Taylor Swift Lives Impossible Dream at Grammys
The music is always nice. But I love the acceptance speeches at awards shows. That's because, like the music, everyone's speeches are so different. Some artists have a laundry list of thank-you's. Some act like it's about time they won. And others, like Taylor Swift, admit how long they've been dreaming of it. Last night (Jan. 31) when she won the Grammy for best country album she said, "I just keep thinking back to when you're in second grade, and you sing at your talent show for the first time, and people joke around and they say, 'Oh, maybe we'll see you at the Grammys someday.' But that seems like the impossible dream. I feel like I'm standing here accepting an impossible dream right now and I thank you so much for that." So what started as joking around in elementary school ended up coming true for Swift. Like the way you joke when a kid helps win a seventh grade basketball game and you say, "Maybe you'll be in the NBA." Or when a fifth grader gets the lead in the school play and people say, "You might end up on Broadway." But those dreams very rarely come true. So that must be what Swift meant about them being "impossible." The odds are stacked against you when you're a little kid with a dream. But she has defied all those odds, and then some.
Photo credit: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Amy says:
The amazing part is she still sounds like a second grader singing in a talent show. Taylor is a good role model for all the below average, mediocre singers out there with dreams of making it big. If Taylor can make it with a voice like hers, I’d say just about anyone can. Congratulations Taylor!
mary roberts says:
oh my god her singing last night was awful. i have heard her sing live before but last was worse i felt sorry for stevie she deserved better than that. and taylor needs to get off this act i can’t believe i won please that was so fake.as carries song said that was a dream no i mean a nightmare.
D says:
“So what started as joking around in elementary school ended up coming true for Swift. Like the way you joke when a kid helps win a seventh grade basketball game and you say, “Maybe you’ll be in the NBA.” Or when a fifth grader gets the lead in the school play and people say, “You might end up on Broadway.” But those dreams very rarely come true. So that must be what Swift meant about them being “impossible.”"
Well, duh. Was what Swift said was so complicated that it needed to be essentially restated here?
Sunni Baran says:
In “15″ I would like to know?? is Taylor referring to her friend, with whom she cried, having an abortion? The lyrics are vague. Does losing one’s virginity carry enough weight these days to be the meaning or are we to assume this is a “nod” to the pro choicers that accepting taking the life of the inconvenient for 15 year old is the new standard? Taylor should know that she will be herald accountable for her words just as the adults of her rank.
GOKanye says:
His actions may have been rude, but Kanye was right…Taylor is taking away wonderful awards that belong to more deserving and talented artists!!
Kim says:
You are right- she is living the impossible dream. Most people with a voice like hers would never even dream of getting a recording contract. Last night’s performance was dreadful. And her whole jaw-dropping act like she is so surprised she’s getting an award is wearing thin. Rather it should be the rest of us with our jaw dropped that she actually wins anything. Hope the Grammy voters are happy because they have officially turned the Grammys into a joke too.
Alex says:
She’s kind of narcissistic. But it looks like it’s covered by that “shocked” face she makes every time she wins. She doesn’t acknowledge the other nominees, which I always thought was customary.
Also, she cannot sing live at all. Today Was a Fairytale was painful. The other two were just a little less painful.
hotelmotel says:
Alison likes the acceptance speeches because “everyone’s speeches are so different.” Me, I like the speeches of the female artists because some of the artists have terrible singing voices and if they are speaking at least they aren’t singing.
S says:
I’m another one who is sick of Taylor’s shocked expressions and “OMG, I can’t believe this is happening” comments when she wins awards. She may truly be shocked but it’s probably because she knows that she can’t sing and can’t believe that she is pulling the wool over the eyes of so many people. She must be laughing all the way to the bank. The only consolation is that I know she doesn’t have any of my hard-earned money.
sandradee says:
Tired of “everything” Taylor. Tired of reading about her, seeing her and most of all…tired of hearing her. I don’t mind that she’s popular and that she wants a career in music…just go do it on the Disney channel and pop radio where the majority of her fans reside. And country music industry…take notice. You’re delusional if you think Taylor is bringing fans over to country. If anything, she will contribute to it’s demise.
Ashley says:
Yeah 10 million plus albums is a complete demise. Also to whoever was asking about abortion. No No No! The lyric is about a girl losing her virginity with a guy who leaves her google it. It has nothing to do with that you should do research before you judge people.
YGrove says:
The Sad thing, Country thinks it was a good night,Everyone on the Net says Country is tone Deaf,thanks to Taylor Swift,Country is becoming a Joke.
Enough says:
This is ridiculous. Grammy’s have now sold out.
Katie says:
I also like acceptance speeches, as well. I get bored with the lists of names people thank, but people like Taylor and others who genuinely seem so pleased to be winning make me smile.
S says:
YGrove, most people think of Country music as a joke. And after Taylor’s flat, off-key performance it’s an even bigger joke. And the fact that she beat people with REAL talent is the straw that broke the camel’s back!
Lancely says:
I agree that Taylor needs to stop it with the “I can’t believe it” expressions.
Teddy says:
All you haters just stop. The girl at 20, is a great artist. She does it all, sings, writes, plays instruments. Has a positive message. She should be praised for not taking the cheap road of selling sex and her looks to be popular. Unbelievable the jealousy. Really funny stuff.
MiaT says:
She is something else. The goal she achieved at such a young age. I must admit I have never seen heard her live before but the people I know who have say what a great show she puts on. I myself admire her songwriting. i can’t wait to see her live one day. Congrats Taylor!
BTW: The sound was off on all performers.
penny says:
I don’t care if she is 20 or 200 years old, plays and writes her own music, she was so off key last night, the worst live performance I can remember seeing. I am sure those millions of records were sold to 6th graders across the country who wish they could be her. No one with one ounce of musical knowledge or even a musical ear could stand this thin, nonexsistant voice.
MiaT says:
Hey Alison, I always have such a great time reading your blogs on Taylor, Carrie etc. You always get the peeps fired up!!!! Good times! :)
sandradee says:
Teddy - “unbelievable the jealousy”??? Jealous of what? Oh, wait a minute. Maybe we’re jealous that we don’t get to stand on stage in front of millions of people and sing so badly that everyone now knows the girl cannot sing. Yeah baby, we’re all jealous. ROTFLMAO!
Todd says:
I am blown away by the tasteless barrage of “hate criticism” towards Taylor. If you don’t like her, that is fine. If you can’t stand to look at her or listen to any song she sings, then change the channel. It’s alright to be critical, but it’s not necessary to be cruel and ruthless about it. I almost was convinced that country fans had class because Taylor Swift has never verbally attacked any of you!
elizab says:
Congrats to her wins but the reviews of her performance across the nation and most newspapers are brutally awful including some of her fans. I do feel sorry for her inspite of her win. Hopefully we all forget and move on.
Enough says:
We are not jealous. It is a slap in talented artists Faces everywhere that just because her Daddy has money and can buy her anything, more deserving artists are not recognized. And that her studio does all the tricks in the world to make the album sound good.
goodguy says:
I see all the jealous haters are on this blog. I think it adds up to ten or twelve? The hateful remarks will not matter in the long run since Taylor is not one lonely girl. She has millions of supporters who love her.
cmf says:
In second grade, who knew what award shows were. I am so sick of hearing Taylor’s dreams, and her speeches. They all sound the same. She knows she has a chance to win, she is not surprised. I think everyone is just on overload with Taylor anymore.
Teddy says:
Like I said, she is a great artist. There are countless great artist who voices might not be considered great. The anger to my previous post just proves the jealousy. Thank you!
