“You can't win chile’, You can't break even, And you can't get out of the game”-The Wiz
There are times when you can’t win in the industry; its darned if you do, darned if you don’t. Taylor Swift is having one of those moments. She cleaned up at most of the award shows in 2009, she has a great public image and her fan base is ever growing. The only people that don’t seem to be sold on her are some music critics, whom I feel have unjustly measured her. I’ve read several reviews in which critics complained about her material being too youthful and not mature enough for her age (many of her songs have an innocent tone to them). Because of this “innocent” tone, some critics feel that her music has little artistic value. This complaint/critique is a load of crap. 1st, I will argue why that critique is a load of crap, and then I will explain why Taylor Swift “can’t win” with critics.
The critique is unfair because…
#1 Taylor Swift has been writing since around age 14. Did it ever come across the critics’ minds that some of the material on her albums may have come from that period?
#2 The critics are age-biased. Of course her material wouldn’t light their 30 to 40 year old fire. They want a 19 year old to sound 29 or 39. And why is sounding “youthful” not artistic anyway? If it isn’t “gritty”, depressing, or hardcore, it’s not artistic. Music is supposed to move people and unite them. Obviously, it’s “moving and uniting” her fan base fine. With some of the lyrics taken directly from Swift’s teenage diary, many teenage girls are finding solace in her songs and find her relatable. Does providing solace not count for anything?
Why Taylor Swift “Can’t Win”
As her lyrics are, she’s being accused of being “too youthful and innocent.” If she were to “mature” her lyrics and over-sexualize herself like Britney Spears did at 19, she would be considered a “bad influence on teen girls”, “skanky”, or “growing up too fast.” You can’t win.
There are times when you can’t win in the industry; its darned if you do, darned if you don’t. Taylor Swift is having one of those moments. She cleaned up at most of the award shows in 2009, she has a great public image and her fan base is ever growing. The only people that don’t seem to be sold on her are some music critics, whom I feel have unjustly measured her. I’ve read several reviews in which critics complained about her material being too youthful and not mature enough for her age (many of her songs have an innocent tone to them). Because of this “innocent” tone, some critics feel that her music has little artistic value. This complaint/critique is a load of crap. 1st, I will argue why that critique is a load of crap, and then I will explain why Taylor Swift “can’t win” with critics.
The critique is unfair because…
#1 Taylor Swift has been writing since around age 14. Did it ever come across the critics’ minds that some of the material on her albums may have come from that period?
#2 The critics are age-biased. Of course her material wouldn’t light their 30 to 40 year old fire. They want a 19 year old to sound 29 or 39. And why is sounding “youthful” not artistic anyway? If it isn’t “gritty”, depressing, or hardcore, it’s not artistic. Music is supposed to move people and unite them. Obviously, it’s “moving and uniting” her fan base fine. With some of the lyrics taken directly from Swift’s teenage diary, many teenage girls are finding solace in her songs and find her relatable. Does providing solace not count for anything?
Why Taylor Swift “Can’t Win”
As her lyrics are, she’s being accused of being “too youthful and innocent.” If she were to “mature” her lyrics and over-sexualize herself like Britney Spears did at 19, she would be considered a “bad influence on teen girls”, “skanky”, or “growing up too fast.” You can’t win.
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