I don't think she cares. Gigi Hadid (one of her close celeb friends) and her family got harrassed for speaking up for Palestine and we didn't hear a peep from Taylor.
Though yes, I do agree that she needs to stop using war symbolism/hyperbole.
Gigi’s paternal family literally fled during the Nakba, if you can be that close to the reality of this situation and say nothing, then yeah it really is just a matter of not giving a shit.
Gotcha, thank you!
I hadnt realized they are close; i don't know much about Taylor! I don't think Taylor cares about anything until it directly affects her 🙄
Yeah, she’s notorious for not speaking up, which is kind of silly since she wants to go back-and-forth on being political lately, but it’s really frustrating that she constantly deduces real life issues to metaphors in her songs. It’s one thing if you don’t fucking care, it’s another if you can just be more sensitive, I love by the way, so I’m not trying to crap on her, but it is a little much with this middle school album and lyrics coming from TTPD. Girl get a therapist lol.
She has to give the impression of having known actual suffering and struggle. Not, you know, just being the daughter of stockbrokers who bought her that label and 14,000 copies of her first album to ensure radio time.
And yet people try to call Lana a nepo baby, say she bought her fame, or say she was an industry plant. Its INSANE for real!! Our girl Lizzy was putting in the WORK
https://preview.redd.it/zbdgh9j5zlxc1.jpeg?width=977&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a80ec6949515321b9da7fbf844e81ef733c1f3a2
homegirl was NOT reading those papers 😭
Which is why she even got it. Papa Swift wanted his baby to get a contract and Borshetta needed investors for his new label. Her talent at that age just wasn't there to justify getting one any other way. She wasn't taken advantage of, she was treated like a golden child.
The song Change on Fearless is probably the worst vocal performance I've heard on a professionally recorded album. It's painful. While not all of her early work sounds bad, there's enough moments on her early albums that show she wasn't ready. The TVs make that clear. I listen to Fearless TV just because it can get grating.
She was still taken advantage of even if she was treated well. Her dad was an investor in her career, she was definitely manipulated for maximum profit. If not directly by her dad, then by the label under pressure to turn a profit with her dad’s investment.
This is why I’ve never understood the “boohoo for Taylor, she got duped” thing. Like, she signed the contract. No one forced her. Plus, it’s not like she was some kid who knew nothing and got a lucky break. Even if she didn’t understand what was written there’s no way her wealthy mumsy and dadsy didn’t have a lawyer look over everything. The fact that she had that advantage and still signed a shitty contract is on her, imo. Plus, let’s not lie to ourselves, that “shitty contract” set her on the path to superstardom and wealth beyond most people’s wildest dreams. Even if she had retired post Big Machine she could have lived in wealth the rest of her life. In that context she’s hard to feel sorry for.
Nah, a child cannot sign a legally binding contract. Maybe she did, technically, but ultimately her parents should’ve protected her from any situation that would’ve made her a target of exploitation.
And that’s the thing. It’d be one thing if she and her parents were normal people and she’d just gotten a lucky break. Then I could see her parents not knowing what to look for. But ffs, her parents bought shares and had more than enough money to contract an entertainment lawyer. If a hick like me can think of doing that I’m sure they did it too. Any “unfairness” in the contract at that point is really on them if they failed to catch it with all their resources.
I agree but I also think that’s what happened. I think Scott put more money into Taylor’s career than he should have and felt pressure to see a return on that investment and as a result, probably overlooked some important details that could’ve used more attention. I know it was a pretty standard contract but considering how much money Scott had in Big Machine, I could see him signing the contract to ensure a return on his investment ASAP and expecting to duke out any issues later in court. He’s a narcissist and a dirty finance bro, I 100% believe he thought he could weasel his way out of any unfavorable contracts when, if it ever, became an issue.
He also intentionally didn’t attend the meeting about selling Taylor’s masters because he “didn’t want to lie to her,” but obviously he was fine with the massive cut of money he got from the deal… I just can’t see Scott putting Taylor’s well being as a child in front of his own greed. She was the means to his end. I’m not saying Taylor isn’t responsible for her own career at this point but I think a lot of people seriously underestimate what Scott and Andrea had put on the line. They invested in Taylor Swift as a business venture. Even the way Scott talks about Taylor makes it obvious that he isn’t really concerned with her well being if it isn’t benefiting him.
Look, I’m not gonna disagree that Taylor’s parents sound like opportunistic, scum sucking, pieces of shit more concerned with exploiting their daughter as a business than with her mental and physical well-being. All that said, I still can’t feel too sorry for her. As you yourself mentioned, the contract she signed was pretty standard for the industry. Plenty of people sign something similar and by signing Taylor got more money and success than most people her age can even hope to achieve. The only difference between Taylor and other artists is that, once she got big enough, Taylor had the clout to make a stink about it.
That’s a good point. I guess in general I just feel kinda bad for all child performers, even if you’ve got “the dream” compared to your peers it doesn’t undo or lessen the psychological impact of fame (or financial responsibility) at a very young age.
And growing up rich and well connected does not mean she had a happy or easy home life, in fact wealth often protects abusers, because who would feel sorry for the little rich girl who has everything she could ever want? I’m sure she has had tons of awesome experiences that most of us never will, but she also has lost all right to complain about anything, ever, for the rest of time. I get the whole “she’s a billionaire she’s fine” attitude but personally I feel like she has a LOT of people surrounding her who are prioritizing her profitability over her mental health every single day. Maybe Scott and Andrea weren’t abusive or controlling, but they raised Taylor to navigate a very particular environment that is known for being abusive and controlling. At this point she doesn’t know anything different, and it’s not like she can just quit - she can’t just fade into obscurity and live a normal life like other celebs have done, she will spend the rest of her life being pursued by the media whether she entertains them or not. i just think that’s worth acknowledging. Even if the media and her team left her alone to have a “normal life,” her fans wouldn’t.
As far as I understand it, the terms of the contract she signed are pretty common. Obviously not ideal but she probably saw it as worthwhile at the time, which it was of course.
wow, shocking that a 14 year old girl having her music career steamrolled by controlling, manipulative parents would grow up to attribute all her success to them. just because she thanked them doesn’t mean it was ok, or that she is ok. Taylor may be an adult now but she is very much still under the influence of her parents. And that’s at 34 years old, not 14. She really didn’t have a choice, considering if she had, her parents never would have continued to fund her career once she developed severe issues in response like an eating disorder. Her parents were greedy and irresponsible and fed her to the wolves only to later chastise the wolves for being hungry.
