Taylor Swift - Cultural Phenomenon, or over-Hyped Media Creation?

jackspratt on 06/03/2024 - 00:12

Is the "swiftie" adulation a result of talent, or something else?

In recent times she has thrown the RWNJ's in the USA into a frenzy, merely by suggesting eligible voters should register, and then vote.

More recently, the dopey Australian media has creamed its collective jeans over her arrival; the later arrival of her squeeze; her stepping out for fish and chips; her packed out "performances"; and finally her departure from our shores.

But now we have the current ASEAN meeting in Oz, thrown into an almighty tizzy by the fact that Singapore has signed her up for exclusive performances in the island state, much to the disdain of other regional leaders.

FFS!

Entertainment

Comments

  • Fredfloresjr on 06/03/2024 - 09:49
    +3

    She's very successful and will continue to produce $$$$$$$$$$$$.

    Good thing, I really don't care. But if in the future my 1 year old daughter asked me to watch her, indeed 10000000%.

    Leave the others enjoy her. And us who don't, we continue to work 5 days a week. Lol.

    • michaelTito on 06/03/2024 - 23:42
      -7

      Your 1 year old know who Taylor swift is?

      • takutox on 07/03/2024 - 09:37
        +1

        "if in the future"

        when 'critical thinkers' don't have basic reading comprehension and get their facts from youtube

        • michaelTito on 07/03/2024 - 10:31
          -3

          You get your facts from YouTube?

  • TheRealCher on 06/03/2024 - 09:52
    -2

    And….

    Not or

  • ozbargainsam on 06/03/2024 - 10:00
    +9

    Yay, a bait thread. Not everything has to be polarised. Not every successful person has to have 'had it easy', or 'gotten a leg up' or 'insert conspiracy theory'. Not every landlord is an evil person. Not every car other than 2004 Camry is a terrible car.

    jackspratt, a troll, or a naive innocent internet citizen?

  • stickingly on 06/03/2024 - 10:04
    +3

    I wouldn't say a cultural phenomenon. A bit like the toilet paper situation during covid, people get all caught up in the hype without fully understanding why, which only serves to exacerbate it. A bit like "Everyone else is in a frenzy about Taylor Swift, so I should be too"

    If you looked at the front page of news.com.au at any stage of the last month half the stories were related to random stuff about Taylor Swift. The more coverage there is, the more people get caught up, which leads to more coverage.

    It certainly isn't about the music. Yes she writes some catchy lightweight pop songs, but there are plenty of other people who do as well, and none of it is groundbreaking.

    Buy hey, people can do and like what they want if they makes them happy, so I don't begrudge anyone loving her

    The Beatles comparisons are ridiculous though. The Beatles music and impact on pop culture was groundbreaking, and they did stuff in the studio and culturally that no-one had done before that changed the course of popular music and culture. Similar to Dylan (and to much lessor extent Madonna and MJ and a few others)

    • CrispyChrispy on 06/03/2024 - 11:18
      +3

      A bit like the toilet paper situation during covid, people get all caught up in the hype without fully understanding why, which only serves to exacerbate it.

      I wouldn't say this is a fair comparison. Swift has been in the spotlight for more than 15 years now, of which she has seen immense critical success (I personally don't love her music, but it is what it is) and obviously popularity. Teenagers these days grew up listening to her music.

      Yeah, she's definitely taken back the public spotlight the in the last months but that's due to a) an A-list boyfriend (whether you like it or not, ESPN is milking as much as they can) and b) a worldwide tour and of course all the social media surrounding these 2 things.

      • stickingly on 06/03/2024 - 13:44
        +1

        Agree, but it is the last year or 2 that her profile has skyrocketed.

        And her and her people are experts at fanning the hype and extracting $$$ from her devoted followers (eg re-recording her early albums so that people have to buy them again)

    • johnno07 on 08/03/2024 - 00:30

      Dylan actually ended up being inspired by The Beatles/other British invaders. So much so that so that when he picked up an electric guitar he was getting booed by his audience for "selling out". Crazy to think about.