KJC says:
I think the skinny, blonde hair, good girl success is too much for some who are consumed with hate and guilt …….lol!
tay-who says:
Teddy its not just here. It’s all over the web. Even the PROS are saying how bad she was. Listen again. Nothing to be jealous of there. My dog howls better than that.
nscomet68 says:
Sunni Baran:
The lines you are referring to are: “And Abagail gave everything she had to a boy Who changed his mind and we both cried.” I think the lyrics are deliberately vague so that the listener can interpret “everything” from his/her own point of view. In a more innocent time perhaps “everything” would have meant giving your “heart” to someone; these days I would expect “everything” to have a greater sexual connotation for most. I think that having a abortion would be an extreme interpretation.
The message is, however, that whatever “everything” means to you, it likely means quite a bit less to the guy to whom you are giving “everything”. So you need to take that into account at the age of fifteen. In a word, don’t do it. So even if you think “everything” means having an abortion to please some guy, the message is don’t do it.
That is the reason I like Taylor Swift so much. She is in the middle of what passes for relationship development among the high school/college cohort these days, and it is not pretty. And she tells it like it is. “When you’re fifteen and somebody tells you they love you, you’re gonna belive it”. But when you’re a few years older you will know that was a mistake. If he shoulda said no, and he didn’t, burn his picture and move on to somebody better. And if he comes crawling back, saying he’s sorry, it’s too late for him and his white horse to catch you now. Too many guys take advantage of too many girls these days. So it’s no suprise that Taylor Swift has a lot more appeal among the girls her age, and a lot less appeal among the guys.
After hard rock, punk rock, hip-hop, grunge rock and all the other genres of music that have come around in the last forty years, it astounds me that a teen with this message could sell any records or win even one Grammy award, no matter how many notes she hits or misses.
For too many celebrities her age, the question is not how many notes they can hit or how to fit a human-sized bird cage into the condo, it’s which lawyer to hire, or which rehab center to check into. Somebody that is at least willing to admit that she needs to be careful because she might have some influence on her younger fans? Fantastic!
Wowzers says:
mm…touching. there is a thing called a tuner. After all this is music, not a counseling session
Poster says:
I dont get why people keep mentioning her age. By 20 years old, she should be good! And with the amount of hype she gets, she SHOULD be extraordinary.
Poster says:
And is it just me or does she say the same regurgitated acceptance speech over and over. At least come up with something new, you are a writer after all.
KJC says:
what would you prefer she say ” you guys got it right, i am the best” or better yet ” i like to thank god for giving me these unbelievable talents..” come one. it is refreshing that she is humble.
taylor do not change. people will always try and take you down. hhhhhaaaaaaaaaatttttttteeeeeeeerrrrrss!!!!!!!
Poster says:
Um, there are PLENTY of ways she could phrase a speech.
And everyones right. She doesn’t thank anyone except fans when its fan voted.
taylor do change. people will always try to take you down as long as you deserve it. tttttaaaaaaaaaaaassssssstttteeefffuuuuuulllllllllll!!!!!!!!
8charlotte says:
It is true Taylor’s performance was awful as usual.Sorry I have not heard a live performance from Taylor that was good.This girl can not sing on key or in tune.I know she has tons of fans and I do not have a problem with this.Everyone is entitled to their opinion and feel free to like whoever they want,but this girl is not getting any better with her live performances and she is now a 20 year old young woman.And I was always taught that you have to be able to pull off live performances in able to be concidered a singer.Sorry Taylor you are no singer.
nscomet68 says:
Well wowsers, looks like Bob Lefsetz agrees with you. He says “But last night Taylor Swift SHOULD have auto-tuned. To save her career.” He argues that last night’s performance was so bad that the “cognoscenti” realized that Taylor Swift cannot sing and will want to distance themselves from her. “She will be even further hated in Nashville…” and “… has consigned herself to the dustbin of teen phenoms.” He compares her fate to that of New Kids on the Block, the Backstreet Boys, Miley Cyrus, and Debbie Gibson, who he says may get a few roles on Broadway, but will never have another hit record, as “the powers that be won’t let it happen.”
He argues that we like our stars to be genuine. I guess auto-tuning is genuine.
ALJID says:
Wow..D Trotter..please post some youtube videos of Swift in which she sounds as good as her record. The Grammy performance once again was painfully excruciating. And don’t blame the sound system again or that the audiences were screaming because the Michael Jackson tribute was magnificent. No sound problems with that one..My posts are being deleted by CMT because truth really hurts….there is clear bias in this site..pathetic…
Taylor’s Golden Lockes says:
Your right she is not a (just)singer, she is an artist. An unbelievably talented artist. Oh by the way CMT music awards, killer rendition of you belong to me. Out sang everyone that night. She makes Martina, Faith and the rest seem old and outdated.
Poster, she thanks the fans ALL the time. You would have to be brain dead to not realize she is very humble when she is up there.
Dye your hair blonde, maybe you won’t hate as much.
J. Christ says:
This girl can’t sing to save her life.
My cat could sing better than her.
Please. Your 15 minutes are WAY over Taylor!
Taylor’s Golden Lockes says:
J Christ you better get on the phone now, and make all those phone calls refunding all tickets purchsed to the sold out shows Taylor has for 2010. Good luck……..
How did I says:
How did I know you would write her press release for her
flower says:
Taylor’s Golden Locks, you get it so right!!!!taylor is a artist a great one at that!!! Iagree 100% with you!!!! the haters and non taylor fan’s or whatever you want to call yourself!!!!! taylor is the best and most popular out there today!!!!!!!!!!
ALJID says:
When someone says, “Taylor out sang everyone that night..” it’s a sign of the Second Coming…
bkbs says:
poster,your remarks are so true and people are begining to see just how phony and untalented she really is. it’s a shame it took so long for people to see the truth in her.
beadsnstuff says:
I dont get it. Awards are supposed to go to people for accomplishments of doing something better than anybody else. I cant think of any female country singer that has a worse voice than Taylor. so is it just daddys money that keeps getting her to win these awards. She is a cute kid but thats it, she is not pretty, and i know this is not a beauty contest so again you could say carrie or faith won all their awards because they were knock down gorgious, but that would be the wrong answer, they have talent and can sing like an angel and they deserved to win every award they won and probably some they didnt. For example the CMA awards, if you happend to look at the peoples choice on CMT.com that night Taylor won all the awards, she wasnt even in the top 5 in votes from the public so how does she get picked to win.
There are femal singers that dont even make the cut on american idol or can u diet that can sing better than Taylor. I DONT GET IT.
John says:
beadsnstuff…Taylor is doing something better than most, She is writing catchy songs and doing a good job recording them and a lot of people like what they hear. It is as simple as that, but so hard to do. Writing a good song is more important than being a good singer. Even people who do not like Taylors voice say she is a good writer. I dont care how good you can sing if you are not singing something people want to hear it doesn’t matter.
mahalia says:
I am not going to go there with Taylor but instead talk about the BIGGEST standout moment for Country on the show and that was ZAC BROWN BAND. I just love Zac Brown Band, they made Country Music so proud last night at the Grammys. For the first time in a long time I think Country Music has a band worthy of taking over the mantle left by Alabama. Loved their Grammy performance especially how they started out with a shout out to the military. Country music has something real special in them. THEY ARE WHAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT. Won Best New Artist in all of music also, even Taylor didn’t win that when she was nominated last year. SO STOP ALL THIS FOCUS ON TAYLOR AND GIVE KUDOS TO THE COUNTRY BAND THAT REALLY WAS THE STANDOUT FOR COUNTRY.
nscomet68 says:
Interesting story in USA Today on the issues being raised by the cognoscenti here. The Swift camp is aware of the threat of overexposure and the critical panning of her live performances. There was a concerted effort to limit her exposure in December and January, and the three week trip to Australia and Japan fits in nicely with limiting her exposure in the US through the end of February. I guess they felt that the concert for Haiti and the Grammy’s were important enough to make exceptions.
As far as the live performances, Ms. Swift is working to improve them, and Scott Borchetta says she will keep addressing that issue and keep getting better. Apparently auto-tuning is not a part of the improvement package.