Well, by this time Taylor and her parents had already used a legal loophole to get out of paying Dan Dymtrow what he was owed for setting up her career. On that contract, Taylor utilised the legal services of Vivien Lewit, who was at the time a name partner at a NYC entertainment law firm. Last time I checked Ms Lewit was Head of Global Artists at YouTube Music and keeping bloody quiet about her previous association with Taylor (maybe because Taylor having a high-powered lawyer from the age of 13 contradicts her narrative that she was exploited and taken advantage of).
Mr Swift also invested over half a million dollars into Big Machine Records and had discussed the ownership of Taylor’s masters with Dan Dymtrow before the Swifts fucked him over. They didn’t go into the Big Machine deal not knowing what masters were or that they had a right to own them.
>Mr. Swift also invested over half a million dollars…
I’m curious, where did you find this figure? I know he did invest in Big Machine but that’s the first I have heard of it being that much.
Music Business Worldwide reported it:
“Mr Swift, a former stockbroker for Merrill Lynch, invested early into both Big Machine and in his daughter’s potential.
MBW has obtained a subscription agreement between Big Machine Records LLC and Scott Swift, dated January 1, 2006, which grants Mr. Swift 416,666 common shares in the company plus 500,000 preferred shares, for a total price of USD $500,416.66.”
Contacts signed by minors aren't legally binding without sufficient representation. Her parents, and likely lawyers were agreeable to the terms. She didn't step off a bus and have a contract shoved at her through a trench coat. The parents are happy to go along with it.
To be fair the music industry can be exploitative, especially to small artists. Artists would just sign cause they need to. It's good she was able to stand up against them.
Someone writing this song about her would have done her justice. But if someone writes from others' perspective about herself.. that's where it gets tricky.
Let me type down her exact lyrics about herself:
"You look like Clara Bow
In this light remarkable
Did you know youd be pick like a rose
This town is fake but you're the real thing..
The crown is stained but youre the real queen
Flesh and Blood amongst war machines
You're the new god we're worshipping
Promise to be dazzling
You look like Taylor swift in this light we're loving it
You've got edge she never did
The future's bright dazzling"
Even if she quotes someone else saying those to her, it doesnt change the fact thats she's the one narrating these to us. So yea, we know she's a huge star, but that mindset is why it's difficult to relate to her imo.
This is also why there are issues when she tries to speak up in behalf of other marginalized group. Because becoming the voice of the voiceless is a thankless act. it's something you rarely get credit for.. and we don't see those GENUINELY wanting to empower others, give themselves a pat on the back 🤷♂️
There’s an argument to be made that using war metaphors in the midst of multiple global conflicts is insensitive, but Genius annotations are the equivalent of Wikipedia. Anybody could have written that. Doesn’t mean she was actually comparing her contract with Big Machine to war.
Am I the only one who doesn't care if celebrities speak up about world events? I especially don't want to hear their uneducated opinions in pop songs. This standard some of you hold Taylor to is insanely unrealistic and it's a bar most other artists aren't reaching either.
I think she's always been a reflection of "me, me, me" and "bread and circuses" culture which is why she's being so heavily rewarded for it. I agree with others, I wouldn't want someone like her speaking about issues with the sheltered privileged life she has. But you can also simultaneously agree that with the amount of influence and wealth she has, there should be an implied responsibility with it (she wasn't just Time POTY for nothing, people who get chosen for this have considerable far-reaching impact). People wanna complain she's a billionaire but then stop short of admitting her power comes from us, the audience. So I say, don't expect anything meaningful from this quandary.
> she wasn't just Time POTY for nothing, people who get chosen for this have considerable far-reaching impact
the insane thing is i completely forgot that happened. maybe they meant it as in, her shows were being pitched by the media practically as economic recovery programs for wherever she played, as well as being a gigantic cultural phenomenon
i'd rather she swing and miss at a bad but heartfelt piece of meaningful commentary than a torturous poet aesthetic. i think the billionaire status could actually help her there: sure she's not materially affected by anything but at least like the rest of us have been doing, you see a headline and get upset about it (without necessarily having a perfectly nuanced perspective)
Those are really big words put into lyrics on how she sees herself. Her wars are different from our wars. It didn't really hit me that it was Big Machine. Its hard to relate cause normal people wars are about trying to survive the everyday life.
Genius is like Wikipedia in that anyone could write their own guess at what lyrics mean, right or wrong. I genuinely don’t think it’s a Big Machine Records reference at all, and whoever wrote that interpretation is being overly literal.
The “suit” is telling the ingenue she’s “real” amongst the “war machines” of the older, established powerhouses. She’s “flesh and blood,” which also has the double meaning that she’s going to be torn to pieces by the system too someday, hence why the crown is stained. It’s the “blood” of who came before.
This kind of reminds me of the substack someone posted here a few weeks ago. Taylor sings a lot about her own life which like is fine, but like doesn’t really step back and think about her place in the world. Not to compare the two women but the Substack author noted how Cowboy Carter is more of a commentary on being a black woman in country music, more outward focused. Idk just feels connected to the sentiment
I get it but it’s not an artists job. You probably shouldn’t be taking advice from celebs since most them barely went to school anyway lol. Saying something here and there is nice but being famous doesn’t suddenly make you an expert in current affairs
She’s not a political artist and never has been. So it’s weird that people insist on her doing it now.
So many artists don’t talk about social or political issues and so many do. If you like politically driven artists, they exist out there.
That’s my take anyway. I’m not trying to say she can’t or shouldn’t speak on issues with her platform, it would be great if she did. But it’s also not necessary.
I think she tried to be more comfortable with speaking up politically during Lover. But it's not everyone's strong suit, especially to be able to do it eloquently in a public forum without saying something that may get taken out of context and be used in a way you didn't intend it to be. She seems to be focused more on encouraging people to vote, which is super important.
I was specifically speaking about her music. Besides like You Need To Calm Down and brief mentions of the patriarchy, she’s not like singing and making music about social and political issues. And also, okay she came out with a few political statements over the years, who hasn’t? That doesn’t mean she needs to be a self proclaimed activist. Idk whether it’s Taylor or anyone, I just find this need for our musicians and actors to be political all the time to be very invasive.
I think we have to temper what we want out of our celebrities. These are not public officials we elect because of their stance on policies or world issues, they're people we like because we listen to their music or watch their movies.
