Earlier this year my sister-in-law invited me to see the Era’s movie with her and my niece, and I happily joined in the fun. Not because I liked Taylor Swift; at that point, I really hadn’t listened to any of her music. Going was more of something to do and spend time with people I liked. I left the movie with a greater appreciation for the Taylor Swift world, how charismatic she is to her fans, and why she has haters who are gonna hate hate hate.
I have always appreciated her business sense. She’s smart, tenacious, savvy, and kind. I also believe that she lives in a world that no one else can even begin to comprehend and the complexities of everything she needs to navigate just to be a human being.
So, when we heard that she was releasing a new album on April 19, I was a little excited—okay, I was very excited. I have never waited anxiously for an album to drop. Ever. Never. But there I was at 11:00 central time, clicking the play button on Spotify and texting my sister-in-law about the songs that I liked and didn’t like.
Taylor isn’t mind-blowing incredible. Her music seems to sound alike, and there isn’t much bravery in trying something new. It’s easy to listen to in the background and easy to tap your toes to. What Taylor gets right is that she writes what she knows, her life. She tells a story using words that play off of each other and as you learn the story behind the song, you become invested more and more into the music, because you almost feel like Taylor is telling you a secret, that she is starting the film real on her life and allowing you to sit in her living room and watch the story unfold. She makes you feel included. And she does it for every single generation, grandmas, moms, daughters, aunts, uncles, dads and brothers and sisters. She doesn’t exclude anyone. We can all close our eyes and pretend that Taylor’s story is ours, or we compare our world with hers and see similarities.
So for now, I guess I’m a Swifty. 🙂