Yes, I'm a Swifty. It's not about the music. Well, not solely. I like her music. I liked her music when she was country and just a young 'un. But then she started to show how headstrong she was. Having opinions about things that aren't a part of the country music world, or the whole patriarchal society we live in. Shame on her. (haha). Or did she just outgrow the genre? So... I want to say that I get it if not everyone loves her, but I found myself feeling less that understanding when my friend said she wasn't a fan. I asked why. She said because doesn't like that kind of music. Really?! I thought all women were fans. Taylor is a champion for human rights and for women's rights. She's shown herself to be brave when she was assaulted and then was sued by her perpetrator for the loss of his job! Swift counter-sued for $1 stating that she was standing up women everywhere who were not believed when they reported an assault. Taylor is an example of a self-made woman who blew the hell off of the glass ceiling. And that makes me happy. She is known for her generosity to people who work for her; generosity to charities and food banks in the cities she tours in. I know she made generous donations to families of the victims in the KC parade for the Chiefs Superbowl win when lives were lost because of gunfire. This was a devastating event and she took it seriously. As far as I can tell, she is humble. Not arrogantly trying use money to make a situation go away.
I just like the girl, okay. I continue to read ariticles and posts all over social media that raise her status up to me and continue to make think she's a pretty exceptional human being.
No one accidentally gave her a bunch of money that she didn't ever work for. I watched the Eras Tour movie. Three and a half hours of running, prancing, dancing, all while singing and never losing her voice control. What? From what I understand that comes from intense training.... singing while running on a treadmill, learning the choreography while singing.... working out, practicing, taking feedback, re-doing practice takes. Over and over. The girl is smart and funny and sweet. Obviously, no one is perfect. And people might act differently when they know they are constantly being recorded. But she seems to be relaxed and just her "norm."
This girl can sing, treat people with dignity, stand up for herself, champion other women and performers of all genders, oppose indecent treatment of people as a whole, and she's unafraid to speak her truth. No one would say that Oprah isn't an icon because they don't like to watch talk shows. Oprah is a fucking force. Because she is a self-made woman. A self-made black woman. Who should be respected. And these are the things I think about Taylor Swift as well. Okay, I do not think she's a self-made black woman. What I want to reference though is that she had/has a brave soul and crazy nerve to just go after what she wants and maintain confidence and dignity and treat people around her with respect and kindness. She's a fucking force. So how can you say you don't like her because you don't like that kind of music. She's bigger than that. An icon. A representative of what women can do. Or what young people can do. I know she's 36, but I'm old enough to be her mom. She was only 20 when Kanye West pulled his stupid stunt. She's a force because she was just a kid when she started all this. And now at 36, she's still a young woman to me. I don't mean that derogatory, I think she behaves like a mature woman, I think she's eternally young. I don't know. I don't know if I can explain what I mean, but I keep coming back to the facts that she's an icon and legend and she's not near the end of her life in any way or form. She's a freaking force.
I'm a fan. A full-on swifty. And I am not afraid to shout it out.
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