MISS AMERICANA: Taylor Swift as the Music Industry of 2010s
Taylor Swift rose to stardom from writing songs about heartbreak, to teenage love stories and pop-country music, she has shown massive popularity in today’s decade.
Loved by the public for her unique style of writing and connection through music, there’s no doubt she was hailed at the American Music Awards (2019) as the Artist of the Decade for the 2010s. But how come a country girl with a lot of passion for writing became today’s icon of pop-country music?
Taylor Swift in the beginning
Born in the winter of 1989, Taylor developed her love for music at an early age. Singing from the porch of their backyard and spending a childhood with a dream of singing on big stages someday. “You see random tapes of me really singing into music,” she said. Swift was first seen to dazzle the stage when invited to sing the “The Star-Spangled Banner” for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball game. After that, her journey as a songwriter began.
From Pennsylvania, their family moved to Nashville, Tennessee to help her achieve her dreams in music. Growing up in the long fields of the farm, Taylor emerged as a songwriter mostly inspired by country music.
Signing a deal with RCA Record, the young singer’s journey started as an opening act to events. Following that, she became popular and took whole country music to another level with singles like “Tim McGraw ” and the famous “Teardrops on my Guitar”.
Country-Pop Writing Style
In addition, she prefers to be called a songwriter rather than a singer.
“It what takes me love music, putting my efforts into writing and making a song about it”
Now you tell me, why has she become popular in today’s era? Moreover, her writing sets a unique combination of country and pop influence, but specifically, the impacts on its listener are the highlight of her singing career. From the picturesque scenarios of teen love to heartbreak and romantic freedom of expression, writing became the symbol of a teenage love song that attracts millions of fans. Add to that —she manages to radiate the fans for listening to country music. Storming up dozens of song charts, the recognition for country music set as the highlight of her writing career, and her biggest achievement why she was deemed as the Artist of the Decade in 2019.
Sweetheart to Snake: the Taylor Swift Controversy
With the fame and stardom, an artist could never grow as a public figure without controversy. Swift has been known as the Sweetheart by 2009 with her sweet teenage songs and less cursed lyrics. But the songwriter still fled controversy from the start of the 2010s to 2017. From her dating history to rumored crazy manipulative acts and sexual harassment cases.
As a singer-songwriter, most of her songs were inspired by her relationship and overcoming oneself. Because of these dozens of backlash from rumored dates and manipulating songs. One of the highlights on this topic is Swifts having a boyfriend and ending up writing songs about them in favor of her situation.
But why was she named as a sweetheart to a snake? On 2009 before her acceptance speech for winning MTV Video Music Awards, Kanye West interrupted her speech to preach to Beyoncé with
“I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!”
This makes the crowd crazy and is named one of the awkward moments in music award ceremonies.
Since then, the Kanye-Taylor feud has stormed up the internet, especially the Twitter site. In Feb of 2016, Kanye released a song called “Famous” with the lyrics:
‘’I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex Why? I made that bitch famous.”
In a statement with Billboard, Taylor Swift shared that she never received approval and recalled releasing a song with a strong misogynistic message. With that Kanye’s wife Kim Kardashian released a phone recording wherein Kanye asked for approval. The Twitter world storms Taylor and called her a snake and manipulative with the hashtag #TaylorSwiftOverParty and a snake emoji.
How she rise despite the controversy?
With all the controversial remarks she received the famous singer-songwriter disappear into the crowd. No media, no news, and no updates from her. And after a year she released a new album called reputation. Calling out people who disregard her reputation in the industry and come back with a strong discography. The album once again topped the chart and garnered the title of one of the best albums of the 2010s.
The feud rested by that time but a newly found recording of Taylor and Kanye phone call was released reversing that Taylor is lying. Because of that Taylor was once again back with her reputation and became stronger than ever.
Taylor Swift also became open to certain issues such as sexual harassment when she won over a sexual complaint back in 2013. She also set herself to issues within the Trump administration and empowered the voice of the LGBTQIA+ community with her song “You Need to Calm Down”. The support of the loyal fans including me became much more relevant and voicing out her opinions became the foundation of her reputation.
Impacts and why she named the Music Industry
If you asked today’s generation, no doubt she’s known for the quality of music she puts out. A superb talent in songwriting and the connection of her music to the youth. A woman of today’s era for the revival of country music to the mass. Taylor is never afraid of speaking with the music she puts in. And by 2020, she stormed the whole world with two surprise albums namely folklore & evermore. Putting up the music and creating a new genre of Alternative-Pop and Folk.
By the year 2021, Swift successfully achieved many awards including the American Music Award where she won the Artist of the Decade (2010’s). Topping charts every comeback and garnering feature stories for Rolling Stone, Time, and 32 Guinness World Record.
In an interview with ABC News Host Barbara Walters, she praises for her global domination and contribution to music.
“Taylor Swift is the music industry”
A phenomenal woman of her time. Taylor really pushed the music to her highest peak and made every music significant to each of her listeners. At the end of a decade, she really puts the pedestal of her music career to a whole new level.
Everyone must know her for her outstanding effort in music, her love for her career, and for making things possible with an ambition for the greater good. Swift truly is the music industry of today’s generation.
