Is Taylor Swift revolutionary or is she just white?
Photo: Lucia Thorne
November 11, 2021
With the upcoming re-release of Taylor Swift’s award-winning album Red on Friday, it’s about time to investigate exactly why we love this white woman and her mediocre singing voice so much.
The easiest conclusion would be that we like her catchy music; but that’s not hard to achieve when she has experienced writers and producers like Jack Antonoff and traditional country producer Nathan Chapman on her team. It could be because of her country roots, which really aren’t all that country when you realize she was born in Pennsylvania.
It could even be her songwriting, which from the very beginning of her career has been dedicated to narrative storytelling that draws listeners in. She makes us feel like we are right there with her, experiencing and struggling through the very same things.
The fact is, Taylor Swift is a white feminist who exists in a bubble where race, class, and everything else that’s different from the white, straight, privileged status quo is swept under the rug. She favors a narrative where the only thing that matters is cardigans and “champagne problems.” Fortunately, this is the reality of many of Swift’s fans: young white women.
It has become increasingly common for Swifties to praise and worship Swift as the pinnacle of contemporary feminism, and on the surface, it’s not hard to see why. From the very beginning of her career, she faced backlash for writing about her past romantic relationships in her music. Swift pushed back at these critics by continuing to write music about what she wanted, no matter the consequences.
Although this is commendable, plenty of female artists—particularly from historically marginalized groups, i.e., Janet Jackson, Tina Turner, or any female rapper ever—have done the same. Yet, none of these talented artists have received the same level of praise that this white woman has. Taylor has been called a “feminist icon,” was the first-ever recipient of Billboard’s Woman of the Year award in 2019, and has consistently been backed up by her fans in confrontation with direct comments of misogyny. What is the merit of these accolades when women of color have been doing the exact same things (and more) with little to no recognition, and in some cases, outright criticism?
Not to mention, each of the previously named artists were able to do so without a reliance on aesthetics. Taylor has gone from country, to pop princess, to the bad-girl during her Reputation era, and finally the cottage-core reinvention used to brand the albums “folklore” and “evermore.” These transformations seem less like natural artistic evolution and more like meticulously curated identities that come off painfully inauthentic and consumer driven.
Furthermore, it makes me question if everything Swift does is performative. Does the malleability of Taylor’s musical identity have any implications for her ability to isolate her white feminine identity from the intersectional feminism that I understand as gender equity? Is Taylor’s activism even real?
In some ways, I am tempted to say that it is. Swift is a victim of sexual assault who continues to proudly advocate for sexual assault victims today. While I do honor Swift’s experience as a woman and survivor, Swift failed to acknowledge the privilege she holds as a white woman. Her capability to verbally manifest her anger at her assailant in her testimony, using blunt language and curse words, would have been problematically perceived as stereotypical and damaging to a Black victim’s case.
Instead of acknowledging this inherent inequity, Swift claimed a spot on Time Magazine’s 2017 Person of the Year issue, “Silence Breakers.” The cover sparked particular controversies in its erasure of the experiences and efforts of BIPOC activists, one of these figures being Tarana Burke, the founder of the #metoo movement.
And who can forget the 2009 squabble on the MTV Video Music Awards stage, when Kanye West stepped up to applaud Beyoncé’s video over Swift’s. Yes, West’s actions were disrespectful, inappropriate, and had lasting effects on Taylor’s career. However, there is something to be said about his argument that in this world white women are constantly given recognition for half the work a Black woman does, while she receives little to no recognition.
Swift has made it a point to use Black women when it benefits her career. In the music video of her most streamed song to date, “Shake it Off,” Swift saddled herself up with gold chains and a leopard print puffer and crawled beneath a line of twerking asses with the Black one front and center. If that isn’t a blatant perpetuation of Black stereotypes in order to appropriate and profit off of Black bodies and cultures, I don’t know what is.
The same can be said for her “Wildest Dreams” music video, where Swift romanticizes colonialism and perpetuates the erasure of African culture in favor of the single story. One in which the culture and peoples of Africa are an uncivilized monolith that need the romantic guidance of aryan saviors. But don’t worry because at the end of the video it’s noted that all of the proceeds from the video are going to wild animal conservation efforts through the African Parks Foundations of America, effectively nailing the coffin in Swift’s promotion of neo-colonization.
Sure, Taylor Swift is a feminist, but she is a feminist without any explicit tie to the connection of feminism and race, class, sexual identity, or disability. We applaud her for her appropriation, for her erasure of diverse identities, and for her single white experience of gender inequality. Without any true attempt to understand, address, or advocate for an intersectional view of the marginalization of women, can we really call that feminism?
I understand why her music is popular. Like most of you, I too screamed the lyrics to “Mean” at my non-existent cheating, lying boyfriend. I sobbed to “Teardrops on My Guitar,” and wailed the lyrics to “You Belong With Me” with my friends at sleepovers. I cranked my hand-me-down iPod touch at the pulsing bass beat of “I Knew You Were Trouble.” I know the pop classic feel of “Style,” the feeling of intense unending madness in “Out of the Woods,” and the lovely painted dreamscape of “Wildest Dreams.” Just like you, I know and love it all.
