In today’s world the mere mention of Taylor Swift can be polarizing, as today, she’s the biggest pop star on the planet.  Yes, I feel there is “Taylor Fatigue” as she’s everywhere including most Chiefs games, and yes she’s overexposed with many wishing she would simply stick to singing.  But as an artist, there is NO question she will go down in history as one of the most influential musical acts of all time.  And it all started as a kid on the country charts where she lived for about 8 years.  Here we will talk about that.

Debut Single  – Set The Tone

 

TS is maybe the best example of someone fortunate enough to be in the right place, with the right idea, at the right time.  Her more than honest brand of country music spoke directly to a younger audience and to those who remembered very well what it was like to be young  –  in their own young adulthood.  Her music does now, as it did then, speak for those who didn’t or wouldn’t.  Her songs were incredibly relatable, and memorable, becoming known for writing about ex-loves in a direct, or in some cases a brutal sense and fans loved her for it. Most of the time it’s what they wanted to say.

Big Song, A Real Fan Favorite At The Time

 

That’s the incredible influence she bared on our format and the entire music biz.  There have been many singers since who have attempted to be as direct in their written and/or chosen material.  Even her singing style has been imitated by others.  But for the exception of a few big songs in country, not any where near the success she had on the country charts.  But her influence will go on for years to come in all formats.   Especially with her amazing song writing talent.

Huge Song That Really Resonated

 

She came to Nashville with a newer idea, and as social media was getting ready to explode, she and her camp understood that better than about everyone else. When it all come together, the songs, the idea, the image, the attitude, the connectedness, the incredible videos, and the nuclear blast from social media, suddenly you had a new kind of star that had no ceiling and no competition in her way.  She, her vulnerability, and her music was its own thing. In country then, we had traditionalists, we had pop country-sounding artists, we had Bro, we had new acts, older acts, and then we had Taylor Swift on her own island making her own rules.

Fans Of All Ages Loved This Song

 

Also the way she was handled early on was simply magnificent.  Her image was kept wholesome and she seemed to escape some of the perils that many earlier young teen women in our format had experienced like Tanya Tucker, LeAnn Rimes and Kippy Brannon, many years ago. During her time on country radio, there is simply zero question she was the biggest overall act we had.  Granted, not all of her fans were “country listeners,”  but that turned out to be a good thing, as she brought millions of fans to us that may have never found us.  I am grateful to her for that.

This Video Was A Really Big Deal  – 1.6 BILLION Views   (Who hasn’t felt this way?)

 

I also pay zero attention to her chart performance in those years, as that doesn’t tell the story. Sure she had some big songs, some number ones and all that.  But the proof to me has always been the sales.  Her songs, either at #1 or #20 sold millions and were popular beyond measure.  She was on tour as a young act many times outshining the headliner she was opening up for.  Her stage shows became legendary as were her videos.  She, in short order had become one of the biggest musical stars on the planet.

Huge Hit With Fans

 

The only way she could get bigger, was to move on and that’s what she did.  She grew up, and like most of us our taste in music changes, and she became a pop singer where she has more musical freedom and more image freedom as the pop stars always do.  From my seat, no singer has ever understood better her fans were growing up too and they came along with her.  I never faulted Taylor for leaving us.  She did it the right, bold, and the only way it can be done.  A CLEAN break.  Many others have made the huge mistake of using country as a “safety net” which is offensive to country fans.  The list of those is very long and I won’t name names because they know who they are, and they know how gullible they think we are.  They think they can fool us and take us for granted.  Luckily, we are better now at NOT allowing that as fans.

When I Heard (And Saw) This Masterpiece, I Knew We Were Gonna Lose Her

 

With TS as a Country artist I am glad we had her in those years and I am thankful for the light she brought to our format and the fans too.  And for those who would rather be pop stars, do what Taylor did and risk it all for a new venture.  Because that’s the only way it will work  –  or more than likely  –  not.

And This Amazing Song – To Me  –  Began Her New Direction

 

Again, incredibly influential and never duplicated  – Mega Star  Taylor Swift.