• ABOUT
    • Contact
    • The Team
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Events
    • FAQ
    • Use & Privacy Policy
  • ADVERTISE
  • ROWFAX
  • THE SPORTS CREDENTIAL
  • JOB LISTINGS
MusicRow.com
  • CALENDARS
    • Album/EP Releases
    • Single/Track Releases
    • Industry Events
  • OBITS
  • CHARTS
    • Radio Chart (Current)
    • Radio Chart (Archives)
    • No. 1 Challenge Coin
    • Songwriter Chart (Current)
    • Songwriter Chart (Archives)
  • REVIEWS
  • MY STORY
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Newsletter (Current)
    • SIGN UP (FREE!)
    • Newsletter (Archives)
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • STORE
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

Dealing With a “Swift” Evolution

February 3, 2010/by contributor

Taylor Swift’s appearance on Monday night’s Grammy telecast, and the flood of media coverage that followed, illustrate that mega-fame and media saturation  can be a double-edged sword. While the multi-platinum singer scooped up a record-setting four Grammys, including the coveted Album of the Year award, far more ink has been dedicated to her not-so-spot-on vocal duet with Stevie Nicks on the Fleetwood Mac classic, “Rhiannon.” Historically, the road from teenage phenomenon to long term success can be very bumpy, with most teen artists winding up in the where-are-they-now column. As she’s already clearly demonstrated, Swift is not most artists, but the stratospheric level of her success makes the leap to longevity all the more daunting.

In the weeks prior to the Grammy’s, Swift kept a relatively low profile, spending time in the studio, reportedly recording an album’s worth of material. It will be a few months before any of that new music sees the light of day, and the singer will be busy and perhaps slightly less ubiquitous, with a just-launched Australian tour. Meanwhile, bloggers and journalists continue to weigh in on Swift, her fame, her vocal abilities, and her future.

One especially insightful article was written by Jon Caramanica in the New York Times. He recognizes Swift’s strengths, and human frailties and casts them in the context of a rite of passage from teen to adult. Part of the article is below, read the complete article here.

Over the last three and a half years, Ms. Swift has established herself as pop’s leading naïf. Not in her songwriting, which has been precocious, but in her persona. By now, she’s even patented a look she whips out at award shows, concerts and more, when her innocence is threatened by acclaim: eyes wide, mouth agape, hand held over it as if to keep in the breath she’d just gasped as if it were her last.

Most stars — and make no mistake, Ms. Swift is the most important new pop star of the past few years — have their images undone by failure. In Ms. Swift’s case, the opposite is true: success has necessitated a re-evaluation.

Her Sunday night at the Grammys will be remembered as the turning point. She won four awards, including album of the year for “Fearless” (Big Machine), her outstanding second record — the youngest artist ever to do so, and the first solo female country singer to earn that as well. It was the ultimate stamp of insider approval for someone who insists that she’s thrilled just to be invited to the party.

But the night also revealed her weaknesses.      […read on]

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
contributor
contributor
contributor
Latest posts by contributor (see all)
  • BREAKING: Radio Legend Bob Kingsley Dies - October 17, 2019
  • The Producer’s Chair: Corey Crowder - November 22, 2017
  • The Producer’s Chair: Frank Liddell - October 26, 2017
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png 0 0 contributor https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png contributor2010-02-03 16:43:552010-02-03 16:43:55Dealing With a “Swift” Evolution
0 replies
  1. twang2
    twang2 says:
    February 4, 2010 at 11:10 am

    good article. Time will tell if she can progress after her teens and after that performance.

    Log in to Reply
  2. ron585
    ron585 says:
    February 5, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    Nice girl, but she sings and plays guitar with absolutely no conviction.( A huge red flag to anyone who understands the process… most legitimate singer/songwriters kick it up a notch or two live… it was like a bad jr high coffee house audition). The Acadamy has just given it’s highest honor possilbe to the weakest artist in it’s history. A loss for the integrity of the Acadamy and music in general. After 6 years, two major releases, vocal lessons probably out the wazoo, it ain’t gonna get any better folks… Would someone please tell her and her Dad to pick another stream of income/industry to manipulate!

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

RECENT NEWS

  • DISClaimer Single Reviews: ‘A Lot To Fall In Love With’ This Americana Week September 21, 2023
  • CMA Foundation Honors Music Teachers Of Excellence September 21, 2023
  • Industry Ink: Stephen Wilson Jr., Anne Wilson, BMI, ACM September 21, 2023
  • Tauren Wells To Host 54th Annual GMA Dove Awards September 21, 2023
  • Toby Keith Celebrates Solo Writes On New ‘100% Songwriter’ Project September 21, 2023
  • Billy Strings, The War & Treaty Among Americana Honors & Awards Winners September 21, 2023
  • Russell Dickerson Signs With Range Media Partners September 21, 2023
  • Bailey Zimmerman, The Core Entertainment & Warner Chappell Music Sign Dipper September 21, 2023
  • Warner Music Nashville Signs Matt Schuster [Exclusive] September 21, 2023
  • Collen Mayer Named CEO Of Brad Paisley’s The Store September 21, 2023
  • In Pictures: Born & Raised Music Festival Hosts Third Annual Event September 20, 2023
  • Music Health Alliance & Lauren Daigle Unite To Launch The Price Fund September 20, 2023
  • SESAC Honors Nashville Songwriters At Annual Music Awards September 20, 2023
  • Luke Laird To Be Featured In CMHOF’s Poets & Prophets Interview Series September 20, 2023
  • Industry Ink: Mitchell Tenpenny, Rosanne Cash, Michelle Wright, More September 20, 2023

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by MusicRow
© 2023 Music Row Enterprises, LLC – All rights reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Scroll to top