How Taylor Swift Is Just Like Montgomery Gentry
This past weekend, I was able to have lunch with Kenny Beard. He's a songwriter who has penned some great country tunes, one of which is on my list of country essentials: Jeff Bates' "Country Enough." But somehow, our conversation turned to Taylor Swift. Beard talked a bit about she's the whole package and how that's what makes a great entertainer. "You can't invent charisma like this," he said as he motioned to Martina McBride and Trace Adkins, who were having lunch with us. And then he said, "Taylor Swift is just like Montgomery Gentry." Excuse me? Was this guy nuts? He went onto explain that what those two have in common is that they both tapped a new market. For Montgomery Gentry, it was Southern rock. For Swift, is was teenagers. "They both found people who were sitting around not getting what they wanted out of country radio. Radio wasn't playing what they wanted. But once they heard those newcomers, they tuned in," he said. I'd never thought about it, but he's right. There's definitely a core group of listeners, but sometimes new artists get even more folks to turn country radio on and, more importantly, turn it up.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
barb b says:
i just got a good laugh out of
this
Ken M. says:
They tapped a new market? Southern Rock and music for teenagers are new markets? Since when? This Kenny Beard person is as much out of touch with music as you are.
countryiscool says:
Well, I LOVE Jeff Bates (have for years), and MG too. Taylor…not so much.
lifetime says:
TAYLOR is the whole package…she is one of the best if not the best entertainer I have seen in a very long time!
Robin says:
Southern Rockers may not have been getting “everything they wanted” out of country music, but they were listening to it before MG. Teenagers were not listening to country radio before Swift. After Swift, the teenagers that weren’t listening to country radio still aren’t. The one’s that were before her still are. So, MG, gave people that were already listening to country radio (country fans who also liked southern Rock) what they wanted to complete the “country” package. Swift hasn’t done anything for the country music industry. Those teenagers (for the most part) that listen to Swift don’t listen to other country artists.
Beth says:
This was too funny. TS like Montgomery Gentry . . . now that’s crazy. I agree with Robin, those teenagers that listen to TS don’t really like any other country artist.
McKenna says:
I’m sure there are teens that like country music but they’re probably kids whose parents listen and maybe it’s rubbed off in them. I have to agree though that country music right now hasn’t much to offer the teenager EXCEPT Taylor.
Bri says:
I am a teenager and I think that this is ridiculous. Montgomery Gentry is real country. At first Taylor Swift is not that much of a country artist at first she was when she was singing Picture to Burn but the more popular she becaomes in th pop genre of music the less her songs sound like country. Now don’t get me wrong I am definitley a fan of Taylor but sh is not a country singer anymore. I still like her music though and own all of her CDs. I LOVE all music.
GalPal says:
Alison-I normally enjoy your articles but however with that said-I almost choked. Taylor being the whole package please! I don’t care what Beard said about comparisons-Montgomery Gentry are true entertainers and Taylor did not bring in the tweens. Are they buying other country artists cd’s? I think not. Taylor has remixed her songs to pop so she is in there with Selena, Miley, and The Jonas Brothers-the Disney artists. That is what they are buying-the whole pop culture-not country. Radio was not playing what they wanted-these tweens are NOT LISTENING TO COUNTRY STATIONS! Get real!
Renee says:
I can’t speak for all teenagers, but when I became a fan of Taylor Swift in late 2006, I’d never really listened to any other country music. I didn’t have anything against it, but I mainly listened to pop radio. However, because I liked Taylor I started listening to the people she was touring with and the people she cited as influences on her music. Now I listen to country almost exclusively. I might be an exception, but I probably would not have discovered all the great country artists out there if I hadn’t been a fan of Taylor Swift.
Amy says:
Some teenagers that got introduced to country music by Taylor Swift are listening to other artists, however most are not. My friends and I have always listened to country music and we will continue to after Taylor Swift stops calling herself that. We are teenagers that love Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Carrie Underwood, Tim Mcgraw, Faith Hill, Keith Urban Brad Paisley, ect, ect. We grew up with posters of Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney on our walls. So to say that Taylor Swift brought teenagers to country radio is a lie. Despite the fact that Taylor isn’t country we are still some of her biggest fans. There is nothing wrong with LOVING country music as well as liking other genres. To tell you the truth Taylor Swift brought me out of the country world I was living in(living in a country music bubble is probably the best to live in though).
Alison W says:
I listened to country radio as a teenager before Taylor came along. I didn’t begin to like the country genre because of Taylor Swift. I don’t think there are that many people who fell in love with the entire country genre because of Taylor Swift, because her sound isn’t really all that country.
WHO CARES??????? says:
Oh let me guess, ITS ALWAYS BEEN HER DREAM!!!!
Alison W says:
Plus, maybe country music really isn’t FOR teenagers anyways. The thing I like most about country is how it talks about mature and honest topics.. and drinking and smoking and fighting and cheating and giving a melody to the idea that it’s perfectly normal to mess up and not be perfect. I wouldn’t have liked a lot of the sentiments in all of my favorite songs when I was a teenager.
merlefan49 says:
Taylor only brought more fans to pop country.
Renee,
Have you listened to Dale Watson, Amber Digby, Miss Leslie, Justin Trevino, Wayne Hancock? Now those are true country artists.
barb b says:
carrie is the one who brought the
young people to country music not ts
Matt says:
Awesome (fart noise)
John says:
Oh, here’s barb b again, the one that bashes every artists that’s not Carrie, but tells anyone that bashes Carrie to “grow up and get a life”. Such a hypocrite.
Mark says:
Thank you for the ‘truthful’ blog Alison. Amazing how Carrie fans can nit pick even what true musicians say.
They really do need to stop being jealous and grow up. They just can’t stand the fact that Taylor is ‘the whole package’ a true entertainer just as the CMAs’ rightfully named her and Carrie has a lot to learn yet.
