If there is one bit of current nonsense I can’t stand it’s the imagine your high school gym teacher married to your English teacher. Travis Kelce is a successful professional athlete. Your typical gym teacher is a not too successful former high school athlete who had to do something when he grew up. Taylor Swift is probably brighter than the typical pop star and has apparently read a few things.However the literary allusions are stagey name dropping designed to create a false aura of depth. In popular music good lyrics are a joy when you come across them. The ability to sing counts for more. So I’d actually rather listen to Adele sing Rolling in the Deep or Lady Gaga Paparazzi. There is wisdom in the title of an old Rolling Stones song It’s the Singer not the Song.
By the way, I have little familiarity with contemporary pop music, too old , wear bottom of my trousers rolled and my life somewhat resembles Philip Larkin’s Aubade but there have been pop performers with some actual literary grounding . Lou Reed studied under Delmore Schwartz. Leonard Cohen actually was a published poet and novelist before he took up singing.Then of course, there is Patti Smith who are beloved Taylor refers to. You can deem her pretentious, a lousy poet and a public nuisance but she did have a real interest in literature and was very much a part of the bohemian artsy New York scene in the day. You really can’t picture her marrying a football player.
As a pop star, performer, and someone with unmatched abiilty to inspire young women espec, I am a TS fan even though I'm far past the age ofdragging. my pants...cultural touchpoint/ reference to John's comment - my gen wore the longest bell bottom jeans possible and cleaned the city streets with them - who also got some very interesting perspective about all this. I appreciate your essay so much and literary expertise. I still love Love Story.
I see your point and I've thought these things too. To her credit, TTPD has plenty of songs that demonstrate her lyricism is still there. I'll take heavy handed over barely trying any day, especially if the songs work. The Dylan Thomas line was a dig at her ex Joe, he was the "tortured poet". The album name is derived from what he and his friend group referred to themselves as. I dont expect a dissertation on literary works in the music, and thats where your point comes in. I agree with preferring her not to lean into the English Teacher role play, but if we've learned anything from Taylor's career is that it is always evolving. On to the next Era.
She gets away with a lot musically as well in terms of producing middling songs, especially in the last few years. I listened to "The Life of a Showgirl" single yesterday and it sounded like any number of totally fine B- pop songs from the last 10 years that were engineered in a lab to be a hit single for a couple of months and then be forgotten forever. But because it's a TAYLOR SWIFT SONG her fans will say it's a work of genius. Very strange
If there is one bit of current nonsense I can’t stand it’s the imagine your high school gym teacher married to your English teacher. Travis Kelce is a successful professional athlete. Your typical gym teacher is a not too successful former high school athlete who had to do something when he grew up. Taylor Swift is probably brighter than the typical pop star and has apparently read a few things.However the literary allusions are stagey name dropping designed to create a false aura of depth. In popular music good lyrics are a joy when you come across them. The ability to sing counts for more. So I’d actually rather listen to Adele sing Rolling in the Deep or Lady Gaga Paparazzi. There is wisdom in the title of an old Rolling Stones song It’s the Singer not the Song.
By the way, I have little familiarity with contemporary pop music, too old , wear bottom of my trousers rolled and my life somewhat resembles Philip Larkin’s Aubade but there have been pop performers with some actual literary grounding . Lou Reed studied under Delmore Schwartz. Leonard Cohen actually was a published poet and novelist before he took up singing.Then of course, there is Patti Smith who are beloved Taylor refers to. You can deem her pretentious, a lousy poet and a public nuisance but she did have a real interest in literature and was very much a part of the bohemian artsy New York scene in the day. You really can’t picture her marrying a football player.
As a pop star, performer, and someone with unmatched abiilty to inspire young women espec, I am a TS fan even though I'm far past the age ofdragging. my pants...cultural touchpoint/ reference to John's comment - my gen wore the longest bell bottom jeans possible and cleaned the city streets with them - who also got some very interesting perspective about all this. I appreciate your essay so much and literary expertise. I still love Love Story.
I see your point and I've thought these things too. To her credit, TTPD has plenty of songs that demonstrate her lyricism is still there. I'll take heavy handed over barely trying any day, especially if the songs work. The Dylan Thomas line was a dig at her ex Joe, he was the "tortured poet". The album name is derived from what he and his friend group referred to themselves as. I dont expect a dissertation on literary works in the music, and thats where your point comes in. I agree with preferring her not to lean into the English Teacher role play, but if we've learned anything from Taylor's career is that it is always evolving. On to the next Era.
She gets away with a lot musically as well in terms of producing middling songs, especially in the last few years. I listened to "The Life of a Showgirl" single yesterday and it sounded like any number of totally fine B- pop songs from the last 10 years that were engineered in a lab to be a hit single for a couple of months and then be forgotten forever. But because it's a TAYLOR SWIFT SONG her fans will say it's a work of genius. Very strange
Well-argued.