Gravity.
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Post by Gravity. on Jul 27, 2014 1:06:08 GMT -5
As much as I'm living for trashynavy's grade A trolling that started this whole "she can't write" fiasco, T-Swizzle has a phenomenal ear and she's good for putting her feelings into words and keeping it real. Unless you're some cold, hollow, bitter shell of a loveless basement dweller who's never even been on a date, then I don't get how you can discredit her material just because she lets her guard down with a pen. Sometimes it can get a bit too personal (don't care for her 'Dear John' stuff, and if this is called 'Sparrow' and about Harry Styles....), but for the most part she's great. Not only that, but her writing goes beyond the ups and downs of puppy love-- get to know her! And don't get me started on 'Mean'. It's clever. Fact. I have to question the intelligence of its dissenters. But "Dear John" is such a fantastic song, even when you remove it from the celebrity ex. "I lived in your chess game but you changed the rules every day." "You paint me a blue sky and then go back and turn it to rain." Plus, Taylor really pulls off the bluesy sound. I would love for her to pursue an album with that style. Get Steve Jordan to produce some of it. I am a little bit blinded on my love for "Dear John," I will admit because it concerns both of my faves. I felt the same way about "Paper Doll" and "Shadow Days," though. I always think it's strange when people complain about her singing and writing mostly about love and breakups. Like, the same is true for just about every artist. Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Sam Smith, Bruno Mars, John Mayer, Ed Sheeran, OneDirection...the list goes on and on. And yes, "Mean" is ridiculously clever. Speak Now will probably forever be one of the most important albums of my life.
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jjose712
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Post by jjose712 on Jul 27, 2014 6:44:12 GMT -5
For people who don't understand the lyric's criticism is quite simple, simply compare her break up songs with something on Jagged Little pill or 21, and it sounds like a teen rant after a crush.
In my opinion she has several problems, first she needs more diverse lyrics, second when you sing a break up song, please don't tell us who is the guy, because that's the other big problem, when she write break up song about Taylor Lautner is she really expect us to believe her? I know that in Hollywood being in a couple is important, you have tons of free press and more attention, but come on, she is a big star by herself, and all her "dates" don't do her any favour (at least noone of her "boyfriends" seem in the mood to come out in the following years). If she doesn't want to date anyone (she is clearly focused in her career) just don't date anyone, but if she want to date, date someone for real. She can't be so naive to think that Lautner, Styles or Rodgers were interested in her.
Other important thing is taking herself less seriously, if people laugh at her reaction at the Grammy's she needs to fake she doesn't give a damm, and people will get tired of the joke really soon. It's not like she has no sense of humour, but sometimes she needs to show it from time to time.
I'm not a fan, but i like her, she has talent and sensibility, she takes her career seriously and work hard. She take criticism for her vocals and she work hard and improve clearly her live performances. She doesn't need to exhibit her body (and she is beautiful and could do it). She is not a selfish artist, she doesn't mind to promote other less known artist like she did with Andy Grammer or Sam Smith (before he even released anything in the USA). She has a lot of good qualities that could translate and a long a successful career, so she needs to drop things that damage her public image and concentrate in what's important.
So what i expect from her is an album with catchy pop songs, more mature lyrics and some good country songs. And i hope she stays true to herself and don't look for a sexy look or start adding rap verses on her songs (even when that seems like a new trend in country artist)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 6:53:35 GMT -5
Taylor's been talking about her new album for months. We know it's coming out. Probably Oct. 21. 21 is Tuesday, maybe 20? Nope. It is being released Monday October 13, 2014.
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Clauss
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Post by Clauss on Jul 27, 2014 11:31:25 GMT -5
Oh damn. It's 13. Yes, it will be released there
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maine
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Post by maine on Jul 27, 2014 12:01:19 GMT -5
We need this Taylor.
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slayZ
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Post by slayZ on Jul 27, 2014 13:45:16 GMT -5
Oh damn. It's 13. Yes, it will be released there Oh my god that makes so much sense!
