(CNN) –– With prolific songwriting and marked milestones, Taylor Swift’s music has given the world an intimate look at the growth of a young woman.
Her lyrics, speeches, videos, and even her 2020 documentary, “Miss Americana,” have told the story of a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world through approval and applause, until she becomes a woman with a fountain. more sustainable happiness.
And now, with the release of her latest album “Midnights,” Taylor Swift fans are invited to observe the struggles and lessons the artist explores in this new phase of her life.
I was 12 years old when I started listening to Swift’s music. I cried because Drew never saw past her fake smile in the halls of high school. I fluttered between the dreams of young love. I processed with her the heartbreak from her past relationships, trying to find where we could or could not be to blame. I struggled with the reality and fiction behind reputations.
During the 16 years that Swift has been in the spotlight, I have been one of the young women who felt that she – through her stumbles and victories – was singing directly to me. In all this time, these are the 6 things I’ve learned from Taylor Swift about living better.
(A note to fellow followers, my fellow Swifties: I know I’ve left a few things out. Don’t blame me, I had a word limit imposed by the publisher.)
Reconcile with your insecurities
(Credit: Mark Humphrey/AP)
Take the video for the song “Anti-hero” from her latest album “Midnights” as an example, though this isn’t the first time Taylor Swift has shared her insecurities and flaws.
“It’s me. Hello. I’m the problem, it’s me,” sings the artist in a scene where two versions of her meet, which can be understood as her public and private facets.
So, they enjoy drinking alcohol until they feel bad, running from the ghosts of people they never spoke to again, and breaking guitars while dancing. They even meet a third (giant) version that highlights her insecurities about being what she calls “a monster on the hill too big to hang out with.”
The game and chaos end as the three versions of Taylor gather to share a bottle of wine and reflect as the sun goes down.
There is peace when your different personalities come together, and the things you may not like about one complement each other. I’m quick to notice the parts of myself I don’t like, but that scene perfectly captured the goal I’m fighting for: accepting the many facets that I have.
Prioritize a positive relationship with your body
Taylor Swift in her documentary, “Miss Americana.” (Credit: Courtesy of Netflix)
“There’s always some standard of beauty that you’re not meeting,” Swift said in her “Miss Americana” documentary. “If you’re skinny enough, then you don’t have that cu** that everyone wants. But if you’re heavy enough to have a butt, then your stomach isn’t flat enough,” she added.
Pointing out that hypocrisy, Swift describes the evolution in her relationship with her body and her history of eating disorders. Amid a barrage of photos and comments about her body in tabloids and on social media, the artist spoke of a period in which she exercised a lot and slowly starved herself to reach an ideal standard.
The video for “Anti-hero” also touches on this theme as Swift looks down at a scale with no numbers, only the word “fat” on it. The image sparked conversations among the public: some considered it fatphobic, while others saw it as an expression of the intrusive thoughts that a history of eating disorders generates.
“I’ve learned over the years that it doesn’t do me any good to look at pictures of myself every day,” Swift said. “Now I’ve realized that if you eat and have energy and get stronger, you can do all these shows and not feel them,” she added.
“I’m so much happier with who I am,” Swift said in the documentary. “It’s just something that makes my life better: the fact that I’m a size 6 instead of a size 00.”
take back your power
Taylor Swift performs at the 2022 NSAI Nashville Songwriter Awards on September 20, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
When the man Taylor Swift accused of assaulting her in 2013 sued her in 2015, she countersued him for a dollar (and won). When she had a problem with the way streaming services paid artists, she just took her music out of it. When she was involved in a dispute over the intellectual property of her songs, she turned the need to re-record her work into a long-awaited series of events. When “Taylor Swift is canceled” trended on Twitter, she turned the experience into an album.
Swift has experience demonstrating how a palace is built on the rubble of a devastating blow. Yes, she is a very powerful celebrity with far more resources than the average person, but I have felt empowered watching her stand up for herself and often others facing similar situations with less privilege.
