fan base Why is Taylor Swift so massive?

[Habibro]

As a non swiftie, casual fan, I’m impressed of how Taylor has not only managed to stay relevant the last 16 years but be the greatest household name of pop. She’s going to make 770 million on her US leg alone. She still scores number ones, massive albums, Grammys etc. whether you like it or not she’s bigger than your fav. 
 

but my question is.. why? Yes she interacts with her canvass a lot her music isn’t particularly grand breaking or that interesting. What keeps her on top? 

[byzantium]

She writes good music that people connect with on an emotional level.  Also, her discography is diverse enough so there is something for most people.  

She is also a dedicated musician who both consistently released good albums and does not take extensive breaks between albums.  So she keeps the momentum of her support going very strong. 

[Aramis]

She's an inoffensive caucasian blonde woman.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Aramis

[kimberly]

palatability. she's inoffensive. never political or hyper sexual. and now that she's been with Joe for like, 7 years, people don't have much to complain about regarding her being a "serial dater" or whatever used to call her.

 

it also helps that she has some incredible songs in her catalog. she's not a great performer, but she knows how to sell her material. and especially post-folklore, I think she was able to break into new demographics that previously found her music too poppy or childish.

[WildHeart]

Releasing 10 9 quality albums in a row is not an easy feat and only few artists had that type of consistency with their output so she gets awarded for it accordingly

Edited March 21, 2023 by Artistofthedecade

[Habibro]

2 minutes ago, kimberly said:

palatability. she's inoffensive. never political or hyper sexual. and now that she's been with Joe for like, 7 years, people don't have much to complain about regarding her being a "serial dater" or whatever used to call her.

 

it also helps that she has some incredible songs in her catalog. she's not a great performer, but she knows how to sell her material. and especially post-folklore, I think she was able to break into new demographics that previously found her music too poppy or childish.

Well what about Girls like Katy or Gaga that were pretty well liked by the GP

[shookgrande]

(this is not shade) she's a smart businesswoman clearly driven by success and numbers, and plays the game perfect. she has an unmatched relationship with her fans and manipulates caters to them as well. she has fans from her country days to now pop, folk or whatever, alternative etc. so a broad mostly white fanbase from the soccer moms to preteens alike

Edited March 21, 2023 by shookgrande

[suburbannature]

She is a master businesswoman and her relationships with both fans and the press are brilliantly-navigated.

 

She has made a couple of very strong albums as well.

[airplane]

She makes safe and easily accessible generic music which appeals to the masses in America. 

[DawnAnti]

She is very smart and a bit talented l

[Cruel Summer]

She is first and foremost a songwriter recognized for her skill and talent in that field since she was still a child. Her catalog is full of albums and songs recognized for not just their songwriting quality, but especially for their ability to speak to the universal experiences of millions of young people throughout the world. Through that confessional songwriting, she forged an incredibly strong bond with her fanbase that I would argue is different from some of the other artist-fanbase relationships we see in the modern music market. Throughout all of this, she has demonstrated exceptional skill as a businesswoman and it's clear that she is to at least some extent more motivated by success than some other music stars. She wants it, and she works hard for it, and she's really not ashamed to admit those things (I'm sure many people have heard the story about doing 1989 in part because Red lost AOTY, or seen the clip of how she felt about Reputation's lack of nominations). When you have skill and talent, create excellent material, cultivate a loyal fanbase, and deftly maintain the status of your brand as a business - that's the perfect recipe for success.

 

There are, of course, areas where some might think she falls short: certain elements of live performance and not being born with the same vocal talents as some other incredible women in music. Those perceived shortcomings simply fall by the wayside and no longer matter when you have the other things. And we should mention that of course it's no small thing that she has intentionally kept her brand relatively modest, or that she benefits from white privilege and from other societal structures that not everyone has in life - these are all ingredients in the recipe, some that she can control and some that she can't. But the dismissal of her success by attributing it solely to her being a "safe" white American girl is shortsighted; there are thousands of such artists who never make it a tenth as far as Taylor has. Some element of that must be attributed to her abilities and to her ambition and work ethic.

[Meev]

She is very clear on who her audience is and relates to them. She sings about love while being beautiful and approachable. She regurgitates how much she loves annd appreciates her fans and this makes fans want to spend money on her music.

 

At the end of the day, she seems like a nice person, which is more than can be said about other musicians.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Meev

[ImsoLOUD]

26 minutes ago, Aramis said:

She's an inoffensive caucasian blonde woman.

 

[Relampago.]

She encapsulates the white girl fantasy so well, and like it or not a lot of people love living that fantasy

 

Plus she’s a stellar songwriter who conveys her message incredibly well

[kimberly]

10 minutes ago, Habibro said:

Well what about Girls like Katy or Gaga that were pretty well liked by the GP

controversial or popular =/= "well-liked"

[God_Donna]

Because people like me love her who don’t stan her. So many people from every fanbase loves and listens to Taylor swift. She slays.

[Rv1709]

She’s relatable to the GP ie average singer. So anyone can sing her songs 

[More Than A Melody]

She's conventionally pretty, inoffensive, knows how to market herself, and isn't terrible at any part of being a musician, while excelling in songwriting and fan connection.

[Into The Void]

Good luck i guess 

[terrorblade]

extraordinary beauty, business shrewdness, emotive voice and a good ear for melodies

[alfonso12]

She's a white girl that makes music for the masses. She barely takes any risks with her sound so everyone likes her music.

[Devin]

White privilege and above average songwriting.

[Buffy]

The T in her name stands for Talent

Edited March 21, 2023 by Buffy

[Buffy]

5 minutes ago, alfonso12 said:

She's a white girl that makes music for the masses. She barely takes any risks with her sound so everyone likes her music.

Ok

 

 

 

 

[PoisonedIvy]

People saying she’s an inoffensive white woman, as if there aren’t dozens of those women in the industry. Julia Michaels, Colbie Caillat, Norah Jones, etc all scored a hit era or two, a hit single here and there, but never reached global heights or toured monstrously in the way Taylor has been able to.

 

Taylor’s success is not just her inoffensiveness but her strategic reinventions. As much as y’all think her music sounds the same, it’s the complete opposite. Like others in here have said, there’s something in her catalogue for everyone, from the gays who stan reputation to the white girls who LOVE to love Lover, to the Filipino swifties with nostalgia for Fearless era, to the bro-rock/indie dads who respect the folklore & evermore eras. 

Other “inoffensive” girls have nothing else going for them. Taylor and her team have managed every career shift wonderfully. Her marketing and business sensibilities are on point.