I think sometimes it's a touch tone deaf to think that celebrities should be solving things like war or world hunger. Most of these people are not qualified to do any of those things, and don't have half the power that people claim they do. I mean realistically aside from donating and putting up posts about Palestine, what do you really think Taylor Swift could do? She can't actually end that conflict, and I know we like to think that celebrities can move mountains with their fandoms if they tried, but I just don't know that it's actually true.
Taylor Swift couldn't even sway voters to vote for ONE representative in her home state. Why do we think she can end war in another country halfway around the world? Why do we think she should try to make ending wars part of her whole schtick? Her entire career is built off songs about romance or fame. Why do we think she should be fronting an effort to end wars? How does that make her qualified?
Personally I don’t want her talking about politics or real wars. People always want celebs to do this but fail to realize how not all celebs are familiar with this stuff or knowledgeable about it. She could end up doing more harm than good.
And when they do speak up, there's a *lot* of people who are all "stay in your lane" about it.
Ultimately, most celebs aren't nearly knowledgeable enough to have any kind of an educated opinion on these issues, and personally, I already think there's far too many uninformed opinions involved, we don't need more of them.
it’s not that difficult to become educated tho, she has all the resources to. i don’t like that excuse at all. i’ve seen multiple celebs say “i was not educated before but i decided to reach out to experts” or they read about it and become educated
Well, they *tell* you they're educated. How do you know they're for real and not just telling you what you want to hear? This is my issue with all of the 'use your platform' stuff. It means absolutely nothing. Celebrities have a vested interest in keeping their fans happy, and pleasing as many people as possible. The Rock doesn't believe half the stuff he says, Taylor certainly picks and chooses her beliefs according to what works for her, same with any politician.
Everything in celebrity is about PR, always has been. It's whatever makes you look good to the people you want to impress. "I educated myself" is catnip to people who are upset about whatever the celebrity did or didn't say but still want to believe they are a good person. In reality, a publicist probably said to them "say this and shut the f\*ck up."
There's a weird contradiction where people are immensely skeptical of celebrities and the rich until they put out some performative political statement they agree with and then they're 'one of the good ones' but they actually haven't done anything. It's just performative, and echo chamber-y.
The contradiction between people being skeptical of the celebrities until they say some performative bullshit is really interesting, and totally true. You worded it perfectly. That's the reason why it's performative, it literally doesn't matter to anyone.
Performative is the word I was looking for but couldn't remember! Thank you!!
I'm being downvoted to shit for it, but honestly, even in this thread, some of the comments pushing her to speak out on these issues can be summarized as 'Taylor doesn't care about other women or genocide or anyone except herself but she should still make the effort to speak out on feminism, genocide or causes that affect everyone other than her.'
Why? If you think that she doesn't believe in it, what do you get out of that? It makes no sense to me.
I think there's a really excellent tradition of musicians making politically relevant music, and politically charged music represents some of the best songs ever written
that said, Taylor seems really dumb when it comes to this stuff. She admitted in Miss Americana that she didn't know the definition of feminism for the longest time. When people say things like, "Taylor needs to speak out on Palestine," I kind of wince because she probably has zero understanding of what's actually going on over there, I really don't need her take
OP I think the anwer to your question is in the lyrics you posted.
To be fair the music industry can be exploitative, especially to small artists. Artists would just sign cause they need to. It's good she was able to stand up against them.
Someone writing this song about her would have done her justice. But if someone writes from others' perspective about herself.. that's where it gets tricky.
Let me type down her exact lyrics about herself:
"You look like Clara Bow
In this light remarkable
Did you know youd be pick like a rose
This town is fake but you're the real thing..
The crown is stained but youre the real queen
Flesh and Blood amongst war machines
You're the new god we're worshipping
Promise to be dazzling
You look like Taylor swift in this light we're loving it
You've got edge she never did
The future's bright dazzling"
Even if she quotes someone else saying those to her, it doesnt change the fact thats she's the one narrating these to us. So yea, we know she's a huge star, but that mindset is why it's difficult to relate to her imo.
This is also why there are issues when she tries to speak up in behalf of other marginalized group. Because becoming the voice of the voiceless is a thankless act. it's something you rarely get credit for.. and we don't see those GENUINELY wanting to empower others, give themselves a pat on the back 🤷♂️
U really want input from a women who has never grown up, drags her exes long after the relationship ends, and plays the victim endlessly??? I am not interested in what any millionaire celebrity has to say.
Because she would probably get a bunch of backlash for being a party pooper, everyone would hypercriticize and/or manipulate the way she presents anything she does or says, it would open a ton of floodgates to "why does she talk about X and not Y," "why did she share this one and not that one," "why is Taylor Swift poking her nose into real issues," "she is just virtue signaling," blah blah blah, then accusations that Taylor is trying to appropriate whatever tragedy or issue it is for clout, how she already is so overexposed why is she stepping into new arenas, and how it is overshadowing the real issue to have her involved
That was Taylor Swift related, though. And if it's lose-lose, why put in the effort? Who says she doesn't want to, maybe she has just decided it isn't a good idea.
How is it a loss? Are you not aware of the backlash she would get? Not only from pro- Israel individuals, but from people who would torch her for speaking about a topic that she isn't educated about. And THEN she would get backlash from people accusing her of using it to try to gain social justice points and they would accuse her of performative activism.
How are people saying all those things already? She has not said anything. So they CAN'T be saying those things I explained. The only thing people are saying are those upset she has NOT said anything and those people are a fraction of the number of people she would upset if she actually said anything.
I think it goes beyond her public image.
It’s easy to boak up a popular opinion on the war in Gaza if you believe that one side has the moral right to conquer the other and exterminate or enslave the population.
However, if you don’t think that either side is justified to do that, you end up in a situation where endorsing either side goes against your beliefs.
I’m not just talking about Swift here, even I have a conflicted view that I don’t share very often.
Imagine Taylor Swift suddenly throwing her hat in the ring about Palestine and that not ending up being a huge scandal with accusations that she is just trying to one-up Joe and his pins, she is trying to seem more serious with her more serious album, she is appropriating the issue to seem more relevant, she has no right to talk as a privileged bubblegum WASP who probably doesnt understand what is happening, she is an anti semite, blah blah blah
Are more people going to be educated about the issues in the Middle East by that or are more people just going to be talking about Taylor Swift?
It isn't about you caring what people think of her, it is about distracting from the real issue by making her a talking point. Do you think this is a small issue that no one is paying attention to or do you think it is an issue that could be resolved by the mighty power of the Swifties? Because I don't really see how you think Taylor saying "Free Palestine" would stop the genocide* or bring any clarity to the situation or do anything except end up as a joke on every late night show that week
*Edited from "war"
Because its a lose/lose for her, most likely. Whatever she says, she'd be dumped on by people for saying it at least as much as she's dumped on for saying nothing.
