Too Swift To Judge?
Understanding the disconnect following Taylor Swift’s reputation, and the process by which she is regaining a loyal audience again
In Greek mythology, the phoenix was a bird in which lived an eternal flame. They were said to have a set pattern in their life cycle, where they were born, grew up, reached old age, and finally lit afire to be reborn from their ashes. Like a phoenix, Taylor Swift’s journey to superstardom had its phases. The sudden success of her debut album, Taylor Swift, was followed by an even stronger showing in her sophomore album, Fearless. Her later albums in this “Old Taylor” era like 1989 and Red helped build an even larger base of loyal fans. Unlike a phoenix, however, Swift’s sudden combustion made some wonder whether she would ever truly reincarnate as her former self. Gone were the days of naive youthfulness, the “New Taylor’’ became someone who sought vengeance and had no problem with returning fire on outspoken critics. After a two-year hiatus, out of the ashes arose a more familiar form of music in Lover, and then later the sister albums folklore and evermore that put this trepidation about her future to rest.
The various transformations, specifically that of her reputation album, have polarized fans. The most noticeable difference between reputation and the albums before it is the tone that Swift adopted in reputation. From the outset, the title itself was evidence of a turnaround for the artist as the reputation of Swift was tarnished because of her new songs, and she surely recognized that fact before the album’s release in 2017 (hence the title). Additionally, the tracks within the album paint a less-than-rosy picture of a person who has been the victim of slander, and who is now determined to lash out against her attackers. This bitter assault on her enemies was not new, but it had never before been so concentrated in an album. To be sure, reputation was different from her previous work, nevertheless, it was quality music. The 2017 album was much more sensational than before, none more so than the lurid song “Dress.” The abrasive piece has little in common with her past self; where she can no longer hold herself back from her lover, she used to simply beg her beau to remember her and the times they spent together in his “Wildest Dreams.” Furthermore, her self-proclaimed death of “Old Taylor” in “Look What You Made Me Do” was a wake-up call for anyone still holding on to vestiges of hope that the new version was just a mistake.
At the dawn of the “New Taylor” era, many wrote her off and abandoned her music altogether, but this judgment was too quickly handed down to Swift. Like a child maturing through their adolescent years and needing space from their family, Swift needed to make this an album that moved away from her previous character- a country girl from Nashville, Tennessee. What people need to understand is that her music shifted between genres and messages as her maturity grew. This process happens to a large number of artists throughout their career, as was the case for Swift. For example, The Beatles went through numerous phases, from psychedelic to blues to rock and roll. These changes were met with some criticism, yet the influential band still retained an expansive fan base.
Considering this, it was hard to see what was to come next for her career, and her listeners for that matter. To say that this transition changed the landscape of the artist’s fandom would be an understatement. Some “Swifties” that saw her as a country star were turned away rapidly after a new side of their favorite singer was shown. This led to the realization that her talents were more than just a single genre, but rather a multitude of them. Seamlessly switching from a “Love Story” in Fearless to a fast-paced “Getaway Car” in reputation was a lesson in utility, and Swift was the teacher.
While her change was drastic, she did not continue that particular trend after the release of reputation. Her next album, Lover, was another pop music album. However, as this title will lead you to believe, the music was more focused on her relationship life, and not taking revenge on those who had previously wronged her. Furthermore, her work during the Covid-19 lockdown led to a renaissance of sorts for her previous music, in the form of folklore and evermore. For those still not sold on the idea of letting “New Taylor” off the hook, there is still hope. Folklore and evermore were the reason I fell in love with Swift’s music, and they are the reasons that she is earning back some fans that she lost from the reputation fallout. A full return to her country roots did not occur, but she has completely left her popstar phase behind with the introduction of the pair of “ore” albums. Her newfound indie genre, with piano and guitar soundtracks, is reminiscent of a time before her reputation soured. While the change was yet another new chapter in her career, it was less extreme than her “combustion” stage. A return to country is likely not what Swift had in mind when she started these albums. However, they were exactly what some fans were looking for in order to grant her a second chance.
All told, the artist’s work has reached many millions of listeners, some devout and others casual. For those who were not thrilled with the numerous steps in her career so far, there is still a reason to be excited for this artist. Her dynamic character means that she can still switch back to another type of music that she had previously left behind. Take, for example, the Fearless album Swift is recreating and releasing later in 2021. This work will not be a carbon copy of the earlier 2008 album, but it marks a return to her roots once again, and it will surely win over previously broken hearts that have yet to forgive the “Old Taylor” for leaving the music industry. Like in the folklore song “mirrorball,” she has continued to shine even after she has splintered, revealing more of the artist than first met the eye, which is the reason that she deserves the respect of those who have distanced themselves from her.
Read more like this in Modern Music Analysis!