This is not a call to reject nostalgia, or to disregard an artist you love for the sake of my opinion. It is a call to infuse the things you love with nuance, to work to honestly critique these things and understand why you love them. In my own case, I’m a lower income, 19-year-old, cis, straight, Black woman, and I loved Taylor Swift because she talked about things in her music that were comfortably unattainable for me.
Her music was an opportunity for me to escape into an alternate privileged reality where my biggest worry could be getting noticed by the guy I liked and dancing under the starlight. You may love Taylor because she talked about an experience that was chiefly yours, or her music became a specific form of expression for you. At any rate, it’s important to question honestly: why do you love Taylor Swift?
mckenna jackson
Jun 26, 2023 at 5:14 pm
taylor swift got attacked on stage one time and she got bullied at school i feel bad for her
Alexier
Jun 13, 2023 at 12:44 pm
I was taken aback at which you claimed that Taylor Swift’s success is solely due to the efforts of men, and that no artist before her has ever relied on aesthetics to convey feminism. Your statement is not only unfair it’s mysogynistic.
Janet Jackson, for instance, has used sex appeal to sell albums, as have many other artists, both Black and White. In fact, Taylor Swift has never appeared too racy on album covers, promotional items, or even magazines. She has achieved success through her talent and business acumen, not through her physical appearance.
Furthermore, it is unacceptable to generalize and make broad statements about race in the music industry. Taylor Swift is just one white woman in a sea of white artists that come and fail to linger. It is unfair to single her out and make her the face of white artists/feminists.
As an Asian American, I am tired of people bringing race into the conversation when it comes to music. I love most of the songs from Taylor, ALL of Rihanna’s, all of pre-Lemonade Beyonce and a handful after, and anything from The Weekend, and I don’t see color despite my list being predominantly Black. Coz if you wanna talk color, then I posit: 13% of Americans are Black and yet they are ‘overrepresented’ in the entertainment industry compared to the general population. Yet us Asians, until Crazy Rich Asians, you barely see us on TV! Why aren’t just as many talking about that when we represent 7% of the population? Why aren’t our artists getting recognised? And even if you do, we’re casted as stereotypes. Should we then say, oh, we Asians just need to work 20x as hard. Coz it’s definitely like that for us just to get into top tier university here!
These types of comments will only serve to divide and segregate us – what good will that do? And if you still plan on doing this types of writing in the future, why would you target a progressive liberal white woman who slowly inspires younger generation to be better instead of some hillybilly racist?
blackoutlawhandsomebradyjr
May 2, 2023 at 10:39 am
Trump supported the black community in the sixties by refusing to rent his accomodations to blacks,by saying the young black and brown men who were falsely accused of raping the Central Park Jogger should have been executed (in 2015,about 25 years after their exoneration),by calling African countries and black-led American cities”s**tholes,” and other examples of his roiling anti-blackness .
blackoutlawhandsomebradyjr
May 2, 2023 at 10:32 am
“Self-proclaimed victim?” Guess we black folk have imagined 404 years of slavery,brief freedom (Reconstruction),near re-enslavement (Establishment of de jure Jim Crow in Dixie and defacto Jim Crow in the North and West),brief hope that the Civil Rights Movement would gain our equality,then the reactionary REPIGLIKKLLAN era starting with Tricky Dick,through to today’s Trump,DeFASCIST,Mc(Slave)MASTER,Abbott,the authoritarian (at best) Tennessee legislature,racist gun violence against blacks and other racial and gender minorities ?
blackoutlawhandsomebradyjr
May 2, 2023 at 10:24 am
But THIS white woman is so much less talented than LOTS of artists of colour,Art.Ms. Swift is celebrated because she’s a (seemingly) fragile,emaciated blonde lass. ( I could see it were she a buxom blonde;95% of lads,including this two months from 70 years old,cover boy handsome black lad,ADORE buxom blondes,but she’s got a boyish build along with her so-so talent.)
blackoutlawhandsomebradyjr
May 2, 2023 at 10:19 am
Guess Ms. Swift’s new Taylor-alike is 18-year-old ( Taylor-now why does THAT figure?) Gayle( Rutherford),who in 2021 at age SIXTEEN had a song called “ABCDEFU” in which she curses her ex-beau,his current belle,his parents,job,art and everything and everybody but his dog.Lest the lads be unrepresented in this pity fest,an 18-year -old Aboriginal rapper whose name escapes me had a song called “Goodbye,F**k You.” Ms. Swift’s lachrymose singing and songwriting has infected parts of Generation Z.
