Taylor Swift Songs Promote Romance, Not Sex
It's official. Sex isn't all that, but romance is. This, according to a recent story in the Boston Globe. The author cites Taylor Swift as part of a step in the right direction because of her anti-Britney, anti-Christina, anti-hypersexualized ways. And because of songs that suggest there's more to romance than sex. The story also gives Swift a shout-out for representing "a radical departure from the last wave of teen icons, whose seductive looks and lyrics encouraged girls, like all teenagers, impatient to grow up, to hurry it up." Amen. Even a recent poll on glamour.com found that 75 percent of women believe in soul mates. So if it's romance young women want, then they should be adding more country music to their playlists. Despite some of their black leather attire, Kellie Pickler and Martina McBride have plenty of songs about wholesome love. And Julianne Hough is another example of a star who's singing about the kind of falling-in-love stories that young girls really dream about. (As opposed to the raunchy one night stands boys wished girls dreamed about.)
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Steve says:
This just in… “Alison Bonaguro Blogs Promote Pop, Not Country”.
I kid, I kid - kind of (you are fair in your representations, but it does annoy me to hear pop-remixes of Taylor’s songs)
luvncountry says:
I was wondering how long it would be before we got (yet) another Taylor blog- never takes long.
hotelmotel says:
Maybe girls don “dream about” the “raunchy one night stands,” but a lot of them sure have them. It takes two to have a raunchy one night stand, after all.
Taylor Swift may not be as in-your-face about sex as Britney is, but nonetheless its sex appeal (though I think she’s not attractive at all) that sells her songs.
I’d also note that while “75 percent of women believe in soul mates,” according to Glamour, a belief in soul mates isn’t inconsistent with random hook ups and raunchy one night stands. One can have the hook ups until one finds the soul mate.
Anyway, the teenager who listens to the innocence of Taylor Swift on the radio will also hear songs that promote one night stands,like “Looking for a Good Time.”
Maybe Taylor Swift is just “Britney for Prudes,” but at least there’s still some adult content on country radio.
RedMaZ says:
It’s called Pop Country, and as soon as this blog site starts getting somewhat of a variety on the first page, it becomes flooded again by Mainstream waters. The same person keeps sinking the same boat.
luvncountry says:
I was thinking the majority on these blogs ARE into country pop artists because when I visit the other blogs that have more to do with anyone outside of mainstream country, there’s no where NEAR the comments or interest, apparently THEY are in the minority. So why should this surprise you? I don’t mind the pop country, but let’s give a few different ones the spotlight- like say, anyone BESIDES Taylor Swift.
RedMaZ says:
I didn’t say the majority aren’t Pop Country. I said just when it’s starting to get a mix, it’s short lived. That stands to reason, because on other sites only about 10% of the people are listening to the other 90% of the music, while on this blog site, 90% of the music listeners are listening to only 10% of the music. That’s why for the most part it’s about the same acts over and over. You know….Pop Music.
luvncountry says:
I get’cha RedMaz, although I notice there are still a # of people using the terms pop & country like they are separate so it appears they are ignoring any attempts to know or care about the difference. Oh well…PS are you the one on the CMT message board looking for name of song or artist?
RedMaZ says:
Nothing is more dangerous than sincere ignorance, and conscientious stupidity.
dan says:
not all boys dream of one night stands although it is releaveing to have them at the end of a long hard day some girls are the one night type or friend with benfifs type a but a girlfriend is better and sex is not romance romance is romance but romancelty sex is romancelty sex
audi16 says:
I agree with you 100% Allison, and I thank you for continuing to write blogs about Taylor despite all of the negative comments. Taylor is a great role-model to people of all ages. I’m glad her songs talk about love, and fairy-tale endings.
Melissa says:
I agree with you Alison, and I also agree with audi16. I like that Taylor’s songs aren’t like that, although I will admit that I like some of Britney’s songs and that some of them are fun to dance along to, too.
rolltidefan says:
It does take long for a ts blog to show up!!!! PLEASE STOP!!!!
hotelmotel says:
CMT is in the business of promoting pop country and Taylor Swift is a huge pop country star right now. I don’t think it will stop until the fans ditch Swift and move on to the next star.
Deb says:
Then you will have a long wait hotelmotel, because Taylor isn’t going anywhere. Miss Swift is here to stay!
hotelmotel says:
Deb - I think its safe to say Swift will be around for another 2-3 years, minimum. But beyond that I don’t think anyone can predict what will happen.
Some country stars are forgotten almost as quickly as they became famous. For example, Bryan White was “huge” between 1995-1998, but couldn’t buy a hit after 1998. It all ended real fast for him, and for no obvious reason, either. George Strait, however, has continued to go strong for nearly 30 years.
I think Taylor Swift is in great position to have a lengthy career. But there are no certainties. Right now, Swift is “the next big thing.” She may go on to have a 10 or 20 year career, but she won’t be “the next big thing” for more than a year or two or so more. I guess challenge will be to still crank out hits after the novelty factor has worn off. She may very well be up to the challenge. I certainly wish her the best.
Gladys says:
I am not a fan of Taylor Swifts songs but I like Alison Bonaguro point. We need to bring the romance back. The shyness the, the courtship, the blushing. LOL I blush now when I hear some of the things people say.
I am woman so I feel more comfortable taking to women about sexuality. It takes two to tango I agree. So if more women didn’t tango less men would be tangoing and so on. Anyway we really do need to get out of denial.
Sex has become perverted instead of a wonderful intimate experience shared by two people who have made a commitment to be with each other forever.
Drew says:
“As opposed to the raunchy one night stands boys wished girls dreamed about.”
haha, good one, I like the cheeky little lines you put in.
