The Media & Most Everyone Else Missed The Real “Target” of Taylor Swift’s Grammy Speech
Unlike some years, the 2016 Grammy Awards did not launch some brand new artist into the stratosphere or have a clear cut frontrunner who completely dominated the night. It was a rather democratic and diverse set of winners who represented most facets of popular music. But if there was one clear victor you had to name, it would be Taylor Swift. Along with her two early, non-televised awards for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Music Video, she walked away with the top prize of the night, Album of the Year for her blockbuster 1989.
Though some thought that Kendrick Lamar was the one who released the most groundbreaking album in music over the last year or so, the Alabama Shakes have become the underdog everybody wants to root for, and Chris Stapleton appeared to be the dark horse who could have risen out of the shadows to shock everyone, the commercial prowess of 1989 was just too hard to deny for Grammy voters.
Since Swift released 1989 well over a calendar year ago, it’s hard to recall just what a game changer the album was upon its release. Before 1989, everybody believed the album concept and the physical copy was dead in music. 1989 changed all of that by accruing sales nobody thought were even possible in music anymore. Since then, Adele has nearly doubled Taylor Swift’s numbers, reshaping the paradigm once again. But it was 1989 that laid the groundwork and proved that blockbuster, ubiquitous albums were still possible. Were there better albums released over the last 15 months? That’s a matter of taste, but of course there were. But 1989 was the album to blame for saving the commercial enterprise of recorded music. And as much as the award was for her music, it was also for the leadership Taylor showed in taking on Apple, and making a stand that music has value and should be paid for.
As Taylor Swift strode to the stage to accept her award for Album of the Year Monday night, in a dress with an open crease so deep it purposefully revealed the close crotch cut of her undergarments, she must have felt a sense of not just victory, but relief. Given the commercial feat of 1989, if she couldn’t win Album of the Year now, she may never win again. “I remember not going to after parties. I went home and I cried a little bit and I got In-N-Out burger and ate a lot,” is what Taylor Swift said after her previous album Red missed out on the Album of the Year Grammy.
And then Swift took center stage and gave a speech.
“As the first woman to win album of the year at the Grammys twice, I want to say to all the young women out there: there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame,” Swift said. “But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going. You’ll look around and you’ll know it was you and the people who love you who put you there and that will be the greatest feeling in the world.”
Immediately, the media and many fans ran with the idea that Taylor’s speech was a dig at Kanye West. In Kanye’s new album, he refers to Taylor Swift as a “bitch,” and references the moment early in Swift’s career when he stormed the stage at the VMA’s, stealing the mic from Taylor and saying that Beyonce deserved the distinction more. A media storm ensued, and some have circled the 2009 VMA’s moment as the point when Taylor Swift became a superstar from the sympathy that arose. “I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex. Why? I made that bitch famous,” is what Kanye West says as part of his new album.
The media loves a good feud story, but Taylor Swift’s speech wasn’t just meant for one person. Kanye West may have been the inspiration for Swift’s speech, but it wasn’t the target. The target was young women all across the world who are forced or coerced to having all their accomplishments measured by the men who also happened to be involved, and many times leech off of women’s hard work and talents to build their own successes.
1989 was not very well received by Saving Country Music. I would consider it Taylor’s weakest album, and the grandstanding and accolades over the record—including the Ryan Adams tribute and arguably even the Album of the Year Grammy—are way overshooting the album’s intrinsic value to music.
But who in 2016 can question Taylor Swift’s hard work, persistence, and resonance in culture that she has been won through her own sweat and perseverance? Think what you want about Swift’s music. If you see what she has done with her stage shows, all the work she does behind the scenes, how she writes most of her own music, plays producer, makes so many of the management and marketing calls, you can’t say that she isn’t her own woman.
Taylor Swift didn’t get here just because of the powerful men behind her. In some respects she got her in spite of them. Scott Borchetta wanted Taylor Swift to stay country for 1989. But she stuck to her own vision, and wanted to move forward with her career with honesty to herself, and her fans. And the result was reaching the highest plateau of her career so far.
Kanye West is a garbage human being. He sponged off Taylor Swift’s moment at the VMA’s in 2009, and he sponged off of Taylor Swift by insulting her to gain attention for his new album. Don’t diminish the powerfulness of Taylor Swift’s Grammy speech and message by only making it relevant to one man, especially if that man is Kanye West. Taylor Swift’s speech was for everyone.
February 16, 2016 @ 11:39 am
I am not a big Taylor Swift fan but I am so glad that she took Kanye West down a peg. He is an ass and a narcissist.
February 16, 2016 @ 11:02 pm
I hesitate to think of Kanye vs Taylor as a morality play, because most things that happen in show business are not morality plays. When I saw the 2009 VMA incident I was asking if it might have been a pre planned skit, if only because it was entertaining enough to get replayed on television many times. How do we know that the two of them did not plan this all out? The roles that they seemed to be playing – the badass rapper and the young blonde damsel in distress – were too stereotypically Hollywood.
February 17, 2016 @ 11:00 am
The issue, of course, is that no one familiar with hip hop considers Kanye “a badass,” much less “a badass rapper.”
He’s a guy who grew up in the suburbs, and then managed to be to early 2000s hip hop what Dave Cobb is to “Americana” right now, which he parlayed that into a pretty damn impressive solo career, before going full on crazy after his opus, MBDTF.
February 18, 2016 @ 8:00 pm
Come to think of it nothing is “morality play” in this world anymore *____*
February 16, 2016 @ 11:41 am
It was all men who produced and wrote her album
February 16, 2016 @ 11:53 am
Well, Taylor herself was one of the producers and Imogen Heap co-wrote and produced one of the songs. I do hope she works with more women in the future, but the sausage fest on 1989 is pretty typical of most albums.
February 16, 2016 @ 12:00 pm
False, Swift has wrote dan near every song on all of her albums and wrote all of 1989 and produced about half the tracks.
February 16, 2016 @ 8:43 pm
It doesn’t matter how many men were involved in her album. Her speech wasn’t about equality. She’s never been less than equal. It was about self-awareness and self-confidence. She’s not letting anyone take from her the credit she deserves. And a lot of people try.