    • smpantsonfire on 08/03/2024 - 03:48
      +1

      Whilst the news isn’t about her songs, it would be nice if you gave her last 4 albums a proper listen.

      It will probably change your mind about associating her with the radio released ‚catchy lightweight songs‘. She connects with her fans intensely through her very creative lyrics, and if you give her songs a proper listen, you’ll understand why.

      Regarding pushing cultural boundaries, you simply cannot do that anymore. People would be quick to irrationally ,cancel‘ her.

      I dare you to give her a proper listen!

  • DGrayson82 on 06/03/2024 - 10:35

    I dont think think she's a particularly good singer or songwriter but shes knows how to market herself.

    • jv on 06/03/2024 - 12:02

      but shes knows how to market herself.

      How?

  • EFC94 on 06/03/2024 - 11:27

    I think it's a combination of both. A lot of the haters out there have only listened to 3 or 4 songs and decided purely based on that her singing is just a whiney American, however if you actually listen to more of her music you'll find theres a lot more to it.

    I think she has some genuine talent (probably not the greatest singer in the world however this is entirely subjective, similar to the greatest footballer or actor of all time), however again I think some of her hype is purely from social media and FOMO.

    Having said this I went to one of her Melbourne shows as a casual observer and can safely say that anyone who went regardless of their thoughts on her would've had a great night, if you think otherwise you've got rocks in your head.

  • payless69 on 06/03/2024 - 11:30
    +1

    A tad above Justin Bieber?

    • michaelTito on 06/03/2024 - 23:42
      +3

      They are both good female singers

  • stickingly on 06/03/2024 - 11:36
    +1

    And of course she is white, squeaky clean and conforms to conventional stereotypes of beauty, so all the middle America mums approve and love her too

    • jv on 06/03/2024 - 12:02
      +1

      And of course she is white

      Why should that matter?

      Who are you? Sam Kerr ???????

      • stickingly on 06/03/2024 - 13:41
        +1

        Doesn't matter to me, but would matter to a lot of middle America

    • Cluster on 07/03/2024 - 10:13

      Yes, because there have been no black or Latina very popular female performers in the USA…

    • Brianqpr on 08/03/2024 - 22:44

      Beyonce does ok, as did Sister Sledge, The Supremes, Diana Ross, Whitney Houston etc, etc, etc.

      I wouldn't judge too many things by middle America, given their love for Trump.

  • jv on 06/03/2024 - 12:01
    +2

    Taylor Swift - Cultural Phenomenon, or over-Hyped Media Creation?

    I'm sensing some Bad Blood….

  • ForkSnorter on 06/03/2024 - 12:43

    Not my kind of music, although probably better than at lot of other pop music. If I want to listen to something truly creative, I'll listen to the Beatles, Radiohead, Bob Dylan, Rachmaninov, Beethoven, etc.

  • whatwasherproblem on 06/03/2024 - 14:51

    There was a recent thing going around where apparently she's "6th cousins, three times removed" with famous poet Emily Dickinson. Assuming that's true, I'm not even sure how much of a flex that is—6th cousins is remote enough that probably everyone alive is "6th cousins" from some historically famous figure or another.

    • ForkSnorter on 06/03/2024 - 16:08
      +5

      Everyone on Earth is 15th-50th cousin to everyone else on Earth (or closer). The overwhelming majority of people would be 15th cousins with you or closer.

      If you share culture and ethnicity with someone, you're likely much closer than 15th cousins. You're probably 3rd-6th cousins with a bunch of people you know, without being aware of it.

      A brief calculation suggests Emily Dickinson would have at least 140,000 living 6th cousins while she was alive. If we extend that to today (6-10 generations later), the number of people who are 6th cousins with Emily Dickinson is likely much more than that (don't ask me how many, my knowledge ends here).

      Conclusion: we're all probably 250th cousins with bananas.

  • Keplaffintech on 06/03/2024 - 15:35

    The media hype over it because the general public are already hyped. They have no reason to 'create' Swift as a phenomenon, they're just reacting to the fact she is one to make money with media publications and ads.