Ygrove says:
Mark I would say that if you can relate to Taylor’s music,you might have a lot to learn.Miley’s fans are the the same screaming little girls that swarm Taylor.Country music???They don’t understand mature lyrics.The CMA sham was a Market PLOY.
ALJID says:
And what sort of unique impact was it D Trotter? I can barely recognize any…She’s been devaluing awards lately so I really don’t know what sort of impact she had that’s even worth mentioning.
Let’s see huh, uhm, songs with catchy melodies but with monotonous themes: it’s all about boys most of the time honey. Uhmm, flat live performances. Uhm, I know…Her sales..but does sales equate to quality? Not in a million years…Ah..her awards, especially the Female Vocalist awards she received in which the criteria contains anything–sales, achievements and stuff but does not put emphasis on “singing” itself because it’s just 1% of the criteria for winning according to you. Oh, the criteria were adjusted I remember because since Swift can’t sing live, the “singing” itself is not important to receive a Female VOCALIST of the Year award.
TXCountryfan says:
Hopefully radio will grow a gut and play Ryan Bingham.
notsoswift says:
Her last long peaked at #9, and her next one will do well to make top 10. The kids don’t have to go to country music any longer to hear her. They just listen to their pop stations, and know that she will be there for their young ears.
notsoswift says:
song*
Robin says:
Yeah, John “Carrie fans”. One poster mentioned Carrie and it now becomes “Carrie Fans”. The problem Swift has is adult (and teen for that matter) country fans that are obtaining their music through the pop country industry (for you merlefan49 - who can’t get over that no one wants to talk Americana (even if I happen to like music in that industry as well)).
D Trotter - for as much as you take up for Taylor, you can’t honestly say she’s had any effect on the pop country industry. She is having a huge effect on the pop rock industry (general category), but not the pop country industry. Her singles (on her best selling of her two albums) are barely swiping the top 10 now. Her videos aren’t hitting #1 anymore (even on CMT - but certainly not elsewhere). She is popular outside of the pop country industry. Now, the pop country industry has tried to tell the fans of that industry that they must like her by giving her undeserved awards, but they aren’t convincing anyone.
But, it doesn’t matter anyway. Don’t worry, Taylor Swift will be in the pop (general category) industry for a long time so she’ll continue to put out music. But, ever so slowly you’ll quit hearing about her on country radio altogether, at country award shows and eventually CMT will have to put her away as well.
today says:
I think it is very appropriate that Taylor Swift if almost exclusively teen fans(and their parents who want to seem cool) and high school songs. Though some never let go of their high school years, most of us grow up. And as we look back, we realize that high school wasn’t nearly as good or as important as we thought it was. Yes, we occasionally fondly remember certain people or events, but how many would really want to go back and do that again. Not me. Is that Taylor’s fate as well. Time will tell.
McKenna says:
-Excuse me but why does everyone keep arguing over who is better, Carrie or Taylor? They are two very different artists that have two totally different fan bases. The only similarities between them are the color of their hair. Both have something to offer their fans.
**
And as for the comment MARK made about the fact that Taylor won entertainer of the year; let me remind you that Carrie did as well last year at the ACM’s. It proves that both Taylor and Carrie fans love their girls. So what?
**
I watched a story on the news this morning about a teenager that committed suicide because she was being bullied and couldn’t take it any longer. There was a discussion about the climate on the internet and how mean spirited and brutal people have become. That is what I see here sometimes. There is no way to have a simple difference of opinion and discuss it when it comes to comparing talent for talent - it is purely subjective.
McKenna says:
K - Wow…you are extremely articulate expecially for a young person. I’m sure your post will be ripped to shreds because that’s what people here enjoy doing but I thought you made many valid points. Nice going.
Team Taylor says:
K - I completely agree with you and couldn’t say it any better than you did. However, I am also a teenager and can say that I listen to country music because of Taylor. In my car, I turn up country radio because Taylor converted me over. And many of my friends are the same.
notsoswift says:
I know exactly how she’s like MG. Have you seen the pictures of her with Abigail in the Bahamas?
THEY BOTH LIKE GIRLS!!!
Robin says:
D Trotter - everything that you have said may be true, but it does not relate to the pop country industry. Britney Spears may do alot of things, but it won’t affect the pop country industry either.
Swift will not leave a lasting impression on the pop country industry. She MAY well leave a lasting impression on the general pop industry. Her songs are clearly not being requested by those listening to country radio from her biggest selling album. Her singles are starting to not climb nearly so high up the pop country charts even while she continues to sell her shows and her albums. Her songs are doing just fine on the general pop charts. Her primary audience is not turning to other country artist. They are sticking with their core artist that are flying off the shelves at the Disney Channel.
She re-mixes her muusic to feed the kids. That alone tells us where her heart lies. She may go on to sell a billion albums and have a billion people go to her concerts, but they still won’t be the people (for the most part), that pick up a Sugarland album, go to a Brad Paisley concert, turn on the local pop country radio station or find their way on down to the Grand Ole Opry.
Ygrove says:
I wonder why Taylor is not slated to sing at the ACMs?You would think after getting her Grammy wins and CMA female vocalist award,that she would want to show off a little of those award winning vocals to her peers and get a little television exposure.After flooding the web with a self made video begging for votes,I hope they give her all the awards she’s up for,she must want them more than most,to do some of the things she does.
merlefan49 says:
I’m more interested in what Dale Watson has to say than other mainstream singers.
Olivia says:
I agree with Bri. I am considered to be in Taylor’s target age demographic and while I do enjoy her music very much, I believe her music to be considered Pop. And interestingly enough, while some teenagers are turned on to country my Taylor, MG was one of the bands that made ME a hardcore fan. Before I heard of them, I was a tween listening to Disney singers. Now I listen to country almost exclusively, and part of that was because of MG.
lifetime says:
for your information everyone sends in a video to say why they should vote for them…so taylor is not the only one!!!taylor should win all that she is up for..she had one awsome amazing year!!!!!!