February 17, 2016 @ 11:00 pm
And for the most part the men are working for her, though less so on this album I think than previous ones. She’s still very much in charge of her career and making pretty good decisions.
February 16, 2016 @ 11:46 am
“Scott Borchetta wanted Taylor Swift to stay country for 1989.”
You’re way too smart and cynical to actually believe this. That whole “I fought my label to do this” line is obviously PR spin.
February 16, 2016 @ 12:03 pm
To what end? I think it’s completely plausible that Scott Borchetta wanted Swift to cut some “country” songs on 1989 so she could double dip into country radio and country awards, and because Borchetta knew it was a world he could control. I think Taylor Swift going pop was a big risk. And it paid off.
February 17, 2016 @ 7:40 am
When was she not pop?
February 17, 2016 @ 12:27 pm
Nobody has been more harsh to Taylor for calling her music country when it was always pop than me. I probably wrote a dozen articles on it. But hey, eventually she got the message, and did the right thing. And I think that deserves our respect. Let’s hope Sam Hunt and others follow suit.
February 17, 2016 @ 12:37 pm
Here’s a question that is a bit off topic but something I’ve been wondering about. Who is promoting her music to pop radio? Big Machine is a country label — they don’t have a pop division, do they? Is another branch of Universal Music doing the promotion?
The difference between Taylor and Sam Hunt is that Taylor recognized her core audience is adolescent girls and most of them weren’t listening to country radio. It’s a bit different from someone who truly does start out making country music and then decides to crossover without alienating country fans. I don’t know who Sam Hunt’s core audience is.
February 17, 2016 @ 2:30 pm
precisely Trig! I’m no huge fan of Taylor Swift myself in my book her music still sucks BUT she now has some respect from me personally for finally giving up the whole “Sham Country” image! meanwhile Sam Hunt is out there saying that he doesn’t want to leave the country music world and wouldn’t know where to go um… how about where you are right now Sam? the hip-hop world!
February 17, 2016 @ 11:02 pm
To Root Beer Man, I think Sam Hunt knows he wouldn’t make it past breakfast in the professional hip hop genre.
February 17, 2016 @ 11:29 am
Don’t let it fool you, that Scott Borchetta calls any shots with Taylor. Taylor’s parents bought Big Machine for Taylor, and Scott answers to her. This is what TBP didn’t appreciate, but it’s well known around Nashville, that Mommy and Daddy bought BMLG for Taylor, and brought SB into the studio to help her achieve her dream. Taylor calls the shots. What Taylor wants, Talor gets. Chances are, from what I was told, her selling so many albums in the beginning, was because there were warehouses full of them! Wouldn’t surprise me. She can’t sing live. I’ve heard her. She might be better, now, but I still wouldn’t put it past her parents to be behind all the album sales.
February 17, 2016 @ 12:23 pm
If Taylor’s parents “bought” Taylor Swift’s career (her dad I think owns less than 10% of BMLG), then it was a damn good investment, with one hell of a return, all while helping their daughter’s career—something most of us would do for our own kids.
Taylor Swift’s live singing has improved, but nobody’s under the illusion that she’s an excellent singer.
February 18, 2016 @ 7:47 pm
I’m sure under no illusions. While I think some of the criticism of Taylor’s talents as a singer, live or otherwise, are gratuitous (especially coming from someone like Kanye West), to imply that she shouldn’t be scrutinized whatsoever, as Scott Borchetta seemed to say after her debacle at the 2010 Grammys, is ridiculous, to put it mildly. No matter how much production you put behind it, in terms of vocal capacity and focus, Taylor Swift is not Adele, or Carrie Underwood, or Linda Ronstadt–not even close.
February 16, 2016 @ 11:55 am
Well written Trigger.
February 16, 2016 @ 12:01 pm
Good analysis, and one I agree with. Kanye doesn’t even deserve a mention from her, honestly. His little meltdown is another desperate cry for publicity since his musical quality has declined and no one cares anymore.
February 16, 2016 @ 2:06 pm
I agree it is a good article. Because you may think whatever you like about her singing but it’s always nice to see a girl bite back and stand up for herself, while at the same time encouraging others to do the same.
February 16, 2016 @ 12:20 pm
Hey Trigger, I have read SCM for years and don’t comment often, but I am a fan. I like what you say here, but don’t you think you’re kinda one of those people that have said men are behind much of Taylor’s success? On her last two album reviews, you’ve made it seem like Scott Borchetta and Max Martin were the ones driving the bus toward pop, not her. Also, I do tend to think she was calling out Kanye because of how she emphasized “fame” in her speech and his song was called “Famous.” But I think it’s a larger message to all women, too. I guess it can be both. Keep writing, and I’ll keep reading!
February 16, 2016 @ 12:32 pm
No doubt that Scott Borchetta was seminal in introducing Taylor Swift to Max Martin, and no doubt Max Martin was seminal to Taylor Swift’s pop sound. But that’s why I said, “Taylor Swift didn”™t get here JUST because of the powerful men behind her.” Taylor Swift has worked really damn hard to get where she has gotten.
We’re not idiots. We know what inspired Taylor Swift’s speech. I just find it insulting to Taylor Swift’s message to JUST making it about her Kanye West feud, and to put his stupid name right beside hers in headlines about what she said. That’s EXACTLY what Kanye wants. The speech was so much more than that, and that’s flying over the heads of many in their bid to continue the “feud” narrative.
February 16, 2016 @ 12:36 pm
Kanye West needs to crawl back in the hole he came from. POS.
February 16, 2016 @ 12:43 pm
Trigger I seldom agree with you, but this time, you are right on, baby! Although I have never been a huge fan of Taylor Swifts work (not really the genre I like most), I have always admired her talent and see her as a positive role model for young woman. She very much deserves every bit of success she has achieved.
As for Kanye West, I hate to even waste time making a comment about him bc he is a mean spirited smart a** who likes to degrade women.
February 20, 2016 @ 12:20 am
The idea that many people think of a pop singer as a role model illustrates what is wrong with our culture. Kids should be taught to think for themselves, not to worship at the altar of a cult of personality. It is the parents’ responsibility to be good role models for their children. It is not a job that should be outsourced to celebrities.
February 16, 2016 @ 12:45 pm
Kanye West may be garbage, but I’m not so sure he is a human being….