    Whether you think she's talented at songwriting or not, she's a money-making machine, that's her true talent.

    • Cunning Linguist on 07/03/2024 - 19:50
      +1

      It's a snowball effect - the general public are also hyped because it's hyped by the media.

      Here's a great example, remember Australian rock band Silverchair? Very popular in Australia but globally never really cracked it, except for… Brasil! Outside of Sydney, Melbourne and Brazil, the next city with the most Silverchair plays on Spotify is Sao Paulo in Brazil.

      Why? It was cheaper for Sanity to buy bulk CDs from Brazil and ship them in to Australia than to purchase them from the distributer here, so it made it look like Silverchair was smashing it with sales in Brazil. As a result, Brazil media really got behind Silverchair and gave them a lot of airtime on radio and media attention because it looked like the people loved them there. Because of all the airtime the people in Brazil ended up up loving Silverchair!

      I'm not sure of the point I'm making anymore, but it's makes you think about how manufactured fame is and this often makes me think about all the incredible real deserving talents that simply got buried because they weren't picked up by main media.

  • jimbobaus on 06/03/2024 - 20:36
    -6

    What ever she is…. I made $19k flipping her concert tickets so as long as she keeps doing what ever she does to create such demand for her tickets I’ll be happy. Lol.

    • Pigey on 06/03/2024 - 22:31
      +1

      Hopefully not in Australia, as it was illegal in both NSW and VIC to do so.

      • jimbobaus on 10/03/2024 - 03:24

        Yeah that’s true.
        Illegal to scalp.. not to resell.
        If people choose to over sell above the price though i won’t no, and I didn’t.

    • Randolph Duke on 07/03/2024 - 06:31
      +2

      Scalpers are scum.

    • Brianqpr on 08/03/2024 - 22:45

      On today's episode of things that never happened…

      • jimbobaus on 10/03/2024 - 03:23

        Believe it or not.
        My car being paid off disagrees with you if you chose to not believe.
        Amazing what a bot can do these days.

  • weee on 06/03/2024 - 21:21
    +2

    why worth discussing though, our parents had their Taylor Swift, we have such, our children will have theirs

  • Papa Huggies on 06/03/2024 - 22:31
    +3

    Just let people like stuff man Jesus

  • SteveD on 06/03/2024 - 22:55
    +2

    Does anyone care FFS!

    • michaelTito on 06/03/2024 - 23:43
      +1

      Obviously op does

    • jackspratt on 06/03/2024 - 23:49
      -1

      Did you actually read the OP?

  • Commander Shepard on 06/03/2024 - 23:58
    +1

    There are a lot of other pop superstars out there that are far worse role models then Taylor Swift. Let people have their fun. And be glad that a bunch of parents kids aren't listening to stuff like Cardi Bs WAP instead.

  • scooba on 07/03/2024 - 00:14
    -1

    To answer your question, is she an "over hyped media creation?". All you need to understand is the prime minister and the former prime minster were at the show.

    This should tell you everything you need to know, cut price music for cut price people.

    • mavis30551 on 08/03/2024 - 12:29
      +1

      What? do they not have kids or something, this is such a weird generic sweeping statement to make from 2 people being there.

      • scooba on 10/03/2024 - 22:03
        -2

        The only thing weird and generic is Miss Swift.

        Furthermore, those "people" you mentioned have made some really terrible decisions in the last few years, we don't need to see them having a good time at a concert when people are living week to week just trying to pay their bills and keep their heads above water.

        Try again…..please.

  • liongalahad on 07/03/2024 - 00:32
    +2

    Can anyone point out a song she wrote who made history and will be listened to in 50+ years from now, something that defines a generation, something we can put in the same ballpark as for example (just to name the most famous ones) A Day in the Life by the Beatles, Wish You Were Here by the Pink Floyd, Bohemian Rhapsdy by Queen, Enjoy The Silence by Depeche Mode, Paranoid Android by Radiohead etc ?