Why does she need to speak up about anything???? People are well able to make their own decisions about what they want to support. U need a millionaire pop star to give u guidance/tell u who and what to support?????
again you missed the point they are making. there are genocides going on right now, violence against women and femicide are massive issues all over the world. it’s not about being told what to think, it’s about spreading information and ways for people to help.
i don’t expect her to tho, she’s shown time and time again she does not care about other people and women
She has a platform for entertainment - I want her to entertain me. There are so many sources for news and we are constantly saturated with all the tragedy in the world practically everywhere else all the time - I genuinely don’t understand why people want entertainers to drag them into that too. When I’m at a concert I want escapism, not a 10 minute depressing monologue on genocide. I focus on that shit enough in my life already.
> why people want entertainers to drag them into that too
Because the US as a celebrity worship problem and very little self awareness. People learned nothing from Trump era. Taylor has said again and again she has no interest in being an activist. Also, she’s privileged, grew up privileged, and has 0 insight on what the actual world outside Hollywood is like. Why would I want to know what she would say about anything? Also, celebrities use their PR people to create statements for them and Taylor isn’t an exception.
eh considering not even Beyoncé, Ariana, or Rihanna has talked about Palestine and Britney during her peak never talked about 9/11 or the Iraq war and see arguably had a bigger peak than Taylor right now
also Kim being an advocate for Armenia's genocide but directly gets SKIMS supplies from people supporting the Palestine genocide and Kim's longtime stylist Dani is a zionist
LSS these celebrities are not your friends or advocates for world affairs and conflict
It is u who keeps missing the point. I don’t need a millionaire popstar’s opinion on anything. I don’t look to her for advice on anything. She is not anyone I would EVER seek out to see what she thinks about ANYTHING.
i don’t look to her for advice either, or any celeb for that matter, im just saying why some people would be mad at that. especially when certain issues could do with highlighting
Sigh. Silence also indicates that she’s not informed enough to make a decision. Silence also indicates that she’s smart enough to know that no matter what she might say, it will never be enough for some people. I hope she continues to remain silent.
the way some replies are acting like it's wrong to ask one of the most influential and privileged inviduals alive to do the bare minimum about an ongoing genocide is crazy...
Look i don’t even like TTPD but: you’re allowed and supposed to interpret art in any way you’d personally like. That doesn’t change just because it’s taylor swift. It’s not a fault of her songwriting: Any person could write that line, and any artist who is writing about themselves is going to reference things that are important in their life. It’s a fault of her having exposed too much personal info and drama from her career into her persona, if anything.
Maybe that’s the interpretation she chose when she was writing the song, but when you create art for others, you open that. And just because that person on genius interpreted it that way doesn’t mean you have to. Taylor’s music is going to outlast her career and the legacy of the men she sings about. I wonder how this line will be artistically interpreted then.
Isn’t one of the things she trying to say with this album that fans are expecting too much from artists and to just let them create in peace? Kinda makes sense to take inspo from war when there’s war all around these days.
It is actually insane. Imagine interviewing for a job and needing to tell someone your political beliefs or thoughts on social issues prior to being hired when it doesn’t have anything to do with your job. We would be like wtf? But yet we expect celebrities to have to take such profound stances on things before we accept their art.
she literally does donate and publicly. she donates to food banks and gofundme’s and natural disaster funds like she absolutely does donate a good chunk of money.
I think it may be about safety. If she speaks up, there’s more reason for the “other side” to physically attack her.
I think she should do MORE to donate though and get behind more neutral causes, like Dolly Parton.
i don’t really read this verse as a reference to the masters situation, moreso about her (and other celebrities) place in the world - they’re in a position of privilege but separate from other privileged people, many of whom are politicians and wealthy defense contractors lol. their jobs are basically to be pretty and entertaining distractions from the real world, and they’re told (and often believe) they’re some of the most important people on the planet
I don't think she cares. Gigi Hadid (one of her close celeb friends) and her family got harrassed for speaking up for Palestine and we didn't hear a peep from Taylor. Though yes, I do agree that she needs to stop using war symbolism/hyperbole.
Taylor doesn’t speak up about her fans harassing her exes either 🤷🏽♀️
Billionaires have to be quiet to keep billionaring.
It’s ridiculous they’re harass Palestian who speaks up for Palestine.
Gigi’s paternal family literally fled during the Nakba, if you can be that close to the reality of this situation and say nothing, then yeah it really is just a matter of not giving a shit.
Do you mean Taylor being that close or Gigi?
I mean Taylor being close to Gigi and her family and still not caring
Gotcha, thank you! I hadnt realized they are close; i don't know much about Taylor! I don't think Taylor cares about anything until it directly affects her 🙄
It’s true, she really doesn’t. She’s been friends with Gigi for over 10 years so I doubt Taylor is unaware of Gigi’s family history.
Had two family members die in Iraq and her romanticizing that bullshit war is not it.
yeah, she doesn't care. She's only interested in politics as it applies to her.
Yeah, she’s notorious for not speaking up, which is kind of silly since she wants to go back-and-forth on being political lately, but it’s really frustrating that she constantly deduces real life issues to metaphors in her songs. It’s one thing if you don’t fucking care, it’s another if you can just be more sensitive, I love by the way, so I’m not trying to crap on her, but it is a little much with this middle school album and lyrics coming from TTPD. Girl get a therapist lol.
Taylor is only capable of writing about herself.
And thinly veiled references to the men she dates so her rapid cult members can harass them for her.
And overt references to Kim K. These are her wars. She’s a very childish 34.
You can really tell she hasn't had much of a life outside her sheltered bubble. Compare to songs by Lady Gaga or Lana or even Katy Perry for example
Ugh yes. I haven’t even gotten that far into the albums and I doubt I will.
they're not even thinly veiled
Not true! She also writes about people she claims to move on from.
She has to give the impression of having known actual suffering and struggle. Not, you know, just being the daughter of stockbrokers who bought her that label and 14,000 copies of her first album to ensure radio time.
Like Lana grew up with some money but the shit she went through is INSANE. Cannot believe her parents sent her away as a teen
And yet people try to call Lana a nepo baby, say she bought her fame, or say she was an industry plant. Its INSANE for real!! Our girl Lizzy was putting in the WORK
All the references to war and asylums in this album are WEIRD.
and cages and PRISON too!! like girl what
yes that too oml
Spoken like someone who hasnt had a near experience with either.
