I’m 35 and I somehow missed the boat when she first got popular but i remember my younger cousin, 20 now, was a huge fan as a tween and went to a lot of her concerts. For this reason I somehow thought of her as a pop artist for gen z tweens.

Obviously, nowadays, she has broad appeal and I don’t think her popularity is limited to one gen. Personally, I am familiar with some of her music and like it when it pops up on a playlist.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X here. I like her songs and will sing along on the radio but I have never bought her CDs or concert tickets.

Psst- it’s called streaming music, not buying CDs.

You do realize Swift actually sold albums as CDs way back when before streaming was a thing? That’s what I’m referring to. I never purchased any of her earlier albums on CDs. You’re obviously not Gen X. Our generation bought CDs and will continue to.

Honey I bought tapes.

When Taylor Swift came out, music was already on CD.

+1 I also bought tapes when I was a child. I distinctly remember getting a Debbie Gibson tape, a Mariah Carey tape, and a Michael Jackson tape. I still have my collection of tapes and an old boombox/cassette player.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posters saying she has "a few catchy songs" -- that's just not correct. She has a TON of songs that are popular, have remained popular for years and span genres:

Shake it Off, Blank Space, Bad Blood, Me, You Belong with Me, Wildest Dream, Ready for It, Mean, We are Never Getting Back Together, I knew you were Trouble, You Need to Calm Down, Anti-Hero...

Those are just off the top of my head. You may not love all of them, but I bet you could sing at least some of the lyrics.

The only one I recognize is Shake it Off.

Google "Blank Space". Guarantee you've heard it.
Also...Anti-Hero is on constantly. Even my parents recognize it.

Nope. Never heard Blank Space before.

Are you allowed to be on your phone during class?

Public Service Announcement - people my age tend to listen to NPR, podcasts and music of our own choosing, not pop music radio stations.

I’m 50 and disagree with you. Music is life, I mostly listen to rock, blues, jazz and 80s new wave, but I occasionally listen to pop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X here. I like her songs and will sing along on the radio but I have never bought her CDs or concert tickets.

Psst- it’s called streaming music, not buying CDs.

You do realize Swift actually sold albums as CDs way back when before streaming was a thing? That’s what I’m referring to. I never purchased any of her earlier albums on CDs. You’re obviously not Gen X. Our generation bought CDs and will continue to.

Honey I bought tapes.

When Taylor Swift came out, music was already on CD.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posters saying she has "a few catchy songs" -- that's just not correct. She has a TON of songs that are popular, have remained popular for years and span genres:

Shake it Off, Blank Space, Bad Blood, Me, You Belong with Me, Wildest Dream, Ready for It, Mean, We are Never Getting Back Together, I knew you were Trouble, You Need to Calm Down, Anti-Hero...

Those are just off the top of my head. You may not love all of them, but I bet you could sing at least some of the lyrics.

The only one I recognize is Shake it Off.

Google "Blank Space". Guarantee you've heard it.
Also...Anti-Hero is on constantly. Even my parents recognize it.

Nope. Never heard Blank Space before.

Are you allowed to be on your phone during class?

Public Service Announcement - people my age tend to listen to NPR, podcasts and music of our own choosing, not pop music radio stations.

DP here: What age? I'm mid-40s and know all those songs. I listen to a ton of pop.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:She’s a marketing genius - that is 95% of her success.

How is she a marketing genius? I always hear it so I believe it's true, but I don't pay any attention to her, so I don't get what it is that she is marketing about herself that is so appealing.

She is amazing at developing a relationship with her fans and making them feel special, and making them feel their connection to her is special. She also does an amazing job at performing vulnerability, to make the people who listen to her music feel like they are seeing her real self, while also always maintaining actual privacy and distance.

Her fans often feel like they relate to her or are like her, but it’s by design— her music is written to evoke this feeling, specifically.

She understands her fans extremely well and knows how to give them what they want.

She doesn't really have a relationship with her fans. Does she know your name? Would she recognize you in Starbucks? Will she babysit for you in an emergency?

How does she make you feel special in practical terms when you're in a football stadium sized crowd? How can 13 year olds relate to her lyrics about relationships when they've never had one?

She does have a magnificent marketing machine I'll admit.

It's called a "parasocial relationship." Very common in the social media era. Swift cultivates them pretty assiduously via social media, the Easter eggs and little inside jokes that she peppers her songs and videos with, plus a PR machine that releases a steady stream of stories about Taylor reaching out to fans, helping them, and protecting them. Stories about her sending personalized notes and merchandise to fans who are sick or have sympathetic stories. There was recently a bunch of news recently about her checking on a fan in the middle of one of her tour appearances who was having issues with security, and defending the fan -- this was pushed out by her PR team but also got picked up by the many Swifty fan accounts.