    • smpantsonfire on 08/03/2024 - 03:54
      +2

      Love Story will always be a certified banger whenever you go with people from all genres.

      You also have to remember, back when your listed artists were around, people, generally could only listen to what was on the radio, or what they could buy.

      Nowadays, the access and selection of music is at least 50 times that.

      P.S. I only know of bohemian rhapsody in your list.

      • liongalahad on 08/03/2024 - 10:20

        OMG you have so much to discover, Im actually jealous.

    • tanguyen on 08/03/2024 - 09:52

      Hard to have 50 years hindsight when we're currently in the present of her work, although it's interesting talking about cultural legacy about someone that is still active now.

      I guess legacy can be tied in with how valuable it is. That could mean is it genre defining, game changing, virtuosic etc… Or it could just be nostalgia.

      • liongalahad on 08/03/2024 - 10:40

        I remember in the 90's when Paranoid Android, or Smells like a teen Spirit, or Don't Look back in Anger came out, they were instant classics. You could tell they were generation defining. Not just the usual song.
        I know nothing of Taylor Swift, Id like to know which songs are the ones fans consider immortal songs.

        • tanguyen on 08/03/2024 - 12:49

          It's no surprise Don't Look Back In Anger was an instant hit because it was the single after Wonderwall, on the album after Definitely Maybe. So off the back of that, (What's the Story) Morning Glory" became a massive album, lead to the Knebworth gig, Oasis became the biggest band in the world and then solidified their hits as classics.

          Taylor Swift's Fearless (2008) was Oasis' (What's the Story) Morning Glory, a follow up to a hit album, with an even bigger hit album. Swift then got bigger and bigger and bigger probably because she didn't write subsequent albums high off cocaine. You could say this Era's tour is Taylor's Knebworth.

          I'm not a Taylor Swift fan at all but I too do like to speculate on legacy, but it's hard to dissect recency bias and zeitgeist hysteria with timelessness.

          • liongalahad on 09/03/2024 - 03:57

            @tanguyen: Id just like to hear an unforgettable song from here. I know nothing of her and want to understand whats all the hype about…

  • ass3ts on 07/03/2024 - 07:09
    -2

    Her songs are simple and easy to sing for most because, let's face it, she can't sing harder songs.

  • Cluster on 07/03/2024 - 10:14
    +2

    Yes, there's a lot of hype around Swift. I wanted to attend her concert but after months of trying couldn't get a single ticket. Media organizations fan the hype but without the keen fans no one would care.

    If you like Swift then listen to her music. If you don't like her then don't listen to her. Easy and simple. Everyone gets what they want.

  • kaleidoscope on 07/03/2024 - 10:22
    +4

    Sounds like it's a you problem OP… One of these days you'll learn to not give a $hit about these sorts of matters and all of a sudden, the life will be so much simpler. ✌️

    A fun fact, the only thing I do give a $hit about the words "Taylor Swift" are Taylor series and Swift language

  • THL on 07/03/2024 - 10:52
    +4

    You need to calm down :)

  • jellykingdom on 07/03/2024 - 11:47

    I do look at the Taylor Swiftsituation and get pretty confused about who is considered a mega-celebrity and how they get there. Beyonce is another example. People deify these women, damned if i understand why. Super popular yes, but I mean you shouldn't even be having discussions about whether a single celebrity can swing a political election

    That's no comment on their legit talent, but i'm more meaning Taylor Swift and Beyonce are not 1000 times more talented than…I dunno…Ariana Grande or something, no to warrant them being a phenomenon

  • PixelPaul on 07/03/2024 - 11:49

    I went to the Sydney show, and I think it was a great performance. well worth it.
    She is very talented and generally a good person.

  • dontboopthesnoot on 07/03/2024 - 14:01
    +3

    She makes music that people seem to like. I don't see any issues here.

  • diddy50 on 07/03/2024 - 14:23

    Taylor Swift is a Cultural Phenomenon, a musical genius at writing lyrics.