Even with the time she’s taken to stay out of the public eye over the past few years and protect her privacy with boyfriend Joe Alwyn, Taylor Swift shows that it’s okay to find ways to protect yourself and, when possible, strike a defensive blow.
Put your values above what they say about you
Participating in the political conversation is a choice Swift has called difficult.
For a long time he remained silent on his positions, in an apparently neutral attitude that received much praise from public figures. In her documentary, she said that with this silence she wanted them to see her as a “good girl.”
But in his music now he wonders if it has been too good. Although she has received criticism that her activism comes too late, we have had a more empowered Taylor Swift in recent years: one who endorses candidates, promotes LGBTQ organizations and uses her platform to increase participation. electoral.
We saw her in tears during her documentary when she informs her team that she is going to talk about her positions for the first time. It’s clear that her confidence in this regard has grown since then: the Swift we now watch responding to the backlash of her political messaging is a more well-rounded and comfortable one.
go your own way
Taylor Swift asiste a Billboard Magazine: Women in Music 2019.
Taylor Swift’s most heartbreaking songs allude to feeling like an outsider, not knowing who she’ll talk to at school and not living up to conventional fairy tale archetypes.
Meanwhile, the happier Taylor avoids the “should.” Hers “and they lived happily ever after” is hers and hers alone: While audiences eagerly await Swift and Alwyn’s marriage, she celebrates what she describes as a committed but private love in new song “Lavender Haze.”
“Lately, I’ve been less focused on doing what they say I can’t and more on doing what I want,” she said in her 2019 Billboard Woman of the Decade acceptance speech.
Add a little lightness
I also remember often laughing at myself a bit, as one of the world’s greatest female artists does by caricatureing herself chasing men or dedicating an entire music video to her inability to dance. I learned from Swift not to take life too seriously and to be the first to laugh at my mistakes.
It can be dangerous to worship celebrities as infallible and limited to the dimension we see in the public sphere. But I think we can learn from her without portraying her as perfect. Many young women who grew up with Taylor Swift have learned a lot as she shares her growth with us.
(CNN) –– With prolific songwriting and marked milestones, Taylor Swift’s music has given the world an intimate look at the growth of a young woman.
Her lyrics, speeches, videos, and even her 2020 documentary, “Miss Americana,” have told the story of a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world through approval and applause, until she becomes a woman with a fountain. more sustainable happiness.
And now, with the release of her latest album “Midnights,” Taylor Swift fans are invited to observe the struggles and lessons the artist explores in this new phase of her life.
I was 12 years old when I started listening to Swift’s music. I cried because Drew never saw past her fake smile in the halls of high school. I fluttered between the dreams of young love. I processed with her the heartbreak from her past relationships, trying to find where we could or could not be to blame. I struggled with the reality and fiction behind reputations.
During the 16 years that Swift has been in the spotlight, I have been one of the young women who felt that she – through her stumbles and victories – was singing directly to me. In all this time, these are the 6 things I’ve learned from Taylor Swift about living better.
(A note to fellow followers, my fellow Swifties: I know I’ve left a few things out. Don’t blame me, I had a word limit imposed by the publisher.)
Reconcile with your insecurities
(Credit: Mark Humphrey/AP)
Take the video for the song “Anti-hero” from her latest album “Midnights” as an example, though this isn’t the first time Taylor Swift has shared her insecurities and flaws.
“It’s me. Hello. I’m the problem, it’s me,” sings the artist in a scene where two versions of her meet, which can be understood as her public and private facets.
So, they enjoy drinking alcohol until they feel bad, running from the ghosts of people they never spoke to again, and breaking guitars while dancing. They even meet a third (giant) version that highlights her insecurities about being what she calls “a monster on the hill too big to hang out with.”
The game and chaos end as the three versions of Taylor gather to share a bottle of wine and reflect as the sun goes down.
There is peace when your different personalities come together, and the things you may not like about one complement each other. I’m quick to notice the parts of myself I don’t like, but that scene perfectly captured the goal I’m fighting for: accepting the many facets that I have.
