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Taylor Swift Will Never Go Out of Style

Why the Country Star Turned Pop Icon Was Never Just a Fad

By Lily KristianPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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What is it about an artist that makes us so drawn to them? Why do we feel such a connection with certain music? Think about some of your favorite songs of all time. Got them? Are any of them songs you’ve known since childhood or that you first heard sometime in your younger years? Likely they are. When a song or an artist is that important to us, that song or artist will stick with us for years to come.

So what separates a fad from an icon? Taylor Swift is certainly no one-hit wonder. Nor is she a fad. Of course people have tried to pin that label on her over the years, but after 12 years at the top of the charts, I think it’s safe to say Taylor is far beyond that now. So how has Taylor managed to remain relevant for so long? There are a few factors that, in my mind, have contributed to Miss Swift’s longevity throughout the years.

First of all, Taylor Swift is a lyrical genius. Her songwriting skills have been compared with those of longtime music icons. Taylor’s songwriting has been the star of the show since “Tim McGraw,” with beautiful, memorable lyrics like, “He said the way my blue eyes shined / put those Georgia stars to shame that night / I said, ‘That’s a lie.’” Songs on her self-titled debut album, like “Tim McGraw,” “Our Song,” and “Picture To Burn,” solidified Taylor early on as a songwriter ahead of her years. Her next album, Fearless, produced smash hits “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” among others. The list goes on and on through her next four albums.

So why do Taylor’s lyrics stand out from other artists’? For one thing, Taylor writes or co-writes every song she records. Her third album, Speak Now, was entirely self-written. Taylor has always been dedicated to being honest in her writing, and part of that involves singing her own words. And this hasn’t changed throughout her entire career. She said of songwriting in a recent article for Harper’s BAZAAR, “…that’s the purest part of my job. It can get complicated on every other level, but the songwriting is still the same uncomplicated process it was when I was 12 years old writing songs in my room.” The fact that Taylor writes her own songs means that each song has pieces of herself in it. That’s why there aren’t any Taylor Swift albums that lyrically don’t “feel” like Taylor Swift, as happens with many artists who don’t write their own songs.

Another reason Taylor has remained so relatable and relevant throughout the years is how relatable her music is. From the beginning she’s been most well-known for her love and breakup songs. She writes about things that actually happened to her. People like things they can relate to, whether it’s because it makes them feel understood, because it puts what they’re feeling into words, or because it makes them feel less alone. Almost everyone will at some point experience relationships like the kind Taylor writes about, or they at least fantasize about them. Relationships—romantic or otherwise—are a universal phenomenon. By writing from her own experience, Taylor writes about everyone’s experience. She may be one of the world’s biggest stars, but she has the same thoughts, emotions, and everyday struggles as the girl next door.

Another reason Taylor’s music has stood and will continue to stand the test of time is that Taylor is able to adapt musically to what she believes her fans want and what she feels is right for her at the moment. Every two years, until a surprisingly longer wait for her sixth album, Taylor released a new album and an indication of where she was musically at that time. Taylor Swift, her first album, had a very distinct country sound. Her next album, Fearless, was also very country. However, Fearless had a bit more of a grown-up and polished sound than Taylor’s debut release had. Taylor was often referred to as a country-pop artist at the time, although when compared to later albums, Fearless no longer seems very “pop.” Speak Now was Taylor’s third release. It was certainly a country album, but it had a bit more of a rock influence than Taylor’s previous two albums. Red was Taylor’s first very noticeably different offering. Red had much more pop influence than Taylor’s first three albums. It was classified as a country album, but pop radio definitely loved it as well.

1989 came with a major announcement—Taylor was transitioning to full-fledged pop music. Entire articles have been devoted to that controversial move, so I won’t go into too much detail here. But 1989 was a solid pop album that gave fans the same quality lyrics they’d come to love while officially bringing Taylor’s sound up to meet that of the modern pop scene. Taylor’s most recent album, Reputation, was another pop release, but it is a bit of a darker pop sound than 1989 had. All that to say, Taylor’s music has steadily grown with her career and with the times. She never made a completely shocking change between albums, but she didn’t let her music maintain the exact same sound for more than one album. Taylor knows what her fans want and she makes the music that she wants to make, and she is always very sure of herself when she updates her sound.

I could go on and on about Taylor’s staying power, but these are a few major reasons why I believe Taylor has been able to remain relevant over the last twelve years, and why she will continue to increase in popularity with time. Taylor is very self-aware and business-minded. She knows the current music scene inside and out, but she also has a dedication to being true to herself and her fans. As Taylor once said, she’ll “never change,” but she’ll “never stay the same either.” Taylor Swift was never a fad, and she’ll never go out of style. Taylor Swift is one of those special artist who will truly stand the test of time. I’m sure I’ll see many of you at Taylor’s 2045 tour when I’m close to 50 years old and as big of a fan—if not a bigger one—than I am now.

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About the Creator

Lily Kristian

Future broadcast journalist and lifelong Swiftie!

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