    • DontNeedThis on 07/03/2024 - 14:48
      +2

      As much as I understand the adoration for Taylor Swift and her success in the music industry, I've always felt her lyrical prowess isn't quite as revolutionary as some claim. First off, she tends to circle back to the same themes over and over: love, heartbreak, and her personal dramas. It's like, yes, we get it – relationships are tough, and fame is a double-edged sword. But when you compare her to songwriters who experiment with a vast landscape of themes, her repertoire feels a bit…one-note?
      Then there's the simplicity of her language. It's not that every song needs to be a labyrinth of literary devices, but her straight-to-the-point style sometimes leaves me craving more depth and less predictability.

      Speaking of predictability, let's talk about her music's "relatability". Swift has a knack for drawing from her personal life, which isn't bad, but it often feels like her lyrics rely heavily on the listener's interest in her celebrity. It's more gossip column than poetry, relying on her fans' fascination with her world rather than the universal human experience.

      She's massively successful, which some might see as proof of her lyrical genius. But let's be real – commercial success isn't a direct measure of artistic depth. She is undeniably talented at crafting catchy tunes that resonate with a broad audience, but does that make her lyrics objectively outstanding? I'm not convinced. Don't get me wrong, Taylor Swift is a talented artist with a gift for melody and a knack for branding. Her music has undeniably shaped a generation, and her influence is indisputable. But when it comes to the pantheon of great lyricists, I think we're letting her narrative skills and public persona overshadow a fair assessment of her lyrical depth. Just my two cents. Music is hugely personal, and what resonates with one person might not hit the same way for someone else.

      • photonbuddy on 07/03/2024 - 15:06
        +3

        love, heartbreak, and her personal dramas.

        Doesn't that cover about 99% of all songs ever written?

        But when it comes to the pantheon of great lyricists

        I wonder how many of these artists were considered so when they were releasing their music.

        Music is hugely personal, and what resonates with one person might not hit the same way for someone else.

        And this is the crux of it. I don't have a problem with people saying an artists music is terrible, and their lyrics are terrible. That's there opinion, and they are welcome to it. It just gets my goat when they then go on to suggest that anyone who likes that artist must be some kind of idiot.

      • carlJack on 07/03/2024 - 17:08

        My sentiments exactly.

      • smpantsonfire on 08/03/2024 - 03:58
        +1

        Are you talking about her radio hits here, or her other songs?

        The catchy songs are for sure not deep, but her lyrical prowess is definitely there in her other songs.

  • this is us on 07/03/2024 - 14:37

    Back in my days children were dancing "Don't wanna short dick men"… 😂

    Among other things, of course…

    I don't think Taylor Swift is better or worse than previous generation singers/talents. I think she's pretty talented and a lot of people are jealous because she got there. She's capable of creating engaging albums year after year and is not in the news because of stupid things she's done, although I'm sure people try very hard to minimise her efforts and achievements.

    Pink is more my style but that's my personal taste.

    O could list a few singers that were/are very popular with no talent, but that would be just my opinion, which is irrelevant for those who enjoy Taylor, Pink, or any singers that I don't like listening to.

  • Wayne7497 on 07/03/2024 - 14:39

    Over it, could are less, media hype was truly annoying

  • ass3ts on 07/03/2024 - 15:10

    They practically accepted 'bribes' from the Singaporean government to hold the only SEA concerts there, https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/taylor-swift-is-now-a-t…

    They sold dodgy seats behind the stages that many other artists often refrain from selling, pretty money hungry bordering unethical.

    • michaelTito on 07/03/2024 - 16:06
      -4

      not only unethical she also one of the top private jet user in the world. left wing hypocrite

      • takutox on 08/03/2024 - 03:33

        but according to you climate change and human impact on environment doesn't exist. why are you crying about something that doesnt exist. do you see anyone else in this thread crying? 😂 you're more woke than all the "left wing hypocrite" you cry about. the irony hahhaa

        • michaelTito on 08/03/2024 - 11:25

          Taylor swift is my emission queen 😍

          • takutox on 08/03/2024 - 14:25

            @michaelTito: you are the woke queen*

            keep fighting that climate fight my tree hugger

            • michaelTito on 08/03/2024 - 15:30

              @takutox: ok this is getting weird. can you stop with the stalking

              • takutox on 08/03/2024 - 15:39

                @michaelTito: old mate is getting paranoid conspiracy thoughts over a front page ozbargain thread.

                keep that tinfoil hat on tight. slay environmental queen

                • michaelTito on 08/03/2024 - 15:41

                  @takutox: of course i am paranoid. i got a creepy dude stalking every comment i made on ozbargain haha. dude you gotta stop following me around.