February 16, 2016 @ 12:54 pm
I admire Taylor Swift greatly and I enjoy much of her music (yes I said it). Some of it isn’t my cup of tea but she can’t be expected to please everyone all of the time.
She is a smart, confident and talented young woman who knows what she wants and how to get it. This world, never mind music, could do with more like her.
February 16, 2016 @ 1:48 pm
Sorry, I had to laugh at your description of her dress. The matching/visible bloomers must be this year’s “in” thing. Carrie was sporting it during her performance with Sam and Ellie Goulding performed in a dress with a similar style. Personally, I don’t think it’s a very attractive trend. It’s like wearing a beautiful dress with big thick granny panties showing.
February 16, 2016 @ 2:04 pm
“But who in 2016 can question Taylor Swift”™s hard work, persistence, and resonance in culture that she has been won through her own sweat and perseverance? Think what you want about Swift”™s music. If you see what she has done with her stage shows, all the work she does behind the scenes, how she writes most of her own music, plays producer, makes so many of the management and marketing calls, you can”™t say that she isn”™t her own woman.”
What you have just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever read. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response was there anything that was even close to what could be considered a rational thought. And everyone on this message board is now dumber for having heard it.
I award you no points. And may God have mercy on your soul.
Taylor Swift is one of the most overrated celebrities in the history of entertainment, she is only marginally talented, has limited vocal range and questionable pitch control, and only writes good songs if you compare them to the disaster that is practically all of pop music and the stupidity of everything Jason Aldean or Kanye West do or say. When compared to Sondheim, Kristofferson, Boland, Jacques, Bland, Ostrouhsko, or even Marty Stuart her songwriting is the equivalent of “here I sit broken hearted.”
Her influence on culture is part of why we have a problem in Country music, her perseverance is nonexistant, she was born into money, she has always had money and her music is only real to people with money who spend most of their time seeing the outside world through a schoolbook, because it is woefully disconnected from actual people.
Young women deserve better role models than a rich person who never has to actually overcome anything.
Try Loretta, or Dale Evans, or Barbra Stanwyck, or how about Rosa Parks, or Margaret Thatcher? People who actually do real things for real people and overcome real obstacles instead of just using star power and their parents’ money to accomplish things?
And Taylor Swift’s stand against Apple has accomplished nothing for anyone yet. The only thing that will save album sales is a market crash caused by radio and labels going bankrupt and crashing the whole music industry.
And it won’t bother me any when nobody records any new music, because there’s over a century of good stuff and I haven’t heard all of it yet.
February 16, 2016 @ 2:33 pm
If you think that these artists don’t work hard to get where they are, or that Talyor Swift hasn’t worked hard specifically, you’re delusional.
But the thing is you’re missing the entire point. So is everyone else focused on “Oh, men DID help Taylor Swift get ahead.” Okay, whatever. The point is Taylor Swift target her speech to women, girls, and everyone else. But the media in their desire to create clickbait decided to make it entirely a dig on Kanye West. 90% of the stories on Taylor’s speech mention Kanye in the title. This is Kanye upstaging Taylor once again. Screw Kanye. Taylor didn’t feel the need to mention his name, and neither should we.
Good luck getting high school girls interested in Margaret Thatcher.
February 16, 2016 @ 5:07 pm
I don’t care if it’s a dig at Kanye West or Newt Gingrich the point is that she’s a terrible role model and an overrated celebrity and the delusional people here are the ones who try to spin her life into a success story when in reality it’s just the story of money and marketing.
February 17, 2016 @ 6:28 pm
I’m not a Taylor Swift fan by any means but if you’re going to use someones voice, tone or composition of lyrics as a judge of whether or not they’re a good role model then I feel insanely bad for you. I enjoy the majority of the artists that you listed in your original post but if you for a second think that any one of them is a better role model for younger girls then Swift is, then you must be the delusional one my friend. Not every single persons life is so ingrained in music like some of us SCM readers may be. If a young girl is inspired by her to make a positive life choice or change then who are you to be the judge of whether or not she is a good role model?
February 18, 2016 @ 11:17 am
Sure, young girls should be taught that a million dates a week with thousands of guys and then writing a bunch of songs blaming them and never wondering if she’s the problem. That’s exactly the positive choices girls need to make.
Oh Barf!
February 18, 2016 @ 11:42 am
Such the “People Magazine” perspective on Taylor Swift. She wrote a song for you on her last album.
July 29, 2018 @ 9:16 am
Fuzzy TwoShirts, You are a person who just spews out news headlines. Taylor Swift has only dated 9 people over 12 years, the ninth being she current boyfriend. Are you so delusional as to think Taylor Swift invented writing songs about live and love lost? Everyone does it. You just think it’s weird since she is Taylor Swift and you read a few headlines without putting any thought into it.
February 16, 2016 @ 5:56 pm
She’s also a marketing genius.
A family friend’s tween daughter is a superfan who runs a blog about her. Taylor had her people reach out, and invite her to an afternoon in her apartment, where they hung out, baked cookies, took pictures, etc., and was charming and lovely the whole time.
Fucking brilliant.
February 16, 2016 @ 4:13 pm
I have to disagree with you Fuzzy. When you look at young girls today and who they look up to, and ultimately emulate, they aren’t worried about the same things adults are. They don’t care if she took a stand against Apple or if she was born into a wealthy family. They care about what she wears and how she does her hair and how she acts. Shallow? Yes. But little girls are shallow and I don’t mean that in a negative way. They just want to be pretty and popular and have fun and Taylor exudes all of these things in a “family friendly” way. She understands that even though she is an adult now, a large part of her fan base is not and she conducts herself accordingly. You don’t see her out partying, sleeping around, getting arrested. She acts like a lady. I would much rather see young women look up to her than donut licking Ariana Grande or listening to Selena Gomez sing about touching herself, or even watching videos like Danielle Bradbery’s Friend Zone and thinking that they have to wear shorts with their ass hanging out in order to have a boyfriend or be a singer. I wish more of these younger artists would realize that their fan base is usually considerably younger than they are and that young girls idolize them and their behavior.
February 16, 2016 @ 5:09 pm
I don’t disagree with you, in fact, I’ve said in other articles that she’s an honest and intelligent person, and she is, and she’s true to herself.
