I went to the VMAs last night, and, for the most part, I loved it. I loved seeing all the celebrities and being there live to watch everything happen. But most of all, I loved the performances. I didn’t get to see Eminem, but I saw (almost) everyone else, with the exception of Justin Beiber.
Usher was amazing, just as I expected him to be. I thought B.O.B., Hayley Williams, and Bruno Mars were incredible. The performance by Florence and the Machine was…I can’t even say how great that one was. Kanye West was underwhelming, to say the least.
I left out one performer on purpose, and she just happens to be the subject of this post. Now, before everyone starts to hate on T. Swift, hear me out. She may not be your cup of tea, but just because she isn’t your style, or you think she isn’t a good singer/performer, doesn’t mean she isn’t a good artist.
I love Taylor Swift. I thought it was a phase, but for over a year now her music has been played on my IPod more than any other. I’m not denying that she sings about fairytales and love a lot (maybe too much to some), but there’s merit in what she does, really.
First of all, I would much rather my pre-teen little sister listen to Taylor Swift talk about how you don’t know who you are as a person at fifteen than about how Miley Cyrus can’t be tamed. Taylor Swift is so sweet and innocent without being arrogant or overwhelmingly pure. But her music tells how life and love are, albeit with a lot of flowery language.
I think the one thing that gives her more credit (in my eyes, at least) is the fact that she writes everything she performs. And yes, someone else could perform it, but that would take something away from it. The songs you hear on the radio may not be the deepest. They are cute and fluffy (think “You Belong with Me”). But there is substance there, especially when you hear some of the other songs from her albums.
For example, “Tied Together with a Smile” is a song that a lot of young girls really relate to (I know I did). If you don’t know the song, here the lyrics:
Seems the only one who doesn’t see your beauty
Is the face in the mirror, staring back at you.
You walk around here thinking you’re not pretty,
But that’s not true.
Because I know you.
Hold on, maybe you’re losing it.
The water’s high, you’re jumping into it.
Letting go, and no one knows.
That you cry, but you don’t tell anyone
That you might not be the golden one.
And you’re tied together with a smile,
But you’re coming undone.
Guess it’s true that love was all you wanted
Because you’re giving it away like it’s extra change.
Hoping it will end up in his pocket,
But he leaves you out like a penny in the rain.
Because it’s not his price to pay,
It’s not his price to pay.
Hold one, maybe you’re losing it.
The water’s high, you’re jumping into it.
Letting go, and no one knows
That you cry, but you don’t tell anyone
That you might not be the golden one.
And you’re tied together with a smile,
But you’re coming undone.
It’s a sweet song, see? There really isn’t a whole lot of music out there that address what most adolescent girls go through. But Taylor Swift does. It can be as simple as “Superstar,” where she’s a girl in love with someone famous, who will never even know their name. How many girls go through that? And as dumb as it sounds, it can be hard.
Or, it can be deeper than that. She addresses how young women really should be treated in a relationship, though so many girls settle for less. In “Tell Me Why” she talks about how it’s not okay to basically be in an abusive relationship. In “White Horse,” she tells girls that the world is a big place, and how there are boys out there who will treat them right. They don’t need to settle for less than that.
I know that I’m talking a lot about how good Taylor Swift is for young girls, but some are probably thinking that I shouldn’t, as a twenty-three year old married woman, be as obsessed with her as I am. But that’s just me: I love a good romantic story and her songs are good romantic stories. I mean, I walked down the aisle to “Love Story.” It doesn’t really get better than that.
That’s all.