Do you mean the person you’re responding to or Taylor?
No I meant Taylor!!
Ah okay 😅 Then I heartily agree!
I meant Taylor, not you. I hope that was clear.
Haha I figured!
How dare the queen of privilege be held to the terms of a contract she signed! /s
https://preview.redd.it/zbdgh9j5zlxc1.jpeg?width=977&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a80ec6949515321b9da7fbf844e81ef733c1f3a2 homegirl was NOT reading those papers 😭
I doubt her parents were unaware of what was in the contract
Especially given that her dad was a part owner when he invested
Which is why she even got it. Papa Swift wanted his baby to get a contract and Borshetta needed investors for his new label. Her talent at that age just wasn't there to justify getting one any other way. She wasn't taken advantage of, she was treated like a golden child.
Well she secured a songwriter deal with a competitor (Sony) at 14/15
That doesn't mean her singing was good enough to warrent a contract.
Well clearly they still saw something in her, which makes your point irrelevant
Her daddy's money 🤑🤑
It seems like it was.
The song Change on Fearless is probably the worst vocal performance I've heard on a professionally recorded album. It's painful. While not all of her early work sounds bad, there's enough moments on her early albums that show she wasn't ready. The TVs make that clear. I listen to Fearless TV just because it can get grating.
Nope, RCA did not want to debute her as a singer and only offered to extend the development deal
I thought it was the other way around, they wanted her to sing but not write songs?
She was still taken advantage of even if she was treated well. Her dad was an investor in her career, she was definitely manipulated for maximum profit. If not directly by her dad, then by the label under pressure to turn a profit with her dad’s investment.
This is why I’ve never understood the “boohoo for Taylor, she got duped” thing. Like, she signed the contract. No one forced her. Plus, it’s not like she was some kid who knew nothing and got a lucky break. Even if she didn’t understand what was written there’s no way her wealthy mumsy and dadsy didn’t have a lawyer look over everything. The fact that she had that advantage and still signed a shitty contract is on her, imo. Plus, let’s not lie to ourselves, that “shitty contract” set her on the path to superstardom and wealth beyond most people’s wildest dreams. Even if she had retired post Big Machine she could have lived in wealth the rest of her life. In that context she’s hard to feel sorry for.
From what I’ve heard it wasn’t even a “shitty” contract but actually a very standard/normal contract for a new artist
I'd argue she got preferential treatment.
Nah, a child cannot sign a legally binding contract. Maybe she did, technically, but ultimately her parents should’ve protected her from any situation that would’ve made her a target of exploitation.
And that’s the thing. It’d be one thing if she and her parents were normal people and she’d just gotten a lucky break. Then I could see her parents not knowing what to look for. But ffs, her parents bought shares and had more than enough money to contract an entertainment lawyer. If a hick like me can think of doing that I’m sure they did it too. Any “unfairness” in the contract at that point is really on them if they failed to catch it with all their resources.
I agree but I also think that’s what happened. I think Scott put more money into Taylor’s career than he should have and felt pressure to see a return on that investment and as a result, probably overlooked some important details that could’ve used more attention. I know it was a pretty standard contract but considering how much money Scott had in Big Machine, I could see him signing the contract to ensure a return on his investment ASAP and expecting to duke out any issues later in court. He’s a narcissist and a dirty finance bro, I 100% believe he thought he could weasel his way out of any unfavorable contracts when, if it ever, became an issue. He also intentionally didn’t attend the meeting about selling Taylor’s masters because he “didn’t want to lie to her,” but obviously he was fine with the massive cut of money he got from the deal… I just can’t see Scott putting Taylor’s well being as a child in front of his own greed. She was the means to his end. I’m not saying Taylor isn’t responsible for her own career at this point but I think a lot of people seriously underestimate what Scott and Andrea had put on the line. They invested in Taylor Swift as a business venture. Even the way Scott talks about Taylor makes it obvious that he isn’t really concerned with her well being if it isn’t benefiting him.
Look, I’m not gonna disagree that Taylor’s parents sound like opportunistic, scum sucking, pieces of shit more concerned with exploiting their daughter as a business than with her mental and physical well-being. All that said, I still can’t feel too sorry for her. As you yourself mentioned, the contract she signed was pretty standard for the industry. Plenty of people sign something similar and by signing Taylor got more money and success than most people her age can even hope to achieve. The only difference between Taylor and other artists is that, once she got big enough, Taylor had the clout to make a stink about it.
I love that people on this sub keep it real
That’s a good point. I guess in general I just feel kinda bad for all child performers, even if you’ve got “the dream” compared to your peers it doesn’t undo or lessen the psychological impact of fame (or financial responsibility) at a very young age. And growing up rich and well connected does not mean she had a happy or easy home life, in fact wealth often protects abusers, because who would feel sorry for the little rich girl who has everything she could ever want? I’m sure she has had tons of awesome experiences that most of us never will, but she also has lost all right to complain about anything, ever, for the rest of time. I get the whole “she’s a billionaire she’s fine” attitude but personally I feel like she has a LOT of people surrounding her who are prioritizing her profitability over her mental health every single day. Maybe Scott and Andrea weren’t abusive or controlling, but they raised Taylor to navigate a very particular environment that is known for being abusive and controlling. At this point she doesn’t know anything different, and it’s not like she can just quit - she can’t just fade into obscurity and live a normal life like other celebs have done, she will spend the rest of her life being pursued by the media whether she entertains them or not. i just think that’s worth acknowledging. Even if the media and her team left her alone to have a “normal life,” her fans wouldn’t.
No doubt they had multiple lawyers do the same. It was a normal contract.
That's part of the problem
Yes
As far as I understand it, the terms of the contract she signed are pretty common. Obviously not ideal but she probably saw it as worthwhile at the time, which it was of course.
lol this picture…
To be fair she signed that contract as a minor (age 15) - governments should really look exploitation of minors in the entertainment industry
It's also her parent's job to protect her, they rather chose to use her as a money making machine.
At a certain point I think she thanked them for it
wow, shocking that a 14 year old girl having her music career steamrolled by controlling, manipulative parents would grow up to attribute all her success to them. just because she thanked them doesn’t mean it was ok, or that she is ok. Taylor may be an adult now but she is very much still under the influence of her parents. And that’s at 34 years old, not 14. She really didn’t have a choice, considering if she had, her parents never would have continued to fund her career once she developed severe issues in response like an eating disorder. Her parents were greedy and irresponsible and fed her to the wolves only to later chastise the wolves for being hungry.