It’s just that herself is so one dimensional and she’s marketed like a success story when really she’s a rich girl who got where she is because other people put up the money.
February 17, 2016 @ 7:51 am
I agree that Taylor Swift is overrated — all sizzle and no steak — but I wouldn’t call her a poor role model for the reasons others have already cited. I do think she did tremendous damage to country music and I am glad that she finally dropped the pretense and admitted that she is more at home in the pop world. I really have no beef with her now that she’s no longer trying to hijack our genre.
February 19, 2016 @ 7:30 am
Fuzzy hates everyone and everything.
February 16, 2016 @ 2:48 pm
Color me shocked that “1989” took Album of the Year.
I genuinely thought it was among the weaker contenders in the Album of the Year field. Granted it was a great commercial success, but its total sales weren’t exactly head and shoulders above how her previous albums sold either. Its two predecessors sold over four million in the United States alone, for instance.
I just figured the Academy would again reward something that had equal measures commercial relevance and near-unanimous critical acclaim, and that it would come down to between Kendrick Lamar (who I thought would win) and Chris Stapleton. But, apparently, they felt the need to acknowledge commercial vitality after preferring critical clout with Beck last year.
*
Next year may suddenly prove a different story.
I thought for sure Adele would dominate 2017 hands-down entering this year. But ever since the tragic, abrupt news of David Bowie’s passing and the immense cultural impact his passing underscores as evidenced not just by his older hits impacting the charts again………………….but “Blackstar” becoming his best-selling album in decades…………….I now think David Bowie has a very strong likelihood of eclipsing Adele with his perfect storm of critical acclaim, commercial strength and sympathy votes.
Then again, for all we know, we may see another Chris Stapleton-esque sensation emerge later in the year also.
February 16, 2016 @ 8:46 pm
Even with a sympathy vote, I think Blackstar is a little too weird of an album to do too much damage at next year’s awards. “Lazarus” is a hell of a great song though, so I could see it winning Song Of The Year.
February 19, 2016 @ 7:38 am
I could see the Bowie album winning rock album at the Grammys next year, although I’m not really sure if the music he makes on that album, however powerful it is, qualifies as rock.
February 16, 2016 @ 2:48 pm
She handles herself well, at least with class and humanity. Kind of remind me of an interview with Oprah Winfrey not long ago when she talked fondly about Taylor.
http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2015/12/taylor-swift-oprah-winfrey-cry
February 16, 2016 @ 3:01 pm
On a side note, I have to say this is among the most uneventful Grammy telecasts in all recent history………………….lacking multiple memorable moments much like the Stapleton/Timberlake duet at the CMAs late last year.
The current iTunes chart underscores this as well. If there was one entertainer who clearly benefited most of all from last night, it was James Bay. Bay is still widely unknown to North America and he definitely has the most to gain as evidenced by his current single launching to #5.
Besides James Bay, it’s a pretty boring, stagnant aftermath. “Girl Crush” has surged back into the Top Ten, but it isn’t like it hadn’t yet made a cultural impact. Same with “Thinking Out Loud” and “Can’t Feel My Face”.
“Out of the Woods” is still stalling at #25, and Chris Stapleton’s tracks only rose a small handful of chart positions. I didn’t even see a single Kendrick Lamar track in the Top 100. Jason Isbell is nowhere in the Top 100, for that matter.
This will be remembered as an especially “Ho hum!” Grammy telecast, as much as I’m happy some entertainers won.
February 16, 2016 @ 3:25 pm
Hell yeah!
February 16, 2016 @ 3:57 pm
This is the type of writing I come to this site for. It’s not just the underground country endorsements or off-color mainstream bashing, it’s the rare ability to look beyond one’s feelings on the music or artist at play and see the bigger picture. Thank you, Trigger.
P.S. I don’t have any love for Kanye West, but I’m sure plenty of his fans use the same defense for him that others do for D.A.C. Piece of garbage human being, great music (not that I would know since I hate rap, but his albums tend to get good press).
February 16, 2016 @ 7:26 pm
He’s released three great records, two good ones, and two interesting failures. The issue is that the real craziness came after his latest great record, and a good record and an interesting failure don’t justify his craziness.
February 18, 2016 @ 3:49 pm
I’m not saying any amount of success suddenly grants someone a free pass to be a dick. What I meant was that plenty of people in this comments section are throwing dirt at Kanye but would take up arms for people like David Allan Coe in the same breath, when he is just as bad (if not worse). The point of my comment was merely that it’s all a matter of perspective. If this were Saving Rap Music and we knew who David Allan Coe was, we’d probably be doing the same thing but backwards. As it stands, plenty of people around here hate rap (myself included, as I stated), and I don’t begrudge them that right. But I also don’t think it’s fair to use that to color their opinions of Kanye or vice versa. I’m not defending him, his music or his genre, but it’s worth noting that most of us are looking at him from the outside. There’s two sides to every story no matter how much one side might argue that the other side has no merit.
February 18, 2016 @ 6:22 pm
What would you say his failures are, CLS? Yeezus and 808s? Those are definitely my least favorite.
February 18, 2016 @ 8:13 pm
808s and Pablo. I didn’t want to be too controversial by labeling Yeezus as the same, but I’d probably label it an interesting failure, if I had my druthers.
February 16, 2016 @ 4:11 pm
I think this article story is what Trigger was trying to say http://qz.com/617635/the-images-of-taylor-swifts-grammys-speech-say-even-more-than-she-did-about-gender-inequality/
February 16, 2016 @ 4:26 pm
I just don’t know what to think of Kanye. Sometimes I think he does stuff like this just for attention. But sometimes I really think he’s unstable, like he is one rant away from climbing the belltower and taking people out.
February 17, 2016 @ 12:38 pm
Have you ever watched him on the Kardashians? (Hate to admit I watch it, but I guess its something I love to hate.) He is always mentioned, but rarely featured on their “show,” but when he is, he appears to be quiet, and almost shy in front of the camera… yet pulls such strange stunts on live TV and in front of crowds. I’ve never understood why someone who loves attention so much seems to deign reality tv.
