Why is America so unwilling to love Taylor Swift? Generally pigeonholed as a feminist nightmare due to her ex-boyfriend-centric musical themes, critics such as Camille Paglia have been quick to condemn Swift: “Her themes are mainly complaints about boyfriends, faceless louts who blur in her mind as well as ours.” But with the release of her new album, 1989, Swift took these critiques to heart by turning them on their head and still selling 1.3 million copies in the course of a week. Over the past year, Swift has proven that she is unafraid to express her feelings and stay true to her beliefs, even if they come under scrutiny. It is this newfound confidence and independence that has caused her to transform from simply a pop star into a veritable role model for her millions of fans: more than just a jilted ex.

1989

The most popular single from her new album, “Shake it Off” sent a message directly to those who have told her to change the subject and style of her music. In one of the catchiest and most reluctantly beloved songs of 2014, Swift sings, “I go on too many dates/ but I can’t make them stay/at least that’s what people say/But I keep cruising/Can’t stop, won’t stop moving.” This theme of self-confidence is prevalent throughout the rest of the album and sends a positive message to millions of young fans.

“’Shake It Off’ is about how I deal with criticism and gossip and humiliation and all those things that used to level me. Now I deal with those things by laughing at them. I didn’t want it to feel victimized,” Swift said in an interview with Billboard. “This album was made completely and solely on my terms, with no one else’s opinion factoring in, no one else’s agenda factoring in.”

In the music video for “Blank Space,” Swift embraced the accusations against her as a boy-crazy anti-feminist by creating exactly that storyline. She lulls a new lover into a false sense of security before becoming overwhelmed with jealousy and subsequently taking a golf club to his car and destroying all of his possessions. Along with the lyrics, “Got a long list of ex-lovers/ they’ll tell you I’m insane,” Swift confidently declares that she is mature enough to create this parody of herself.

Swift’s most popular songs indicate the personal transformation that she has undergone within recent years. In 2012, she drew criticism when asked whether or not she identified as a feminist. She responded, “I don’t really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life.”

It seemed as if Swift misunderstood the definition of feminism and chose to instead distance herself from the term, which many believe has a negative connotation. Two years later, Swift has recognized her mistake. “I didn’t understand that saying you’re a feminist is just saying that you hope women and men will have equal rights and equal opportunities,” Swift said in an interview with The Guardian. “What it seemed to me, the way it was phrased in culture, society, was that you hate men.”

In the past, many of Swift’s songs had anti-feminist themes. Her 2008 hit song, “You Belong With Me,” shamed women for what they wore and the activities they enjoyed. She sings, “Hey what you doing with a girl like that/she wears high heels,/I wear sneakers/she’s cheer captain/ and I’m on the bleachers.” These themes were also prevalent in her 2010 song, “Better Than Revenge,” in which she criticizes a girl for being “better known for the things that she does on the mattress.” Over time, Swift’s style evolved and she strayed from songs that tore down others, opting instead to write about more personal experiences.

The Battle With Spotify

Swift underwent a new barrage of criticism after pulling her songs from Spotify in early November. She had just recently released 1989, and many claimed that the move would lead to decreased album sales. In early July, Swift wrote an Op/Ed for the Wall Street Journal, explaining her ongoing battle with Spotify:

“It’s my opinion that music should not be free, and my prediction is that individual artists and their labels will someday decide what an album’s price point is,” Swift wrote. “I hope they don’t underestimate themselves or undervalue their art.”

Swift argued that streaming services such as Spotify are severely underpaying artists for their work. Whether you agree with this premise or not, Swift’s decision to pull her music from Spotify and publicly denounce it and similar businesses took a lot of moxie: many claim that streaming services represent the future of music sales and argue that Swift’s decision to distance herself from those businesses was a shortsighted move that will ultimately cause her to lose the spotlight. Her stance against one of the largest businesses in the music industry shows Swift’s strength of character and convictions. Still, numerous people have stated that she will ultimately lose this battle with Spotify.

In an article for Time, Jacob Davison writes, “It’s fitting that Taylor Swift’s new album is titled 1989, because that’s the period Swift likely wishes she lived in … [She assumes] the alternative to Spotify are album sales. That’s false. Instead, Spotify customers spurned by the pop goddess can simply go to YouTube, GrooveShark, SoundCloud, or any number of other on-demand streaming alternatives.”

But Davison underestimated Swift and her dedication to her cause: Aside from the music videos for “Shake it Off” and “Blank Space,” songs from 1989 aren’t on YouTube. The same can be said for all other free music sites. Swift challenged the traditional music paradigm and made 1989 difficult to listen to: an even more coveted object for fans. Her album has spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 chart.

Since Swift pulled her music from Spotify, many other artists have followed suit. Just days after her announcement, fellow country star Jason Aldean removed his newest album from Spotify as well. Brantley Gilbert and Justin Moore, Swift’s label mates at Big Machine Records have also ended their relationship with the music streaming service. The now-frequent debates over the merits and deficits of Spotify are due in no small part to Swift’s move.

Over the years, Taylor Swift has become a musical powerhouse. As she has become one of the most popular artists in the world, she’s consistently used her fame for support causes she believes in, regardless of their critical appeal. And for the time being, it seems like that’s what we can expect from the global star: who needs to follow trends when you can set them yourself?

Image source: Wikipedia