Pop Phenomenon: „I Don’t Understand the Admiration for Taylor Swift“
Opinion – Michael Becker is the director of the Düsseldorf Symphoniker and the Tonhalle Düsseldorf. Taylor Swift leaves him puzzled. It’s not that he doesn’t like pop music; he just finds another artist much better. In this guest article, he explains why he feels this way.
I am standing puzzled in front of the wonder that is Taylor Swift. The first song I heard from her was „Shake It Off.“ I must admit, I am completely ignorant of lyrics. I focus on the musical structure. While Taylor Swift has a certain recognizability, she lacks edges and roughness. Other people with this star factor have always polarized in the past. They have flaws and quirks that I don’t see in her. It’s all bloodless and clean. For example, Madonna has a slightly violent undertone. Cher doesn’t sing amazingly well, but you remember her, you recognize her. With the greatest artists, you can say, „That’s a typical Freddie, a typical Elton.“ But I don’t get that with Taylor Swift. It fades away in a strange way.
As I mentioned, I don’t focus on lyrics. It’s often said that her lyrics are fantastic. But musically, it’s a relatively broad middle ground of music. Like a highway drive from New York to Philadelphia. Safe middle lane. Same speed, rushing by.
I’m not saying she’s not good. She’s actually very good. She sings cleanly and musically, her voice isn’t altered. Perhaps it has more to do with the instrumentation style. Her songs are relatively bass-less. This elevates the music to a non-disturbing level. It often has the same beat. Her choruses are often anthems. The songs resemble each other. I can listen to them just fine, but I don’t understand the almost religious adoration from a huge number of people.
I find Ariana Grande ten times better. Musically and as a singer. She is a huge talent. There’s a show with Jimmy Fallon where they imitate voices, and it’s brilliant. She is a true musician. Taylor Swift is too, but you don’t hear it in her music. That confuses me. It’s said that she hides codes and references in her lyrics and such. She connects a community. But can’t you deliver the edges within the music itself so that suddenly the music is more enjoyable?
I saw Taylor Swift at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Düsseldorf. Perhaps the fascinating thing is that she truly seems like you and me. She doesn’t have a glamour factor. You don’t feel like you’re witnessing a rehearsed choreography. She still has that 60s attitude: standing on stage with a guitar in hand, awkwardly bending forward. Maybe that’s her secret.