Art
Apr 5, 2023 at 8:32 pm
I figured there was some peeps who would be butt hurt that a WHITE woman was one of the most successful artist. The solution is not to tear down white people, but to lift EVERYONE up. Criticizing someone so incredibly talented who has earned where she is at, is at best envious, at worse, racist.
loki
May 31, 2023 at 1:47 pm
calling out someone’s privilege and calling them out for never using it except to promote their version of white feminism is needed. these conversations are needed, go touch grass and bring a book while your at it. Might learn something!
Pia
Mar 20, 2023 at 10:37 pm
“Her music was an opportunity for me to escape into an alternate privileged reality where my biggest worry could be getting noticed by the guy I liked and dancing under the starlight”
I might have half agreed with this author if she wrote this article 10 years ago. To see this in the light of Folklore, Evermore and the deeper cuts of Midnights & Reputation and the work she has done to impact the modern music industry -this comes across as sheer ignorance -or maybe someone who listen to her last in 2014 !
Yes she does have white privilege and black artists may have to work harder than her to get where she is at.
But you are doing the same thing that men have delighted in doing- dismissing a woman’s craft because she does not speak to their experience. So they write it off as what appeals to ‘females’ or ‘teens’ as if the male experience is the only one to be celebrated. This is not new- this treatment is meted out to women who write books. songs . tv shows that are predominantly for a female audience. They only appeal to men when they adopt a more masculine approved template.
To answer ”Why do you love Taylor Swift’ :is because her songwriting, lyrical prowess and storytelling are stellar – she does personal experiences to craft songs that are universally relatable – from anxiety to insecurity to abuse to grief and standing up for oneself ; she is definitely not the greatest vocalist or dancer but she has been a fantastic songwriter; she has worked at every aspect of her performance; and she has reinvented herself every time she was written off.
loki
May 31, 2023 at 1:50 pm
this article was written by a POC author, pointing out that swift only uses her white feminism for other white feminists,aka for herself. The fact is big white feminine artists like her could and should be doing so much work to lift POC voices, lift POC artists work. swift doesn’t do that though, and that’s the issue.
R. JENNINGS
Nov 14, 2022 at 6:11 pm
I absolutely despise everything about T. Swift and have done so from the first moment I saw/heard her. So it pains me to have to quasi defend her but in regards to this racist article I’m left with no other option. Everything about this article and its author is troubling to say the least. From the title all the way to closing sentence the author misses no opportunity to double down on his/her own racist opinions. We’re taken from blatant racism, to hypocrisy at its core, then we make a sharp turn into the ignorant recesses of the authors mind as he/she tries to offer reasonings and examples that support his/her personal opinions. Being white has NOTHING to do with Taylor Swift being overrated, under-talented, and phony. There are plenty of black celebrities that are exactly the same, e.g. BeYAWNcé and everything about her is absolutely no different than T. Swift. They both are carbon copies of each other walking parallel in all their fake, overrated, narcissistic, asinine splendor.
As far as the author feeling the need to thrust other female singers into this pathetic Thunderdome fight to the death between white and black…it’s beyond trite and ignorant. To answer the question as to why Swift has reached the level she is at boils down to the fact that she has totally MASTERED the art of manipulation. The example used was why haven’t Tina Turner or Janet Jackson reached the zenith that Swift has, i.e. because Tina Turner has no need of manipulation to deliver message and talent to the world. She can walk on the stage secure in the fact that she is Tina Turner and that’s enough. I don’t like Janet Jackson (aside from her Control album) but for the most she needn’t resort to manipulation either. So as you see she it has NOTHING to do with being black or white, as that excuse is reserved for use by idiots such as the writer of this garbage. Swift doesn’t need the “white woman” title or the “white privilege” title (both of which are black created) because she not unlike the majority of blacks has self proclaimed “victim” title at her disposal. At the end of the day white is nowhere near one of Swifts weapons, she is where she is because as I said she knows how to manipulate people, her past, narratives, simple minded fans etc.. all the while making herself appear genuine and perpetually the victim.
I’ll close this after touching on another stupid statement made by the author.
“Swift has made it a point to use Black women when it benefits her career. In the music video of her most streamed song to date, “Shake it Off,” Swift saddled herself up with gold chains and a leopard print puffer and crawled beneath a line of twerking asses with the Black one front and center. If that isn’t a blatant perpetuation of Black stereotypes in order to appropriate and profit off of Black bodies and cultures, I don’t know what is”
Ok so first of all black women do not own nor did they invent the gold chain or its use as an adornment. They also didn’t create leopards and or cheetahs or puffer jackets. I’ll even offer another tidbit of facts, now this may stun you but did you know that “cultural appropriation” makes no sense and when a black person uses the term as an excuse they look even more ignorant and hypocritical than usual. The fact is that EVERY SINGLE CULTURE (yup it’s not just blacks that can have culture despite what they think) AND RACE from the first day up to today have crashed into each other mixing and swirling and constantly changing like rivers rushing towards each other from far away places. All of them start their journey with a one sided concept of tradition and holidays and entertainment etc… as one collides into another and then it merges for a time with another and so on and so forth. Eventually the rivers disappear and bodies of water spread far and wide of differing sizes take their place. So there is no way to appropriate from another culture when that culture and every other is a but mixture of many. So STOP trying to vilify white people and use them as an excuse for your own mistakes and shortcomings.