Prioritize a positive relationship with your body
Taylor Swift in her documentary, “Miss Americana.” (Credit: Courtesy of Netflix)
“There’s always some standard of beauty that you’re not meeting,” Swift said in her “Miss Americana” documentary. “If you’re skinny enough, then you don’t have that cu** that everyone wants. But if you’re heavy enough to have a butt, then your stomach isn’t flat enough,” she added.
Pointing out that hypocrisy, Swift describes the evolution in her relationship with her body and her history of eating disorders. Amid a barrage of photos and comments about her body in tabloids and on social media, the artist spoke of a period in which she exercised a lot and slowly starved herself to reach an ideal standard.
The video for “Anti-hero” also touches on this theme as Swift looks down at a scale with no numbers, only the word “fat” on it. The image sparked conversations among the public: some considered it fatphobic, while others saw it as an expression of the intrusive thoughts that a history of eating disorders generates.
“I’ve learned over the years that it doesn’t do me any good to look at pictures of myself every day,” Swift said. “Now I’ve realized that if you eat and have energy and get stronger, you can do all these shows and not feel them,” she added.
“I’m so much happier with who I am,” Swift said in the documentary. “It’s just something that makes my life better: the fact that I’m a size 6 instead of a size 00.”
take back your power
Taylor Swift performs at the 2022 NSAI Nashville Songwriter Awards on September 20, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.
When the man Taylor Swift accused of assaulting her in 2013 sued her in 2015, she countersued him for a dollar (and won). When she had a problem with the way streaming services paid artists, she just took her music out of it. When she was involved in a dispute over the intellectual property of her songs, she turned the need to re-record her work into a long-awaited series of events. When “Taylor Swift is canceled” trended on Twitter, she turned the experience into an album.
Swift has experience demonstrating how a palace is built on the rubble of a devastating blow. Yes, she is a very powerful celebrity with far more resources than the average person, but I have felt empowered watching her stand up for herself and often others facing similar situations with less privilege.
Even with the time she’s taken to stay out of the public eye over the past few years and protect her privacy with boyfriend Joe Alwyn, Taylor Swift shows that it’s okay to find ways to protect yourself and, when possible, strike a defensive blow.
Put your values above what they say about you
Participating in the political conversation is a choice Swift has called difficult.
For a long time he remained silent on his positions, in an apparently neutral attitude that received much praise from public figures. In her documentary, she said that with this silence she wanted them to see her as a “good girl.”
But in his music now he wonders if it has been too good. Although she has received criticism that her activism comes too late, we have had a more empowered Taylor Swift in recent years: one who endorses candidates, promotes LGBTQ organizations and uses her platform to increase participation. electoral.
We saw her in tears during her documentary when she informs her team that she is going to talk about her positions for the first time. It’s clear that her confidence in this regard has grown since then: the Swift we now watch responding to the backlash of her political messaging is a more well-rounded and comfortable one.
go your own way
Taylor Swift asiste a Billboard Magazine: Women in Music 2019.
Taylor Swift’s most heartbreaking songs allude to feeling like an outsider, not knowing who she’ll talk to at school and not living up to conventional fairy tale archetypes.
Meanwhile, the happier Taylor avoids the “should.” Hers “and they lived happily ever after” is hers and hers alone: While audiences eagerly await Swift and Alwyn’s marriage, she celebrates what she describes as a committed but private love in new song “Lavender Haze.”
“Lately, I’ve been less focused on doing what they say I can’t and more on doing what I want,” she said in her 2019 Billboard Woman of the Decade acceptance speech.
Add a little lightness
I also remember often laughing at myself a bit, as one of the world’s greatest female artists does by caricatureing herself chasing men or dedicating an entire music video to her inability to dance. I learned from Swift not to take life too seriously and to be the first to laugh at my mistakes.
It can be dangerous to worship celebrities as infallible and limited to the dimension we see in the public sphere. But I think we can learn from her without portraying her as perfect. Many young women who grew up with Taylor Swift have learned a lot as she shares her growth with us.
