On the night of January 26th, 2014, just after 60 seconds of the opening of the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, there was a slim, tall white girl awkwardly dancing to a Beyonce and Jay Z song and suddenly people stopped noticing or talking about the efficient belly-booty dancing of Beyonce and started talking about the awkwardly dancing girl - Taylor Swift.
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It was, to my shock, the first time, perhaps, Taylor Swift visited Grammy Awards and returned with no Gold Gramophone in her hand, since 2010. Despite that, the news about Grammys were full of Taylor Swift. Her awkward dancing, her white skin, her tall physique, her head-banging, her shocked face and everything else imaginable.
Taylor Swift is that one 'rare' singer in the present time, who gives real live performances, writes her own songs, composes her own music, talks nicely to everyone, is approved of by parents, and seen as a perfect role model for girls. Yet, why all the hatred?
I was floating through the internet and some fish told me it is because of jealousy, or rather the"unattainable perfection" (Lorde?). Well, I don't write to intimate my readers about the reason of the hatred. You may go around reading articles to find that out yourself. I rather write to weigh the amount of truth in "everybody hates Taylor Swift".
No one can deny that if you type Taylor Swift, you get millions of hate comments and hate pictures, I won't waste e-space by reminding you about that. But if there is really so much hatred, how has Taylor Swift managed to reach from Earth Core to the top of Mt. Everest? Selling more than a million copies, a feat not achieved even by the surprise album of Beyonce, not for just one but two consecutive albums in a time of high piracy like today was achieved by Taylor Swift! She has sold more than 28 million copies of her albums worldwide, which is more than any singer since the dawn of 21st Century. The lead single of Red, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, sold 623,000 copies in the opening week. Despite not being a 'single-oriented' artist she has had 75 million digital singles download worldwide. She has 54 million facebook likers (and counting) and 39 million twitter followers (and counting). She has already defeated the big name of Madonna in terms of Hot 40 singles She has never, in her life, played to a non-sold out show. The whole data on internet would be filled if I continue to count her achievements. And these achievements couldn't come without a strong and large fan following.
So why then do we see more number of hate comments than like comments. I think the only reason for it could be that the Swifties are like their idol - sweet, devoted and careless about the haters.
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Say a word against, perhaps, a One Direction band mate and you would have enough hate comments to ache you for life. Same would be the case for most of the other teen-pop sensations. Yet they only rule the youtube. Their sales are trivial and short-lived. This week on Billboard, Red album spends its 66th week in Billboard 200 and that too at a high rank of 36! Something you might expect only from Adele or Bruno Mars.
So, I think it would be a very good choice to consider the nature of fan-following, before jumping to ad hoc conclusions of the whole world being a hater of Taylor Swift. She is no doubt, an incredible songwriter and music composer. An expert guitarist and pianist. A fast-improving vocalist and on top of everything a normal human being who is not surrounded by herself being a "superstar". That is the real secret to her success. To those who think she is still more of momentary in comparison to legends like the Beatles, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and others, we still have to wait! But then again, isn't Love Story a go to song every year on Valentine's Day?
It was, to my shock, the first time, perhaps, Taylor Swift visited Grammy Awards and returned with no Gold Gramophone in her hand, since 2010. Despite that, the news about Grammys were full of Taylor Swift. Her awkward dancing, her white skin, her tall physique, her head-banging, her shocked face and everything else imaginable.
Taylor Swift is that one 'rare' singer in the present time, who gives real live performances, writes her own songs, composes her own music, talks nicely to everyone, is approved of by parents, and seen as a perfect role model for girls. Yet, why all the hatred?
I was floating through the internet and some fish told me it is because of jealousy, or rather the"unattainable perfection" (Lorde?). Well, I don't write to intimate my readers about the reason of the hatred. You may go around reading articles to find that out yourself. I rather write to weigh the amount of truth in "everybody hates Taylor Swift".
No one can deny that if you type Taylor Swift, you get millions of hate comments and hate pictures, I won't waste e-space by reminding you about that. But if there is really so much hatred, how has Taylor Swift managed to reach from Earth Core to the top of Mt. Everest? Selling more than a million copies, a feat not achieved even by the surprise album of Beyonce, not for just one but two consecutive albums in a time of high piracy like today was achieved by Taylor Swift! She has sold more than 28 million copies of her albums worldwide, which is more than any singer since the dawn of 21st Century. The lead single of Red, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, sold 623,000 copies in the opening week. Despite not being a 'single-oriented' artist she has had 75 million digital singles download worldwide. She has 54 million facebook likers (and counting) and 39 million twitter followers (and counting). She has already defeated the big name of Madonna in terms of Hot 40 singles She has never, in her life, played to a non-sold out show. The whole data on internet would be filled if I continue to count her achievements. And these achievements couldn't come without a strong and large fan following.
So why then do we see more number of hate comments than like comments. I think the only reason for it could be that the Swifties are like their idol - sweet, devoted and careless about the haters.
Say a word against, perhaps, a One Direction band mate and you would have enough hate comments to ache you for life. Same would be the case for most of the other teen-pop sensations. Yet they only rule the youtube. Their sales are trivial and short-lived. This week on Billboard, Red album spends its 66th week in Billboard 200 and that too at a high rank of 36! Something you might expect only from Adele or Bruno Mars.
So, I think it would be a very good choice to consider the nature of fan-following, before jumping to ad hoc conclusions of the whole world being a hater of Taylor Swift. She is no doubt, an incredible songwriter and music composer. An expert guitarist and pianist. A fast-improving vocalist and on top of everything a normal human being who is not surrounded by herself being a "superstar". That is the real secret to her success. To those who think she is still more of momentary in comparison to legends like the Beatles, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and others, we still have to wait! But then again, isn't Love Story a go to song every year on Valentine's Day?
