The best musical artists out there are the ones who grew as they aged. They stayed fresh and relevant. They never forgot where they came from but they also didn't let that hold them back from becoming increasingly better.
Taylor Swift isn't becoming better. She's becoming stagnant.
Taylor has had the benefit of *LEARNING* from the mistakes of megastars before her…as well at what worked.
She has curated and cultivated a personal relationship with her fans in a manner that is unprecedented.
She also has a far more stable family structure providing the basis for both her business AND personal life — which keeps her from teetering off into the abyss…
Finally she has her hand in all aspects of the industry not just singing/music. She already has a studio deal to direct a movie (she wrote) soon.
Swift is bound for the same career track as Madonna.
Which means her fanbase will be exclusively aging queens.
Driving around yesterday two different Rolling Stones came on the radio. Both songs came out in the late 1960s. Almost 60 years ago. IMHO the last good Stones album was Tattoo You.
That came out when I was in my freshman year of college.
I remember that because I still regret NOT going to see them when they played at the Carrier Dome @ SU. The Stones are now 80 years old and still playing songs they wrote in the twenties.
My point being Taylor Swift has become VERY rich playing teenage girl songs. She had the largest tour in history. Sold out stadiums all over the planet. She literally increased the GDP of the USA when the Eras tour happened. So much so that mayors were begging her to play a show in their city.
Even IF this album is a dud, she will still sell out stadiums in almost every city IF she decides to tour again in 2026. Maybe ten years from now she will sell out the big room at Ceasar’s Palace for five years straight. Playing all the songs she wrote when she was 18-30 years old.
RE: Taylor Swift isn’t becoming better. She’s becoming stagnant.
Yes, BUT BUT BUT, This latest Album of hers is still a humongous hit.
Taylor Swift doesn’t release albums anymore; she opens weekends. Her latest film, The Life of a Showgirl, played for just three days and hauled in $46 million worldwide, turning the album drop into a full-blown theatrical event.
The 90-minute feature stitched together music videos, behind-the-scenes confessions, and just enough sparkle to make AMC’s balance sheet blush.
CEO Adam Aron called it “a triumph,” which roughly translates to “thank you for saving our concession sales again.” It’s her second blockbuster with AMC after The Eras Tour conquered theaters in 2023. Once more, Swift proved she doesn’t need streaming platforms… she is one, complete with popcorn and record-breaking box office returns.
So, she might go the way of Madonna ( as all singers eventually do ), but she still has ways to go ( until the next fad comes ).
There’s a difference between being an artist and a performer.
Ms. Swift isn’t an artist. She’s a performer and a mediocre at that. I’ve said before she’s minimally talented and the only thing she really has going for her is a nice set of legs.
However she needs to grow up.
35 is way too old to be doing the “OMG!’’ teen age girl thing.