Taylor Swift is an inspiring role model – Written by Laura Bitondi

 “We are never ever getting back together” is one of the most famous songs by Taylor Swift. The stereotype that all of her songs are thematizing breakups is a very controversial discussion in today’s world, as well as in her huge fan community. Let’s take a deeper look behind the curtains of Taylor and her impact on society over the years and how she influences teenagers.

   Starting with her first country album in 2006, Swift has been growing up in the music industry. Her fandom started with country lovers and now, 16 years later, she is an internationally famous artist and one of the leading celebrities. But how can that be possible if she “only cries her heart out about her ex-relationships” in her songs and influences young girls “negatively” with that, according to her critics? 

   One of the biggest reasons Taylor impacts society nowadays is because she is relatable. Her songs, in which she reveals her true feelings about common situations in life, are relatable, and a lot of people can see themselves as a reflection of their problems and struggles in her work. This portrays her as down-to-earth in the best way possible because there are always moments when someone questions the validity of their own feelings. By hearing that even one of the most popular celebrities is just a normal human being, they may feel better about themselves. 

   The cliche that her songs are influencing young girls badly when it comes to learning how to cope with heartbreak and relationships is unsuitable from my point of view. I, as a student from Germany, grew up listening to her music. Swift taught me how to cope with stressful situations or emotional dilemmas. From my personal experience, I perceive that most of the people who dislike Taylor Swift or spread cliches about her music still see her as the seventeen-year-old country singer who was just a teenager getting into a vast industry and business.

   Now at age 33, her personality development is immense, and this was recently proven with her new album “Midnights.” She created a countdown for her fans to give hints and easter eggs about her new album. She called it “Midnight Mayhem with Me.” Swift knows her fan community very well and never fails to keep them on track.

   The songs like “You’re On Your Own Kid” emphasize her growth and the interest shown by adults, which is definitely a fan’s favorite on her new album. She illustrates her past navigating to fame, love, her former eating disorder, and the people she has lost. Mental health illnesses like eating disorders are common to a large extent in music businesses. By opening up about Swift’s experience with this in her movie Miss Americana, she reveals another aspect of her private life and raises awareness of how important it is to search for help when someone is dealing with an eating disorder. 

   Her way of talking about taboo topics is also another reason why I believe that she is displaying humanity. This adds to the reasons why she is overall a compassionate and strong woman who highlights the normalization of expressing your feelings and conveying independence. Most celebrities drown in their fame and lose the aspect of humanity in money and attention, but Swift proves over and over again how she differs from those celebrities. My reasons are just a little illustration of her greatness because there is so much more to her. Her critics should dig more into her as a person, for example, by watching her movie and interviews or looking at some of her achievements, before building up negativity about her. 

Do we really want Taylor Swift as a role model?  – Written by Raegan Foster

   Taylor Swift has been a long-time icon for teenagers and adults alike, but is she someone we want young impressionable people to look up to? 

   Swift has been very successful for a long time, winning 10 Grammys in her career, but her career has been founded mostly on her breakups with some notable Hollywood names.

For a long time, Swift has been most notably known for her break-up songs.

   Younger girls are some of the most impressionable minds on the planet. Why would we want them to idealize someone who is most notably known for airing out all of her ex’s misdoings from their relationship to billions of people?

   This can cause these younger minds to think that this is the standard and that the emotions they are feeling should be dealt with in ways that potentially harm someone else.

   These impressionable minds need to know that while their feelings are valid, their potential actions concerning these feelings may not be. 

    Swift can leave lasting impressions on the minds of all of society. Which has proven to be potentially harmful. An instance of this is her song “Picture to Burn.” This song had to be changed after its release because Swift had some homophobic themes throughout the song.

   Even though the song was recalled and changed, it does not remedy the fact that with her platform, she could have helped create potentially dangerous thoughts in some of her younger followers at the time of the song’s release. 

   In recent years, Swift has written fewer songs about her heartbreaks and more about her general life experiences; this shows that she has grown from that 17-year-old pop star whom she is still widely known for, but the problem does not disappear because she is still viewed for her years as a heartbreaker. 

   Swift has been a star for nearly 19 years, with her career starting when she was signed to Big Machine Records at 14. When she was signed, her father bought a three percent stake in the company for a reported $300,000. 

   With that being said, what happened to the up-and-coming musical artist that didn’t have this opportunity handed to them in such a manner? The musicians who didn’t have parents that could maintain the ability to help boost their careers. They most likely failed to make it anywhere in the music world because they could not be supported in part by the people around them. 

   While Swift has an amazing talent, the messages she conveys and the power she wields tend to be more harmful than helpful.