Peacock Queen says:
McKenna,
Well said and I completely agree with you. I don’t consider myself a Taylor fan, but I really do enjoy “Fearless.” Usually, I turn the station or the volume down when a Taylor song comes on the radio, but in the case of “Fearless,” I turn the volume up and sing along. If a song appeals to you, and this one appeals to me because it isn’t about fairy tale princesses or some boy dating someone other than her, it means you can relate to it. On the other hand, I love Carrie Underwood, but I really do not care for “Cowboy Casanova.” The vaudville sound to that song just isn’t my cup of tea. So even if you love an artist, you don’t always love each and every song. Also, if an artist usually doesn’t appeal to you, that doesn’t mean he or she won’t come out with a song that does. So my question is: Am I a Carrie hater because I don’t like ONE of her songs, or am I a Taylor hater because I don’t relate to several of her songs but do appreciate this ONE? I ask this question to try and show just how silly the Taylor vs. Carrie war is on here. Although I agree with McKenna, I know this “one fan-base blaming another” will probably not stop just because someone expresses an HONEST opinion about a song or an artist that someone else doesn’t agree with. On another blog, some Taylor fans were blaming Carrie for the death of a truck driver who had an accident while delivering equipment for one of Carrie’s shows. How low are you willing to go in order to make a point, or could we possibly behave like adults on here?
ALJID says:
“I would say standing up at the Grammy’s, holding the trophy for Album of the Year, calling herself a Country singer, and giving a shout-out to Nashville and all their winners — that says a lot more about where her heart is.”
Is standing up out there even enough? If Jessica Simpson said that on that same stage would you believe her?
D Trotter says:
Sorry ALJID … I’m having a rough time picturing Jessica winning Album of the Year. Anyway, did you ever see one of those movies where a nerd gets a makeover, becomes one of the “cool girls”, then becomes embarrassed by her old friends — forgets who she was?
The Grammy’s … the VMA’s … NYC — this stuff is not Nashville or the Country Award shows. A lot of the crowd at those affairs still have a low regard for Country. Would have been a great spot for Taylor to accept the role of Prom Queen, forget her old friends.
Taylor didn’t forget.
ALJID says:
Are you serious? Country may not be as popular but even the Grammy crowd gives country music a lot of respect. What you are trying to say? Because of Swift country music regained its respect which somehow you thought was lost?
I remember the Grammys even made some Country tribute a few years ago with Rascal Flatts singing Hotel California and Carrie Underwood performing San Antonio Rose and Desperado. Johnny Gimble the Great Fiddler and Asleep at the Wheel’s Ray Benson were there with Carrie on stage when she performed San Antonion Rose and the crowd was loving it. So puh-lease don’t tell us it was Swift who brought back people’s high regard of country. It was never lost. And mind you, her last Grammy performance barely had any country sound. Lastly it was so off-key that any country music legend would loudly say, “Real country singers should be able to sing…”
McKenna says:
Peacock, good point. There are many artists I like but I don’t like every single song and once in a while I’ll love a long. It’s usually the blind followers of an artist who love every single cut from every single CD regardless…an uber-fan. I never understood radical fandom anyway.
McKenna says:
oops…a “song” (not long). Wish they had an edit button!
Redmaz. says:
To McKenna, Bri, Galpal,, Renee, and Amy. You all seem to be very confused as to what Pop Music is. Pop Music is NOT an individual genre of music, like some people here are implying. POP MUSIC contains MANY genres of music including Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Rap, Adult Contemporary, and COUNTRY, yes, COUNTRY! There is such a thing as POP COUNTRY.. I hope you get a chance to come back to this blog so we can discuss this further, and if you have any questions I welcome them. Taylor Swift, Montgomery Gentry, Trace Adkins, Martina McBride are all POP acts. It’s true. These are basic music fundamentals that I believe ALL music listeners sould know. Most people don’t know what Pop Music is. The strange part is that they are Pop Music fans. For example, I see many people say Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift(for example) got them listening to Country Music. My question to these people is usually “what were you listening to before?” Most people say “I was listening to Pop”. That makes no sense at all. If they are listening to Underwood and Swift they are still listening to Pop Music. It just happens to be POP COUNTRY, as opposed to Roots Country. So McKenna, Bri, Galpal, Renee, and Amy, stay focused on the facts and base your opinions on those facts. You really need to be able to differenciate between basic music fundamentals and your personal music preference, so please don’t get caught up in the double talk and misguidance of certain posters on this blog …………………………
McKenna says:
Thanks Redmaz. I didn’t know that. When I listen to my local pop radio station I don’t hear any “country” pop and when I listen to my local country station I don’t hear the music from my “pop” station. No wonder I’m confused. If all this music is the same why do we have so many types of radio stations. I guess people who don’t know any better just assume that music is divided like the radio stations are. At least I did.
Sage says:
While I see the connection he’s trying to make, it doesn’t really work. Considering Taylor Swift is a multi-national super stair with world tours and almost everyone in America knowing who she is, and wins awards like crazy for her material. On the other hand…what has Montgomery Gentry done lately? Yeah they were big when they first came out, over 10 years ago. But sense then they’ve fallen second hand to other country duos, and to country stairs in general. In other words, they’re B list country singers holding on to a second rate career.
McKenna says:
To get back to the topic of this blog:
Sage - No where did Kenny Beard say that TS and MG were contemporaries. You jumped to the conclusion he was saying MG was on the same level (currently) as TS. What he said, in part was: “…those two have in common is that they both tapped a new market. For Montgomery Gentry, it was Southern rock. For Swift, is was teenagers. They both found people who were sitting around not getting what they wanted out of country radio.”
