In 2012 Taylor Swift tried for the first time to make pure pop music and in a formula she has always used in her career (until 2022 smash hit anti-hero) she low key mocked herself in a fun way when we heard her asking "who is Taylor Swift anyway, uh" in the now became a cultural phenomen (source: nme) song 22.

 

In the verse Swift seems to mimic the discourse of some people in the industry about her attempt to became a very big mainstream music star (remember when diplo said in 2014 "someone should give taylor swift an hit " or when according to the rumours Katy Perry said to her "you finally have an hit" after WANEGBT #1).

This is was also the discourse around from a lot of pop fans which were stanning seasonal popstars of the era like kesha, katy perry, rihanna, jennifer lopez etc...

 

10 years after can we say being the antiformula in the mainstream pop scene (a real songwriter busy at creating a real catalog, not a bunch of fillers filled with calvin harris- david guetta inspired songs) has been in the long term the reason she became the female music star of the 2000s?.

By being "the anti madonna" (while katy, rihanna, britney, christina were all build with the same pop formula) she became the madonna of the 2000s?.

 

The current music listeners seems to accept more a kind of similar musicians and the most relevant artists with Taylor are the ones making albums and real songs and with a real songbook: Lana Del Rey (she surpassed recently katy perry total streams), Adele and Beyoncè.

Billie, Olivia, SZA, Rosalia are more real songwriters with real songs than the generation before with pop machine fads busy at selling sex.

 

Something similar to Taylor is true to Beyoncé too: i remember in the discourse around 2003-2010 for most pop listeners she was just marginal but her dedication to a real music craft, to concepts and real albums (not easy and go duets with drake and david guetta) made her a music industry giant in the long term, surpassing all her peers from those years.

 

So in the ends talent, dedication and being in control always wins over the diplos and their songs made for 6 months of consumption?. Was the Madonna formula just an unique case (cause she invented it and she owned it) while in the long term was a failure when music industry used it to create a generation of pop stars which were just piloted by music executives?. 

 

Discuss.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Taylor has always been a pop artist with country influences. imo her only real country album was her debut

 

Well, yes! 
 

Everything you said is true the desires to NOT chase trends and instead be true to her craft is the reason why Taylor IS the position she is today.

 

Ain’t reading all that , at least do a resume for us 

 

Yes. She always stood out with her unique music and personality.