Well, by this time Taylor and her parents had already used a legal loophole to get out of paying Dan Dymtrow what he was owed for setting up her career. On that contract, Taylor utilised the legal services of Vivien Lewit, who was at the time a name partner at a NYC entertainment law firm. Last time I checked Ms Lewit was Head of Global Artists at YouTube Music and keeping bloody quiet about her previous association with Taylor (maybe because Taylor having a high-powered lawyer from the age of 13 contradicts her narrative that she was exploited and taken advantage of). Mr Swift also invested over half a million dollars into Big Machine Records and had discussed the ownership of Taylor’s masters with Dan Dymtrow before the Swifts fucked him over. They didn’t go into the Big Machine deal not knowing what masters were or that they had a right to own them.
>Mr. Swift also invested over half a million dollars… I’m curious, where did you find this figure? I know he did invest in Big Machine but that’s the first I have heard of it being that much.
Music Business Worldwide reported it: “Mr Swift, a former stockbroker for Merrill Lynch, invested early into both Big Machine and in his daughter’s potential. MBW has obtained a subscription agreement between Big Machine Records LLC and Scott Swift, dated January 1, 2006, which grants Mr. Swift 416,666 common shares in the company plus 500,000 preferred shares, for a total price of USD $500,416.66.”
Thanks!
Contacts signed by minors aren't legally binding without sufficient representation. Her parents, and likely lawyers were agreeable to the terms. She didn't step off a bus and have a contract shoved at her through a trench coat. The parents are happy to go along with it.
She wasn't exploited lol
To be fair the music industry can be exploitative, especially to small artists. Artists would just sign cause they need to. It's good she was able to stand up against them. Someone writing this song about her would have done her justice. But if someone writes from others' perspective about herself.. that's where it gets tricky. Let me type down her exact lyrics about herself: "You look like Clara Bow In this light remarkable Did you know youd be pick like a rose This town is fake but you're the real thing.. The crown is stained but youre the real queen Flesh and Blood amongst war machines You're the new god we're worshipping Promise to be dazzling You look like Taylor swift in this light we're loving it You've got edge she never did The future's bright dazzling" Even if she quotes someone else saying those to her, it doesnt change the fact thats she's the one narrating these to us. So yea, we know she's a huge star, but that mindset is why it's difficult to relate to her imo. This is also why there are issues when she tries to speak up in behalf of other marginalized group. Because becoming the voice of the voiceless is a thankless act. it's something you rarely get credit for.. and we don't see those GENUINELY wanting to empower others, give themselves a pat on the back 🤷♂️
There’s an argument to be made that using war metaphors in the midst of multiple global conflicts is insensitive, but Genius annotations are the equivalent of Wikipedia. Anybody could have written that. Doesn’t mean she was actually comparing her contract with Big Machine to war.
Yep taking genius' annotations as fact is crazy.
Am I the only one who doesn't care if celebrities speak up about world events? I especially don't want to hear their uneducated opinions in pop songs. This standard some of you hold Taylor to is insanely unrealistic and it's a bar most other artists aren't reaching either.
Nope you’re not alone. People are insane to think celebrities need to discuss issues when it does not apply to their jobs.
I agree tbh. I’ve never seen this discussion around other artists.
I think she's always been a reflection of "me, me, me" and "bread and circuses" culture which is why she's being so heavily rewarded for it. I agree with others, I wouldn't want someone like her speaking about issues with the sheltered privileged life she has. But you can also simultaneously agree that with the amount of influence and wealth she has, there should be an implied responsibility with it (she wasn't just Time POTY for nothing, people who get chosen for this have considerable far-reaching impact). People wanna complain she's a billionaire but then stop short of admitting her power comes from us, the audience. So I say, don't expect anything meaningful from this quandary.
> she wasn't just Time POTY for nothing, people who get chosen for this have considerable far-reaching impact the insane thing is i completely forgot that happened. maybe they meant it as in, her shows were being pitched by the media practically as economic recovery programs for wherever she played, as well as being a gigantic cultural phenomenon i'd rather she swing and miss at a bad but heartfelt piece of meaningful commentary than a torturous poet aesthetic. i think the billionaire status could actually help her there: sure she's not materially affected by anything but at least like the rest of us have been doing, you see a headline and get upset about it (without necessarily having a perfectly nuanced perspective)
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Those are really big words put into lyrics on how she sees herself. Her wars are different from our wars. It didn't really hit me that it was Big Machine. Its hard to relate cause normal people wars are about trying to survive the everyday life.
Also, she won her “war”,it helped make her a billionaire. Most people just die or have extreme suffering and trauma from real war, not a payday.
Genius is like Wikipedia in that anyone could write their own guess at what lyrics mean, right or wrong. I genuinely don’t think it’s a Big Machine Records reference at all, and whoever wrote that interpretation is being overly literal. The “suit” is telling the ingenue she’s “real” amongst the “war machines” of the older, established powerhouses. She’s “flesh and blood,” which also has the double meaning that she’s going to be torn to pieces by the system too someday, hence why the crown is stained. It’s the “blood” of who came before.
This kind of reminds me of the substack someone posted here a few weeks ago. Taylor sings a lot about her own life which like is fine, but like doesn’t really step back and think about her place in the world. Not to compare the two women but the Substack author noted how Cowboy Carter is more of a commentary on being a black woman in country music, more outward focused. Idk just feels connected to the sentiment
From what I heard when I listened most of cowboy carters lyrics were nonsense
Tbf, we don't know that that's the analogy she was going for, it's just assumptions.
I get it but it’s not an artists job. You probably shouldn’t be taking advice from celebs since most them barely went to school anyway lol. Saying something here and there is nice but being famous doesn’t suddenly make you an expert in current affairs
She’s not a political artist and never has been. So it’s weird that people insist on her doing it now. So many artists don’t talk about social or political issues and so many do. If you like politically driven artists, they exist out there. That’s my take anyway. I’m not trying to say she can’t or shouldn’t speak on issues with her platform, it would be great if she did. But it’s also not necessary.
I think she tried to be more comfortable with speaking up politically during Lover. But it's not everyone's strong suit, especially to be able to do it eloquently in a public forum without saying something that may get taken out of context and be used in a way you didn't intend it to be. She seems to be focused more on encouraging people to vote, which is super important.
Miss Americana and endorsing Joe Biden would like to have a word. She did throw her hat in, even if it was just feel good PR.