Sounds like she knows the cognoscenti sharks smell blood in the water, but is doing these live performances on her own terms and is willing to take whatever criticism comes along. Pretty courageous kid. Or maybe Bob Leysetz, chief cognoscente, is right, she is just too dumb to know what she is doing.
I think I am developing a really healthy disrespect for the cognoscenti.
John has it right. She writes a song that resonates with her demographic. She lives where they live and can express what they want to express. She is their spokesman, the poet laureate for at least half of her generation. They don’t care about cognoscenti and probably never laid eyes on Stevie Nicks until this past Sunday. If you don’t get her message, you don’t get her appeal, it doesn’t have much to do with hitting every note, cause they are singing along and they don’t hit them all either.
michael says:
this is for taylor i need to know what to expect now.is she now pop rock and what about her friend kelley pickler did kelley jump the fence or what……does taylor approve of this
taylor used to do good country muisc but i see her headed to pop rock…why doesnt she do duets w george jones..thats real country….also i would like to ask her about her friend kelley pickler……..seems as though kelley has turned butch on us….. maybe she prefers women now that her hockey player dumped her….should i be seeing kelley w Ellen these days..nothing country about kelley these days her looks remind me of a dyke
trac says:
beadsnstuff: dont try to understand it! It is a joke.
The stuff I use to like on country radio that doesnt get played as much I can still listen to an not get sick of Taylors music does not do that for me.
I could listen to Stevie Nicks forever!
Congrats to Taylor for winning grammys she represents all us others who cant sing so we have to work 9 to 5 jobs. Way to go!! woooo hooooo
She may have fun music a few songs are great but obvious no points for variety. I usually become fans of artists that have staying power and unbelievable vocals. Guess im not a follower.
timcun says:
Mahalia, you’re so right about the Zac Brown Band. It’s funny that the people defending Taylor’s bad performance say it’s because the sound was bad. Funny, it wasn’t bad when Zac Brown performed (or Pink, or Lady GaGa, or any other performer for that matter)..
timcun says:
Another comment about the Zac Brown Band. I watched The View Monday. Whoopi Goldberg has always said that she doesn’t listen to Country music. But she watched the Grammy’s and saw Zac Brown Band and fell in love with them. She even showed a clip of them performing at the Grammy’s and said he has one of the best singing voices that she has heard…
ZacFan says:
I agree the props need to go to Zac Brown Band all the way, please stop the presses with the Taylor pictures and interviews. The girl needs to fade out stage left and she needs to stop singing. She can keep writing all she wants.
Joe says:
Here’s what the big boys are saying-Poor Taylor
In all, Swift won four trophies at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards. AfterFearless also won for best country album, the singer-songwriter said, “I’m standing here accepting an impossible dream right now, and I thank you so much for that.”
Now the bad news: Response to her duet with Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks during the telecast has been overwhelmingly harsh.
The genre-blending duet — on Nicks’ “Rhiannon” with Swift’s “You Belong With Me” — drew sharp reviews from critics, both professional and in the social networking and blogging world.
Ann Powers of the Los Angeles Times wrote that “Swift gave a strikingly bad vocal performance at Staples Center on Sunday, sounding tinny and rhythmically flat-footed as she shared the microphone with the distinctive Stevie Nicks.”
Chris Richards of The Washington Post wrote, “A night in the charmed life of Taylor Swift: Give an incredibly wretched vocal performance, go on to win the biggest Grammy of 2010, anyway.”
The Tennessean’s Dave Paulson chimed in on a live blog: “Maybe a smidge of Jamie Foxx’s autotune wouldn’t be such a bad idea for this duet.”
Respected music industry blogger Bob Lefsetz first wrote that Fearlessdeserved to win album of the year, but then proffered that Swift might have single-handedly imperiled her career with this one Grammy performance: “How awful was she? Dreadful.”
Robin says:
nscomet68 - it’s really sad if she has so much in common with 13 year olds. She is 20 and owns property.
nscomet68 says:
Aw come on Robin. 13 year olds? I guess you finished high school at 13. And even if it is 13 year olds why is it sad that someone can relate to what their life is like and has a message that resonates with them? What do you have against 13 year olds?
Peacock Queen says:
Stevie Nicks. I don’t think I could stand on stage with her and remember to breathe, let along sing. Stevie is a rock goddess, living legend, icon. She is also one of Taylor’s idols, which is why she was asked to do a duet with Taylor. Someone thought it was a good idea, but they were wrong. Stevie has a rock queen’s voice, Taylor does not. There was no way they could sing in harmony. Would you put George Strait with Lady GaGa? No. Swift gets excited at these shows and goes off into another land and forgets what she is doing. She loses the song. I believe that is due to age and inexperience because she cannot overcome her excitement. During her concerts, it doesn’t matter how far off the wall her vocals are because her fans love her and don’t care. But on live television, it’s a whole other ballgame. The people handling her need to do a much better job at choosing songs and helping her to stay focused while singing live. Her Hope For Haiti performance was lovely, in my opinion. The somber occasion kept her low-key and focused. Her phrasing of “Breathless” was perfect, and it has become one of my favorite songs lately.
Grammy lower its standards says:
Taylor cannot sing. Every live performance from her is bad. Disappointed with Grammy for awarding her female vocalist when many others are so much better. I was already disappointed with CMA and AMA for awarding her the female vocalist because she cannot sing and I thought for Grammy, it will be based on talent but said to say the standard from Grammy is also lower. I hope coming ACM can do a better job.
S says:
Here’s an interesting review by Bob Lefsetz about Taylor at the Grammy’s. I had to do a little censoring before I could post it here.
“How awful was Taylor Swift? Dreadful.
“Fearless” deserved to win Album of the Year. I was glad it did. Scuttlebutt was it was DMB’s year, but to say “GrooGrux” is good is to be a tie-dyed hippie hanging out in the parking lot before a show that features great playing but mediocre material. “GrooGrux” sold to a small coterie, most people don’t care. But Taylor Swift is as mainstream as you can get. Triumphing in two formats. Speaking her truth to her audience. I love “Fearless”. You can play it from start to finish, again and again, it’s honest. But last night’s performance…
I don’t need to analyze the performance. (What I don’t get is how Taylor rearranged her own hit song.) But what I am interested in is the impact. Because now, everybody knows that Taylor Swift can’t sing. Is this what they’ll remember?
The cognoscenti saw it, and to what degree do they now want to distance themselves from Ms. Swift?
In other words, did Taylor Swift kill her career overnight?
I’ll argue she did. Oh, I’m not fully convinced of that, but let’s start from this position.
She’ll be even further hated in Nashville. I’d love to say that Top Forty radio stations will ignore her, but this is doubtful, still…
In one fell swoop, Taylor Swift consigned herself to the dustbin of teen phenoms. Who we expect to burn brightly and then fade away. From New Kids On The Block to Backstreet Boys to Miley Cyrus. A wall is created, stating you can’t come any further. Debbie Gibson can appear in shows on Broadway, but she can’t have a hit record, the powers-that-be won’t let it happen.
Taylor’s too young and dumb to understand the mistake she made. And those surrounding her are addicted to cash and are afraid to tell her no. But last night Taylor Swift SHOULD have auto-tuned. To save her career.
They say it’s easy to fake it in the twenty first century. But one thing we know is the truth will always come out. It’s hard to be a singer if you can’t sing.
Ultimately, we want our stars to be genuine. Without this credibility, your time atop the charts is brief.
Taylor Swift shortened her career last night. And since she says she calls all her own shots, she has to shoulder the blame. Yes, her dream came true, she made it, she’s a star, but the real test is longevity. Elton John can play with GaGa decades later. Will Taylor Swift be duetting with the stars of the 2030s? Doubtful..”
Robin says:
nscomet68 - A 13 year old should relate to other 13 year old. This adult woman needs to grow up and sing to her peers and not those almost a decade younger than she is.