Oh yeah “white privilege” is the most pathetic asinine drivel to be spoken aloud for centuries. Whoever coined the term should be ashamed and then shot. There’s no privilege card given to you when you’re born that guarantees anything because of your skin. Not a single thing in life has ever been handed to me. Not once have I walked into any establishment be it a school, bank, job interview etc. met by bells and whistles and a little dude saying “Congrats here’s your free car/job/money/home etc. and it’s all because you’re white” as he tells me what I’ve “won”. I’ve experienced my fair share of unfair treatment, stereotyping, violence, hate etc. and not a single time was I able to make it stop simply by saying “wait wait wait stop in white so you can’t”
If you’re looking for a racist I suggest you get up and run towards the nearest reflective surface you can find. Take a long look and that person with your same face that’s staring back will be the biggest hypocritical, racist, narrow minded, problematic, narcissistic, toxic fool you will ever come across
outlawbrady
Nov 2, 2022 at 11:16 am
Taylor Swift is a mediocre, racist pop tart whose “music” wouldn’t have been heard on ANY radio station when I was a lad. Today’s “music,” for the most part,is so bad that Ms. Swift just became the first artist with all ten of the Billboard’s Top Ten hits .By contrast,after their first “Ed Sullivan Show” appearance Feb.9,1964 (which at age 10,I watched with my two now-deceased sisters) ,the Beatles,rock’s greatest-ever band with two bona-fide musical geniuses,John Lennon and Paul McCartney, had just seven of Billboard’s Top Ten songs the week starting Feb.15,1964. Ms. Swift is benefitting from lack of music
instruction in schools and a video culture in which telegenic but mediocre artists (though to me,Ms. Swift is anything but beautiful) can become much more successful than talented but plain musicians.
Also,Ms. Swift,while she claims to be feminist,is a privileged white woman whose “girl squad” consists of skinny white chicks like herself,she’s gone to African and reduced the Indigenous people there to black props in her romantic videos,and all of her boyfriends have one thing:White skin like her.(Wonder how many imes shclutched her purse or walked on the other side of the street to avoid even handsome black men such as Yours Truly ?)
In short,Ms. Swift should pray every night that she’s a white woman born in 1989 (Dec.13 like my cousin,MLB Hall-Of-Fame right-handed pitcher Ferguson Jenkins,who’ll be 80 that day;Ms. Swift will be 33.) and not 1949,because she’d get scant airtime,and wouldn’t have one,let alone ten songs in the Top Ten.
Anonymous
Jul 6, 2022 at 6:08 pm
This is such a racist article. Imagine a similar title “Is Kanye West revolutionary or is he just black?”.
none
Dec 1, 2022 at 9:10 pm
I agree!!
An Anonymous Cat
Jun 10, 2022 at 7:20 am
I accept the fact that she has privilege and that she is white and she never accepted it publically. But you also need to need to note that she is very talented as a songwriter and a singer and that there is no “mediocre singing voice”. I believe that her fame and privilege only came from her talent.
Jarvis hart
Mar 17, 2022 at 2:01 pm
She never voted for trump and she against trump in 2016 and she vote Obama 2008 and 2012 election and she endorsed joe Biden and Harris in 2020 and she donated for naacp
Does it matter I'm American
Jul 16, 2022 at 7:01 am
Another reason she’s manufactured. IF she was truly for change in America or the black community she would’ve told those lefty race pandering thieves to get lost. Do research Trump supported the black community.
Mick
Feb 28, 2022 at 12:57 am
mediocre writing, a fine example of whats wrong with POC activism. Insulting Taylor swift merely because she’s not black. Your disgusting and should re-think how you express your self as this is purely racism and tears down the work real POC activists work hard to achieve.
T
Jun 6, 2022 at 9:52 am
She trash bruh
lavender_karma
Jan 7, 2023 at 10:36 am
Is little T jealous of her success?
Emma Saberhagen
Jan 17, 2022 at 5:56 am
I’m a so called “Swiftie” and I looked for this article to read again because it was really interesting and stan twitter, hey, I remember when a discussion was soaring amongst black stans ,who felt like the culture was too white on twitter- I did not understand it, but I will never fogrget it.