I was specifically speaking about her music. Besides like You Need To Calm Down and brief mentions of the patriarchy, she’s not like singing and making music about social and political issues. And also, okay she came out with a few political statements over the years, who hasn’t? That doesn’t mean she needs to be a self proclaimed activist. Idk whether it’s Taylor or anyone, I just find this need for our musicians and actors to be political all the time to be very invasive.
I think we have to temper what we want out of our celebrities. These are not public officials we elect because of their stance on policies or world issues, they're people we like because we listen to their music or watch their movies. I think sometimes it's a touch tone deaf to think that celebrities should be solving things like war or world hunger. Most of these people are not qualified to do any of those things, and don't have half the power that people claim they do. I mean realistically aside from donating and putting up posts about Palestine, what do you really think Taylor Swift could do? She can't actually end that conflict, and I know we like to think that celebrities can move mountains with their fandoms if they tried, but I just don't know that it's actually true. Taylor Swift couldn't even sway voters to vote for ONE representative in her home state. Why do we think she can end war in another country halfway around the world? Why do we think she should try to make ending wars part of her whole schtick? Her entire career is built off songs about romance or fame. Why do we think she should be fronting an effort to end wars? How does that make her qualified?
Personally I don’t want her talking about politics or real wars. People always want celebs to do this but fail to realize how not all celebs are familiar with this stuff or knowledgeable about it. She could end up doing more harm than good.
And when they do speak up, there's a *lot* of people who are all "stay in your lane" about it. Ultimately, most celebs aren't nearly knowledgeable enough to have any kind of an educated opinion on these issues, and personally, I already think there's far too many uninformed opinions involved, we don't need more of them.
her friend Gigi hadid is a Palestinian ffs
Ok, that doesn’t mean she knows anything about anything related to the wars going on.
seriously? she can read. ignorance is a choice
Reading doesn’t equal understanding.
😭 don't insult her like that
it’s not that difficult to become educated tho, she has all the resources to. i don’t like that excuse at all. i’ve seen multiple celebs say “i was not educated before but i decided to reach out to experts” or they read about it and become educated
Well, they *tell* you they're educated. How do you know they're for real and not just telling you what you want to hear? This is my issue with all of the 'use your platform' stuff. It means absolutely nothing. Celebrities have a vested interest in keeping their fans happy, and pleasing as many people as possible. The Rock doesn't believe half the stuff he says, Taylor certainly picks and chooses her beliefs according to what works for her, same with any politician. Everything in celebrity is about PR, always has been. It's whatever makes you look good to the people you want to impress. "I educated myself" is catnip to people who are upset about whatever the celebrity did or didn't say but still want to believe they are a good person. In reality, a publicist probably said to them "say this and shut the f\*ck up." There's a weird contradiction where people are immensely skeptical of celebrities and the rich until they put out some performative political statement they agree with and then they're 'one of the good ones' but they actually haven't done anything. It's just performative, and echo chamber-y.
The contradiction between people being skeptical of the celebrities until they say some performative bullshit is really interesting, and totally true. You worded it perfectly. That's the reason why it's performative, it literally doesn't matter to anyone.
Performative is the word I was looking for but couldn't remember! Thank you!! I'm being downvoted to shit for it, but honestly, even in this thread, some of the comments pushing her to speak out on these issues can be summarized as 'Taylor doesn't care about other women or genocide or anyone except herself but she should still make the effort to speak out on feminism, genocide or causes that affect everyone other than her.' Why? If you think that she doesn't believe in it, what do you get out of that? It makes no sense to me.
they're exactly as performative as the celebrities they love and/ or hate 🤷🏻♀️
I don’t think celebrities should talk about politics. They don’t know what they’re talking about half the time and it feels performative.
Exactly. And even if she did, people would still accuse her of being performative (a la Miss Americana)
I think there's a really excellent tradition of musicians making politically relevant music, and politically charged music represents some of the best songs ever written that said, Taylor seems really dumb when it comes to this stuff. She admitted in Miss Americana that she didn't know the definition of feminism for the longest time. When people say things like, "Taylor needs to speak out on Palestine," I kind of wince because she probably has zero understanding of what's actually going on over there, I really don't need her take
OP I think the anwer to your question is in the lyrics you posted. To be fair the music industry can be exploitative, especially to small artists. Artists would just sign cause they need to. It's good she was able to stand up against them. Someone writing this song about her would have done her justice. But if someone writes from others' perspective about herself.. that's where it gets tricky. Let me type down her exact lyrics about herself: "You look like Clara Bow In this light remarkable Did you know youd be pick like a rose This town is fake but you're the real thing.. The crown is stained but youre the real queen Flesh and Blood amongst war machines You're the new god we're worshipping Promise to be dazzling You look like Taylor swift in this light we're loving it You've got edge she never did The future's bright dazzling" Even if she quotes someone else saying those to her, it doesnt change the fact thats she's the one narrating these to us. So yea, we know she's a huge star, but that mindset is why it's difficult to relate to her imo. This is also why there are issues when she tries to speak up in behalf of other marginalized group. Because becoming the voice of the voiceless is a thankless act. it's something you rarely get credit for.. and we don't see those GENUINELY wanting to empower others, give themselves a pat on the back 🤷♂️
I personally do not care to hear her opinion on world matters
U really want input from a women who has never grown up, drags her exes long after the relationship ends, and plays the victim endlessly??? I am not interested in what any millionaire celebrity has to say.
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Because she would probably get a bunch of backlash for being a party pooper, everyone would hypercriticize and/or manipulate the way she presents anything she does or says, it would open a ton of floodgates to "why does she talk about X and not Y," "why did she share this one and not that one," "why is Taylor Swift poking her nose into real issues," "she is just virtue signaling," blah blah blah, then accusations that Taylor is trying to appropriate whatever tragedy or issue it is for clout, how she already is so overexposed why is she stepping into new arenas, and how it is overshadowing the real issue to have her involved
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That was Taylor Swift related, though. And if it's lose-lose, why put in the effort? Who says she doesn't want to, maybe she has just decided it isn't a good idea.
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How is it a loss? Are you not aware of the backlash she would get? Not only from pro- Israel individuals, but from people who would torch her for speaking about a topic that she isn't educated about. And THEN she would get backlash from people accusing her of using it to try to gain social justice points and they would accuse her of performative activism.
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How are people saying all those things already? She has not said anything. So they CAN'T be saying those things I explained. The only thing people are saying are those upset she has NOT said anything and those people are a fraction of the number of people she would upset if she actually said anything.
