I don’t get it. Her music is sometimes catchy but otherwise unremarkable, from the songs I’ve heard. How does she break all these records and accumulate so much fame and wealth?

She’s pretty, but a lot of singer songwriters are, especially those with makeup and costume people, a support staff.

Is there something else to her that people like?

I’m confused about what makes her so apparently unique or phenomenal.

Update: there are so many things that make swift unique or phenomenal.

I’ve received tons of great answers from people that have helped me understand, like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle, many factors that makes swift different and consequently more successful than her peers.

Clever lyrics, top-tier production, sharing autobiographical and emotional points in her life very directly, apparent honesty with few or no public blemishes, creating a community of fans through Easter eggs and house parties and unconventional, but always personal methods, an early start supported by wealthy parents, she keeps winning against abusers, and her music itself is popular and fun.

Those are just a few of the puzzle pieces contributed here, and a dive into this post is a pretty good explanation of many of the factors that must be contributing to her phenomenal success and recognition, that set her apart from other pop stars, even pop stars who were phenoms in their own right.

This is a very educational post, thank you to everyone who has contributed.

  • 1984
    39·
    9 months ago

    I think she shouldnt be popular, and I guess it’s because of marketing. The media companies put her in the spot light a lot, and people got used to her music I guess.

    It’s not like with Michael Jackson or Madonna where the music were actually very good and creative. This is like pizza I guess, something to listen to that sounds the same as everything else.

    • MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.worldEnglish
      9·
      9 months ago

      She may not be your cup of tea, which is totally fine. No music is for everyone. But to say her music is not creative or good like Michael Jackson and Madonna is silly. It definitely reveals an unfamiliarity with her catalog. While I like Madonna, she has not competently covered as much ground as Taylor Swift has been able to.

      I used to not really like Taylor Swift until I actually sat down and gave her music a real listen, then I got what all the hubbub was about. She has a lot of albums for her age, and there’s relatively little filler on them (some have none in my opinion).

      • 1984
        2·
        9 months ago

        I admit I haven’t listed her very much. I will give it another try. What album should I start with?

        • MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.worldEnglish
          3·
          9 months ago

          It really depends on your taste. If you enjoy pop, 1989 is a good entree. If you enjoy moodier stuff, folklore is not a bad choice. If you enjoy country, try Fearless. You could also just sample some hits and, when you find one that’s ok, try the album it’s on. If you really want to run the gamut, going in chronological order is a good way to see the evolution of her sound and songwriting. The Taylor’s Version albums are worth listening to instead of the originals, though you can skip the bonus tracks if you’re not a huge fan.

          That being said, you could justifiably come out on the other side still not liking her stuff. But I hope you’d at least have an appreciation for the artistry.

    • Varyk@sh.itjust.worksOP
      3·
      9 months ago

      So I’ve listened to every single song anybody has mentioned, and most of the albums that they’ve mentioned in this right, and I can say that her songwriting itself is impressive, not enough to receive double the awards of Lady Gaga, in my opinion, but it is good songwriting, and her music videos are very impressively produced, the timing is compelling in them.

      Man, did everyone read some pizza article that I’ve never heard of?

      You’re no joke, at least the fourth person to mention pizza.

      But even pizza, there are so many brands, how did this brand become far and away the most popular and awarded one. That’s the question, not whether pizza is popular, but how did this one brand win so many awards relative to the other brands?