Gen Xers - Do you find Taylor Swift’s music bland?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

Wow, your 2nd grader is so musically progressive. Are they always this critical of their friends?

She’s a really kind friend. She just doesn’t understand why they keep talking about what is to her a random person.

But she’s not a “random person” to her friends. She’s a musician they admire and who resonates with them?

7 yr olds aren’t into songs about heartbreak and cheating boyfriends. They are basic trend followers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Yep. It’s the obvious misogyny and impossible standards Taylor is held to that get some of us riled up.

Please stop with this nonsense. Critics have listed plenty of other female artists that they adore.

None them have touched Taylor’s success and impact. Or they’ve stayed in their lane and so they are acceptable.

I’m not accusing you or everyone as misogynistic but there is a lot of misogyny in some of the criticisms. And people respond to that and are accused as rabid and hysterical.

I'm not sure how you can say Beyonce and Rihanna can't touch her success. Rihanna was a billionaire 1st.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

Wow, your 2nd grader is so musically progressive. Are they always this critical of their friends?

She’s a really kind friend. She just doesn’t understand why they keep talking about what is to her a random person.

But she’s not a “random person” to her friends. She’s a musician they admire and who resonates with them?

7 yr olds aren’t into songs about heartbreak and cheating boyfriends. They are basic trend followers.

or like most little kids love the music and don't really listen to the lyrics.... like who know "Roxanne" was a prostitute when I was 7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

I felt the same way about Sean Cassidy. Alas, I survived.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

Wow, your 2nd grader is so musically progressive. Are they always this critical of their friends?

She’s a really kind friend. She just doesn’t understand why they keep talking about what is to her a random person.

But she’s not a “random person” to her friends. She’s a musician they admire and who resonates with them?

Yes, and she gets that. But she’s 7. And she doesn’t understand the fixation on TS as a person.

Celebrity worship can be a weird thing to a kid who hasn’t found any famous person they adore.

My son at 7 found out the high school musical chick did naked pictures and devastation followed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

Wow, your 2nd grader is so musically progressive. Are they always this critical of their friends?

She’s a really kind friend. She just doesn’t understand why they keep talking about what is to her a random person.

But she’s not a “random person” to her friends. She’s a musician they admire and who resonates with them?

7 yr olds aren’t into songs about heartbreak and cheating boyfriends. They are basic trend followers.

or like most little kids love the music and don't really listen to the lyrics.... like who know "Roxanne" was a prostitute when I was 7.

They listen to what they think they should listen to. What their older sisters and cousins listen to or maybe their moms. They aren’t really identifying with her lyrics and emotion because it’s inappropriate. They are copying older behavior.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

Wow, your 2nd grader is so musically progressive. Are they always this critical of their friends?

She’s a really kind friend. She just doesn’t understand why they keep talking about what is to her a random person.

I have a 2nd grade DD too and she doesn't dislike TS at all and really likes some of her songs but has also expressed frustration about the level of obsession among her friends. DD listens to lots of different kinds of music though and a lot of her friends just went straight from the Disney musicals to TS with no side journeys and I get why this is annoying. It feels brainless. Not because TS is bad but because she's the biggest pop star in the world and "everyone likes her" and it feels like a substitute for developing your own tastes and interests. But I think the world is sort of set up to encourage kids to think this way -- so much of kids' media is about telling kids "this is what you should like now" instead of just exposing kids to different things and seeing what they enjoy.

I like TS fine but I do sometimes feel like discussion of her blots out everything else. I think this is why these threads devolve into sniping where some people are criticizing Swift and then the Swifties come in to refute every criticism. It's because of the expectation that "everyone" has to like her and also like everything about her. You aren't allowed to say "I like some of her music but I find her presence at NFL games annoying" or "I think TTPD is great but hated everything before it" or "I really liked her music when I was younger but it just doesn't speak to me anymore." If you say any of these things you will immediately have someone jumping on you and saying your qualified fandom is wrong and misogynistic. But I think those are all reasonable comments and I think if you made them about pretty much anyone else they would go unremarked upon. But with Swift they will be refuted. Why? It's just an opinion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Yep. It’s the obvious misogyny and impossible standards Taylor is held to that get some of us riled up.