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 27, 2014 14:17:24 GMT -5
For people who don't understand the lyric's criticism is quite simple, simply compare her break up songs with something on Jagged Little pill or 21, and it sounds like a teen rant after a crush. In my opinion she has several problems, first she needs more diverse lyrics, second when you sing a break up song, please don't tell us who is the guy, because that's the other big problem, when she write break up song about Taylor Lautner is she really expect us to believe her? I know that in Hollywood being in a couple is important, you have tons of free press and more attention, but come on, she is a big star by herself, and all her "dates" don't do her any favour (at least noone of her "boyfriends" seem in the mood to come out in the following years). If she doesn't want to date anyone (she is clearly focused in her career) just don't date anyone, but if she want to date, date someone for real. She can't be so naive to think that Lautner, Styles or Rodgers were interested in her. Well the breakup song related to Taylor Lautner (Back to December) is about how *SHE* messed up, so I'm not sure how that example applies. As for the others, I'm a bit conflicted in that I *do* kind of see your point. If you're really serious about finding a soulmate who wants to be in a relationship that resembles that of a loving, old married couple, you're probably wrong to date exclusively within a pool of Hollywood heartthrobs who are known as players (or at least likely to get propositioned by millions of screaming girls wherever they go) and/or likely focused on how to best gain publicity as a result of their social dealings. And some of the earlier songs - which weren't necessarily about celebrities - seemed just as naive and idealistic. Her notion of "love" (whether talking about herself or talking about Abigail in Fifteen) isn't compatible with the reality of a teen population that, first and foremost, is concerned with hooking up. Should she really be surprised that a high school guy wasn't willing to commit the rest of his life to some girl he just met? But, at the same time, why SHOULD she have to accept such a jaded, sex-driven mindset towards dating? Why can't she expect guys to think about more than sex - and want to connect with her on a more personal, emotional level? Do I think Taylor partially writes the songs she does to capitalize on the "Alanis effect" of getting the public to guess which guy she's bashing? Of course. This is a marketing gimmick - don't kid yourself. But regardless of her true intentions, I think the overall message she sends is a positive one. It both gives teen love a voice (naive or not, teens *DO* think the world is going to end when a guy or girl cheats on them or when they break up -- and they think they have their fairytale ending the second they meet a nice one) AND says that girls don't have to reduce relationships to impersonal sexual flings. "Forever and Always" should MEAN "Forever and Always." Love should mean Love. I think any artist that asks girls to expect more from guys - and puts guys on blast when they don't deliver it - is doing more good than bad.
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irice22
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Post by irice22 on Jul 27, 2014 15:08:42 GMT -5
Comparatively to Alanis, yes, her lyrical content is quite fluffy. However, her the vivid imagery she creates of every-day situations in songs like "Enchanted" and the way she effortlessly captures emotion in songs like "All Too Well" is untouchable by any pop artist currently out right now.
"Enchanted"
There I was again tonight Forcing laughter, faking smiles Same old tired lonely place
Walls of insincerity, Shifting eyes and vacancy Vanished when I saw your face
"All Too Well"
You call me up again just to break me like a promise. So casually cruel in the name of being honest. I'm a crumpled up piece of paper lying here 'Cause I remember it all, all, all... too well.
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irice22
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Post by irice22 on Jul 27, 2014 15:10:54 GMT -5
Not to mention this gem from her non-breakup song "Ronan."
I remember the drive home When the blind hope turned to crying and screaming "Why?" Flowers pile up in the worst way, no one knows what to say
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 15:13:46 GMT -5
All Too Well was alright; the melody was too much like Teardrops on My Guitar for my liking though. I will say that Enchanted is definitely one of her strongest album cuts.
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#LisaRinna
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Post by #LisaRinna on Jul 27, 2014 15:19:52 GMT -5
She's coming for blood.
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surfy
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Post by surfy on Jul 27, 2014 15:45:09 GMT -5
I'm sorry (Flop Taylor stan here!) But how does 13 make sense?
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Post by josh on Jul 27, 2014 15:47:14 GMT -5
It's her favorite or lucky number.
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Mr. Thonk Eyes
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Post by Mr. Thonk Eyes on Jul 27, 2014 15:48:29 GMT -5
Yay her lucky number is the same as the date of my birthday this is a sign lol
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surfy
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Post by surfy on Jul 27, 2014 15:49:53 GMT -5
It's her favorite or lucky number. OHHH
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slayZ
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Post by slayZ on Jul 27, 2014 17:02:45 GMT -5
I'm sorry (Flop Taylor stan here!) But how does 13 make sense? It's her lucky number. Her twitter name is @taylorswift13. She used to draw a 13 on her hand during the Speak Now and Fearless tours every night and a lot of her marketing campaigns and release dates have been centered around that number, solely because she truly thinks good things happen to her on the 13th. It would make total sense for them to release the record on the 13th. One thing though, that's Columbus day so perhaps that could conflict...somehow?
