Taylor Swift is a genius level musician, song writer, and performer. I expect will be ranked up there with Freddy Mercury. While I am not particularly a fan of her pop music, I do appreciate her level of skill and craft.

She's certainly developing that way, given how her popularity has steadily built over the past decade (and exploded even more so over the last couple of years in particular if I understand correctly). Long may it continue. :3

Not a bif fan of her, but I adore the offical version of Shake it off
(yes I first heard it in Sing, but I wanted to check out the orginal and best version)
I might 'ave a listen to Red later today due to your recommendation

Be sure to listen to "Taylor's Version" if you do, even if it's just on youtube/spotify. TL;DR an abusive asshole bought the rights to her old music from her old label against her wishes, so she's re-recorded a couple of her old albums in order to reclaim control of that era of her music (the asshole only owned the rights to the masters of the originally released versions, Taylor maintains the composition ownership so the new versions don't give the asshole so much as a cent). :3

My faves from that album were already big hits when they were originally released, and imo they're still bangers now. "I knew you were trouble" and "We are never ever getting back together" :D


Also, I've still never seen Sing. It's one of those big gaps in my furry knowledge, but as I hinted at in the journal I haven't really listened to much pop music from the last 10 years. Basically all just musical theatre stuff, hahaha.

I was dubious about watching it in the cinema and after watching the DvD i wish I had. I had no intrest in the second one as it gave off massive "Squeal becasue our cocaine bucket is nearly empty" vibes

I just like musicals tbh, but I've never been quite so drawn to "jukebox musicals" where they use pre-existing pop songs. But, now that I'm starting to get more into pop music, that combined with the furriness is making it rise up my list of things to check out. XD

I've had a thing agaisnt musicals after being put through repeated viewings of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (to this day I am almost word perfect on "Bless Your Beautiful Hide" after 30 years) thanks to my Sister.
It was only after watching the stage show version of Cats on iTunes that I stared to like them

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7OEKs7hAEk

I have mixed feelings about Taylor Swift. Obviously she is talented as a lyricist, composer, musician, and singer, and her music brings out everyone's inner 13-year old girl. But unfortunately I am one of those people who actively listens to the lyrics of songs and notices that a lot of her big hits are about her ex-boyfriends. The only exception I think was "Bad Blood" which was essentially a distrack directed towards similarly talented pop star Katy Perry and Shake It Off/You Need To Calm Down, which were distracks to people like me who criticize her songs for being similar in terms of lyrical meaning. But anyway, Pop music is actually experiencing a bit of Renaissance right now so you can skip to some of the more popular and recent songs by the likes of Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, and Lizzo if you want.

Also, Dalesqui's probably right. When Taylor Swift retires or dies, people are going to look back and say that she was one of the greatest musicians of all time for the decade. Up there with at least the Queen of Country Dolly Parton.

Eh, the fact that she has many songs about exes doesn't bother me. How many other artists have multiple songs/albums dedicated to "I want to pick up hot girls" or "I like money and the things I can buy with it" as repeated themes, y'know? Romance, money, sex, chemical vices, they're all super common topics for music. Doesn't mean the lyrics and musical style can't be very different between songs/artists. It's just a matter of personal preference, of course. :) Also, she's been in a steady and happy long term relationship for several years now so the more recent albums have far less of that.