We need to talk about Taylor Swift…
To my students,
It’s the morning after the Super Bowl, and Taylor Swift continues to be the talk of the playground. Some of you will be surprised to learn that I’m only a year older than Taylor, and I’ve actually grown up listening to her music. In fact, I’ve been a fan of Taylor Swift since before it was cool, and I think she is incredibly talented at writing and performing songs. In all her popularity and success though I’ve started to notice something concerning, both for her and for you, and I think we need to talk about it.
You see Taylor Swift has been famous since she was a kid, and for good reason. At the age of 34 she’s already written more music, performed more shows, and won more awards than most musicians do in a lifetime. With that success she’s earned a lot of money, power and attention. Her millions of fans all around the world love her, and it probably seems like she has it all.
The thing is though- while fame can be a good thing, it can also be really hard. I suspect there are times when Taylor struggles with being famous. As good as a performer as she is, I bet performing all the time is exhausting. She’s a person just like you and me, and I bet she gets tired, and sick, and hungry, and grumpy. Some people expect her to be perfect, but the truth is she makes mistakes too, and I don’t want you to be surprised when she lets you down.
As you listen to people talk about Taylor Swift you’ll probably notice that some focus on all the good things about her, and others focus on all the bad things about her. Sometimes there are good reasons to talk about those things (both the good and the bad), and other times we should probably just go outside and ride a bike or something…
At the end of the day, I want you to love good music. We’ll all have different opinions about makes music good, and some of you will be on team Taylor and others will not. Wherever you are, remember that the people around you might have a different opinion, and that’s ok! I love Taylor’s music, but not all of it. What do you think?
-Mr. D
Below is my “Essential Taylor Swift” playlist. In putting this together I listened to every album she ever made, in order, and saved all my favorites. Taylor’s music isn’t appropriate for everyone, so check with your parents first. Then, let me know what you think!
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