I think they formed their own stan group because they sort of disappeared. . .:( It made me sad!! If anyone is attacking this article, This swiftie, is not cool with that. I want her music to be for everybody. And not just…some demographic. It made me take a hard look on who I was online and who I stopped seeing, which made me feel like hey, where’d y’all go?! I MISS YOU!. This is still relevant. I am white, I am rooting for music forums to be open to all. I love her music because it has changed my life, I wish all people can feel it too and feel welcomed .<3
Emma Saberhagen
Jan 17, 2022 at 5:57 am
*forgive my spelling and or grammar, i have no glasses and am not a native english speaking person
X
Jan 2, 2022 at 3:56 am
All the comments complaining that the author didn’t do enough research miss the point of the article, which is in the first sentence and last sentence. WHY do YOU love Taylor Swift? What about her music do you like? What about her makes her seem incredible, amazing, inspiring to you?
McKay is thinking deeper than the shallow level of likes and dislikes, and trying to get to the bottom of the cultural frameworks and societal value systems that inform our preferences.
A lot of people relate to Taylor Swift because her lyrics often center around being wronged” by someone. The someone could be an ex-boyfriend, a bully, or society at large. Swift seems to be in a constant state of “crumpled up piece of paper lying here.” Which is just not that interesting to me coming from one of the wealthiest artists in the world, sorry.
I don’t listen to her music anymore. I’m here because that All Too Well video went viral, so I checked it out, and then immediately Googled “Taylor Swift white femininity” to make sure I wasn’t the only one rolling her eyes.
Ximena
Jan 13, 2022 at 1:49 pm
How the fuck is Taylor writing about a breakup, making her a white feminist? She is writing about her own personal experience, and how that affected her. Not anything else.
Emma
Jan 17, 2022 at 6:14 am
There is a slight issue with this comment, then you have to exclude her amazing shows, her backup dancers and all artists she has had as guests. Nope, not all white women! And not all songs are about revenge! It’s about friendship! Life. Growing up. You could say it is more angled now, because of tiktok, to teens. THAT is the culture of being a fan now, youth….
She is discriminating her older fans…more than any color of skin.
I do not think she is just a white woman who is pretty.
She lured me into loving music, as a fan. I don’t know why, but a collab was it for me. And I am sad that people don’t feel included. To me, the fact people feel excluded due to race….Heartbreaking.
She is wealthy, but she does donate alot without even bragging. Is what I have seen, not just to white people. I don’t get the feeling she thinks like that either. She just donates the way she wants? As many wealthy do. They don’t think about it. Dolly parton never told anyone it seeemed like, backing up the vaccine for c-19!
Fans like me donated what we could during the blm-protests. Too little to make a difference. She has some amazing fans. (I’m blushing now! After that self-compliment hihi) Who care and who see her as a feminist, as someonne brave, still connected to her roots, but sure, she is aloof. She is rich.
I think they live in their bubble, but we fans represent them. So. I hope I do enough.
Erin
Dec 9, 2021 at 12:39 am
You didn’t do enough research for this article. You accuse her of failing to claim things (ex: her privileged position in her sexual assault case) that she has outright announced to crowds of over 50,000 people. Perhaps there’s a grain of truth some of what you’re saying, but/or/and perhaps you’re fitting (and stretching) several examples without reading and listening long enough to realize she’s already several steps ahead of your accusations in acknowledging her own privilege (in most cases relevant to this article, years ago).
Sulagna
Dec 7, 2021 at 11:58 pm
Mean is not about a cheating ex. Anyone who has actually heard her discography will know that.
– from a definitely non- white fan
Rich Swiftie
Dec 7, 2021 at 11:03 am
This is stupid. I like Taylor Swift because of her music. If she were black, Asian, or even purple, I don’t care about her color. It’s the music. So you need to rethink this article.
Emma
Jan 17, 2022 at 6:15 am
It’s not stupid! It’s a valid question. I want fans like me to feel included, regardless. Please don’t stop speaking now.
Madalyn
Dec 1, 2021 at 10:55 pm
Way to put down one of the most talented, hard-working women in the music industry. I don’t like her music because she is white or works with Jack.
Rich Swiftie
Dec 7, 2021 at 11:04 am
Agreed!!!!!!!
m
May 22, 2023 at 10:44 am
Sure she’s an ally, but is she ENOUGH of an ally? This article is just so messed up. Rejecting people on their merits bc you don’t like their skin color.
This is so absurdly racist it’s unbelievable. I am not fan of Taylor Swift but this is utterly pathetic.
Andrea
Nov 26, 2021 at 11:07 pm
I find this narrative of privileged white people overused. And no I am not white. People always have to say negative comments about people who may or may not have talent. Especially is they themselves have no discernible talent and themselves which I find sad. They look for ways to bring people down and in essence let others down. Why do opinion pieces have to be about bringing people down. Taylor Swift worked and work long and hard for what she had. She is generous with her wealth by donating to worthy causes yet all people want to talk about is her white privileged. I can name off the top of my head other successful artists of other races, religions, ethnic backgrounds and genders who are just as popular. But of course no one says anything about them because they aren’t white. That’s my opinion and isn’t that shameful.