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Mr. Thonk Eyes
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Post by Mr. Thonk Eyes on Jul 27, 2014 17:11:45 GMT -5
Most people have Columbus day off though, so it would actually give them more time to buy the album
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Au$tin
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Post by Au$tin on Jul 27, 2014 18:42:44 GMT -5
Most people have Columbus day off though I've never heard of anyone being off for that day except government workers. One thing though, that's Columbus day so perhaps that could conflict...somehow? I have no idea as to how that would affect anything at all. Most people don't even know when that holiday happens.
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Post by KeepDeanWeird on Jul 27, 2014 19:13:03 GMT -5
Taylor Swift could release and album on Xmas and Easter Sunday and it would blow through the roof - at least at this stage in her career.
It's funny how people really have to reach to criticize her - yes, vocals are valid - but think of how many other incredibly successful singer-songwriters are poor singers - Bruce Springsteen/Bob Dylan, any one? Yes, her lyrics can be fluffy, but she's still young - based on the foundation she has built in her craft, I only imagine that her writing will get stronger. I'm just glad she hasn't p*mped herself - she dresses well, while not tramping it up.
Anyway, I'm hoping she can have a good balance of pop & country - why sacrifice one for the other? Shania Twain was a master at this and Taylor should be able to pull this off. Let's see if the new single creates the same impact as WANEGBT...
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Jul 27, 2014 21:02:32 GMT -5
Most people have Columbus day off though I've never heard of anyone being off for that day except government workers. . Many high schools and many colleges are off that weekend, as well. High school and college students are a considerable portion of her fanbase i think she should release the album before the grammy deadline She never has before, and it hasn't hurt her at the awards (1 AOTY win and another AOTY nomination)
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kmbgs
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Post by kmbgs on Jul 27, 2014 21:16:01 GMT -5
I've never heard of anyone being off for that day except government workers. . Many high schools and many colleges are off that weekend, as well. High school and college students are a considerable portion of her fanbase i think she should release the album before the grammy deadline She never has before, and it hasn't hurt her at the awards (1 AOTY win and another AOTY nomination) I've heard of many people having it off, banks are closed too boo
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dbhmr
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Post by dbhmr on Jul 27, 2014 22:22:59 GMT -5
I don't know what her oft-obnoxious but ultimately earnest persona has to do with her writing talent, which is considerable. I think her ear for melody and knack for stardom has elevated her to serious superstar status, but also cornered her a bit--she plays the game and gains commercial success, but loses a bit of general public credibility because what they hear are the radio-ready hits she serves up. And that kind of craft is worthy, too.
But come on now--she's written some weak shit, and that includes the uber-lame "Mean." Which is fine, you'll be hard-pressed to find a truly flawless catalog, particularly from someone so young. Her writing is growing as is she, as it should, but you can't blame the non-fans for finding her writing limited and immature. It isn't their job to seek her best album tracks.
"Before Adele, before Sam Smith, there was Taylor." Lmao. And before her...literally hundreds of immensely talented female singer songwriters. She has exactly nothing to do with their success, or the prominence of commercially successful songwriters.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2014 22:30:47 GMT -5
I don't think anyone is acting like she's written some new gospel across her discography (at least judging by the responses from people I cared to read), but to deny the fact that she is a talented writer seem ignorant and even biased. And, to be honest, I don't see what's particularly "immature" or limited about her singles either. For the most part, at least. I'm not denying that she doesn't have a few songs that are topical duds, but my point is that she's by no means a one trick pony-- even on radio. For people who don't understand the lyric's criticism is quite simple, simply compare her break up songs with something on Jagged Little pill or 21, and it sounds like a teen rant after a crush. It's called stylistic differences.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 27, 2014 23:06:04 GMT -5
Jagged Little Pill features some stuff completely out of Taylor's league, but it also features the linguistic punchline that is "Ironic" (and while some attempt to retcon this by saying the "Ironic part is that nothing in the song is Ironic," we all know that's BS). So let's not act like Alanis is an infallible lyricist.
"21" has some fantastic lyrics, but the real draw with Adele is her voice. Taylor is nowhere near the vocalist that Adele is; songwriting is what has driven her to the top. So citing "21," if anything, underscores the extent to which Taylor's lyrics DO resonate with music fans.
Adele and Swift also take very different approaches to their lyrics. Both are very articulate, but Adele does tend to lean much more towards a broader, poetic, melodramatic style. Swift is much more anecdotal and specific but manages to capture the teen/young adult perspective SO WELL that the music becomes relatable anyway.