February 16, 2016 @ 4:43 pm
You can’t get away from Taylor’s music even being in the store and hearing it. I don’t even call her output on 1989 anything remotely music. At least what I’m accustomed to from her or country music anyways. You can barely hear her voice over the production and elements. Looking back now on some of her country tracks perhaps I was a little harsh on her compared to the output of the current mainstream country.
On the other hand you do have to admire her work ethic. Like you said that can’t be denied. Even as a cute 13 year old going to record labels and handing out her music. Onto now when she goes out of her way to include fans in every facet from phone calls, to secret shows for a few of them. Will even jump on some of the various causes like cancer patients etc. she’s a great person. Everything you would want for a child or young woman to look up to as a human being. She’s truly authentic and herself. Things like that can’t be faked. She’s good with her money like donating the $4 million to the hall of fame.
She can’t sing well in any of the ways you gauge a singer. Has to be even using an autotune microphone live. I don’t necessarily worry too much about that though as many of the best stars didn’t have great voices. It’s all a package. Good for her all around I wish her well.
When she left country music officially I said I wouldn’t ever mention her again in any of my promotions. I don’t believe I have. She isn’t marketing to me as a country music fan anymore. I refused to mention her in any way. You wouldn’t even know she left with all of the blogs and radio station websites still mentioning her all the time for the press. This was a good article and an excellent way of mentioning her.
February 16, 2016 @ 4:57 pm
I’m not rushing out to buy her melodramatic albums, but I think it’s very, very clear that the greatness of Taylor Swift is in her potential. Perhaps we have trouble stomaching her music right now but she’s going to write and record some great music as her perspective matures. The mere fact that she can do so much good while barely scratching the surface of her talent makes me wonder what she’ll do for good substantial music once she reaches the point that she primarily writes and records good, substantial music.
February 16, 2016 @ 7:17 pm
Yeah, as much as I dislike 1989, it’s crazy that she’s really just getting started.
February 17, 2016 @ 7:55 am
Why do people always rationalize Taylor Swift’s shortcomings by predicting that she will do something great in the future? Maybe all the awards and accolades should be withheld until that something great actually materializes? Just sayin’.
February 18, 2016 @ 12:58 am
Taylor is 26 years old not 16. When will her “greatness”, “potential” and “maturity” come through her music? Her age is not an excuse. Sarah Jarosz is example of young talent and is now 24 years old. Her music keeps getting better and not worse like Taylor. She is artist who has shown talent in writing, playing instruments and singing.
February 16, 2016 @ 5:54 pm
Never heard of this, kanye swift group?
February 16, 2016 @ 9:04 pm
What you are missing is she thrives on this BS back & forth w Kanye. And yes that was her target. He could care less & she needs to move on and ignore him.But she won’t..So we will probably be having this conversation again.
February 16, 2016 @ 9:12 pm
i hope one day i can have a daughter that nearly shows the world her vagina on stage at the grammys. a true role model.
February 16, 2016 @ 10:32 pm
I remember in an interview when asked to give a 1-2 summary of various current artists, Aretha said of Taylor Swift, “Pretty Dresses.” Of course then she said famously of Niki Minaj, “I”ll I’ll pass on that one.”
I think she is more like Madonna than Gaga ever was. She’s a brand and a business first, music second near as I can tell. To me an artist matures in her lyrics but 1989 so obvious pandered to teenage girls. Haters? Pffftttt…. it just felt so immature. All the same, at a club… I’ll dance my ass with the crowd.
February 16, 2016 @ 11:06 pm
Not my style of music but it is good for that genre. She does write her own music and is a better influence than most of this pop crap for the teenagers. Some of these rappers only pick on the weak females so more power to her to say something back. Just wish so badly that music for the teens were like it was when I was a teen. This shit sucks! But oh well, I was a 90s teen in the south and grew up listening to a mix of outlaw country and grunge. But oh well, it was at least real music.
February 16, 2016 @ 11:54 pm
No, she doesn’t deserve anything, she is not a good role model, and what you call hard work is pretty relative to whether you have actually worked a day in your life. Because your the perfect pop music package with an over compensating parent grooming you for fame don’t mean anything. Don’t care what she says it means nothing, she is just a puppet. You watch a documentary about her paid for by marketing and believe she isn’t just a spoiled little snob like all her ex boyfriends say. She is playing a part. As long as her music sucks she don’t exist. Great article back slider. You always play both sides of the fence. Chris should have one of those nominated or maybe Grammy isn’t for excellence In music. Beyonce s video was better.
February 17, 2016 @ 5:42 am
Yet Another Meaningless Speech:
Don’t you get tired of listening to meaningless speeches from celebrities spouting ‘you can do anything if you believe in yourself and have faith in yourself, be true to yourself, blah, blah, blah……’.
These people are just entertainers with a way over blown estimation of their own importance.
They are not some deep philosophers with a superhuman insight into the meaning of life and human emotions!
You give their word way too much weight.
There are millions and millions of people in the world living in poverty and experiencing true hardship (just look at all the refugees in the middle east!).
These meaningless words of wisdom spouted by millionaires living in their own private bubble really has no relevance in the real world.
February 17, 2016 @ 12:31 pm
Once again something I said is being painted in an extreme viewpoint instead of the context presented. I never said anything close to Taylor Swift being in line with “deep philosophers with a superhuman insight.” It was a good speech for the context. I’m not even making that big of a deal about the speech itself. I just thought the media coverage needed some context. This was about more than Kanye.
February 18, 2016 @ 4:15 am
Your reply to my comment is not in line with the content of your article.
Your reply states that it was simply a good speech for the context. In your article you write ‘Don”™t diminish the powerfulness of Taylor Swift”™s Grammy speech and message’ – these two statements are not compatible. The article clearly implies something more than simply ‘a good speech for the context’.
You also state ‘The target was young women all across the world who are forced or coerced to having all their accomplishments measured by the men who also happened to be involved, and many times leech off of women”™s hard work and talents to build their own successes’ – I mean really?
Do you really think ‘young women all across the world’ the majority of whom live in abject poverty and are subjected to severe gender-based discrimination are sitting around waiting to hear what Swift has to say?! I would hazard a guess 99% of them don’t even know who she is!
Swift likes to set herself up as some kind of inspirational figure to her followers. Providing them with gems of wisdom about how to deal with the problems in their lives and how to cope with adverse situations and how she relates to them – and her followers listen with great interest!