TITANSFAN says:
She better enjoy her fame while it last… Don’t get me wrong I like Taylor but her performance was terrible. I have a feeling next year Ms Underwood will take over her new album is really really good….
nscomet68 says:
Robin, Taylor Swift has always said she only writes songs about her life. She has never represented her work in any other way as far as I know. So whats out there now is mostly about things that go on in high school, which is where she was when she wrote them. You have the mistaken notion that high schools are populated with people 13 years old. On that point you are mistaken. Since you can’t remember how old high school kids are, her work is probably not going to appeal to you. Now that she is 20 and a property owner, maybe she will write songs relevant to the life of a 20 year old property owner.
She finds it impossible to believe that you could win a Grammy for writing songs about high school romance on your bedroom floor. I agree with that. But they gave her four Grammys anyway. So good for her.
Now, since you know what Taylor Swift should be doing with her singing career, maybe you know what restaurant I should choose for dinner tonight. I can’t decide, should it be Italian or Chinese?
DJF says:
WHO CARES–Please stop giving Taylor all this ATTN
Robin says:
nscomet68 - she released “Fearless” when she was 18 (almost 19). She didn’t release “Fearless” at 16. “Fearless” is the exact same album as “Taylor Swift” with ALOT less country instrumentation and ALOT more “pop” rock influence (i.e. Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus - not Pink and Christina A.)
She released “Fearless” as her peers were in college. They are still dating “guys” but are for the most part, over the hystrionics. “Love Story” is not a story of a college age romance. It’s a silly fairy tale for a 13 year old - not even a high school aged kid.
S says:
Brian Mansfield from USA Today had this to say about Taylor. It’s obvious from reading comments like this on multiple web sites that it’s not just people on the CMT blogs who think Taylor can’t sing.
“Avoiding overexposure isn’t the only issue the 20-year-old faces. Critics have panned her recent live TV performances as pitchy. The Grammy duet with Stevie Nicks was no exception. “Now, everybody knows that Taylor Swift can’t sing,” influential blogger Bob Lefsetz wrote after the performance.
“They’ve got to figure out how to get this girl to sing on TV and sound right,” says former Spin magazine editor Alan Light. “That’s becoming more of a limitation as she’s flying at that altitude.”
Borchetta says Swift is working on her live TV performances.
“She’s a very intelligent girl,” he says. “She’s going to keep addressing it and keep getting better.”
But Light also points out that in an era when many stars lip-sync, Swift’s less-than-pitch-perfect television performances humanize her. “The fact that it’s not perfect, in some ways, has been an asset,” he says. “That makes it all the more believable, to a certain point.”
But, Light says, “she’s going to have to deliver a little stronger.”
Ultimately, losing song of the year to Beyoncé and record of the year to Kings of Leon at the Grammys might have been one of the best things that could have happened to Swift.
“I think she benefited from not having a sweep,” says Los Angeles-based music journalist Chris Willman, who covered the Grammys for Yahoo! Music. “The media backlash would have been considerable. It’s tough to rule from the perch of that kind of coronation.”"
timcun says:
I just listened to Zac Brown’s Grammy performance on YouTube. There are 45 comments and ALL of them are positive. Here are just a few.
“This is the kinda publicity country music needs….everybody hears Taylor Swift and thinks that she is somehow country so they go and rant about how “terrible” country music is and how it sucks….then they hear the many artists we have such as Zac Brown, Jennifer Nettles who sang with Bon Jovi, and Lady Antebellum and say “WOW!!! I didnt know music like that existed!”
“I’m far from a country fan, mainly cuz I don’t listen to it. I’m sure if i did i’d love it. ANYWAYS…I LOVED THIS PERFORMANCE! These guys have a GREAT sound, and when I saw this when it came on a couple days ago I was blown away. I KNEW Taylor Swift was a POP country artist, cuz THIS is real music.”
“I am more and more impressed with these guys everytime I see them perform. Great!!”
“it’s a shame that taylor swift is allowed to come near a microphone or the zac brown band would’ve had A LOT more grammys.”
“I don’t listen to country but these guys were awesome! One of the best performances.”
“Have mercy! Bill O’reilly of Fox New Channel featured this group in his Pinhead/Patriot segment. Of course they were Patriots! I heard the song and went running to see who it was as did my daughter and husband. This was the most awesome rendition of America the Beautiful I’ve EVER heard! I am definitely looking up this band! Unbelievable vocals and instruments!”
Fearlessly_Good says:
Poor Taylor. I saw video of her at the press conference after the grammys ended and she looked like she wanted to run out of there. Reporters were asking questions and at the end she was like “I’m sorry, I have to catch a plane to go to Australia now!” Except she didn’t look sorry, she looked like she wanted to get away from there. I’m sure Taylor is aware of the backlash and she’s smart enough to come back from it strong.
I’m one of Taylor’s biggest supporters but I must admit, her performance was the weakest of the night along with the Black Eyed Peas. I didn’t like “Today was a fairytale” but “You belong with me” was decent until Stevie Nicks joined in. Stevie Nicks and Taylor just didn’t fit, as simple as that. It was a bad idea.
I will however say that she COMPLETELY deserved the best album of the year award. She had the best album out of the 5 nominated. Don’t take that away from her just because she gave a bad live performance.
It’s funny how Taylor was the most talked about artist after the MTV VMAs and today, she is the most talked about artist after the Grammys. Good or bad, publicity never hurts. People have an opinion on EVERYTHING she does…from her performing, to her fashion to the expression on her face when she won, it’s so amusing. At least she won 4 grammys, she’ll always have that and nobody can take that away from her. I’m sure when she comes back, she’ll only get better.
timcun says:
I’ll admit that she’s a good song writer. But she needs to stay out of the studio and have someone else record the songs.
beadsnstuff says:
I ask you Taylor CMA Female vocalest of the year Hmmmmmmmm she cant sing so why? Her performance with Stevie is another chapter in that book.
Taylor CMA Entertainer of the year but becasue she stands under some waterfll on stage that is entertaining. I think not. Listening to someone like Carrie, Kelli, Meranda, Reba, Faith, Etc is entertaining.
I grew up listening to the Grand Ole Opera on the radio on saturday night back in the 60’s, im sure there are many Country greats turning over in their grave. Unbeeeeelievable
I STILL DONT GET IT
Taylor’s Golden Lockes says:
Did any of you see the CMT awards where she sang “you belong to me” and was by far the best performance of the night…. She makes all these other woman in country look and sound like has beens. It was a bad pairing, and Stevie is the one that gave the bad performance. Taylor rules!!!!!
And all you jealous woman out there stop it! She is a good girl, blonde and skinny…….most men’s ideal woman. GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!!
fantasia says:
She was FAR from the best of the nite at the CMAs..not even close!
beadsnstuff says:
I thiink you are living in a never never land there taylor locks or you are deaf. I cant believe you would even put her next to any of the current female artests and think she sounds better than carrie, faith, kelli, reba, martina, leann, jewel,the list goes on. She may have won the award but u can thank her daddys money and all teh under 18 crowd because she is a kid, true music lovers turn the channel when she comes on like myself. I can go choke the cat and get a better sound. LMAO
Taylor’s Golden Lockes says:
Yeah your so right…. oh by the way did Daddy buy all those albums this past year and concert tickets this summer? yeah you got it right, ALL SOLD OUT!!!!!!. Step off the GOLD LOCKES!
joyce says:
Country radio, CMT and the media created the buzz and many teen bought into it. Last spring it took several months for a concert of about 6,000 to be sold out at Fl before all of a sudden her concerts became immediate sell outs. Then the scalpers became involve in snatching up the tickets which started a frenzy. This too will pass.
ntn22 says:
i’m sorry but taylor performance at the grammys was so aweful. i can not believe she won all those awards. i hope now that everyone really knows that she can’t sing. these awards needs to go to people who do have talent and not a young lady who thinks she’s still a little girl. it’s time to grow up already. hopefully by the times the ACM comes around the voters gets it right this time.
flower says:
all of you that think cu is so much better then taylor you got another thing coming, maybe her voice is a little better but that is it!!! cu personality is so stuck on herself if she is not the center off attention she does not show up end of story!! taylor show’s up for everything no matter what to help for hati(which cu did nothing)!! taylor is 10 times the person that cu can only wish she could be. and yes Iam comparing the 2 because people keep bringing them up so I am too!!taylor you are amazing you will grow as an person and artist and learn from things and so will other artists!!everyone have a great night!!
