he produced all the singles again but he was executive producer too.

I like Shake it Off, but only as a catchy pop song the same way you end up liking a Katy Perry song, repetitive listening to a catchy song and it gets in your head. I would never stick the album on though.

Taylor's gone hunting the big crowds and the money, I'd have done the same though tbh. Who needs musical integrity when you're filthy rich? I believe she was based out of Nashville for a while when she was trying to prove herself a proper country musician lol. NY born and bred now.

Raymond Lin · 30 Jun 2015 at 00:33

One said:
I've not really enjoyed Taylor's music as music since Speak Now. It's not her music anymore it's Max Martin's music. All her big hits from Red were all produced by him and they were all the really poppy sounding tracks. And for 1989 which is completely a pop album, guess who produces those songs... yup Max Martin. Not only has he produced all the singles again but he was executive producer too.

I like Shake it Off, but only as a catchy pop song the same way you end up liking a Katy Perry song, repetitive listening to a catchy song and it gets in your head. I would never stick the album on though.

Taylor's gone hunting the big crowds and the money, I'd have done the same though tbh. Who needs musical integrity when you're filthy rich? I believe she was based out of Nashville for a while when she was trying to prove herself a proper country musician lol. NY born and bred now.

Underneath all the production from Max Martin, the songs are still her's. For example, in Red, if you have the Deluxe version, put on disc 2 and listen to State of Grace (opening track), it is acoustic and it is very her. Martin just brought to the table a more mainstream sound, which I agree, one could take it or leave it, there was nothing wrong with her own sound or her own voice in Speak Now. Although i do agree that as an Artist, you don't want to stay still and produce what surely would feel like another album that is the same as the last, which is where Martin come in I guess. If you are not growing, it feels like you are going backwards.

As for going for the big crowd, she always had them. Her last tour was the biggest one Country Music has ever seen, bigger than Shania Twain at her peak. Even for the Fearless tour (her first ever) back in 2009, she sold out Madison Square Garden in 1 minute. It's just moving more to the pop opened up an entire new sector of audience that normally think country music is banjos and cowboy boots and immediately write it off as rubbish. By slapping the pop label on it, these people would at least give it a chance.

I disagree with the lack of musical integrity comment however, how is changing genre a lack of integrity? Madonna did it all her life. The Beatles changed their style over the 10 years they were together, even Dylan went electric. Moving to New York is just a location, you would too, it is no different than someone from a small town in England once they are grown up, want to leave home and moving to London for their career, meet new people.

TALON1973 · 30 Jun 2015 at 20:11

I'm going to do something I swore I wouldn't ... and give all her albums one go ....tbh I don't think she's for me ... and the "swifties" , can do one imo ... it's like MJ obsessive fans .. I class myself as I MJ music lover , but by Christ ... some ott stuff . All that " I love you Michael" crap ....sighs

Raymond Lin · 30 Jun 2015 at 20:13

TALON1973 said:
I'm going to do something I swore I wouldn't ... and give all her albums one go ....tbh I don't think she's for me ... and the "swifties" , can do one imo ... it's like MJ obsessive fans .. I class myself as I MJ music lover , but by Christ ... some ott stuff . All that " I love you Michael" crap ....sighs

Start with the beginning...some of the songs are very very country, banjos playing, singing about pick up trucks and all that.

TALON1973 · 30 Jun 2015 at 20:44

Raymond Lin said:
Start with the beginning...some of the songs are very very country, banjos playing, singing about pick up trucks and all that.

I give them a listen .... but over the years the artists I like tend to be male .. only ones I can say ive got into the most is Pink and Annie Lennox .... oh and Idina Menzel

Steedie · 30 Jun 2015 at 20:53

She has one of the most stunning faces I've ever seen, but she also has one of the most unappealing bodies I've ever seen. She looks like she hasn't eaten in 10 years. And for that reason, I'm out. Her music is also garbage

Raymond Lin · 30 Jun 2015 at 20:53

TALON1973 said:
I give them a listen .... but over the years the artists I like tend to be male .. only ones I can say ive got into the most is Pink and Annie Lennox .... oh and Idina Menzel

Bearing in mind 1 thing.

Most common complaint about Taylor Swift is that all she sings about is high school love. What these people forget is that she recorded her first album by the age of 16, second by 18 and 3rd album before the age of 20. So inevitably her world at that point is High School, especially the first 2.

Mark A · 1 Jul 2015 at 02:52

Really can't stand her music, but quite liked Imagine dragons cover of her song. Maybe due to that fact they are actually playing instruments.

opethdisciple · 1 Jul 2015 at 21:44

Robosapien said:
The Mental Health Act 1983 (subsequently amended in 2007) is very interesting piece of legislation...

opethdisciple · 1 Jul 2015 at 21:47

Basically, shes pretty tasty, which explains why we put up with this drivel.

Errol · 2 Jul 2015 at 15:14

rickjames said:
The most important artist of the 21st century.

LOL!

bignev72 · 2 Jul 2015 at 15:52

rickjames said:
The most important artist of the 21st century.

Nothing against her but this is a silly statement :confused:

Raymond Lin · 2 Jul 2015 at 16:00

Errol said:
LOL!

21st Century so since 2000.

Subjectively speaking, of course, it is hard to fathom a tall blonde 25 year old from Nashville can be "the most important artist" in any century. Most artist barely still in their diapers in terms of their career at the age of 25 but looking at it objectively, since 2000, can you name another artist that has:-

1 – sold as many records
2 – won as many critical awards
3 – has a writing credit on 100% of their own music
4 – breaking as many records such as youngest ever Grammy winner, first country music song to top the Billboard 100.
5 - cross genre, and then out sold the previous one
6 – do all that without a "Best of" album
7 – without the backing of a major label, and the massive ad campaign that goes with it.
8 – not out of a reality TV show

Hell, I am confident enough to say that, show me someone who has done half of that. The incident with Apple and how her single blog post made them change their policy is evident that she has more power than most artist on the planet right now. Last November Bloomberg Magazine did an article titled "Taylor Swift IS the music Industry". When a publication writes something like that about her, there has got to be some truth to the matter, whether you agree or not.

Sure, subjectively you may not agree, but her achievements don't lie, by any measure of "importance", there isn't anyone achieved the same level of continuing success, both commercially and critically as she has done.

Xordium · 2 Jul 2015 at 16:34

I think the quote was most "important" what you chaps are discussing is popular. Only time will tell if she is the most important - popularity is not the sole criteria there for any artist. Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms were not universally popular at their peak and then you have other artist eg painters such as van Gogh who were relatively unknown at their time but over time we can see their importance.

She'd done well for herself. I am sure she is happy at that. She also seems relatively down to earth I doubt she make the same claim herself.

Raymond Lin · 2 Jul 2015 at 18:20

Xordium said:
I think the quote was most "important" what you chaps are discussing is popular. Only time will tell if she is the most important - popularity is not the sole criteria there for any artist. Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms were not universally popular at their peak and then you have other artist eg painters such as van Gogh who were relatively unknown at their time but over time we can see their importance.

She'd done well for herself. I am sure she is happy at that. She also seems relatively down to earth I doubt she make the same claim herself.

That's one thing that her fans love about her, how down to earth her she is. Whether it is all an act, who knows but it's been the same act since day 1 pretty much. She comes across as the same person as those YouTube videos shot back in 2006.

This is that article I referred to, I don't know of Rihanna's achievements but her name wasn't even mentioned once.

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-11-12/taylor-swift-and-big-machine-are-the-music-industry

Xordium · 2 Jul 2015 at 20:38

I doubt it's an act there is only so long people can act before it becomes abundantly apparent they are.