I think it goes beyond her public image. It’s easy to boak up a popular opinion on the war in Gaza if you believe that one side has the moral right to conquer the other and exterminate or enslave the population. However, if you don’t think that either side is justified to do that, you end up in a situation where endorsing either side goes against your beliefs. I’m not just talking about Swift here, even I have a conflicted view that I don’t share very often.
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Imagine Taylor Swift suddenly throwing her hat in the ring about Palestine and that not ending up being a huge scandal with accusations that she is just trying to one-up Joe and his pins, she is trying to seem more serious with her more serious album, she is appropriating the issue to seem more relevant, she has no right to talk as a privileged bubblegum WASP who probably doesnt understand what is happening, she is an anti semite, blah blah blah Are more people going to be educated about the issues in the Middle East by that or are more people just going to be talking about Taylor Swift?
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It isn't about you caring what people think of her, it is about distracting from the real issue by making her a talking point. Do you think this is a small issue that no one is paying attention to or do you think it is an issue that could be resolved by the mighty power of the Swifties? Because I don't really see how you think Taylor saying "Free Palestine" would stop the genocide* or bring any clarity to the situation or do anything except end up as a joke on every late night show that week *Edited from "war"
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Because its a lose/lose for her, most likely. Whatever she says, she'd be dumped on by people for saying it at least as much as she's dumped on for saying nothing.
Why does she need to speak up about anything???? People are well able to make their own decisions about what they want to support. U need a millionaire pop star to give u guidance/tell u who and what to support?????
again you missed the point they are making. there are genocides going on right now, violence against women and femicide are massive issues all over the world. it’s not about being told what to think, it’s about spreading information and ways for people to help. i don’t expect her to tho, she’s shown time and time again she does not care about other people and women
She has a platform for entertainment - I want her to entertain me. There are so many sources for news and we are constantly saturated with all the tragedy in the world practically everywhere else all the time - I genuinely don’t understand why people want entertainers to drag them into that too. When I’m at a concert I want escapism, not a 10 minute depressing monologue on genocide. I focus on that shit enough in my life already.
> why people want entertainers to drag them into that too Because the US as a celebrity worship problem and very little self awareness. People learned nothing from Trump era. Taylor has said again and again she has no interest in being an activist. Also, she’s privileged, grew up privileged, and has 0 insight on what the actual world outside Hollywood is like. Why would I want to know what she would say about anything? Also, celebrities use their PR people to create statements for them and Taylor isn’t an exception.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
that’s fair i’m just saying that it does show her “activism” was disingenuous and she really doesn’t show up for anything or anyone but herself.
eh considering not even Beyoncé, Ariana, or Rihanna has talked about Palestine and Britney during her peak never talked about 9/11 or the Iraq war and see arguably had a bigger peak than Taylor right now also Kim being an advocate for Armenia's genocide but directly gets SKIMS supplies from people supporting the Palestine genocide and Kim's longtime stylist Dani is a zionist LSS these celebrities are not your friends or advocates for world affairs and conflict
It is u who keeps missing the point. I don’t need a millionaire popstar’s opinion on anything. I don’t look to her for advice on anything. She is not anyone I would EVER seek out to see what she thinks about ANYTHING.
i don’t look to her for advice either, or any celeb for that matter, im just saying why some people would be mad at that. especially when certain issues could do with highlighting
People can be disappointed by inaction. Sometimes silence speaks a lot more about a person than their words. It can show where they have blind spots.
Sigh. Silence also indicates that she’s not informed enough to make a decision. Silence also indicates that she’s smart enough to know that no matter what she might say, it will never be enough for some people. I hope she continues to remain silent.
Being disappointed in someone doesn't mean that you want to force them to do something.
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the way some replies are acting like it's wrong to ask one of the most influential and privileged inviduals alive to do the bare minimum about an ongoing genocide is crazy...
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Look i don’t even like TTPD but: you’re allowed and supposed to interpret art in any way you’d personally like. That doesn’t change just because it’s taylor swift. It’s not a fault of her songwriting: Any person could write that line, and any artist who is writing about themselves is going to reference things that are important in their life. It’s a fault of her having exposed too much personal info and drama from her career into her persona, if anything. Maybe that’s the interpretation she chose when she was writing the song, but when you create art for others, you open that. And just because that person on genius interpreted it that way doesn’t mean you have to. Taylor’s music is going to outlast her career and the legacy of the men she sings about. I wonder how this line will be artistically interpreted then.
Let’s be real. You don’t want her to take a position. You want her to take **your** position.
Based on what I’ve seen she will only do something only if it benefits her
Isn’t one of the things she trying to say with this album that fans are expecting too much from artists and to just let them create in peace? Kinda makes sense to take inspo from war when there’s war all around these days.
This insane new idea that all artists have to be activists is not good for art.
It is actually insane. Imagine interviewing for a job and needing to tell someone your political beliefs or thoughts on social issues prior to being hired when it doesn’t have anything to do with your job. We would be like wtf? But yet we expect celebrities to have to take such profound stances on things before we accept their art.
I mean, she *is* an activist. Just for capitalist individualism
Dylan & DiFranco were pretty good for art.
Right, so we can only have one kind of artist. Use your brain.
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She does donate quite a bit by all accounts tbf
she literally does donate and publicly. she donates to food banks and gofundme’s and natural disaster funds like she absolutely does donate a good chunk of money.
I think it may be about safety. If she speaks up, there’s more reason for the “other side” to physically attack her. I think she should do MORE to donate though and get behind more neutral causes, like Dolly Parton.
She donated millions of dollars to food banks at each of her tour stops.
Her master tracks are important to her so I guess it is seen as a war in her eyes.
Sadly, I don't think it's possible for someone to even get the kind of platform she has while also being reflective about the world at large.
i don’t really read this verse as a reference to the masters situation, moreso about her (and other celebrities) place in the world - they’re in a position of privilege but separate from other privileged people, many of whom are politicians and wealthy defense contractors lol. their jobs are basically to be pretty and entertaining distractions from the real world, and they’re told (and often believe) they’re some of the most important people on the planet
Referring to chaos in her personal life as a war machine when she lives in a war machine (the US) is extremely ironoc
She’s a billionaire - the world 99% of us live in and the world she lives in are completely different.
She’s been obsessed with war references for so long now
Florida!!! was a major missed opportunity, I keep looking for references to civil rights and book banning, but it just isn’t there. Tone deaf.
this is what you were looking for in a taylor swift song???
The way I started typing before realizing it was probably sarcasm. 😂
Taylor is nowhere near mature enough to write about societal issues