Again - he was referring to what MG did at the time they were just catching on…NOT NOW! In you overzealousness to defend TS, you insinuated something into Kenny Beard’s words that just weren’t there. There is no need to be negative towards MG in order to defend TS.
McKenna says:
D Trotter - what is auto-tune anyway? I hear people referring to it but I don’t know how it works. Why would someone need something to help them sing better if they already knew how to sing?
Ygrove says:
DTrotter’ You always try to defend Taylors vocals.On live television,That is the real Taylor,she is so bad that they are starting to hide her away from live telecast so they can keep her hidden in the safe shelter of those screaming kids that does the singing for her.Bad Earpiece??They should have chucked it away 3 years ago.She is big money to those that sell her,and I still believe you are one of Taylor’s PR people.Taylor does nothing to Promote Country music.
D Trotter says:
McKenna, Auto-tune’s an audio processor that uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch. It is used almost universally these days in the studio to fix occasional mistakes, reduce the number of takes and save expensive studio time, and — just possibly — save a “masterpiece performance” that had some minor flaw. It has been used live by Reba, Tim and Faith, Rascal Flatts because they want their fans to have a great concert. On the R&B and pop/rock scene, it is one of several gimmicks whose usage has become very commonplace in live shows.
Recently I saw an article by music critic George Varga, talking about all the gimmicks being used in “live” performances, which had these interesting remarks:
“Spectacle is the name of the game”, he writes. “It is now de rigueur for for performers to mime parts of pyrotechnic-filled concerts … (At the Grammy’s) there was no lack of enhancement for 2010 Grammy Award-winners T-Pain, Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas.
“At the other extreme”, he continued, “is Grammy queen Taylor Swift, a gifted musical storyteller but so-so singer whose pitch-challenged Grammy performance cried out for (autoune)”.
Why use it, McKenna? Because if you’re dancing around a lot, running and jumping — PUTTING ON A SHOW, as opposed to standing still at a mike — your voice will NOT be perfect. Veteran audio engineer Kevin Leonard says: “I have friends who work on “American Idol” and they auto-tune all the finalists. It’s rampant .. everywhere. Beyonce is a great singer but 90% of her vocals are prerecorded because of all the dancing”.
Why use it? Pop/rock star Avril Lavigne — a staunch supporter of REAL live singing — knows why: “Singing is HARD to do for an hour and a half”, she says. “When you’re playing with a band, finding your notes is really hard. If something cuts out in my ear monitor, I’m screwed and I’ll go off key. That’s happened a couple of times.”
Marco Alpert, Marketing VP for the company that developed Auto-tune says: “For the first few years it was a “dark secret’. But everyone in the music world, especially NASHVILLE, was using it. It’s got this reputation that it allows talentless people to sing, and THAT’S NOT TRUE. There’s more to being a great singer than being in pitch — there’s TIMBRE, DYNAMICS AND THE ABILITY TO CONVEY EMOTIONS in a compelling way. If you’re a BAD Singer, with auto-tune, you’re STILL a bad singer, you just happen to be in tune.”
(Oh, “Shelly”, sorry to burst your fantasy but I have nothing to do with Taylor, I just believe she is an amazing young creative force and deserves respect. And Alison writes much better than I do:)
S says:
I’ll be surprised if her record label lets her perform at the ACM’s after her disastrous performance at the Grammy’s. I’m sure Taylor wants to perform because she just doesn’t get that she can’t sing.
(This is my 27th attempt at posting this message. CMT, please fix your web site.)
Robin says:
D Trotter - I guess because “she said it” in an interview that was surely worded get around the truth without lying. What exactly do you want for proof? Would you like a link to the instruction manual they use to set it up? As you know something weird like that doesn’t exist. Would you like me to “sneak” into her concert and take pictures of the engineer using it? Would those pictures be fake? There are always excuses. She does use auto-tune. The point to that is that everyone who talks about how “perfectly” she sings in concert has no ground to stand on since how she “actually” sings in concert is a complete unknown. It’s like listening to her album and believing you know how she actually sounded when she recorded it. Perhaps she has some great vocal moments in those concerts, but no one would ever know because her actual voice is masked. So, all the fans carrying on about how she sang at her concerts have no relevance in “this” debate. Their relevance lies in the fact that they like her anyway.
You can tell me how someone can sing in tune an entire show when “it is so difficult” as you say Lavigne explains and yet cannot stay in tune for just ONE song in a live televised performance? Come on? You don’t even believe that. Her cover would be blown if she did use it in a live televised performance. It is not blown in her controlled environment.
McKenna says:
Did Pink use auto-tune during her Grammy performance this year? According to rateyourmusic.com, she doesn’t use it. I’m not a Pink fan but that was one of the most amazing vocal performances I’ve heard, especially when you consider how physically demanding it was. If you have vocal ability, you don’t need a device. What did artists do before these inventions of trickery came on the scene? They relied on talent.
Ygrove says:
Well DTrotter, you manage to put everyone including Idol finalists using auto-tune,but you seem to wiggle Taylor out of that bunch,but then again Taylor don’t have to know how to sing,she knows how to convey emotions,she’s the first to do that one too….
D Trotter says:
“Ygrove”, everything I said was in response to McKenna’s question, and none of it was my opinion. Those statements came from recording engineers, artists and the VP of Marketing of the company that invented autotune.
So sorry if you didn’t enjoy their facts and revelations.
D Trotter says:
Robin, the SIMPLE answer to my question about whether you had any REAL PROOF for your claim Taylor uses autotune in her concerts is … “No”.
And yes, a photo (or better, a video) of one being used at her concert WOULD be proof. Autotune is a nice hunk of equipment. You know what it looks like, right? Not invisible at all. Put it on a stand, wall-mount it, whatever — if you’re using it live, it’s there somewhere.
