The Powerful Paradox of Taylor Swift

I am a newly initiated Swiftie. To even write that sentence seems absurd. Prior to her record-breaking Era's tour, her highly publicized relationship, and all of the press that has come with her new Disney documentary and her latest album, I could only name the hits I had heard on the radio throughout the years. It's not that I was against her. It's just that my interests were in other areas and with other performers. I didn't understand the magnetism and full-blown allegiance that people had towards her. It wasn't until I saw her documentary that I fully jumped on the Taylor Swift bandwagon. One of the things that fascinated me the most was the anomaly that she is in both business and life. 

Mainstream country music has historically been dominated by men, while female artists have had challenges even making the airwaves and with industry support and representation (Country Music Association). This is just one example of gender inequality in music but a barrier that Swift has been able to crumble. According to Business Insider, outside of record-breaking milestones, Swift has become one of the most dominant artists in music history. Here is a woman who has found billion dollar success in a traditionally masculine driven industry.  

In her documentary, she is full of wisdom that extends beyond her age and showcases her vast life experience. Her years growing up in the industry on full display with quotes like - "Everyone's jealous of what you've got. No one's jealous of what you had to do to get it." She talks about the trials and hard work that it took to get her to where she is now in an honest and somewhat oddly relatable way. How can one of the biggest pop stars in the world appear to be familiar? Vulnerability seemed to at one point be seen as weakness. Those who went to therapy kept it a hidden secret because asking for help and being your authentic self was not something that was discussed. Somehow though, when one of the most prominent women in the world sits down and cries, there is a breath of relief that seems to come with it. Being vulnerable becomes permissible. There is an art to it that she fully understands and embraces and by doing that, she becomes even more successful.

In the video from Stephen Sewell, he talked about how pop culture is the focus on what is "hip, hot and happening." It's through what media tells us is 'cool' or 'trendy' that a line in the sand is drawn to show who is part of the 'in the know' or the 'out of the know' crowd. By having someone widely regarded as a pop culture icon talk openly and honestly about her struggles in life and love, could this be considered  cool to influence a younger generation? It was also mentioned that pop culture is commerce. The other side of the debate could be argued that Taylor Swift is capitalizing on her vulnerability to sell more records to generate income and cement her place as the first musician to achieve billionaire status primarily from her music and performances (Fortune). I know The Bechdel Test exists as a metric for evaluating female representation as it pertains to works of fiction but I think it has some play here as well. In looking at the representation that Swift has created within the industry and the ability for women to identify themselves within what she has created, it could be argued that she helps challenge women's roles to be unlimited and not restricted to their relationships with men or as damsels in distress. Again, in looking at the other side of the coin, many can say she has built a music catalog of hits capitalizing on her own personal life and heartbreak. 

After seeing the documentary and taking a deeper dive into her music, I choose to believe in the magic she is creating. Not because she’s the most famous pop star in the world or because she’s broken more records in the music industry than anyone else. It's because, despite her accomplishments, she embraces her own humanity, compassion and leans into her feminine strength. She reminds us that emotional intelligence is not weakness but power. In reading and watching our assignments, I am learning that two things can be true at the same time. Culture can be rooted in history but it can also be driven with a specific narrative and agenda. Pop culture can be enjoyed but also commerce driven. It's all in how we choose to accept and interpret those messages.