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slayZ
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Post by slayZ on Jul 28, 2014 1:07:01 GMT -5
"Before Adele, before Sam Smith, there was Taylor." Lmao. And before her...literally hundreds of immensely talented female singer songwriters. She has exactly nothing to do with their success, or the prominence of commercially successful songwriters Right, but that wasn't even my point...? Someone, for whatever reason, compared her to Adele and Sam Smith. And I wrote three paragraphs explaining how different they are and how they have nothing to do with each other. And, to be honest, I don't see what's particularly "immature" or limited about her singles either. For the most part, at least. I'm not denying that she doesn't have a few songs that are topical duds, but my point is that she's by no means a one trick pony-- even on radio. Ding ding ding. Y'all can go check out Rihanna's discography up until, what, a year ago? And it all sounded the same. Same with Katy Perry. Same with Kelly Clarkson. Same with P!nk. No one bats an eye, particularly because they haven't achieved her level of success when it comes to sales. Taylor's writing subject may be limited, but she excels at it.
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dbhmr
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Post by dbhmr on Jul 28, 2014 1:32:18 GMT -5
To be clear, I was speaking only about the general public. Pulse posters don't have much of an excuse to ignore her varied songwriting because every fanbase does an equally good and obnoxious job about spreading the good word on their faves. But the average music listener is not aware of 5% of any of the shit that we know, and you can see the basic, ignorant, negative messages of any of Pulse's beloveds pretty clearly. Taylor's is that she is a one-note, immature lyricist. And that is based on what she serves to radio, which is more limited in scope than her catalog as a whole. By design, I'm sure, and it's worked to her advantage.
I also don't think Taylor has it worse than any other Pulse favorite though. Go into any "diva" thread about their TBA first single and there is the exact same tug-of-war between fans and detractors, optimism and pessimism, realism and criticism, etc.
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jjose712
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Post by jjose712 on Jul 28, 2014 9:11:47 GMT -5
I don't think anyone is acting like she's written some new gospel across her discography (at least judging by the responses from people I cared to read), but to deny the fact that she is a talented writer seem ignorant and even biased. And, to be honest, I don't see what's particularly "immature" or limited about her singles either. For the most part, at least. I'm not denying that she doesn't have a few songs that are topical duds, but my point is that she's by no means a one trick pony-- even on radio. For people who don't understand the lyric's criticism is quite simple, simply compare her break up songs with something on Jagged Little pill or 21, and it sounds like a teen rant after a crush. It's called stylistic differences. No, there's a significant difference on the tone of the songs. You oughtta know or Someone like you are adult songs about a break up (very very differente between them but adult songs), We are never ever getting back together is catchy teen pop. It's not that she doesn't know how to write an adult song, Safe and sound is fantastic (and was completely robbed and Golden Globes and the Oscars). And i know people say her personal life has nothing to do with her ability to write songs, but i dissagree, specially because she is the first to mix both things. It's difficult to take seriously her break up songs when it's very obvious that the relationship she is supposely talking about is fake fake fake. To be honest i don't understand her, she is a big star by her own merits, why she keeps dating these guys is beyond me? She is not an unknown actress or a D list model who thinks it's a good idea to make themselves a name. I understand why Jennifer Lopez did that (and i find absurd anyway) but Taylor doesn't need that. At least she didn't end "dating" Aaron Rogers, that would be embarrassing because he is even worse at faking interest than Harry Styles. What i'm curious is how she is going to manage her career at country from now on. Now she is more a pop star and her pop singles got a cold rejection at country charts, but she's still a country darling when the sound is more fitting the genre (like what happened to Begin again), probably it will be a good idea go with different singles to both formats, or look for a song that fit both formats as first single and then release something different to both formats
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Hefty Hanna
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Jul 28, 2014 9:23:16 GMT -5
solely because she truly thinks good things happen to her on the 13th. This is why I love her. She is such an eternal optimist. I just get her.
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Gravity.
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Post by Gravity. on Jul 28, 2014 11:06:01 GMT -5
solely because she truly thinks good things happen to her on the 13th. This is why I love her. She is such an eternal optimist. I just get her. Same. It's nice to see a big star who isn't jaded.
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irice22
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Post by irice22 on Jul 28, 2014 11:13:22 GMT -5
What I like about Taylor is she never has any what I consider to be "fluff" lyrics ("I don't know what to do" is a classic example of a fluff lyric). Every line is tightly constructed and makes sense, whether the song is about Romeo & Juliet or a break-up.
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