In reality she is a reasonably musically talented 26 year old, who has had the very good fortune of becoming very successful – in spite of what she thinks a lot of that success will have been mainly due to luck (as it is in many cases). For every Taylor Swift there are thousands who have worked just as hard and are as talented (or more talented) who did not get anywhere!
I would also hazard a guess that her life has not been too bad and she has not really experienced true hardship. She really is not qualified to give advice on how people should live their life and handle adverse situations.
For someone in her fortunate situation to constantly spout drivel along the lines of ‘believe in yourself, be true to yourself and you’ll succeed, blah blah…..’ to people she has no true grasp of the lives they live and the hardships and barriers they face – I find condescending and annoying.
By writing an article on her meaningless speech and giving it main coverage, you are propagating this image that she has created and giving weight to her words. Such actions will also bolster her own belief that she is someone that people can turn to for wisdom and inspiration.
In the real world her words are meaningless and of no value. By providing them with additional exposure and coverage, you are assigning importance and weigh to them which they do not merit.
February 18, 2016 @ 10:55 am
“Your reply states that it was simply a good speech for the context. In your article you write ”˜Don”™t diminish the powerfulness of Taylor Swift”™s Grammy speech and message”™ ”“ these two statements are not compatible. The article clearly implies something more than simply ”˜a good speech for the context”™.”
First, you’re quoting me out of context. Second, the title of this article is, “The Media & Most Everyone Else Missed The Real “Target” of Taylor Swift”™s Grammy Speech”. THAT is the point. I do think it’s a good speech. I also thought it was powerful. But do I think it’s exceptional as a piece of spoken word? No. But put it in the context of the Grammy awards when you have millions of people watching, it was powerful.
There’s numerous folks trying to disagree with my premise by talking about Taylor Swift’s life, talents, or career. Who cares? I’ve broached all of these subjects in dozens of articles in the past. I have been one of Taylor Swift’s staunchest critics over the years. I’ve slammed her for being a bad singer, for not being country, for working with Max Martin ,etc. etc. I’m not making a case for Taylor Swift’s character at large. All I’m saying is that when Taylor Swift was making her speech, she was not JUST thinking about Kanye, she was thinking about the millions of girls and women out there that face adversity because of men who try to sponge off of their success.
February 17, 2016 @ 6:38 am
“The target was young women all across the world who are forced or coerced to having all their accomplishments measured by the men who also happened to be involved, and many times leech off of women”™s hard work and talents to build their own successes”
Really? In pretty much every success story/situation that ever was, somebody leeched or tried to leech off of that success. It’s a not a condition relegated to women. How many male rappers have associated themselves with Kanye just to try to leapfrog him when they find a bit of success? I can think of half a dozen offhand.
Nobody believes that Kanye made Taylor famous. Only someone who knows absolutely nothing about the music industry would think that she doesn’t work hard and hasn’t earned her success, no matter what they think of her music. So you’re right, the lyric is truly insulting. But your comments further insult Taylor and a billion other women by dumping them into a “poor dears” category along with climate starved polar bears and laboratory puppies. History is filled to overflowing with history changing women whose accomplishments have been measured by events and time, not by men – as will Taylor’s accomplishments.
I don’t doubt that along the way, various men have tried to control Taylor, and I’m sure her comments are earnest. But the fact is that I’m a guy, and older, more established men have tried to control me and take credit for my successes throughout my career, too. I tell my daughter to expect this treatment. Not because she’s a woman, but because she’s a human.
February 17, 2016 @ 7:32 am
Kanye and Kendrick Lamar are both pieces of dogshit. I don’t understand why people even make an effort to talk about those slobs.
February 17, 2016 @ 10:56 am
…not sure if serious?
February 18, 2016 @ 5:43 am
Obviously serious.
February 18, 2016 @ 8:05 am
Well, in that case, your opinion about Kendrick Lamar is about as wrong as an opinion can be.
February 18, 2016 @ 6:25 pm
Say what you will about Kanye, but how the hell is kendrick a piece of shit?
February 19, 2016 @ 11:22 am
I guess because he’s loud and black?
Like, that’s the only thing I can think of. Dude’s an outspoken Christian, and just got engaged to his high school sweetheart. As musicians go, he’s pretty much a fucking saint.
February 19, 2016 @ 11:43 am
Since when have you gone out on a limb for “outspoken” Christians? You have always struck me as a snarky, self-loathing, atheist millennial.
I’ve never heard of Kendrick Lamar, but Kenya East is a talent-less piece of dogshit who should be shining my shoes.
February 19, 2016 @ 11:48 am
Oh, it doesn’t matter at all for me.
It just means he checks all the boxes to be the type of person that someone like you would normally tout as being “a credit to his race,” so I have to assume that his politics are what’s resulted in his being labeled as uppity.
February 19, 2016 @ 12:48 pm
Also, nice edit, buddy. If you’re gonna be casually racist (“Kenya” as an insult? Seriously?), you might as well throw in an ad hominem to boot!
I’m an Episcopalian, for what it’s worth. I’ve just lived in other countries and, you know, ever interacted with people of other faiths and skin tones, so I find it laughable when people like you try to pull the “If the song was called ‘My Synagogue,’ people would never let this stand!” card.
It’s interesting that someone who thinks people should get over bullshit dogma and instead focus on loving each other, regardless of their differences, comes off as “a self-loathing atheist” to you.
People like you would be fighting to cast the first stone if some dude named Joshua Carpenter popped up and tried to remind people what the Bible said.
February 19, 2016 @ 1:30 pm
Hey folks, let’s try to stay on topic, and keep the personal insults back and forth to a minimum. Thanks!
February 19, 2016 @ 1:53 pm
I’m trying my best, man.
February 18, 2016 @ 5:09 am
“But the media in their desire to create clickbait decided to make it entirely a dig on Kanye West. 90% of the stories on Taylor”™s speech mention Kanye in the title. This is Kanye upstaging Taylor once again.”
I just don’t understand this. What’s there to “upstaged” or upset about Taylor Swift here? She’s earning more than Kanye if you’re talking about finance. And she has more awards and accolades than him if you’re talking about achievements in music. (Not to mention her enormous social media followings- Instagram, Twitter, Youtube views etc.)