Wanda says:
Flower get a life i dont normally say anything but her performance sucked my 15 year old was in shock over thst performance and yur bringing up cu because you know she was bad and you cant deal with it if anyone wants to be the center of attention its ts
Wanda says:
And if you noticed the only two people standing at the end of her performance was mom and dad i almost felt sorry for her
elizab says:
I really felt sorry for you Flower at the moment because your artist is fried by all the critics, media,some fans and the whole nation of her performance. It is a fact that you cant deny anymore. You read all the newspapers and bloggers and they lost respect for your artist as a singer and she won best vocal performance. I am trying to refrain from making negative comments but your frustrations and jealousy is showing up again. Carrie was praised by the critics of her performance as one of the best vocalist out there during the MJ tribute. It is not Carrie`s fault that your artist failed at the performance. The whole world was watching that night and was horrified of her performance. Even my daughter and son were disappointed and they are both her fans. I do feel sorry for her that night and after because right now she is not a darling princess anymore. Even the Tenneessee newspaper had a very negative comments about her. Dont blame Stevie Nicks because it is not her fault. In the prevoious performances I guess she was using auto tuned microphone so it sounded better but that night was her real voice. So dont bring down others to make your artist look good because it is too late for that. The truth has been exposed and people realized it. The young groups will still buy her CDs so no worry. It`s just the hype about her right is very negative. Carrie is a different singer of her own who can sing. You continue to support her but dont even compare her to Carrie. They are different. Carrie is comfortable of who she is and happy on her life and she is not a jealous person but you are. Good thing TS is in Australia otherwise it would be painful for her to be here right now. So give it up Flower and get mad at the whole world not on Carrie and grow up; you`re over 40 after all.
julietb says:
Joyce, this will of course pass but the damage was already done. The performance will be forever remembered esp. she won those awards. Concert is a different story. This is the first time in Grammy history that the media, critics and bloggers and people across the board have very harsh and brutal reviews about her singing abilities including her wins. But she still has loyal fans except her popularity has been tainted right now. I am sure she will bounce back.
D Trotter says:
You don’t have to be a “hater” to find fault with Taylor’s singing, ill-advised team-up and even the song selections at the Grammy’s. Ah! But the REAL Cyber-bullies — those who are SO happy and gloating because a 20-year-old girl had a bad night in front of millions of people — just seem to thrive on hyperbole:
“She is the WORST singer in the HISTORY OF LIFE ON EARTH!”
“She has NEVER sung a single note IN HER LIFE without going flat!”
“Her career is DEAD after that Grammy Awards CATASTROPHE!! SHE’S DONE! DONE! DONE!!! … Did I mention it was a CATASTROPHE?”
Almost like nobody noticed she walked home with FOUR (4) Grammy’s, including THE BIGGEST PRIZE! Os that she is the YOUNGEST recording artist EVER to win the ALBUM OF THE YEAR! Or that she is the only Nashville performer ever to win that award for a solo album.
All of which apparently adds to the fervor of the haters: “She doesn’t deserve it! She only got it because they used robots to sing on the records!!” Of course, the question of why everyone doesn’t use autotune and power-marketing to sell Millions of records goes unanswered.
And why did she sound so good at last year’s Grammy’s singing “15″ with Miley? The posts after that performance almost unanimously praised Taylor — indeed, favored her more than Miley. And why do so many older men and women come away from her live concerts commenting about how wonderful she was live??
Of course she deserved her awards — even the ones for Vocalist. The Grammy’s are not the ultimate American Idol showcase, as some of you apparently believe. They are awards for RECORDED music! The criteria for the Female Vocal Performance Award says: “Solo performance: SINGLES or TRACKS only. See? RECORDED MUSIC.
Who cares how much production went into it? The producer gets named on the Award, too. And say what you will, it is nobody else but Taylor singing those songs, and people LOVE it.
“Fearless” is packed with sparkling, memorable songs, one after another. It is, in my opinion, the most consistent collection of songs on any album this year. The only other Album of the Year Grammy winner in this decade which could even be compared in overall quality is the Dixie Chicks’ final album.(See, I can use hyperbole, too.)
But keep touting her premature demise. This girl is one . awesome fighter. You keep telling her she’s finished, I can’t WAIT to see how good her third album is going to be.
ALJID says:
Again, cyber bullies blah blah blah. Just because she did some sonic atrocity at the Grammys and we happen to hate it for what it is doesn’t give you the right to call us names. And the only album that could be compared to Dixie Chick’s album? Utter blasphemy…I could pick any album from The Corrs over hers. And they are not even Grammy nominees or winners. It was brave of you to say that but in my honest opinion, only a blinded, tone-deaf, thirteen-year old kid could make up such a disgusting declaration.
By the way, her Grammy performance was very sparkling since it sparked a lot of negative comments and memorable since it gave Stevie Nicks an experience she will always remember. Only, she’s gonna remember the most painful duet she ever did. Apparently you’ve become desperate in trying to defend her saying the Gramnmys is all about recorded versions blah blah blah and that live performances don’t matter at all. For recorded songs to be taken seriously, I believe they should also be done with justice LIVE. Just goes to show how fake Swift’s recorded voice is after the enormous amount of time that sound engineers went through it just to put it in tune. She should never forget to thank them, the software engineers who invented Auto-Tune and Liz Rose, too…
Robin says:
flower - You are the ONLY one that said anything about Carrie alone. EVERYONE else’s comments just included Carrie in with a number of female country singers that have phenominal voices. They included the likes of Martina, Reba and Miranda Lambert (who is far and away a better writer than Taylor is as well).
And, if YOU do want to compare their vocals, we can do that. Carrie and Taylor aren’t even in the same ball park or league. Carrie is like a great professional singer and Taylor is like a 5th grader at a talent show who doesn’t take lessons, but wants to sing/scream and shake her head at the same time.
Carrie and Taylor are both humble people (although Taylor’s acceptance speaches are starting to sound fake and untrue because she’s said the exact same thing for three years (she’s sooo surprised)). But, I do think she’s a nice person, but no better of a human being than Carrie.
Carrie doesn’t have to do the SAME charity work that Taylor does. If you want to say that then you’d have to say that Taylor is doesn’t care about anything but herself and is not a giving person, because she doesn’t give to the C.A.T.S. foundation. Or she didn’t participate in the breast cancer awareness show at the Grand Ole Opry. Or she didn’t show up the the St. Jude’s fund raiser. Or she didn’t play in the charity softball match. It would be silly to say that Taylor didn’t care or have her own charity work just because she didn’t do a charity event that Carrie did. That is illogical.
Taylor 10 times the person that Carrie is? They both show a great public persona, but don’t get dilluted into believing you “know” Taylor. She shows the public what she choices to just like every other artist. There is a private Taylor too and you know nothing about her. That doesn’t mean she’s “bad”, but you have no ability to compare this two women on a personal level. If you like Taylor’s music over Carrie’s, then compare that if you want.
NO one is just brought Carrie up except you. Like I said, they only included her in the list of women. It must be you that is so jealous of Carrie since you pulled her out of that list. Miranda is a better singer and songwriter than Taylor. Did you not bring her up because you’re not jealous because Miranda hasn’t yet found the commercial success that Taylor has. You better watch out because it’s Miranda’s turn next and you’ll be screatching about her then. Either way it doesn’t change their talent, but you won’t care until Miranda because country’s next superstar.