E
Jan 9, 2022 at 5:36 pm
I see what you mean, but at the same time, white privilege is a prominent problem. I adore Taylor Swift, but I feel like it’s also impossible to look at her success without considering her privilege at least a little bit. I’d say the same thing for other white artists. It doesn’t mean they aren’t talented, but because white people have inherently had an advantage within society, it can’t be ignored.
Jarvis hart
Nov 23, 2021 at 1:54 pm
https://www.deseret.com/platform/amp/faith/2020/6/14/21289249/taylor-swift-donation-yasmine-grace-norman-church-faith
Jarvis hart
Nov 23, 2021 at 1:52 pm
She donates for black business https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/taylor-swift-pledges-donation-to-black-business-owner-after-shes-accused-of-ripping-off-design-for-folklore-merchandise/#app
Nilesh Vijaykumar
Nov 20, 2021 at 2:12 pm
Hi,
Thanks for your insightful article. I’m from India. What you’ve written strikes a chord with me as an Indian and what I see is in my country.
In my country, the privileged Upper Caste women/men automatically become the beacons of social justice whenever they speak about atrocities against the people from lower castes and minorities. Liberals go gaga over them and hail them as icons.
But same is not the case when people from the Lower Caste communities, who have actually faced atrocities, speak about atrocities. Their voices don’t get the attention they deserve (one reason being, media is owned majorly by people from the privileged Upper Caste communities).
I am sure there are many less-known or even forgotten black women who have done much more for the community, for the society, for black women without earning even 10% of the revenue that Taylor Swift earns from her music. These are the women who need to be recognised as icons.
Your article makes complete sense. Your voice as a black woman is much more important than the combined noise of all white women singing Shake it Off.
Kudos.
Sama
Dec 17, 2021 at 3:44 am
Indian here. And I agree.
Ximena
Jan 13, 2022 at 1:53 pm
How and why would you blame Taylor. It’s not her fault that she receives attention, instead blame the public media for being so fixated on her. Also, the fact that Taylor manages to accept her privilege and bring attention to other artists and more importantly WOC issues is her trying her best.
Ashley
Nov 19, 2021 at 7:55 pm
Dear pressed swifties in the comment section:
This is an op-ed. An OPINION PIECE. On top of that, it’s a valid criticism of Taylor Swift’s work as an artist and public figure thus far. The author is not saying you’re not allowed to love her or have your own opinions. Your cumulative experience as a human being informs your worldview, and Hadera’s informs hers. Both are 100% valid.
Personally, what I’ve seen and read of Ms. Swift has shown her to be a white feminist who: ignores nuance and intersectionality, constantly positions herself as the victim (never as someone with incredible privilege they can use to protect others), and employs POC only when it’s to her benefit. Not saying she isn’t talented, but fans need to accept that no one’s perfect, not even their fav.
Jamie
Dec 17, 2021 at 3:51 am
Exactly. Take the entire Red TV stuff for example. She’s re-recording her albums. Good Very good. But where is 90% of attention going? On her exes! And no, its not just some ‘fans’ reacting, its her own setting, her narrative and her decision to not speak up about it. How hurt she gets when someone criticizes her, she makes entire albums about it, so is she so blind that she can’t see her fans bashing Jake on social media. Jake is a grown man and doesn’t need protection, but, the purpose of releasing these albums was to own them right? Then why not put a statement to keep her exes out of the narrative. Because she benefits from it, from portraying herself a victim, which naturally attracts criticism. She ain’t the goody goody she pretends. And brain washing fans makes her even more BORRRING.
Pavani
Apr 24, 2022 at 6:35 pm
Um she posted an Instagram story before releasing Fearless TV that basically insinuated that she was in a happy relationship and that her re-recorded songs and vault tracks have nothing to do with it.
This was before she released the song Mr. Perfectly Fine, which was clearly about her ex Joe Jonas.
Nichole
Nov 19, 2021 at 6:02 pm
I must say Ms. Hadera this is an astonishing display supporting the people. THE BLACK PEOPLE for the ones in the back who can’t quite comprehend. I believe what the young lady was saying is quite true and US uncivilized BLACK PEOPLE! Are sick and tired of the Taylor Swifts and other culture vultures who have not yet been named.
I will say we are all ONE! However most of the world doesn’t recognize this and we’re all sleep! Some of us have the light shining just a tad bit brighter. The sad part is like Nina Simone, and others BLACK ICONS who didn’t receive as much recognition, not because they’re not talented or worthy, but simply they’re weren’t AESTHETICALLY PLEASING!
Maybe one day things will change but here in these UNITED STATES OF AMERICA white seems to always triumph over BLACK! By stepping on our necks and stealing every little idea we have!
Ximena
Jan 13, 2022 at 2:00 pm
?? WHY THE CAPS LOCK? Also, you need to acknowledge that Taylor’s work is original content and based on pretty generic experience (heartbreak, haters, etc;). So how tf has Taylor been a culture vulture. We all know that white celebrities have had a history of cultural appropriation, but Taylor is the least offensive artist.