I have no idea why you think a concert with 20,000 fans is a more “controlled environment” than a television show (where you suggest her cover would be “blown”, making her sound quite devious), especially since so many Grammy performers weren’t the least reluctant to use all sorts of gimmicks, even prerecorded vocals.
Her albums? Yes, that’s pretty much how she sounds. Go re-read that last quote I used from the VP of Marketing of the company that invented autotune — the device can be used to correct pitch, but it doesn’t change your timbre, your phrasing … it CAN’T make a bad singer into a good singer. Taylor has a lovely singing style; autotune has nothing to do with it.
So while you just dismiss the comments of thousands of concertgoers and reviewers (some of them even looking to see if there were any Grammy-like problems) who came away quite impressed with her vocals, I find their experiences quite valid. Here’s 2 very recent reviews, from last Sunday and last night:
March 28, Cincinnati: “Contrary to the rumor mill, she did a fantastic job with vocals”.
March 31, Oklahoma City: “She showed off her respectable singing abilities during a mostly acoustic second act.”
And Gloriana’s Rachel Reinert who, as opening act, has seen Taylor lots of times in concert, says: “She’s awesome. Absolutely wonderful. There’s a reason why she’s selling out all these arenas. She’s an amazing entertainer … and she SOUNDS GREAT.”
S says:
A lot of artists stuck up for her but personally I think it’s because they want to protect her, like a daughter or little sister. I’ll bet if you gave them truth serum they would admit that she’s not that good of a singer.
This is my 8th attempt at posting this message.
S says:
Oh good grief, after 8 attemtps at posting the message there has to be a typo! That should say artists stick up for her, not stuck up for her.
Lauren says:
All i have to say is i am a huge fan of taylor swift but i also love Montgomery Gentry. they both are really talented singers. and for the reccord i listen to other people besides just taylor swift and mg. i love taylors music because she speaks what comes from her heart and personal experiances in her life and i think that if anybody has the balls to do that no matter if your in country or not then your a really great artist.
ALJID says:
Wow, D Trotter always says about great reviews of Swift’s live vocal performances in concerts but I still keep on searching for Swift’s tolerable and in-tune singing in Youtube. I guess I’ll spend my whole lifetime searching for it. Where are the videos?
Swilly says:
I see Larry, Moe and Curly are still at it. You knuckleheads! Throw in a little “Board Blunder” into the mix and the quadfecta is complete. nyuk nyuk nyuk
Swilly says:
Sorry kids. Ignore that last post - I’m off my meds.
D Trotter says:
ALJID, I’ve given you, several times, DOZENS of videos — all you had to do was Google the words I gave you. So either you’re not trying very hard, or you may need computer training.
Here’s another one: “MomOfJonas” posted some really clear videos (both picture and sound) of Taylor’s recent Charlottesville concert on 3/20/10. Should be able to google it just by searching her name, the date and city and selecting video.
By the way — all I did was quote reviewers who had actually just seen her in concert. Search her name and the cities mentioned, the reviews are there to see. There’s dozens of them. Always the same result.
Riley says:
If I hear one more person say Bob Dylan can write songs and couldn’t sing and compare him to Taylor because she can write songs and can’t sing I think I will die laughing - no comparison between the two - Bob Dylan is a true poet with great depth to his lyrics and he always recorded his albums the way he really sings - no autotune or studio magic to fool his fans into thinking he can sing, no autotune used in concerts - no embarrassing moments on the Grammy’s because whoops he sounds nothing like his albums -AND Bobby Dylan can carry a tune - the #1 criteria for singing - Taylor cannot carry a tune and cannot sing - the only reason she’s gotten where she is because she’s a tall blonde that had some songs that are nothing new, peddled them and hooked up with Liz Rose who was able to give her hits, had her vocals fixed to the max on her CDS to fool people into thinking she can sing and then rereleasing her albums over and over again so the same fans buy the new album - her label worked very hard to get those sales so they could put out hyped up sales press releases - also people have written better songs about being a teenager in the past - Love Story is nothing more than a teenage soap opera- this is how shallow our society has become that they think this bubble gum POP from a pretty girl is amazing. The best thing Taylor does is sell herself, her personality, that’s what her fans love about her - they could care less if she can’t sing - she got the Grammy album of the Year because the voters were clueless.
barb b says:
I dont care what you people
think ts is autotuned!!!!!!!
K says:
D Trotter,
Say what you want, but I find it pretty difficult to believe that anyone would say a song with lines like “She wears short skirts I wear t-shirts is anything more than below-average material. I’m aware that most of Taylor’s lyrics strike a chord with a huge demographic, but that doesn’t mean everything she does is golden. She’s only 20; not all of her songs are going to be considered quality by everyone.
Taylor has proven she is capable of writing substantial songs with much more emotional quality, and “You Belong With Me” and “Fearless” are not among them in my opinion.
When I said Taylor was in recluse, I didn’t mean to imply she wasn’t performing. I meant that she ignored all the Grammy backlash and didn’t make any statements. Considering that she is such a technology-savvy celebrity with millions of young fans that look up to her, I think ignoring the buzz sent a very loud message. She wants to make every aspect of her life known through Myspace, Twitter, blogs, and videos, yet she doesn’t capatalize on a huge oppertunity to address the media or her fans on the biggest firestorm of her career? She could’ve taken a negative situation and turned into something positive by adressing her fans, maybe inspiring them to cope with their own setbacks.
As for the autotune debate, it should be clear that Taylor isn’t a strong live performer. There’s no way that an earpeice can fail every single time she sounds off live. Taylor may say she doesn’t use autotune, but that doesn’t make it true. Of course she’s not going to admit it; her whole career was built off being a genuine, authentic artist that related to her audience on a very intimate slevel. I’ve seen tons of Taylor’s concert videos, and she sounds much different than she does on any televised event. I suspect this is because of autotune, because she would sound that good live all the time if that wasn’t the case. Autotune isn’t a device that is visible to the naked eye; it filters the voice electronically so the singer can sing on-pitch at that moment.