So what’s there to “upstaged”? Unless you judge success by Google hits and tabloid media attention???
I think it’s an utter insult to humanity to even put the two names together.
One is a well respected singer songwriter, an absolute overachiever and a philanthropist.
The other is an egoist and a classless act who will mostly be remembered for his tabloids headlines.
Make a guess whose name history is going to remember?
February 18, 2016 @ 8:08 am
The guy who made The College Dropout, Late Registration and MBDTF is absolutely going to be remembered by history.
All three of those albums are much better than anything Taylor’s ever done.
None of that changes the fact that he’s a egotistical prick, but let’s not shortchange the man’s talent.
February 18, 2016 @ 10:49 am
The point is Kanye West’s name was interjected by the media and put right beside Taylor’s in an effort to continue on the whole “feud” narrative to generate clicks. Yes, the speech was inspired by Kanye’s comments about Swift. But the “target” was much more than one man. That was my point. Nobody’s judging the relative success of Taylor and Kanye.
February 18, 2016 @ 9:20 pm
And the latest headlines read “Kanye calls Taylor Swift a fake ass” or “Kanye wants the best for Taylor Swift”. Confusing isn’t it? The media really will do anything to put their names together…even if it’s just a made up story.
February 18, 2016 @ 11:05 am
I think it”™s an utter insult to humanity to even put the two names together.
Pretty impressive hyperbole there.
February 18, 2016 @ 9:23 am
Well that’s just your opinion…no more valid than mine or anyone else.
Like I said before…Only Time Will Tell :)))))))))))
February 18, 2016 @ 9:33 pm
“1989 was not very well received by Saving Country Music…” … and you’re point is? who gives a sh** what savingcountrymusic thinks about a pop album, or hell, any album for that matter. this site is a joke.. and the target of that speech is Kanye West.. but obviously a broader message can be taken from it… that everyone woman can have a kanye in their life.. no ****. This site amazes me sometimes at its light bulb moments it has when it thinks it discovers some secret underlying message to something that needs no analyzing or second thought… Also, why does everyone on these message boards think they are the judge and jury of a good song, most of the time country song…. its laughable. Get over yourselves people
February 18, 2016 @ 9:38 pm
…says someone who’s a self-professed homophobe by their screen name. You may think this site is a joke, but you’re here and putting forth the effort to comment. So I must be doing something right.
February 19, 2016 @ 8:57 am
By the way, it appears “nothanks” edited his screen name after the comment was posted. It originally was “triggerisgay” or something like that. That was the “homophobe” reference.
February 19, 2016 @ 12:41 am
nothanks, Nobody’s forcing you to pay attention to this site. If you don’t like it don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
February 19, 2016 @ 1:45 pm
Taylor writes very catchy pop tunes. They stick in your head. She’s creative.
She’s lasted longer than many women with twice her singing talent. She’s a commerce and marketing natural.
February 20, 2016 @ 4:48 am
If we’re going to write about Taylor or anyone here I just hope more of articles like these which are funny and sarcasm (just my opinion, perhaps will make this site more interesting and certainly more light hearted cos some people here are just too serious about everything)
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/why-i-broke-up-with-taylor-swift_b_9266366.html
http://time.com/4230590/chow-chow-dog-toby-puff-taylor-swift-dress/
February 20, 2016 @ 10:37 am
Annlingsg,
You’re taking quite the leap of faith that this site has not written funny or sarcastic articles about Taylor Swift over the years. Saving Country Music may be the leader in doing so.
February 21, 2016 @ 8:32 am
TAYLOR SWIFT SAID EXACTLY WHAT MADONNA, BRITNEY SPEARS, AND OTHERS WERE THINKING AT THE GRAMMYS
FEBRUARY 16, 2016
Daryl Deino
Cracks may be developing in Taylor Swift”™s squeaky clean image, but she nailed it in her speech Monday night at the Grammy Awards. She started off in a cringeworthy tone and bragged how she was the only female artist to ever win two Grammys for Album of the Year.
“There”™s Swift being a narcissist. I told you so,” a lot of her anti-fans probably thought.
However, Swift soon said something that was very touching and needs to be heard again and again.
“I wanna say to all the young woman out there ”” there are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments”¦or your fame. But if you just focus on the work and you don”™t let those people sidetrack you ”” someday when you get where you”™re going, you will look around and you”™ll know it was you and the people who love you who put you there.”
Swift”™s speech seemed to touch a nerve in the audience, with some ”” such as Selena Gomez ”” tearing up. The backlash Taylor Swift is facing now in the music industry isn”™t nearly as bad as the backlash Britney Spears faced 10 years ago or the continuous backlash that Madonna as faced for more than 30 years. But it is just as ridiculous.
Taylor Swift is a threat to the status quo. Her critics know that, but they try and make her a representative of the racist and rich status quo in order to make their criticism of her seem more legit. The new “Taylor Swift is racist” meme has to be the most ridiculous thing to come out of pop culture. It not only undermines real racism, but it is a disguise for the real reason she is hated: her success and hard work.
The accusations that Swift”™s “Wildest Dreams” video that immediately declared Swift to be a cultural-appropriating bigot were all done for the purposes of click bait, with others joining in to get the page clicks. There was nothing problematic about that video.
When Taylor Swift released “Out of the Woods” on the first day of the new year, there were also accusations that the video had racist undertones. Some, believe it or not, believed it was exploiting animals. It”™s as if people eagerly await a new video from Taylor Swift just so they could pick it apart, make outrageous complaints, and cause huge advertising revenue for dishonest journalists who will go at desperate lengths to get page hits.
You would think that a site like Salon, which is supposed to be progressive, would support an extremely successful woman like Swift. However, the site just couldn”™t wait to post their click bait article about how she is everything wrong with the Grammys and the music industry. They were certainly able to fit the words “Taylor Swift, Grammys, and Music Industry” in the title.
Women in the music industry can”™t win; they are either too young, too old, too fat, too skinny, too mean, too nice, too”¦.well, just about everything. Taylor Swift and other female artists may be ruling the music charts these days, but there is always somebody just waiting to see them fail and it”™s not a patriarchal thing anymore given that many women hate other women who take control of their lives. Still, Taylor Swift will thrive because she”™s talented, smart, and on the right side of history.
