"A great way to ruin a party is to put on a Taylor Swift playlist. The Swift fans in the crowd will stop what they're doing to sing along, but pretty soon the non-Swifties will start to complain-about the breathy and effortful singing, or some fussily worded lyrics, or the general vibe of lovelorn sentimentality cut with dorky humor ("This. Sick. Beat!")."
"Pop isn't supposed to work this way. The most consequential American singer of the past 20 years, Swift can claim commercial achievements that equal or surpass those of the Beatles, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. But Swift still has the feel of an acquired taste, albeit one that millions have acquired. Her success owes less to smash singles-though she has them-than to the obsessive listening she elicits from fans."
Taylor Swift's music is intensely personal and polarizing, prompting sing-alongs from devoted fans and complaints from detractors. Commercial achievements rival legendary acts, yet success depends more on obsessive listening than on standalone hit singles. The music blends breathy, effortful vocals, lovelorn sentimentality, and dorky humor that elicit strong reactions. Swift functions as an ideal entertainer in a socially fractured, internet-tribe-driven era. Comparisons extend to canonical writers such as Alexander Pope and Willa Cather. Close analysis attributes Swift's extraordinary success to the pervasive and unmistakable presence of her persona within her songs.
Read at The Atlantic
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