I have to say it and say it proudly: I love Taylor Swift. I know, I know. She can occasionally be problematic. Maybe she really did have that feud with Kanye for publicity, maybe she really is a snake, but I can’t help it. I think it’s because she got to me when I was young and impressionable, and now I simply can’t get rid of her music’s effect on me. Either way, I am an unashamed fan.
Snake or not, she has been a part of my life since I was a preteen. She always had a song for every occasion, and I still believe that is true. Crying because my middle school crush didn’t like me back? “Teardrops on My Guitar.” Angry at that one mean girl who simply won’t leave me alone? “Mean.” Nervous to start high school? “Fifteen.” I can still give you a good song for every situation. I even sang “You Belong With Me” for my fifth grade talent show and “Jump then Fall” in seventh grade. In high school I finally saw the Red Tour in concert, and I cried through the whole thing.
I always felt that the media crucified her too much, and defensive brace face Julia was always quick to defend her. In her early 20’s she dated just like all of us do, and they called her a slut and a man eater. Had she been a guy, this would have never happened. She would have been labeled a hot commodity worth chasing; a playboy with charm. On her latest album “Lover,” she strikes back with “The Man.” My favorite lyrics are “What’s it like to brag about raking in dollars/ and getting bitches and models/ and it’s all good if you’re bad/ and it’s okay if you’re mad.” She finally stood up for herself, and for a long time it seemed like she has bit her tongue when it came down to it.
From the wistful days of “Speak Now” to the pop power anthems of “1989” and “Reputation,” I will probably always be a fan. I will most likely be a fan when she is on her twentieth album and she is old and gray with blonde, blue-eyed babies she has with Joe Alwyn. My only complaint will ever be: Can tour tickets be less expensive?
Sincerely,
Taylor Swift Lover
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