I started this post on 23.2.24. It was a very warm summer night in Sydney. As we say in Australia, it was a 'sticky' (humid) evening so I had the window in my study wide open. I could hear frogs in various pots in the garden, crickets singing their sweet songs, and Taylor Swift singing in the stadium at Olympic Park, just a 5-minute drive away and about 3 km (as the crow flies). A storm had just passed drenching the 85,000 fans, including one of my granddaughters and her friends. The music started a little late, but they had an amazing night. The following night another granddaughter, her Mum and two friends attended and stayed dry.
I'm sure schools all over Sydney would have been alive all week with discussions of who had tickets and who sadly missed out. What to wear? What merchandise to buy? How many wrist bands to take and swap? I heard on the evening news that one young woman spent $30,000 on "merchandise" at the show in one transaction.
Am I fan? Not really, but I've heard a bit of her music and I was from a musical family with broad tastes. I'd seen Taylor sing on television, and she is clearly a wonderful performer. And while I prefer opera to popular music, in her genre of music she is top of the tree! Not because she is the best singer in the world (but she is very good), but because she writes songs that resonate with the youth of today, and women in general. How her fame reached this point intrigues me, so I thought I'd have a look at some of the themes in her songs.
I started with "Shake It Off" which seems to be her most popular single. She explained the meaning of the song on Radio in 2015:
"This is a song that I wrote about having to deal with on an everyday basis, just kind of, how human beings treat each other." "... You know, the feeling of humiliation... when a girl has a rumor spread around about her at school that isn't true. It's the same feeling I feel when I'm checking out at the grocery store and I read some crazy headlines about me." She continued, "...rather than writing a song that was victimized in nature I wanted to write a song that was joyful and give people ways to cope with whatever knots of ridiculousness life is doling out to them... and make them want to dance."
Above: 'Shake it Off' Early album cover
It's easy to see why young (and older) women love her songs. As a man, even I can appreciate she is speaking into women's direct experiences and why some men also love the songs. As well as being smart and talented, Taylor has an understanding of human nature, and her music is her contribution to helping young people with the 'crap' of life. I admire her for that.
But is life that simple? In a word, NO! Can you just shake off abuse, false rumours, put downs and so on? Not really, but when you have an orchestra of millions singing in unison the words of the song, for a time they are strengthened by the knowledge that many young women suffer, confront and often conquer the same terrible stuff. So, in a sense they support one another in song.
As Christian teachers and parents, what can we learn from this?
With a faith that teaches us the only sure way to be saved from the ugliness of life, is through faith in Jesus and the love of God. Let me unpack what I think is behind Taylor's success, and what we can learn from it?
First, all of us need help and support in the battles of life, whether it comes in the form of ridicule, persecution, illness, family problems, disappointments, body image, and failures of all kinds.
Second, having an exciting day like the concert, a 'perfect' date, spending time with friends who accept and support you, success at school or university, in sport etc, can all help to lift our spirits. But too quickly these experiences lose their shine and are forgotten when problems encroach.
Third, Taylor Swift's songs encourage women to seek support from others who have shared similar life experiences. We gain strength from friends, who have also experienced the problems of life. Taylor Swift's followers are in a sense a community of sisters (primarily), who share the ups and downs of life through song. I watched videos of the 80,000 (mostly) young women singing (screaming) "Shake it off" along with Taylor at the Sydney concert. The passion was extraordinary!
So, to what do we look to for hope in troubled times?
"Beneath the more superficial activities of life... below the surface of cognitive and intellectual arguments all groups and individuals are motivated by a 'social imaginary' which helps make sense of their world by allowing them to engage with stories, myths, images, iconic hopes, and dreams, and connect them with their own present and past experiences as we imagine the world as we would like it to be."
In a sense, Taylor Swift's music offers a form of "social imaginary". Charles Taylor suggests that such visions of the future help all groups and individuals to imagine the context of their lives, and their place within its present and future. Of course, there are fans of Taylor Swift who do have a faith in God, which I'm sure offers them a slightly different view of the lyrics of her songs, and the impact on their lives, compared to non-Christians. But all fans seem to engage deeply with the music because the lyrics and experiences she shares, echo to varying extents the challenges they face each day. My hope is that many believers while continuing to enjoy her music, might not 'worship' the performer. I also pray that those who don't know God in the audiences, will seek faith in the only true eternal hope. That is, the eternal hope Christ offers.
You will find a helpful secular explanation of the meaning behind 'Shake it Off' by Taylor Swift HERE