Robin says:
D Trotter - I cannot honestly compare “Fearless” to any of the other albums in the album category at the Grammy’s, but I can compare it to other albums. “American Saturday Night” was by far a more superior album than “Fearless”. Sales doesn’t matter. Brad is an arits I like, but I don’t say this is a better album because of that because I like most every country artist in the pop country industry and I like at least bits of their albums.
“American Saturday Night” not only should have been nominated, but should have won. It’s not just “me” randome fan that thinks this. There are many publication critics who have said the same thing. I don’t know if you have heard this album from beginning to end, but listen to it and then come back and tell me that “Fearless” is the most consistent collection of songs. This album warps “Fearless” in the consistency department and is much more universal and profound. “Welcome To the Future” is only one example, but a great example of a song that is superior in every way to every song on “Fearless”.
trac says:
Bring back people who can sing I say!
LeAnn Rimes, Martina, Shania, Faith to name a few. Taylor can write for them.
Didi Melton says:
Taylor needs to find her own genre to sing for. She is definately not a country singer and can not come close to competeing against Lady GAGA, Beyonce, Alicia Keys, etc…
John says:
Tamara Conniff, music expert and former chief editor of Billboard said this
I believe Taylor can sing. I really do. But it was not evident at the Grammys. About four years ago, before her debut single “Tim McGraw” was released, I heard Taylor Swift sing acoustic with her guitar in the basement of her Nashville record label in front of about 10 people. She was amazing. Only 16-years-old at the time, I remember thinking I’d just seen the next Faith Hill. Not only did she have ‘it’ - that rare indefinable star quality- she was real and sweet and unaffected. In that room, I recall her pitch being perfect and her voice pure.
Her success and album of the year Grammy win for her sophomore album “Fearless” are 100% deserved.
S says:
Taylor’s Golden Lockes said a lot with the comment “she is a good girl, blonde, and skinny and most men’s ideal woman.” That pretty much says why she’s popular. Tell me, if someone who was overweight, no so attractive, with red hair and freckles got on the stage and sang like Taylor, how popular and how many records do you think she would sell? I’m guessing ZERO!!
S says:
Flower … as far as I can tell you’re the only one who is bringing up Carrie Underwood.
S says:
Yes D Trotter, Taylor did win four Grammy’s. Which makes me even more convinced that it’s not always talent that wins awards but how much money exchanges hands behind the scenes.
Smiley says:
I love how everyone’s hating on Taylor Swift at the moment. That’s what America loves to do. We put people on a pedestal and love to tear them down. People did it with Michael Jackson, they did it with Madonna, they did it with Britney and now they’re doing it to Taylor. I think people just love to bash the people at the top. Why else did everyone overrate Taylor just a few months ago, going on and on and on about how supremely talented she is and how sugary sweet she is. BUT then she becomes the most popular artist in America and everyone’s hating on her. I think she should be flattered. Everyone who is anyone has been bashed at some point in their career. It means she is doing something right. The Black Eyed Peas live singing was horrible but no one is talking about them because they don’t care. How sad.
At the end of the day, Taylor Swift will always be the ALBBUM OF THE YEAR WINNER at the grammys. How many country artists can say that? Not too many…heck even Beyonce/Kanye/Jay Z can’t say that. Niiice. You go Taytay!
Robin says:
Smiley - You must have missed this site because country fans on CMT have been screaming not so much about her fame, but about the fact that she hasn’t deserved “all” the awards she’s been given over the past couple of years.
No one here “just started” saying she couldn’t sing. Tons of country fans have been saying this long and loud and now that the broader music audience sees her stealing awards from Beyonce and Gaga (who’s not talented anyway) they are starting to cry about how untalented she really is. When it was Brad, Kenny, Miranda, Carrie et al that she was taking undeserved awards from, they didn’t care how badly she sang.
So, CMT and the country audience is not the audience to be crying fowl to. The CMT bloggers and writers are still trying to cover her on her lack of talent.
bkbs says:
the head of swift’s record company is saying that swift will now practice on giving a good live performance, this is after winning all these awards,what kind of remark is this. all the practice in the world will not make her a singer.she should have been giving good live performances from the start, if any other country singer had been this bad for so long they would have been booted out of the music scene.
flower says:
taylor is amazing and she had a little bit of an off night singing wise but cu would be nothing without AI and it states that in many many articles!!!!! taylor had the tough way coming into the country music industry she went from door to door with cd in hand talking face to face with the labels and she was 11years old at the time that in my opinion and alot of others is awsome!!! bkbs, that is not what scott said he said taylor has been working on her live performances at award show’s and they are getting better!!!!!! and scott said no body relays a song with so much emotion like taylor and writes words to her songs with so much emotion also and you feel it in every word taylor sings!!!!! that’s just amazing and i really could care less what the haters say taylor’s coming back in a big way in 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Peacock Queen says:
Flower,
I like you, and I will tell you why. You love your idol, and you will defend her to the death. You are a true fan, an integrity like that means you are most likely a true friend to your friends. You love Taylor and you are here for her, and as someone else said, good for you.
But if you are going to defend Taylor, defend her on her own merits, of which she has MANY. I for one cannot wait to take my nieces to see “Valentines Day” because I am looking forward to seeing Taylor’s acting in this movie. I know she will be cute as the dickens.
Also, as someone else has pointed out, you cannot blame Carrie for if and when Taylor falters. When that happens, it’s on Taylor’s shoulders as an artist. You cannot blame Stevie Nicks for a bad performance by Taylor or Carrie Underwood when things go wrong for Taylor. Please stop tearing into Carrie Underwood on every Taylor blog. The two women have nothing to do with one another. They are different artists with different singing voices and performing styles. It is O.K. to prefer one and not prefer the other, or both, but it is not O.K. to “hate” on one in defense of the other. I don’t think you are realizing how bad it sounds for you to bash Carrie in order to praise Swift. You don’t need to do that. Swift has her qualities and you can see them because you are one of her biggest fans, and you are entitled to your opinion of how great you believe she is.
bkbs says:
she should not be working on her live performances on award shows that give her these awards, swift can give all the emotion she has in a song but it always comes down to the one fact that she cannot sing! she has worked hard on her career starting out early but she has not improved and it is time for her to go to hollywood and make comedy, teenage movies.after all these awards critics are saying she is pitchy when singing, this should not be the remarks they are making, this awards are important and should go to the ones that are talented. it is a shame this has happened.
Juli says:
She is living the impossible dream…winning Grammys for dreadful live performances. Hype can only carry you so far until the bottom falls out. I think we’ll soon see the beginning of a Country Music Teaparty movement. Hank Jr.’s, Tanya’s, and real talent is going to make a comeback. Sheeple are going to open their ears and long for some true inspiration. I think Garth Brook picked the perfect time to make his comeback. People are absolutely sick of being told that trumped up country music is great.
It’s not, and the buying public is going to show their true purchasing power. Country music is about to take a swing back to where it came from.
D Trotter says:
Robin, I love Brad, too, and I agree that “Welcome to the Future” is an excellent song and “American Saturday Night” a wonderful album. (Although I think “Then” would be a better choice to compare to Taylor’s material.)
But everybody –the public, the critics, the Awards shows — have all been pretty emphatic in declaring “Fearless” the sparkling jewel on the album marketplace last year, and I agree with them. The song construction, its detail-rich lyrics and hook-laden melodiousness, the emotional integrity of the songs and the way they resonated with authenticity among her target audience put it in a special category, one that crossed genre lines.
bkbs says:
if only carrie had swift’s personality, she would be a wonderful artist. carrie has a fab voice and swift has the personality on stage, combination of the two would be great for carrie, i don’t think swift will ever be able to sing.