D Trotter,
You were very quick to call out Reba, Tim, and Faith, for using autotune, because it must be true if you read it, right? But if we accuse Taylor of doing the same it must not be true because we have “no proof,” even though its widely known in music row that Taylor (and every other artist out there) does use it whether they will admit to it or not.
Just look up “Taylor Swift autotune” and you will find plenty of written testimonials that incriminate her just as well as those other artists who were accused of using the device (and apperantly proven guilty) because it was written down on the internet.
I don’t have a problem with autotune; it’s used everywhere in the music business, and it will be for years to come. It doesn’t matter whether you’re an excellent or sub-par singer, you will have to use it. But I think it’s odd that Taylor is so vocal about not being one of those people when it’s almost impossible for that to be the case.
Many fans and critics are aware of what autotune is, but the majority of comments I have read suggest that most people aren’t able to detect it, even if it is being used. That would suggest why many critcs say say she sounds the same on her albums.
I don’t know why it’s always suggested that everytime Taylor receives a compliment it’s a bigger deal than many other compliments that are paid to her peers. Carrie Underwood has been complimented by legends including Dolly, Randy Travis, Reba, and even anti-contemporary grouch Merele Haggard admitted she has incredible talent as a singer. Miranda Lambert has received numerous compliments about being a great singer who puts together quality albums with better material than 99% of her peers in country music. Yet Taylor is rarely complimented for her vocals or excellent musicianship, but the fact that she’s a great role model, sweet individual and a unique performer that connects with her audience. I don’t see any of the above critera as anything to rave about, especially considering they can be given to just about anyone.
However, not everyone can garner compliments from half-a-dozen legends, and get rave reviews from critics about her excellent albums. Until Taylor gets a compliment that isn’t about her personality, or same-old-same-old ditty from a critc about commanding her audience, I won’t take it too seriously.
McKenna says:
K - First, on the auto-tune issue. I for one don’t believe she uses it all the time. If she did, her vocals would probably improve. That wasn’t a slam - just an opinion. While I agree that Taylor’s lyrics (for the most part) aren’t earth shattering/soul searching revelations; they are clever. No, it doesn’t take a degree to come up with songs such as Fearless and You Belong to Me but it isn’t a snap either. She knows her target audience and plays them like a well tuned instrument. Think about the lyrics in You Belong to Me. I don’t know what gender you are but I’m sure many teenage girls have been on the sidelines wishing they were the popular girl or the “cheerleader”. I think Taylor is well aware of her limitations vocally, which is why her shows focus on glitzy aspects of her performance. All the dancing, prancing and hair flipping…the costume changes. And thats not a derogatory statement. Most young artists today are putting on very elaborate shows. It’s one young people want to see. If Taylor is able to stay around for any great length of time, I’m sure the subject matter of her songs will change. You know, some artists just want to write about deep things…injustices in the world, things like that. Some artists write about what they know. If you think about it, what else is a 20 year old girl going to write about? She hasn’t exactly had a rough go of it. She has a family who loves and supports her. With that as a foundation, she’s pretty well rounded. Perhaps as she matures and experiences things in the world, on her own, her music will reflect that.
While it frustrates me that the “younger” artists get most of the attention in the industry and get accolades that I’d prefer went to someone who worked many years to get there, I’m not going to slam Taylor for being where she is. There are a lot of factors that got her there. Yeah, her record label. But don’t forget that she had to get to that point and she did it on her own until she was “discovered”. I doubt her record label/manager heard her sing and said “WOW - EXCEPTIONAL VOICE! SIGN THAT GIRL!!! They saw the whole package. There is no denying her charisma. I will admit that her posing on stage while her legions of fans applaud (for what seems like an hour) while she looks on in total shock (it’s wearing a little thin, that one) is annoying; her fans love it. Go figure. She’s a smart cookie. She’s used everything she can to promote herself - every technology. And it works.
Finally, I don’t think everyone thinks that if Taylor gets a compliment it means more than if Carrie gets one (or any other artist for that matter). What I think (and my opinion is based on observation, not on being a fan myself)is that Taylor’s fans are a little weary of all the criticism so they’ve become overly sensitive and have a defensive posture (even when it’s not warranted). If you get hit in the head enough you’re going to protect yourself even when there is no apparent threat.
S says:
There’s so much criticism about Taylor because she’s overexposed and overrated. Maybe if someone with limited talent wasn’t constantly shoved down our throats there wouldn’t be so much criticism.
6
D Trotter says:
S
Confucious say:
He who not like things shoved down throat is wise to keep mouth closed.
D Trotter says:
K, there is nothing that Taylor could say that would make everything okay — not in the minds of cynics and cyberbullies. What could she say that would make you happy?
The “positive” example she is giving to her fans is to not get bogged down with negativity, making excuses or feeling resentful — just go on with what you do, work harder,and people will like you/not like you, believe you/not believe you … whatever.
It’s a great lesson. I’m going to adhere to it by ignoring the rest of your comments.
D Trotter says:
K, I think Taylor IS giving her fans an excellent example of how to deal with negatives:
(1)IGNORE negativity and negative people.
(2)DON’T EXPLAIN/ MAKE EXCUSES. Critics and cynics won’t believe you anyway, and your fans will stand by you. So just keep doing what you do. Work, then work harder. Fall down, get back up, keep going. Get back out there and perform.
C says:
“It’s a great lesson. I’m going to adhere to it by ignoring the rest of your comments.”
Translation: I don’t like what you said cause it proves me wrong, so I’m going to ignore you.