Please stop with this nonsense. Critics have listed plenty of other female artists that they adore.

None them have touched Taylor’s success and impact. Or they’ve stayed in their lane and so they are acceptable.

I’m not accusing you or everyone as misogynistic but there is a lot of misogyny in some of the criticisms. And people respond to that and are accused as rabid and hysterical.

I'm not sure how you can say Beyonce and Rihanna can't touch her success. Rihanna was a billionaire 1st.

Didn’t you know? Taylor is unprecedented in every way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

Wow, your 2nd grader is so musically progressive. Are they always this critical of their friends?

She’s a really kind friend. She just doesn’t understand why they keep talking about what is to her a random person.

I have a 2nd grade DD too and she doesn't dislike TS at all and really likes some of her songs but has also expressed frustration about the level of obsession among her friends. DD listens to lots of different kinds of music though and a lot of her friends just went straight from the Disney musicals to TS with no side journeys and I get why this is annoying. It feels brainless. Not because TS is bad but because she's the biggest pop star in the world and "everyone likes her" and it feels like a substitute for developing your own tastes and interests. But I think the world is sort of set up to encourage kids to think this way -- so much of kids' media is about telling kids "this is what you should like now" instead of just exposing kids to different things and seeing what they enjoy.

I like TS fine but I do sometimes feel like discussion of her blots out everything else. I think this is why these threads devolve into sniping where some people are criticizing Swift and then the Swifties come in to refute every criticism. It's because of the expectation that "everyone" has to like her and also like everything about her. You aren't allowed to say "I like some of her music but I find her presence at NFL games annoying" or "I think TTPD is great but hated everything before it" or "I really liked her music when I was younger but it just doesn't speak to me anymore." If you say any of these things you will immediately have someone jumping on you and saying your qualified fandom is wrong and misogynistic. But I think those are all reasonable comments and I think if you made them about pretty much anyone else they would go unremarked upon. But with Swift they will be refuted. Why? It's just an opinion.

Exactly. My kid likes a couple of her songs but primarily likes musical theater soundtracks and Descendants. She also likes random other songs.

Her frustration is that “it’s all my friends talk about, mommy!”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Then give me an example of something I should listen to and appreciate.

There's this masterpiece about her sweater

https://youtu.be/K-a8s8OLBSE?feature=shared

I tried and felt like I’ve heard versions of that song from her before. Dreamy whisper pop. Got bored half way through and turned it off. Not doing it for me. Sorry.

That’s my issue with her latest albums. I listened to the first song and liked it. Then I kept listening and realized they all sound the same.

If I listen to a Beatles or Radiohead album, I’ll get variety from song to song. I don’t feel like I get that sort of rhythmic and sonic variety from her albums, especially lately.

You think Shake it off and Peter sound the same?

Sounds kinda like that sweater song!

One is 130 beats per minute and the other 177 beats per minutes

Cardigan is like Walking on Air and Peter is like Mr. Tamborine Man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 2nd grader has even been frustrated about how obsessed her friends are with TS.

Yesterday she asked me why they all love her so much. “They say she’s the best musician in the world. She’s not, right? Why are they so obsessed with her?”

Back in the day, my friends were either ABBA fans or Bay City Rollers fans. I felt so betrayed when my best friend started adding tartan to the bottom of her trousers.

Your daughter is very observant and sounds like she will march to the beat of her own drum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Then give me an example of something I should listen to and appreciate.

There's this masterpiece about her sweater

https://youtu.be/K-a8s8OLBSE?feature=shared

I tried and felt like I’ve heard versions of that song from her before. Dreamy whisper pop. Got bored half way through and turned it off. Not doing it for me. Sorry.

That’s my issue with her latest albums. I listened to the first song and liked it. Then I kept listening and realized they all sound the same.

If I listen to a Beatles or Radiohead album, I’ll get variety from song to song. I don’t feel like I get that sort of rhythmic and sonic variety from her albums, especially lately.