February 21, 2016 @ 11:18 am
Taylor Swift is all show. Her charity and fan reach outs are just a smart marketing tool. Unfortunately, the world falls for it as they do for every charlatan.
She harmed country music and for that, I did not mind West’s upstage of her.
And everyone, not just young women, suffer from people trying to take credit or undercut them. Typically fluff, that the social world gobbles up.
February 21, 2016 @ 4:17 pm
“…..but it is a disguise for the real reason she is hated: her success and hard work.”
You just perfectly highlighted what that article was trying to say. And Taylor Swift did not harmed country music more than what the current 90% of “country” singers have done and are still doing. Get a reality check.
All these “Taylor Swift is a racist”, “Taylor Swift was born rich and her father bought her success” or “Taylor Swift harmed country music” are just an excuse for the real reasons they hate her: her success and her fame and the fact that she’s a woman in power.
February 21, 2016 @ 10:10 pm
What a pathetic cliché. Not everybody is obsessed with fame and money. Her dad helping her get her start isn’t lie. The only reason people get defensive about it is because she isn’t talented. Yes she does work hard. Everybody in the music industry works hard including singers you, me and others don’t care for no matter if they write their music or not. People can give their opinion about her without hating her for being women, having fame and making a lot of money, especially if were going to be beat over the head about how she is some big talent when she is very mediocre. There are a lot of people in music who leave her in dust talent wise. People on this site have said much worse things about mainstream country singers. She doesn’t need to get special treatment because she is women, makes a lot of money, has fame and had nice image. Taylor also gets tons of praise and love from the industry. Lets stop acting as if she isn’t one of the most beloved women in music. She is far from being some poor put upon victim. There are much more talented women in music like for example
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXbxhs0_eZs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVv9JmSQfbQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXnJzrMKBK8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJzp2SRs0Ak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeH3kZPB9WY
https://www.youtube.com/watchv=vDT_Caqzy1s&ebc=ANyPxKp2H5UQNCRyi_cvparxftfTKPThF8APm-G9wT5bd-UQysZQqaE2axIx4m4unT2yGEajrvrkOl8aqdtPtcb72lUaDb74dw
February 22, 2016 @ 9:46 am
Well well well…it seems like it doesn’t matter what she does, people will still take aim at her (even when she’s donating $250K to help someone) Just look at the news.
All I can say is… the price of fame.
February 22, 2016 @ 11:29 am
Good for her. A lot of celebrities donate money and do nice things for people. Why can’t people give opinion about her music?
March 29, 2016 @ 2:23 pm
Zen, those of us who are NOT her age, but much older, AND lyrics fans, took an interest in her from the very beginning. There is NO doubt of her courtesy to every one who took the time to interview her. She would go hour after hour to radio stations, not just remembering their names each time but also baking for them.
She worked dives and yes, she WAS the unpopular kid. Anyone who watched the early interviews, before she became huge, knew this. Her mother did something brave and allowed Taylor to have to face all the mean behavior, but she was Taylor’s biggest supporter. The song “The BEst DAy” was as heartfelt and autobiographical as you can get, hinting at the very very tough times when this little music savant just didn’t cut it among her peers and her awkward stage was hard on the starry eyed idealist who was in love with fairytales but found true love elusive.
As for those putting her down for her love of fairytale scenarios, someone else, who Taylor admired greatly, said that fairytales were still her favorite thing to read. This, after the woman in question had lived a life that was a combination of tragedy and triumph.
The woman was Audrey Hepburn.
Taylor has known, since she was a young teen, that her fame could go away in a second and she said that she didn’t mind the idea of retreating into the background as a songwriter,b ut for now, if there was good to be done with her name, gratitude is her game and pay it forward has ALWAYS been her schtick, since way before she was anyone.
Taylor has a life beyond what she imagined and she is well aware that now others lurk. Her song, Lucky One, from RED, nails it. Super insightful and no schtick writer can touch that kind of depth.
As for her abilities, when no less than Vince Gill,Jamey Johnson, George Strait, Dierks Benedict, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Allison Krauss, Mick Jagger and Def Lepperd, not to mention a crowd of other noted and respected songwriters, say she has legitimate genius again. WAY before she was a phenom, it becomes impossible to come to any conclusion other than yours: They’re going to hate, envy and diss her because she shows them what hard work can do…and they’re not tapping into their own potential.
I admit to an auntie like feeling about her and I worry about her now so thick with these folks who are clearly so tickled to have the ‘it’ girl, when they absolutely were horrible to her in country. It marks her as super classy that so many who were beyond mean she has not held grudges against AND she will not be typecast. She has not by any means written off country and Brad Paisley and some others have noted with a bit of confidence that her suddenly doing something like Emmy Lou Harris is a distinct possibility.
Dolly did the crossover first and eventually country, whatever country is these days, re-embraced her.
Taylor did for country, in terms of getting certain ages to listen, what Tiger did for golf.
Both are human beings and those who envy and wish them ill cackle as they point fingers and put them down while they….laugh all the way to the bank.
February 22, 2016 @ 12:09 pm
“Why can”™t people give opinion about her music?”
Here’s the problem…I have no problem whatsoever that people are giving their opinion about her music, or even criticized her voice or her songs. But the thing is many people are targeting her for EVERYTHING that she’s doing…even when she’s absolutely doing nothing wrong.
Here’s a good example http://www.whosay.com/articles/13980-free-kesha-taylor-swift
February 7, 2024 @ 9:15 am
I’m re-reading this because I thought it was about the 2024 Grammys and her FOURTH Album of the Year, not “just” the second. Good insight into who she was then and to now look at her 7 years later and how far she has come in every aspect of music, accomplishments, fame. I just scanned some of the negative comments. I hope some of the naysayers have come to appreciate her work and her barrier-breaking now.
July 26, 2024 @ 12:29 pm
Hey! What happened to your thread on “Taylor Swifts Dad Bought her career” .it has been taken down? Followed it for years. Did you take it down?
July 26, 2024 @ 3:28 pm
It was from 12 years ago, but you can find it here:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/did-taylor-swifts-dad-buy-her-career/
July 28, 2024 @ 1:43 pm
Thanks,