this post was submitted on 04 Feb 2024

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311

Can someone explain to me what makes Taylor Swift so popular? (self.asklemmy)

submitted 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) by Varyk to c/[email protected]

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I don't get it. Her music is sometimes catchy but otherwise unremarkable, from the songs I've heard. How does she break all these records and accumulate so much fame and wealth?

She's pretty, but a lot of singer songwriters are, especially those with makeup and costume people, a support staff.

Is there something else to her that people like?

I'm confused about what makes her so apparently unique or phenomenal.

Update: there are so many things that make swift unique or phenomenal.

I've received tons of great answers from people that have helped me understand, like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, many factors that makes swift different and consequently more successful than her peers.

Clever lyrics, top-tier production, sharing autobiographical and emotional points in her life very directly, apparent honesty with few or no public blemishes, creating a community of fans through Easter eggs and house parties and unconventional, but always personal methods, an early start supported by wealthy parents, she keeps winning against abusers, and her music itself is popular and fun.

Those are just a few of the puzzle pieces contributed here, and a dive into this post is a pretty good explanation of many of the factors that must be contributing to her phenomenal success and recognition, that set her apart from other pop stars, even pop stars who were phenoms in their own right.

This is a very educational post, thank you to everyone who has contributed.

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[–] Varyk 3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

I feel like with Madonna or beyoncé, either of them are more unique and have more staying power.

I'm not a big pop head, but I can sing a bunch of their singles and I can't think of a Taylor Swift song except I think the never going to get back together one?

Maybe I'm just perceiving Taylor Swift is more successful and wealthy than all of these other pop stars?

I should probably go look at the numbers to see if the perception she projects is as insanely successful as it seems to me

[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Why would you think anyone has more staying power than Taylor Swift? At 34 years old she has been in the music industry for 19 years and she's only growing in popularity. She topped the Country charts for 24 weeks with her debut album at age 17.

Sure, we won't be able to compare her to Madonna for another 30 years or so, but I don't exactly see a reason to question her staying power.

[–] Varyk 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Because many other artists created a movement that it seems like Taylor Swift waded into and perpetuated without contributing something significantly new.

I'm interested in your " we won't be able to compare her to Madonna for another 30 years"， are you agreeing that Swift doesn't have the sort of staying power that Madonna or other pop stars have achieved?

If so, why has she received so many more awards than anybody else? So many.

I might not understand what you mean by this comment:

"Sure, we won't be able to compare her to Madonna for another 30 years or so, but I don't exactly see a reason to question her staying power."

[–] [email protected] 3 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago) (1 children)

I just think it's easy to assess Madonna's staying power because she's still around and somewhat relevant, even though she had her biggest hit 40 years ago. It's not easy to say right now who will be remembered and who will be forgotten in 30 years.

[–] Varyk 5 points 7 months ago* (last edited 7 months ago)

I hear people say that all the time, but Madonna was a pretty radical figure, and so was Michael Jackson and the Beatles, who people keep bringing up?

They were all pioneers of a very clear movement or another, whereas Taylor Swift is just a pop star who sings about relationships and breakups in the middle of a line of pop stars who sing about relationships and breakups?

Well, but I don't fully understand the amount of award she's received because she sings well, when there are other artists who sing as well.

I do think that all of your comments are helping bring me closer to a complete picture though, or at least as complete a picture as we can get so early into her career.

Thanks