I'm not saying I have a relationship with her -- I don't really even listen to pop music. But I have a family member who is obsessed with her and tracks this stuff closely. The fandom seems to be based on this idea of personal connection. On the current tour, people are dressing like Taylor at various stages of her life -- wearing costumes that look like outfits she's worn in videos or on tour, or when she's won awards. People are even cutting or dying their hair (or wearing wigs) to get these looks.

Yes it is obsessive and IMO not healthy, but you can't deny that Taylor is good at developing these parasocial relationships and also milking them. A few years ago one of her pieces of merchandise was a cardigan sweater manufactured to look like a cardigan she wore in a video and/or promotional materials for one of the albums she released during Covid. My family member was OBSESSED with this cardigan and received it as a gift and cried when they received it. This person is in their 30s. I don't get it, but she is not alone -- many of her fans are like this. And they are giving Taylor $$$$$$$ for it. Savvy businesswoman.

Anonymous wrote:I like Taylor swift but I’m not obsessed with her music or persona. I like her music better than most of the current crap though.

(Also, I’m a millennial)

I like Taylor swift but I’m not obsessed with her music or persona. I like her music better than most of the current crap though.

I'm a millennial. I don't care for her music. That's fine that others do, though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posters saying she has "a few catchy songs" -- that's just not correct. She has a TON of songs that are popular, have remained popular for years and span genres:

Shake it Off, Blank Space, Bad Blood, Me, You Belong with Me, Wildest Dream, Ready for It, Mean, We are Never Getting Back Together, I knew you were Trouble, You Need to Calm Down, Anti-Hero...

Those are just off the top of my head. You may not love all of them, but I bet you could sing at least some of the lyrics.

The only one I recognize is Shake it Off.

Google "Blank Space". Guarantee you've heard it.
Also...Anti-Hero is on constantly. Even my parents recognize it.

Nope. Never heard Blank Space before.

Are you allowed to be on your phone during class?

Public Service Announcement - people my age tend to listen to NPR, podcasts and music of our own choosing, not pop music radio stations.

How old are you?

My mom is in her early 70s and even she likes Taylor Swift! She went to the concert with me, my sis, and my nieces a few weeks ago.

I'm in my 30s and I enjoy NPR and podcasts, and haven't listened to music on the radio in at least 8+ years. I can name exactly 1 radio station in this area and that's only because of all the threads I've seen started here on the station: 99.5, lol.

I was 18 when Taylor Swift's first album came out. In a sense, I've 'grown up' with her music. It felt like we were going through the same things at similar times.

Unlike other artists who tried to remain the same (Madonna), Taylor's music has grown as she's aged.

I have a Gen X sister who only started liking Swift during her evermore & folklore eras. She was in her mid-20s when Swift's music first came out, so someone singing about teenage love didn't connect with her. She's now a big fan and has gone back and discovered other earlier albums of hers that she enjoys (Red, Lover). We went to a show together & had the best time. Both of my sister's Gen Z kids are big Swift fans & loved going to her concert as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nope. I agree with you.

Meaning I also find her bland and am surprised at her success.

Well, I get it from a business standpoint— I do see how hard she works and also how intelligently she markets herself. I admire her as a business woman. But her music all sounds the same to me, and all very “safe” and generic in terms of subject matter.

She has had a few catchy hits, but that doesn’t explain the extreme devotion of her fans to me.

Agree. Plus a good chunk of her concert audiences will be future Karens in 10-15 years

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posters saying she has "a few catchy songs" -- that's just not correct. She has a TON of songs that are popular, have remained popular for years and span genres:

Shake it Off, Blank Space, Bad Blood, Me, You Belong with Me, Wildest Dream, Ready for It, Mean, We are Never Getting Back Together, I knew you were Trouble, You Need to Calm Down, Anti-Hero...

Those are just off the top of my head. You may not love all of them, but I bet you could sing at least some of the lyrics.

The only one I recognize is Shake it Off.

Google "Blank Space". Guarantee you've heard it.
Also...Anti-Hero is on constantly. Even my parents recognize it.

Nope. Never heard Blank Space before.

Are you allowed to be on your phone during class?

Public Service Announcement - people my age tend to listen to NPR, podcasts and music of our own choosing, not pop music radio stations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These posters saying she has "a few catchy songs" -- that's just not correct. She has a TON of songs that are popular, have remained popular for years and span genres:

Shake it Off, Blank Space, Bad Blood, Me, You Belong with Me, Wildest Dream, Ready for It, Mean, We are Never Getting Back Together, I knew you were Trouble, You Need to Calm Down, Anti-Hero...

Those are just off the top of my head. You may not love all of them, but I bet you could sing at least some of the lyrics.

The only one I recognize is Shake it Off.

Google "Blank Space". Guarantee you've heard it.
Also...Anti-Hero is on constantly. Even my parents recognize it.

don't poke the juggernaut.