I Hate Taylor Swift

story by Lily Beck

Taylor Swift. The household name that has been on everyone’s radar the past few years. 

She’s been releasing new (and old) music, selling out stadiums across the world and dating new men every few months. Now I’ll admit, I was a Swiftie once. When I was ten I had posters hanging from my bedroom walls, multiple CDs and ‘Our Song’ was the first music video I ever watched. But now, I hate Taylor Swift and I can’t wait to tell you why.

First, let’s talk about how un-talented she is in comparison to other much less popular artists. Her singing is not something to write home about, her musicality is something a middle schooler could produce, and don’t even get me started about her lyric writing. Actually, do get me started. I will say, that when she was a teenager, her lyricism was definitely something admirable for her age. She expressed emotion and the feeling of being a young girl all through her words, which is not something seen very often. But now, she is no longer a teenager and her lyrics are barely above subpar. Maybe this is why she keeps re-releasing old music, to continue to bask in the glory of her famed youth.

Now, this all being said, everyone has their own taste in music and that is totally respectable. However, music aside, she is an extremely problematic person. One of the biggest reasons is due to her consistently showing themes of hypocrisy. Swift is arguably one of the largest activists for women’s rights in the music industry, which for the record is an amazing thing. However, she then proceeds to tear women down whenever she deems them as “attacking” her. This can be seen in her song ‘Better Than Revenge’ when she allegedly references Camilla Belle. One of the lyrics say, “She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress”. This lyric surfaced for the sole reason that Belle dated Joe Jonas after Swift did. Talk about being a women’s rights hypocrite.

It may be one thing for a celebrity to make a mistake here and there, I mean, they are humans after all, but in her case, she has a rambunctious crowd of fans who do exactly what she does. If you have ever told a die-hard Swiftie that you don’t like her or her music, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. This phrase is commonly followed by an eye role and a judging look. Maybe you’ll even be told that you’re a misogynist. Having supporting fans is such a huge thing for any entertainer. It creates a sense of community and helps support the artist financially. However, she has created a fan base of people who don’t seem to respect other’s opinions and will do absolutely anything to protect Swift.

Now all this being said, could I do half the things she does, no, have I ever been in the spotlight, no, so I don’t understand exactly her motives or the way she thinks. However, I and many others can see that she is an unhealthy contribution to the music world. Good for her for being rich, having a music career and loving fans, but please remember the impact you have on society.