Veeta says:
Yawn…the biggest star in music is getting bashed by random bloggers/fans, what else is new?
I’m on cloud 9, nothing can bring me down. T-Swift won album of the year at the Grammys…WOW!
The good part is that the music industry seem to love her. She’s a favorite…why else is she sweeping all these award shows? These committees have shown they tend to award singer-songwriters. This is a good sign, it means that they will keep rewarding Taylor in the future.
Beyonce/Gaga/Carrie fans keep crying about it. Your girls ain’t ever winning album of the year. Haha!
ALJID says:
Veeta, your girl never ever won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. All the other artists can have all the opportunity in the world to win Album of the Year but for this award you get only one shot. Guess who won this one some 4 years ago? Carrie Underwood…and stop saying they will never ever win Album of the Year. Since Taylor can win it through superb marketing, other artists can also win it through other means–like SINGING TALENT which Swift lacks of…Hehehehe..why does CMT keep on deleting my posts? Am I being too truthful about the issue?!! Award shows have “cheapened” their integrity by rewarding an album with substance only applicable to teenagers and to an artist with more hype than actual talent. Proof? Check out her latest Grammy performance..
Taylor’s Golden Lockes says:
Robin how many different ways can you say you hate Taylor? lol!
I love the “sales does not matter”. # of sales is a direct reflection of number of people who like the album and decide to go out an buy it. SALES DOES MATTER. And if you don’t think that you are a bigger hater then the rest of us already knew you were. Maybe you are like the other clown who thought Taylor’s dad’s money is the reason for all the album sales and sold out concerts. Again all I can say is step off the Gold Lockes!!!!!!
D Trotter, you have the 2nd best posts on here (to mine of course).
John says:
Taylor will be playing Australia tonight and if you search her name on twitter after the show I am sure you will see a lot of tweets saying the best show they have ever seen. If you don’t believe me check it out.
Sami says:
I can’t believe that TS’s record label admitted that she can’t sing. I am younger than TS and thought she could sing a little and she put on a good show–fairy tale like. Now I am mad and feel cheated that she uses techs to make her sound better. I really feel insulted and taken advantage of because I bought her records. She just lost me and my friends as fans. We want the real deal–not a fake.
Sandi says:
I agree with Sami. We’re giving our money to a fake.
D Trotter says:
Now we have pseudo-fans pretending to be SO disillusioned (OH! The Horror! The Horror!) because they spent money on a fake. C’mon, none of Taylor’s actual fans are burning her CD’s because she hit a couple of bum notes in concert or uses autotune on her records just like everyone else.
S says:
Or maybe people are starting to figure out the truth. It must be tough for people like D Trotter to believe that not everyone believes the hype about Taylor.
rosyz says:
You are getting cynical and paranoid D Trotter; it must be hard on you after all the bad hype and popularit had gone down. My daughter is same age of TS ; was a fan until the fiasco at the grammys and then winning all those awards. her words” it`s crazy. She just past the stage of fairy tale songs and moved on. She is now a fan of Lady Gaga and Beyonce. I guess you just cant handle the truth D Trotter but it`s all over .
RealCountryGirl says:
“Practice giving good live performances” Oh my. To have your LABEL trying to spin doctor your truly awful Grammy performance says volumes. If she was so vocally talented we wouldn’t have this conversation. Her studio work is protooled up the wazoo. She cannot sing live to save her soul. Practicing won’t help. The girl has no natural vocal prowess and that is something that can not be learned. Her fans don’t care. They are children who are impressed with bells, whistles, smoke and mirrors. But they will grow up and go on to something else. The next group of kids will find their own ‘big thing’ and it won’t be Taylor Swift. She’ll be too old.
Robin says:
Taylor’s Golden Lockes - You point to one post where I said “I hate Taylor”. I do not hate Taylor as that would require her to have done something personally offensive. I think she’s a good person doing great things with her life. I think she’s untalented. That’s what all of my posts have said and just because you disagree with me does not mean you can change the meaning of my words. That’s what overzealous fans do not logical, critical thinkers.
D Trotter disagrees with me as well but argues points and doesn’t just cry “hater hater” (all the time).
Sales matters only in part. When your sales are 90% people under the age of 15, that hardly goes to show that you “connect with people” and have “something great to say”. Your demographic must be heavily swayed towards a more adult population (since they have life experience), to have that be weighted more heavily. Even then it still only holds so much weight.
D Trotter - “Fearless” has consistently been hailed only as a great voice for today’s “kids”. The vast majority of critics have hailed “American Saturday Night” the most underrated (by sales) album of the year. Each that have talked about Taylor’s creation of being a great voice has clearly stated that that voice is for the under 18 crowd.
Sami says:
Kelly Clarkson just fired back at Borchett telling him that the AI singers have to hit the high notes—but they also have to hit the RIGHT notes. She also called him out for dissing other artists. She said she has defended Taylor (Carrie has also). I think his remarks were aimed mostly at Carrie Underwood. It is obvious that they are jealous of her. I think Borchett has opened a can of worms that he is going to find very difficult to close. AI artists have HUGE fan bases–and some of them liked Taylor also–now how are they going to feel knowing that he is dissing their favorite artist????? I don’t think pulling Taylor out of the spotlight is going to help at all—and this is not going to go away any time soon—and it will be remembered. I think he owes AI artists an apology–especially Underwood.
Peacock Queen says:
Kelly said to Borchetta:
Every artist has a bad performance or two and that is understandable,” she continued, “but throwing blame will not make the situation at hand any better. I have been criticized left and right for having shaky performances before (and they were shaky) and what my manager or label executives say to me and the public is ‘I’ll kick butt next time’ or ‘every performance isn’t going to be perfect.’ I bring this up because you should take a lesson from these people and instead of lashing out at other artists (that in your ‘humble’ opinion lack true artistry), you should simply take a breath and realize that sometimes things won’t go according to plan or work out and that’s okay.”
WAY TO GO KELLY!!!!! We have a few Taylor fans on this site who always want to slam Carrie Underwood every time something doesn’t go well for Taylor. I guess they got the idea it was perfectly fine to do that from the head of Taylor’s record label. At least Kelly Clarkson has the balls to tell him to stuff it. GOOD FOR HER!
I still say Taylor simply gets excited at the award shows and loses herself in the performance. She needs to work on how to stay focused through her excitement of being on stage with or in front of many of her idols. That is what Borchetta SHOULD have said. This is on Swift’s shoulders, and because she is so young I am willing to cut her a break and move on.
Nicey says:
Scott Borchetta needs to keep his big mouth shut. Just let it go man. You’re doing more damage. Everyone had already forgotten about this. As Kelly Clarkson said, EVERY artist has off-nights. Taylor’s just happened to be on music’s biggest night. Her fans know that one bad performance doesn’t define her. You think come November when Taylor is releasing her next album, people are going to think “Ooh she gave that bad performance at the grammy’s, I’m not going to buy her album?” No…her songwriting skills are something nobody can take away from her. As long as she keeps putting out good albums, the success will continue. Right now, she’s enjoying doing sold-out shows for her fans in Australia and Japan. Just enjoy that and let this petty stuff go…
Veeta says:
Haha yes Scott Borchetta is “jealous” of Carrie Underwood because she won the album of the year at the grammy’s and Taylor can only dream about winning one.
Oh wait…
Smiley says:
^Cry me a river haters. You all are so jealous of Taylor for winning album of the year at the grammys because she beat your favorite artists. Every single musician strives to win that award and very few of them win it. Anyway, as Borchetta said, Taylor is the voice of her generation. People feel threatened by her because she’s so young yet she has this ability to draw so many people towards her and her music. Like he said, this is not some lame reality show like American Idol. It’s sad how these pathetic shows have reduced music to a all-time low level. There’s more to music than sounding technically perfect. You have to touch people with your music and lyrics and that’s exactly what Taylor has done. And that’s why despite Carrie Underwood’s “amazing” vocal chops, she can’t reach out to 1/10 the audience Taylor has reached over the past 3 years.
