Dear Taylor,
It’s been week now since "1989" and I think that I can speak for white girls all across the nation in saying that it’s a hit! Just now on my drive home I encountered at least three cars with T-Swift blasting out their windows. I’ll be honest I’m singing along right there with them. Your songs are catchy, Taylor. We really love them, but I have some concerns.
Let me preface this by letting you know that I have been a tried and true Taylor fan since your curly haired country music days. I am always the first to defend your spazzy dance moves or your melodramatic lyrics. I have been there through the Taylor Lautner days, the Kanye incident and now your transition into pop. I love ya Taylor, so please allow me to air my grievances.
Your songs are catchy, there’s no doubt about that. But, Taylor, where’s the content? When your “Speak Now” album came out I was fresh out of my first heartbreak. Your words helped me feel as if I wasn't the only one in pain. You were able to put my emotions and feelings into words and make sense of those things that didn’t make sense at all. I’ll never forget the first time I heard “Last Kiss,” it was as if you had written those words just for me! But now, Taylor, where are the stories in your songs? I’m hearing a lot of animatronic sound effects and less of that deep, teen angst-y substance that I, and the rest of your fans, fell in love at first listen.
Let’s take your new song, “This Love,” for example. I totally see what you’re trying to do here. I get it; you grew up, cut your hair, and became a hipster. So you feel like because of this you think you have to be less overemotional and more metaphorical. I understand. But, it’s not you!
“Clear blue water, high tide came and brought you in And I could go on and on, on and on, and I will”
Seriously what does that even mean??? Do you really see him like that or is that how you think people want you to see him? Taylor, we are adolescent girls, we are not poets. We would rather hear another ranting ballad about hating his pickup truck than this emotional gobblygook. Also, “This love is good, this love is bad” Taylor, Taylor, Taylor… you are better than this! Where’s the emotion? (Also, where are the adjectives?)
I miss “Teardrops on my Guitar” Taylor. Ya know, that song that told girls (and boys; I know there are some of you out there, don’t try to deny it) that sometimes the other girl gets the guy, and it’s okay to be sad, there’s beauty in your pain. Or what about “Better than Revenge,” Taylor? When she let us know that while there is beauty in pain, there’s also beauty in kicking some booty of that guy who did ya wrong. And, oh man, “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor, even as you began your transition into the pop world you stayed true to yourself with your “Red” album. That song became an anthem to girls everywhere, giving them the courage to keep their heads held high and their standards even higher! You addressed that issue that we all know so well and told us to stay strong when that boy came crawling back to us. You gave us the courage to look him straight in those beautiful, enticing, tempting eyes of his and KICK HIM TO THE CURB! Taylor! You did this for us!
All I’m trying to say is don’t give up on your roots just yet. You can wear cat sweaters, move to New York and date Kennedys all you want but you can still be YOU, the YOU that we, T-Swift nation, know and love. You don’t ever have to put on another pair of cowboy boots again, or even grow out your hair, but Taylor, we need you. We need the real, true you to write from your soul and to help us make sense of our worlds again. We love you, Tay, and we just want the old you back.
*Disclaimer: I wouldn’t call myself a hater but, Taylor, on the off chance that you actually read this article, while I advise you to take my advice, I fully permit you to shake [this] off, sh-shake it off*