D Trotter says:
Actually “C”, whoever you are, here’s the actual “Translation”: I’m beginning to get tired of debating habitually negative people.
Plus, I said I would debate K on Taylor’s writing ability –IF K KEPT TO THAT ONE SUBJECT — but instead we have a nine-paragraph comment, with almost as many points.And it doesn’t “PROVE” anything; it’s all either just OPINION, or worse, factually inaccurate.
A statement that auto-tune is INVISIBLE “to the naked eye”? It’s equipment! It can be a plug-in or a wall-mount, but if it’s used at a concert, it’s there! Google it. See picture! Then tell me it’s invisible. Some proof!
Secondly, there have been a few concert reviews that said Taylor missed a note or two in the first song, then sang very well the rest of the way. Did she forget to turn her auto-tune on until the second number?
The fact is her shows HAVE received mostly raves, and reviewers HAVE said her voice was excellent.But people who WANT to believe she is a bad singer will ignore those comments from nearly a HUNDRED concerts, focus on TWO OR THREE TV shows, and say it’s the TV shows that are the real indication! So the FEW instances becomes the truth, and the MANY examples becomes the lie. This is your proof??
And to JUSTIFY what K WANTS to believe, he compares her TV voice with YouTube videos. Now there’s a quality hi-def analysis for you! More proof.
K and C are going to call equipment failure as “excuses”, even w/o a single actual fact to refute what her label President said. Don’t tell you earpieces can malfunction; you won’t believe it! Instead, let’s imagine Taylor has “invisible” auto-tune equipment and other devious plots all designed to fool a gullible public every time she sings well, and illogically fails to use it on national TV! Because cynicism is proof, right?
Lyrics? K, we’ve discussed this before. Songs ABOUT juvenile experiences are not necessarily juvenile in themselves — just the topics. And Taylor’s songs cover the exact age she was when she wrote them — they are as real as a teen’s diary.
To be genuine, a song HAS to capture the language and emotion of its subjects. Taylor does, brilliantly. “You Belong With Me” builds to a near frenzy of emotion, and sounds SO authentic. It is also the EXACT same story that writer/director John Hughes captured in classic films like “Pretty in Pink”, “Some Kind of Wonderful” and “Sixteen Candles”; the Oscars just gave him a special tribute for those films. Was he immature too?
And “Fearless” is hardly “fluff”, as you put it:
“There’s something about the way
the street looks when it’s just rained
there’s a glow off the pavement”
First, this is an example of one of those little POETIC DETAILS and IMAGES that make stories come alive, and which make Taylor’s songs so evocative. It may seem minor to you, but to people who love language, it’s a big step up from “we walked down da street”.
Secondly, the sparkling city streets serve as a METAPHOR for the theme of the song: the “glow” and promise of a BRAND NEW RELATIONSHIP, when everything is shiny and new and glistening with possibility.
Third, it’s NOT A CLICHE. Name one other love song that has EVER used the image of rain-washed streets as a metaphor for brand new love. I can’t think of any! What, did Taylor go and think up a great image that HAS NEVER BEEN USED BEFORE in the history of songwriting?
McKenna says:
People WANT to believe she is a bad singer? You mean that every person that doesn’t believe she is a fantastic vocalist is of that opinion because they have an axe to grind with Taylor? That’s absurd. If you don’t like Keith Urban (who is my favorite singer) and you don’t care for his vocal style or ability, I’m not going to tell you your opinion is wrong or that you made it out of spite. I’d accept it. And to think that someone who doesn’t believe Taylor is a top notch vocalist would have their opinion swayed by reading a review…that’s ridiculous. Why would I believe anyone else’s opinion? Personally, I prefer to make up my own mind. Just because someone is NOT a fan of Taylor’s doesn’t make their motives sinister. I’m not a fan of Taylor’s because I’ve seen her in concert and I didn’t love it. Do I deserve to be lectured because of it? No. It simply “is”. No right…no wrong.
K says:
D Trotter,
I respect your opinion, and I respect that you stick up for Taylor when so few people here fail to do so in a mature manner that actually makes a point. The only reason I’m discussing more than one subject is because you have brought up several points, and I’m addressing them.
I have made it clear that I respect Taylor as an individual, and I think she has written some excellent songs. I have mentioned that I think she is a great performer who certaintly knows how to keep her audience’s attention.
However, she isn’t perfect, and still has a long way to go. I believe she uses Autotune because she sounds different in concert videos than on live TV. That doesn’t mean I’m right, but you’re statement that Reba, Tim and Faith have used autotune is really no more accurate than mine.
Autotune doesn’t make you sound flawless. So it is possible for Taylor to be a bit off using it. It’s widely known that Autotune is widely used in the music industry whether you can sing or not; I refuse to believe Taylor is an exception, sorry.
I have given her credit as a writer, and I think some of her songs are excellent examples of how to capture teen love in a mature manner. Just because I don’t feel like all her songs do that doesn’t mean I’m saying she hasn’t created quality before. As I said, she isn’t perfect, and just because you capture emotion doesn’t mean it hasn’t been done better. For you to suggest the imagery in “Fearless” has neve been done this way in the history of music just makes your claims sound more absured to me.
I don’t have to agree with everything you say, and sometimes you’re never going to change someone’s opinion no matter how vaild your points may be.
D Trotter says:
McKenna, I like most of your comments. We don’t agree on a lot of things (although I like Keith quite a bit also) but you seem honest and fair most of the time. Still, I’m not going to let you twist my words and take them out of context.
I have no problem with people who prefer other artists to Taylor, or people who don’t think she’s a top-notch vocalist. Hey, EVEN I don’t think she’s a TOP-NOTCH technical vocalist in the same league with Carrie or Clarkson.
