Band of the Week: Taylor Swift

[June 1 - 7]

Taylor Swift
Sounds Like: Pop / Country
Drinking Buddies: Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry

Synopsis: Pro-activity gets you the accolades, kids.

Makes You Want To...: Sing; Get back at an ex; Contemplate.
[Myspace]

One week, one band. You know the drill.
This week, the featured artist is Taylor Swift.


It's a strange thing, pop music. It's no longer all about walking on a stage with a pretty face, and a smile, and a zombified fanbase of random people collectively brainwashed by TRL. Pop music has reached a state of demand, where it demands that musicians are more integrated with the writing and composition of their music; that musicians are less invested in their ego, and more invested in their musical integrity; that musicians are more than prissy, prancing boy bands that act cooler than they'll ever be (that goes for you too, Jonas Brothers). Stars are one of the leaders of pop music, and Evan Cranley says it best. "I've always been addicted to the pop song, but never really explored it [before]... It's such a direct route to get into someone's life; it can act as a window into someone's life."

Pop music these days has to be an artistic movement, a sheer expression of creativity. It has to nail its musical notes directly to the heart of the listener with moving music and sensitive, perfectly worded lyrics, to create the most powerful effect in the person as the musician can muster. Sure, there's a lot of pop still out there on that outdated format of OH EM GEE WE'RE POPULAR LISTEN TO US. But the fact is, the format is in fact outdated, and is going through a revolution. If you keep your ear to the speaker, you notice that more recent pop idols are pulling out more wild cards; their music is becoming more complex, and their lyrics aren't all fluff anymore; these idols are having to try harder to keep their listeners keen. Because of this, pop music is growing - if not a bit slow - as a whole.

Now I'm not usually sucked in by popular pop idols. But Taylor Swift got me. Somewhere between the big tour diary done by NBC, to The Scene Aesthetic covering "Love Song," Swift pulled me in. She's a young girl who now calls Nashville - a capitol of American country - home. She stepped up to the music industry with a sound and a vision, and presented them her music, straight up in the face of the music businesses biggest names. And it's not to say she didn't get her fair share of chewing up and spitting out, like so many other artists. But something clicked, and here she is.

If you follow any of my writing here on Voilà!, you know how I feel about musical trendsetters. I don't really pay attention, because usually, the artists that are setting the trends have little to say and less to listen to. Taylor Swift is one of those humble exceptions to the rule. I didn't expect to like her before I heard much of her stuff; considering she dates aforementioned prissy-boy-band Jonas Brothers, and rolls with the hole Cyrus crew, you can probably understand where I'm coming from. But as I said, Taylor easily exceeds expectations.

I could go saying what all the others musical literary spaces have said about her, so I'll digress toward the atypical, and more personal. Taylor Swift is in charge: she writes her own music and lyrics, and knows exactly how she wants to have it played live and on recordings. She's entirely in charge of her latest tour. Furthermore, she has a wonderful imagination, and is quite ready and able to express herself directly through her musical talent. That's what makes her a talented musician, as pop music seems to lately be devoid of such commitment. Is Taylor Swift's blend of pop and country music unique? No, not particularly. But like a milkshake, the blend isn't made to be unique, it's made to be delicious, and meant to keep you coming back for another taste, over, and over, and over, and over...

Taylor Swift is presently on her Fearless Tour, in support of her latest album, Fearless. It looks quite intense, and she'll be touring like nobody's business straight through summer. You can get tickets, I suppose... mais bon chance avec-ce. Bear to mind that when sales for Taylor Swift's performance in New York City, Madison Square Garden, opened, the entire venue was sold out in 60 seconds. Seventy thousand people in 60 seconds... again, good luck!

But, you can always snag Taylor Swift's albums just about anywhere! You can find her 2006 eponymous album, as well as her latest release, Fearless, anywhere they sell music! If you hadn't guessed by now, Taylor Swift has a Myspace. Sadly though, she only has samples available. She has a personal website, though that's not much better either (though you can listen to previews of all her songs). Oh well, there's always YouTube, ouais? Enjoy some different tunes this week; something popular that might catch your interest by surprise. And have a good week, reader.