!!JoRdAn LeAnN hEnSlEy!! says:
yea om a huge fan of taylor swift shes just 18 im 16 she writes great songs bout alot real-life things and i write my songs about the same things she does im trying to start my singing career. ive written 27 songs all abotu what she does and i look up to her she bright beautiful smart shes got a head on her shoulders everyone at my school thinkd me and her r alot alike..well taylor a great girl she may only b 18 but she knows what shes headed for in life..
<3 always jordan hensley
jan says:
HER 15 MINUTES WILL BE UP SOON!!
CJ says:
I agree with you Alison it would be nice for the kids to feel real romance. I do not think it will happen. Taylor needs to sing better if she is going to have staying power. Most of the polls show Taylor at the top unless the Jones Brothers or David Archuleta are on the poll. Then she is out of the running. So I think that tells you teens go for whoever at the time. It does not matter if they can sing or are a good role model. They go for the looks. As they get older they wonder why they liked a certain singer. It happens to a lot of us…
Gail says:
Go read an editorial concerning Taylor on CountryStandardTime.com. He hit it on the head about her. I love romance as much as anyone, but Taylor’s fixation with fairy tales, prince & princesses is for the younger generation and I’m older, but her music is all you can hear on the radio now. I turn her music off because to me it’s so childish. I want to hear more grown up songs and you can’t hear that anymore. As been stated so many times, she can’t sing and if it’s not a song written by herself and a certain type of song, she can’t sing it. She even sounds awful on the Christmas songs she’s released. Anyhow that’s just my opinion and I’m hoping she will be out of sight and out of mind soon because I’m tired of hearing Taylor this, Taylor that!
Ham says:
I simply cannot wait until the hair flips, bad singing and childish antics are gone. Someone please bag up Taylor and give us some adult music. Why are we dwelling on the teen years like they were nirvana?
RedMaZ says:
I never knew of the torment you people go through when you have no control over the music you listen to. Is this what it feels like to be a slave to Mainstream Pop Culture?
luvncountry says:
No torture here, If I don’t like a song on the radio, I turn on a CD of MY choosing.
twilightrocks says:
OMG people like I said before if your tried of reading blogs about her then dont click on it and comment on it.
luvncountry says:
twilight, it’s not the reading and comments, it’s the # of blogs they have on TS- it’s not like she’s the ONLY country artist in Nashville, they could replace a few of hers with a few others that are (more) deserving, and still have room for her. I’m sure a majority of these blogs are Alison’s. How old are you Alison that you have such an incessant fascination/addiction/NEED to obsess us all with Taylor? Do you not have any other material, or people to choose from to write about?
rolltidefan says:
Thank you, luvncountry! Thats what I am talking about. They always have blogs on ts. Well there is other country artist that is more deserving than her. She is shoved in your face so much, I AM SICK OF HER!!! I feel like it should be fairly done! Equal blogs and time for everybody!!! Fair is fair! Not everyone likes ts!!!!
rolltidefan says:
Also, I counted over 100 blogs about ts. Dont you think that is enought????????????????????????????????????????
RedMaZ says:
Are you in blog prison? It certainly is a shame you are forced to be here. I’m hoping someday soon you will be able to make your own decisions on what you can hear, see and read. Best of luck to you all.
luvncountry says:
That’s funny rolltide, I went back a number of pages to see how many of those ts blogs were written by Alison. I actually quit after 5 so I am quite sure there is far more, in addition to the others who insist on thinking ts is the only country artist to write about. I have nothing against ts personally, I am sure she is a sweet young thing, even though she can’t compete with the REAL voices of country/pop women, but she certainly has her audience.
So rolltide, who do YOU want to hear more about?
bkb says:
cmt had three news items, all about swift and a special with katie cook called taylor swift. do any of the other women ever do anything news worthy or get to have special programs about them? she has put her self out on everything to perform and it all turns out bad.
luvncountry says:
Some people can ignore negative press, just as long as they ARE IN the press. I guess they figure the good outweighs the bad and it’s worth it. I wonder how much of that is ego &/or pride. I’m sure the other women are newsworthy, or DO news-worthy things, they just don’t feel the NEED to broadcast it. Or perhaps because they are mature in the business, they already have the quiet confidence that “class” gives them. Only time will tell where the country kiddies will end up. I’ll be looking to see who’s still around to have developed the necessary maturation in 5 yrs.
rolltidefan says:
I like the older country music artist, like martina mcbride, george strait, alan jackson, alabama, just to name a few. I just not in these new artists.
RedMaZ says:
To you those are “older” country music artists? Do you like any new Roots Music/Country artists?
rolltidefan says:
I like some new artists.
rolltidefan says:
No, I dont think they are old artists. There just some of the ones I grew up with.
luvncountry says:
Well Rolltide, if those are the artists you “grew up with,” you can’t be very old. lol I grew up with Willie, Waylon, some of the cheesy singing cowboys on TV, (Roy Rogers, Gene Autry) more my mom’s faves. Kenny Rogers came later. I still love Kenny R, I can take or leave Kenny C, but also like Kenny G. :o) I also like the artists you mentioned though, among others; Tracy Lawrence, Tracy Byrd, Mark Chestnut, Jeff Bates, Randy Travis, John Michael Montgomery, Jamie Johnson, Randy Houser, TG Sheppard, Pam Tillis–really, too many to name, some newer, some older…
rolltidefan says:
I like some of the ones you memtion too.
Paige Anne says:
taylor swift is like my idol. She’s the coolest person on the face of the earth in my opinion!!
katlyin says:
YOU ROCK
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