But what she does with her voice is convey tremendous feeling and emotion, in a way that is intimate and real; her nuance and phrasing to draw in the listener is grossly underestimated. And she’s a fantastic performance artist, whose relatability and songs CONNECT straight to the hearts of her fans, like very few other artists today.
Show me where I said that anyone “who doesn’t think she’s a fantastic vocalist … has an axe to grind”. Never said it, don’t believe it. Didn’t even imply it. Those are your words, not mine.
On the other hand, there ARE people who come on these boards who HAVE an axe to grind. Some of them I don’t know what their story is; others, like K and Robin, are huge Carrie fans who, for some reason, act like Taylor’s success is taking away from Carrie’s rightful honors, and feel the need to come on to every blog about Taylor and put a “negative spin” on everything she does, often taking to extremes.
Thus, if Taylor has a bad performance, she’s the worst singer EVER, and can’t EVER sing in tune; and when she has a good performance, as she has done in hundreds of concerts and other live TV shows … oh, well that can’t be her, they say, she must must be using auto-tune.
When you have NO factual information, REFUSE to accept a performance at face value, and you FABRICATE SINISTER cover-ups and trickery being used secretly to fool the public — the kinds of things you see on Taylor’s blog all the time — that’s just cynical. It’s also a far cry from simply having an opinion that you like or don’t like something.
D Trotter says:
Lost a sentence from the 3rd to last paragraph: “Some artists, like Loretta, Martina and Garth REFUSE to use it, even in the studio, where it is utilized by most recording engineers.”
D Trotter says:
K, You ask do I insist on debating you on Taylor’s writing skill? You brought it up! Go back to your post of April 4 at 10:12. Your first line calls “You Belong to Me” “below average material”. You claim you have” never said anything negative about her writing ability”? When you attempt to diminish the status of the year’s most popular song by calling it “below average” and “fluff”, I would say that’s negative.
Of course you don’t care that it’s the most honored song of the year, the most played song of the near — that would ruin your argument! See, here’s the thing though — those are EXACTLY the kinds of things that immortalize a song.
So while you may dismiss those things as “irrelevant”, they are VERY relevant to radio professionals, merchandisers, and most importantly, today’s young lovers who (if they stay together), thirty years from now will hear that song and smile to each other. And bank on it, that song WILL be played for that long, and more.
Obviously you haven’t lived long enough to gain a historicalperspective on what makes a memorable song. FYI: It sure isn’t always the poetry of the lyrics.
Hank Williams “Hey Good Lookin’”, and “Your Cheatin’ Heart” … Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day” and “Maybe Baby”… the Beatle’s “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “Love Me Do” … Carol King’s “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “One Fine Day” — the history of Country, Rock and Pop is built upon a foundation of songs which make “You Belong to Me” seem like Shakespeare by comparison.
K, your last paragraph makes it sound like I started this debate. Go back and look at your comment on March 30, 2:35 am, a 12- or 13-paragraph post, negative from start to finish, and which addresses me out for my comments on Taylor’s “bounce effect”. Seems to me YOU got this partystarted!
And if you continue to say things that are factually incorrect, I will continue to correct you.
K says:
“On the other hand, there ARE people who come on these boards who HAVE an axe to grind. Some of them I don’t know what their story is; others, like K and Robin, are huge Carrie fans who, for some reason, act like Taylor’s success is taking away from Carrie’s rightful honors, and feel the need to come on to every blog about Taylor and put a “negative spin” on everything she does, often taking to extremes.”
Where have I done this? I have given Taylor many compliments- if you don’t believe me, feel free to look over the blogs.
It’s logical that she be compared to Carrie, considering they are the two biggest female artists in country music. I have never said Carrie was better than Taylor- I just perfer one over the other. Many Taylor fans unfairly drag Carrie into these blogs first- of course I’m going to defend her.
As for autotune? Yes, I think she uses it. Please accept that opinion and move on.
I also some of Taylor’s songs are medicore- that’s my opinion, and nothing you can say will change that. I never said she didn’t have talent as a writer- I simply think some of her material doesn’t live up to her writing talent.
The same goes for her singing. She treads between a medicore and atrocious vocalist- I don’t particularly care for artists who “convey emotion” over being someone who carry a tune, but if you disagree I respect that.
Lastly, I believe I try to be respectful as I can towards all artists, whether I like them or not. The only reason I have multiople posts on this blog is because certain posters try to fabricate my statements or make me sound like a twisted, rude person with no value for other’s opinions. If certain people stopped finding flaws with every statement I write, I would have a lot less to say.
D Trotter says:
Well, I don’t know why you removed your last comment with your remarks about writing, just as I was responded to it (see above) and replaced it with this one. And I see you have also removed your 12-paragraph post on March 30 as well, which was an outstanding example of someone putting “negative spin on everything (Taylor) does”. Almost feels like someone returning to scene of a crime and wiping away all the fingerprints.
K says:
CMT removes the comments, not the users.
rosyz says:
Lifetime, Carrie brought lots of fans to country music including me. I know most young kids who are Taylor fans dont even listen to country music stations including my daughter and her friends. Why would they listen to country stations if they can hear her music in pop stations. Carrie brought a lot of younger adults and older fans to country music. Carrie`s singles are hitting #1 these days in country stations.I have nothing against Taylor but I dont like your immature attitude of putting other artist down to make your fav artist looks good. They have their own talents and both have huge fanbase and popular. I am a big Carrie fan. She is the best live vocalist right now who sounds much better than her record. All the music reviewers all agreed. So just enjoy your fav artist success because we are loving Carrie`s success right now.
kbug says:
NOW that not right ROSYZ Taylor Swift got lot of more than you can see. She is FEARLESS how i know she SINGS about guys hew well break her heart so I thank Taylor Swift have lot of fans.
Dusty Machado says:
I am sorry to hear about your difficult times that you and your family have endured.