Heather Ellen Murphy
Nov 18, 2021 at 12:39 pm
Article has a good major question: why does society love Taylor Swift? I do think having most of America be white people helps a white artist excel- I don’t think she would be where she is if she was black. Taylor, however, tries to speak to issues she relates to (women’s rights, music rights).
The phenomenon of Taylor Swift can be questioned without criticizing Taylor herself.
Julian
Nov 17, 2021 at 11:19 pm
WOW! The sexism in attributing the quality of Swift’s music to “experienced producer” Jack Antonoff. I’m not sure which is worse, McKay’s assumption that a woman can’t accomplish anything without a talented man behind her pulling the strings, or the fact that Jack Antonoff owes his entire career as a producer to Swift taking a chance on him when he was a no-name.
Alex
Nov 17, 2021 at 4:40 pm
This entire article comes across as poorly informed. The first move is to criticize her singing talent, a claim which is not elaborated on in the slightest, followed by saying her songs are catchy because of writes and producers when it’s common knowledge that she writes the vast majority of her songs (yes, lyrics and instrumental), a fact acknowledged later on in the article. Followed by the claim that you can only be country based on geography, as if it has nothing to do with the people and community that raised you, this article is off to a subpar start.
It seems your main qualm with her music is that she is writing about herself with things like “cardigans and champagne,” something that is “comfortably unattainable” for many poc. While it is absolutely true that she is not speaking for everyone, this seems like an odd standard to hold her too. I would far, far rather she write about her own life experiences than try and create a song about BLM, or from the pov of a black man, or some other strange attempt at speaking over poc. Let her talk about her whiteness and female experience – it’s the only thing she’s qualified to talk about!
Her choices of song writing frankly have nothing to do with the success of other Black artists. The suggestion that she should be called out, or even silenced, because a racist society, including fans she has no control over, favors white voices over people of color seems like a heavy burden to put on the shoulders of one woman.
Another issue you cite with Swift is her rebranding and how “genuine” it feels. For that, I direct you here: https://twitter.com/TSwiftNZ/status/1223227352655597574. This is a quote where she discusses this very topic, and you can find numerous other articles examining this quote and how it applies to a number of women in the industry. The suggestion that this affects the intent behind her activism seems like a bit of a stretch.
You’re right, Swift was a victim of sexual assault. It’s true that she didn’t mention her whiteness while recounting a traumatic experience, and it’s true that she was allowed to display more aggression and get more attention than a poc. But faulting her for not constantly mentioning her privilege and daring to be featured in a magazine when some other theoretical person of color might have gotten the honor instead seems like an issue to take up with corporations rather than one woman who said yes, I will talk about my story. Despite her whiteness, she deserves to speak about her own assault.
The Kanye story is poorly chosen. Surely there is a better example of Swift getting recognition for “half the work a Black woman does, while she receives little to no recognition” than Beyoncé.
The observations about her music videos seem like the only valid critique you have with her. Had you shown more evidence like this, this article would be far more compelling. Instead, the final claim is that Taylor is not personally intersectional (which is true), and therefore should not qualify as a real feminist. She certainly could stand to take a more nuanced approach to her activism, but this doesn’t undermine her “single white experience of gender inequality.” This article seems to boil down to the fact that she is not speaking for poc or about their experiences (something that would be undoubtedly uncomfortable for her to do) and that when she receives acknowledgement she fails to mention her whiteness or refuse recognition altogether based on her white privilege.
You seem to backtrack at the end of the article by saying that people are entitled to their interests and that this article was merely an attempt to get fans to think critically about why they find Swift appealing, but this seems like an odd angle to take when you’ve spent the rest of the article, it seems, suggesting she isn’t a good enough feminist, activist, or musician to have a platform.
Sincerely,
A woman of color
Jenna
Nov 22, 2021 at 12:23 am
You seem to be a bit misinformed. Taylor has greatly helped the lgbtq+ community. She released the song You Need To Calm Down which not only was pretty much a gay anthem but featured icons of the community, which she paid well, and shouted them all out. She mentioned GLAAD in the song and they received loads of donations and exposure afterwards. She went to bat for the equality act and spoke out against leaders who were against those things. That all being said she doesn’t owe anyone anything. She doesn’t need to be a mouthpiece for the fights of others but she certainly has been while many others aren’t at all. Nevermind her charitable contributions to Organizations as well as fans struggling.
E
Nov 17, 2021 at 12:56 pm
hi! Some of these comments are a bit aggressive, so I wanted to respond in what I really hope comes off as respectful.
I am a huge taylor swift fan, and obviously excitement has been high due to the recent release of red tv. Today, I had someone respectfully tell me she made “white-girl music” and that’s why they can’t bring themselves to listen to her music.
My initial reaction of comical disbelief turned more serious at this comment. Immediately I recognized that this could be true. I questioned what made this person think that. Obviously Taylor Swift is a white, cis, straight, wealthy woman, but isn’t her music for everyone?