                  • takutox on 08/03/2024 - 15:47

                    @michaelTito: this thread was made 2 days ago and was trending front page of ozb. might wanna check out your paranoid hypochondria michael

                    • michaelTito on 08/03/2024 - 15:52

                      @takutox: i did check it and it confirmed that youre a stalker. please dont call me by my name. such a creepy thing to do

                      • takutox on 08/03/2024 - 15:56

                        @michaelTito: so you're looking at and analyzing my profile. And apparently I'm the stalker. that's as hypocritical as your extreme concern about climate change😆

                        • michaelTito on 08/03/2024 - 15:57

                          @takutox: omg dude stop trying to talk to me lol. this is getting weird

    • jackspratt on 07/03/2024 - 17:44

      Who is this "They" you speak of?

    • photonbuddy on 07/03/2024 - 22:21

      They sold dodgy seats behind the stages that many other artists often refrain from selling, pretty money hungry bordering unethical.

      Perhaps, but did they also hold the gun?

      Perhaps, ask those that got those (shitty) tickets if they had a good time.

      I agree they were tickets that no normal fan would consider buying, but did you not see the news?

  • happydude on 07/03/2024 - 16:10
    +1

    Music should be a creative endeavour.

    Mainstream music is now completely manufactured by teams of people with a knack for finding perfect soundscapes that the majority of people like. Look at people like Max Martin, who you have probably never head of but is behind many mainstream hits, including Swift. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Martin

    Swift sitting alone with an acoustic guitar writing songs is not how this music comes about, and that is fine if people still like the product, but yes, I think we do spend too much time idolising the performers of this music as creative geniuses.

    • johnno07 on 08/03/2024 - 00:37

      To be fair, there have been plenty of "men behind the curtain" when it comes to music production over the years. Before Max Martin we had people like Jeff Lynne through the 70s-90s.

  • SydneySchnorrer on 07/03/2024 - 16:25

    She's wholesome Hillsong for atheists.

  • Eeples on 07/03/2024 - 17:50
    +2

    I think she speaks and connects to girls, teenage girls and young women on an emotional level about their shared experiences.

    I can’t really relate. But, that’s okay.

  • Antikythera on 07/03/2024 - 19:08

    At the same age Madonna started the weird phase of her career. releasing Erotica and starting her own record label.

    Hopefully Taylor is able to use her current success to follow whatever path she wants going forward. Good luck to her.

    • Brianqpr on 08/03/2024 - 22:47

      Madonna did pure pop without the personal connection Swift's songs have to her fans. Don't get me wrong I was a huge fan of Madonna, until she went down said weird path.

  • ToyotaCrownHybrid on 07/03/2024 - 19:34
    -1

    The fandom is very cult-like, it's strange to see.
    If she is a real human, it's very sad to end up being like that, she can't like her mega mcmansion without the millions of bodyguards, she'd be kidnapped or assassinated very quickly

  • daft009 on 07/03/2024 - 20:58

    Currently in Singapore and the cabbies tell me the sing Govt paid her $18mil so she only plays in Singapore in this region.

    Everyone from Malaysia, Indonesia, Phillipines etc are coming to Singapore to see her

    • photonbuddy on 07/03/2024 - 22:25

      Everyone from Malaysia, Indonesia, Phillipines etc are coming to Singapore to see her

      Which made it money well spent … you'd have to agree!

      I mean, how long do you want her to tour this concert? She can't stop everywhere that is going to sell-out arenas. She'd be touring until she's 40!