Critics are harsh to Taylor because she’s young but they’ll honor her when she’s old, that’s just how it works. People were harsh to Michael when he was alive, now they worship him like a god after his death. It’s pathetic how we as a society can’t be happy for someone at the top. Bob Dylan was the voice of his generation even though his vocal abilities were mediocre at best. He was more celebrated for his songwriting than his vocals. Today, he’s seen as a legend. Taylor will be the same when she grows up. I’m proud to be her fan from day one and will continue to support her.
K says:
I can’t believe the personal attacks that continue to pile on Taylor no matter what she does. Constuctive criticism is acceptable, but personal attacks cross the line. Taylor works hard to be known as a role model, and I believe she lives up to the wholesome, sweet image she presents. Taylor is a human being with feelings and emotions; she deserves the same repect and maturity as any of you.
That being said, I lost all respect for Taylor at the Grammy’s. She represented country music very poorly with her amature singing, hair flipping, and tired and true “I can’t believe I won” look that got old months ago. She may be a good talent when going against her country music peers, but awarding her the “best of the best” awards is truly sad. She beat out vocally talented artists like Carrie, Trisha, Beyonce, Pink, Lady Gaga and many others who are so clearly out of her leauge both vocally and in terms of recording material.
When both Taylor and her label admit she is not a strong singer, she has no right to accept them and feel like it’s morally right to do so.
I felt sorry for all the artists she won over, especially when she is clearly the most inexperienced artist in the room. Poor Stevie Nicks kept giving her horrified looks thoughout their awful and off-key duet. Taylor is being rightly criticzed all over the internet; it’s about time people realized she is nowhere near the best of the best.
I realize Taylor sells tons of records and wins tons of awards, but I think many people feel it’s too much too soon. Does she deserve album of the year for writing about princes and fairytales? Does she deserve the top female vocalist honors because she gave one halfway decent performance for a medicore song? Does she deserve to be called a “great” songwriter when she has yet to venture anywhere near mature topics? It’s been two years since the release of “Fearless;” I think music fans have the right to start expecting more mature material and performances from Taylor; she;s almost 20. She’s still releasing material about fairytales and juvinile relationships, even though this is a key growth period for her as an artist.
The “denfense” by Brochetta is adding fuel to an already very large fire. It’s embarrassing that a grown man would resort to pointing the finger at others and using the same “you’re just jealous” response given by many of Taylor’s 12-year-old fans. Taylor deserves to have a mature adult represent her. There was absolutly no need for him to stoop to bashing American Idol, and it was completely inappropriate. Taylor Swift wouldn’t be able to sing her brand of country music if it weren’t for Garth, Shania, Faith, Carrie, Reba, Leeann Rimes, Chesney and Urban and others who have been sucessful with the formula before her. Idol artists have to work hard to get anywhere, they have to endure crticism from America and music proffesionals, and they have to adjust to stardom virtually overnight. Talent is no longer the best way to get discovered; you have to be willing to embrace new mediums in order to get noticed in this generation.
Flower,
Your immaturity is so evident, it’s almost sickening. You’re obviously too young to know the meaning of a respectful debate. Taylor isn’t everyone’s cup of tea sweetie. Carrie is an extremely talented artist who successfully used the media to her advantage. It’s not an easy road by any means.Taylor also uses the media in her favor with videos, blogs, Myspace and Twitter; if you cannot aknowlege they are doing the same thing don’t acknowlege it at all.
Carrie is a very giving,beautiful and quiet woman. She respects all artists of country music, and she does all she can to mention her hometown, helping and acknowleding American Idol, and even giving the contestants her personal phone number along with a good luck gift for getting into the top tweleve. I agree with Robin about all the charities Carrie works with; just because she does not work with the same orginizations Carrie doesn’t mean she neglects giving back. Even if she did help with the same charities as Taylor, her fans would jump to call her a “copycat.” Either way she can’t win with y’all.
Robin says:
Borchetta’s comments and the Grammy performance hasn’t killed Taylor’s career because the 13 to 18 crowd will still like her until they are the 18 to 23 crowd and they’ve moved on.
I think Borchetta’s comments sealed the deal for her award winning days. While I think she will continue to win fan voted awards, I think the industry awards will come far less often than they have over the last year.
Smiley - Carrie has sold more albums than Taylor has and has sold more concert tickets than Taylor has in her career so I’d hardly say that Carrie has only touched 1/10th the audience than Taylor has.
Secondly - “Temporary Home” has more depth than anyone of Taylor’s singles to date. So, while Carrie is developing quit nicely as an “artist” and “writer”. Taylor is not developing at all as a singer. This was not Taylor ONE bad live performance. Taylor has performed poorly in every major live performance she’s had. CMA performances have every one been bad. ACM performances have everyone been bad. Grammy concert last year was horrible. Etc. etc. etc. IT WAS NOT ONE BAD PERFORMANCE. It’s been a horrible performance at every turn.
S says:
Well said K!!!
And good for Kelly Clarkson for standing up to Scott Borchetta.
Peacock Queen says:
As a matter of fact, I wanted Taylor to win the Grammy for Album of the Year and I said so in a blog before the Grammys. I felt she deserved to win and I was happy when they called her name.
However, Borchetta is way out of line by attacking other artists in defense of his star. If critics are giving Taylor’s Grammy performance some harsh reviews, then that is on Taylor and no one else. Personally, I didn’t think it was that bad, and it is only one performance. I have my own opinion for why I think Taylor doesn’t sing well live on award shows, and that is because I truly believe she gets overly excited and loses herself on stage. I am not attacking anyone else or making excuses, just stating what I believe the problem may be.
When Taylor wins awards or sets records, it is ALL Taylor, right? But when she falters, well, that is supposed to be someone else’s fault? I don’t think so. If you stump your toe because you aren’t watching where you are going, then that isn’t anyone else’s fault but your own. You have to take responsibility for your actions because that is what adults do. The Grammy performance is on Taylor, and both she and her camp need to act like adults and take responsibility for when things go wrong, just as they are very willing to suck up accolades for all of her accomplishments. Borchetta is absolutely WRONG and I have lost all respect for him. I would bet that a lot of industry insiders have as well, and he has hurt Taylor more than he has helped her.
alpha westfall says:
not all people go for artists who sing the highest notes or who dances the most difficult. do you know why swift is popular? bec ordinary people relate to her. and even you combine all the most talented artists in the world there will still be 1000x more ordinary people. she sings LIFE. she sings the ordinary things we do everyday where we discover life experiences and even happiness.
S says:
Hey Alison, why don’t you write a blog about Taylor’s bad performance at the Grammy’s and Scott Borchetta’s lame attempt at defending her and how he puts a dig into American Idol saying that it’s just a competition to see who can sing the highest note? And in that blog why don’t you mention the 361 comments (so far) that people have posted … about 95% of them negative against Taylor where people are saying that she sucks as a singer????
Veeta says:
ALJID…you said Taylor never won the “Best New Artist” award at the grammys because you can only win it once. You also said all the other artists have the opportunity to win “Album of the Year”. First of all, I wasn’t aware that “Best New Artist” is the biggest award of the night. EVERYONE knows the most coveted award is “Album of the year”. Maybe Carrie might win one in the future (doubt it) but Taylor will always be the YOUNGEST artist to ever win “Album of the Year”…Carrie can’t go back in time and do that, can she? Haha.
S says:
At least Carrie’s management doesn’t have to defend her sucky live performances like Taylor’s does.
S says:
And just to clarify, I didn’t say that Carrie has sucky performances. The reason Carrie’s management team doesn’t have to defend her is because she’s an awesome singer. I didn’t want anyone to misinterpret what I said.
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barb b says:
flower you said ts is the best
out there not for long
avi converter says:
It’s so great that you share this with us