So I did some searching and found this article. Now, I do disagree with some of it, because I believe that Taylor Swift has an amazing voice, and is an extremely talented artist. I also believe she genuinely supports, respects, and celebrates all people and experiences.
That said, of course she isn’t a perfect person–who is?–though that doesn’t excuse bad actions, and it’s true that her songs only explain one experience, and it’s one of privilege.
I love Taylor Swift. I think she’s a good person. But this article definitely has made me pause. As someone who grew up very sheltered from mainstream media, and am suddenly enchanted by Taylor Swift, I have already been feeling uncomfortable with the ‘trendiness’ even though I believe she is genuinely incredible. In short, I have already been diversifying my music listening and reading this has reinstated the importance of that.
Thanks for the insights, and even though I don’t agree with all your points, I truly understand where you’re coming from.
On another note, what are some other albums/artists ya’ll recommend? 🙂
Jake
Nov 16, 2021 at 5:44 pm
I am amused by this column.
When Swift’s first album came out in 2006, McKay was probably entering Kindergarten. So Taylor’s dominance over the last 15 years seems to be dismissed by someone who was learning her A-B-C’s at the time I was singing “Teardrops On My Guitar” in the LB.
Taylor’s excellence as a Grammy nominated songwriter, a player of MULTIPLE INSTRUMENTS (something other artists she mentions don’t do) and as an advocate for artists to profit off of their own work, also ignored. Charity work? Meh. Who cares? She’s white, am I right?
But my favorite part of McKay’s rant is that, as someone who has despised
Taylor’s wokeness since Lover, including the narcissistic coddling of pronoun warriors with You Need To Calm Down, has been watching Ms. Swift suffer woke-on-woke assaults like the one just published. The next time Ms. Swift wants to drive voter registration for Democrats, like she did in 2018 and 2020, she should consider that there will always be people like Hadera McKay, ready to stab her in the back with her own racist virtue signaling that she thinks is more pure than Taylor’s.
Yes, Taylor Swift is a revolutionary. No female artist in history has been able to pack a stadium tour like she did with 1989 and Reputation and until recently, she let being alone on stage in front of 65,000 people at a time tell that story without having to cry feminism. She has completely changed artist’s rights, whether it be against Apple, or Scooter Braun. And she set the standard for how tickets are sold across sports, entertainment and music.
She’s also done so while keeping her clothes on, unlike Janet Jackson. Kudos to Professor Overton back in 2004 for making the class visit Drudge only to find the wardrobe malfunction of the century, which took place when McKay wasn’t even toilet trained.
But I digress. Taylor Swift should have probably just shut up and sung. Because the haters were gonna hate, hate, hate either way.
Laura
Nov 17, 2021 at 1:16 pm
I understand you got pissed at it, cause at the beginning of the article I got a bit upset took but did you read til the end? Sure, it could’ve put in another way, but she got a point though. Taylor is amazing yes, super talented, but we’ve got to admit that she has privilege, and it’s something she never admitted. Her feminism often doesn’t include women and AFABs of color, or disabled, or in the LGBT community. And charity is very easy to do, specially when you’re rich just like she is. And now, we ain’t saying she does this on purpose, and not even putting all the blame on her, literally all that the writer wants is people to reflect on it. There’s a lot of artists the did the same things as sh did even before, some even more, but didn’t get praised or recognized because they weren’t white. They weren’t abled body, they weren’t cis or straight, or rich, or very “girly” and nice. Just reflect on that before coming here so damn angry that you, when talking about a black woman who is an amazing artist, was incredibly sexist and racist.
E
Jan 9, 2022 at 5:27 pm
well said, Laura, I agree!
NoSlutShaming
Nov 17, 2021 at 3:36 pm
stfu challenge 😳😳😳
Carlos Pena
Nov 14, 2021 at 10:44 pm
this is literally so stupid, taylor has captivated an audience because of her talents and amazing personality. i’m neither a white person or a woman and i find myself listing to this woman all day. this article is just trying to undermined her success.
Richard
Nov 14, 2021 at 11:04 am
if you want to talk about a mediorce singing voice, thats Beyonce
Shhhhhhhh
Nov 17, 2021 at 3:37 pm
we love tearing down black female artists to protect white women from much deserved criticism 😫😫😫😫
An Anonymous Cat
Jun 10, 2022 at 7:16 am
No we don’t, he was actually right
Anon
Oct 6, 2022 at 7:20 am
Your racism is showing!
Craig
Oct 31, 2022 at 7:41 pm
Don’t be silly. Beyonce is a world class trained vocalist with a 4 octave range to Taylor’s 1.5. Beyoncé will literally sing circles around T Swift. Of course Taylor is talented, however rating her a better singer is misguided and misinformed. The point of this article is to examine what makes Taylor so successful. Her whiteness has a great deal to do with it.
Normanfuckingurmom
Nov 11, 2021 at 3:52 pm
Interesting