You think Shake it off and Peter sound the same?

Okay, she has upbeat and downbeat songs. Great.

Peter is a waltz.

You mean a song in 3/4?! What innovation!!!!

Kind of like Creep by Radiohead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Then give me an example of something I should listen to and appreciate.

There's this masterpiece about her sweater

https://youtu.be/K-a8s8OLBSE?feature=shared

I tried and felt like I’ve heard versions of that song from her before. Dreamy whisper pop. Got bored half way through and turned it off. Not doing it for me. Sorry.

You didn't feel the obvious sarcasm when PP posted that song, really? A song about her sweater. ??

Haha was that sarcasm? Given how mystifying the Taylor Swift phenomenon is to me to begin with, I can’t tell! Also, that video had a ton of views and fawning comments from Swifties so I guess someone thinks it is a masterpiece?

Not everybody can be Radiohead.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Then give me an example of something I should listen to and appreciate.

There's this masterpiece about her sweater

https://youtu.be/K-a8s8OLBSE?feature=shared

I tried and felt like I’ve heard versions of that song from her before. Dreamy whisper pop. Got bored half way through and turned it off. Not doing it for me. Sorry.

That’s my issue with her latest albums. I listened to the first song and liked it. Then I kept listening and realized they all sound the same.

If I listen to a Beatles or Radiohead album, I’ll get variety from song to song. I don’t feel like I get that sort of rhythmic and sonic variety from her albums, especially lately.

You think Shake it off and Peter sound the same?

Sounds kinda like that sweater song!

One is 130 beats per minute and the other 177 beats per minutes

Cardigan is like Walking on Air and Peter is like Mr. Tamborine Man.

Are you a musician?

Varying BPMs is not really all that impressive.

Talk to me about chord progression, melodic variation, harmonic progressions, key changes, time signature changes within the same song, etc.

I just looked up the chords for Peter. They’re very simple. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s going to contribute to the song feeling kind of bland.

Same thing with Cardigan. Cowboy chords.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X women think hating Taylor Swift is a personality and I will never understand

One of the Gen X PPs here to clarify that I only am neutral/meh about Taylor. Now her fans…

+1

I have not posted much in the thread but I don't actually have strong feelings about Swift as a person. Like others I have tried to get into her music because she seems to be the biggest thing going, but it just never clicks with me. I do like singer-songwriters like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo so I don't think it's purely a generational thing.

But reading through the thread I am reminded that I find diehard Swifties really annoying. They take any critique of Swift so personally. I don't get it. I think there is a lot of over identification with her as a personal avatar and it's not healthy. She's just an artist and celeb.

Actually, I don’t really care whether people like her or not. I understand she is not everyone’s cup of tea. I think people mainly take issue with the criticisms that come from generalizations or ignorance, or even a dismissal of her themes as unimportant because they appeal to young women as though that is a bad thing. There’s a deeper body of work there underneath the radio hits. I understand not everyone has the time or willingness to listen to them. But many people still speak before they know.

Then give me an example of something I should listen to and appreciate.

There's this masterpiece about her sweater

https://youtu.be/K-a8s8OLBSE?feature=shared

I tried and felt like I’ve heard versions of that song from her before. Dreamy whisper pop. Got bored half way through and turned it off. Not doing it for me. Sorry.

That’s my issue with her latest albums. I listened to the first song and liked it. Then I kept listening and realized they all sound the same.

If I listen to a Beatles or Radiohead album, I’ll get variety from song to song. I don’t feel like I get that sort of rhythmic and sonic variety from her albums, especially lately.

You think Shake it off and Peter sound the same?

Okay, she has upbeat and downbeat songs. Great.

Peter is a waltz.

You mean a song in 3/4?! What innovation!!!!

Kind of like Creep by Radiohead.

Yeah and the time signature is the least innovative part of that song. That song is made by its huge dynamic range. It goes from arpeggios on an acoustic guitar to manic scraping on a distorted electric and Thom Yorke practically screaming.