    • umoddbro on 08/03/2024 - 07:13

      That's the best $18m the Singapore gov has probably spent, $18m is chump change for them but the money she is bringing in for tourism and local businesses is massive.

  • DiscoJango on 07/03/2024 - 21:07
    +2

    Taylor swift isnt the problem, its just the news media constantly deciding to report on her, which then shoves it in your/everyones face

    • Brianqpr on 08/03/2024 - 08:12

      That certainly didn't help in terms of making tickets even harder to get. I'm convinced a lot of people just jumped on the bandwagon due to media hype and this left genuine fans who missed out devastated. Still, as long as you get those clicks eh?

  • MessyG on 07/03/2024 - 21:30
    +4

    She's a great performer, always has been. Watch her SNL skit that she did at 19, and wrote herself. The writers had something prepared for but she walked in there and asked to use her own material. She showed them and they threw out theirs because hers was better. She's an excellent songwriter first and foremost and has been performing now for a very very long time. Her latest tour has just been crazy, I saw her years ago and thought she was great. Empty seats around us, not much hype then. Very pleased for her now, she's worked her ass off for years.

  • dajiska on 07/03/2024 - 21:40

    OP where is the Poll for this?

    • jackspratt on 08/03/2024 - 03:00

      I find comments and observations far more interesting.

  • Camry no headlights on 07/03/2024 - 22:27

    How is she talented her music from what little I’ve heard is just generic boring trash

    • Eeples on 08/03/2024 - 01:51
      +1

      Read the lyrics of her songs. See what you think.

      • Camry no headlights on 08/03/2024 - 09:17

        Yeah I’m not seeing it tbh

        "Anti-Hero"

        I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser
        Midnights become my afternoons
        When my depression works the graveyard shift, all of the people
        I've ghosted stand there in the room

        I should not be left to my own devices
        They come with prices and vices
        I end up in crisis
        (Tale as old as time)
        I wake up screaming from dreaming
        One day, I'll watch as you're leaving
        'Cause you got tired of my scheming
        (For the last time)

        It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me
        At teatime, everybody agrees
        I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
        It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

        Sometimes, I feel like everybody is a sexy baby
        And I'm a monster on the hill
        Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favorite city
        Pierced through the heart, but never killed

        Did you hear my covert narcissism
        I disguise as altruism
        Like some kind of congressman?
        (A tale as old as time)
        I wake up screaming from dreaming
        One day, I'll watch as you're leaving
        And life will lose all its meaning
        (For the last time)

        It's me, hi, I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's me)
        At teatime, everybody agrees
        I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
        It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

        I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money
        She thinks I left them in the will
        The family gathers 'round and reads it and then someone screams out
        "She's laughing up at us from Hell"

        It's me, hi
        I'm the problem, it's me
        It's me, hi
        I'm the problem, it's me
        It's me, hi
        Everybody agrees, everybody agrees

        It's me, hi (Hi), I'm the problem, it's me (I'm the problem, it's me)
        At teatime (Teatime), everybody agrees (Everybody agrees)
        I'll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror
        It must be exhausting always rooting for the anti-hero

        • syousef on 08/03/2024 - 14:44
          +1

          Honestly, it sounds like it was written by someone who is sick with a fever or under the influence of illicit substances. Probably while still in highschool. That line about "sexy baby" always creeps me out. There aren't too many men post 2017 or so that can get away with singing enthusiastically about how mentally unstable, sexist and manipulative they are. And yes I am aware she's passing it off as a parody of her media image.

          • Eeples on 09/03/2024 - 11:10

            @syousef: As I commented here before, the appeal I think for swifts songs is the connection to girls, teenage girls and women.

            Without over analysing this or other songs lyrics I would suggest that females see themselves to varying degrees in swifts songs.

            No, I am not calling all women insecure narcissists. But, I am sure, from time to time some women do think some of their actions may be construed as coming from that place. Swift taps into that and other aspects of what it is to be female and the struggles and issues and accomplishments that may be particularly female.

            IMO.

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