In a recent interview with Time, Taylor Swift discussed the emotional harm caused by her ongoing conflict with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. She also criticized the music industry for its treatment of young pop artists. Time has chosen Swift as their person of the year.
After a successful year of her immensely profitable Eras tour, Swift criticized the music industry’s approach of replacing and discarding artists instead of nurturing them. She pointed out that by the time an artist is mentally prepared to handle the demands of the job, they are often pushed out at the age of 29. In the past, it seemed like record labels would simply throw young artists into the spotlight and see what happens, only to replace them once they gained enough experience. Swift’s solution was to constantly evolve her style with each new album, as she noticed record labels actively trying to find someone to replace her. She decided to take matters into her own hands by reinventing herself before anyone else could. This way, it would be more difficult for the industry to “hit a moving target.”
Taylor Swift was highly disapproving of Big Machine, the record company she worked with for her first six albums. She claims that they restricted her artistic freedom and constantly questioned her creative decisions, causing her to overthink the albums.
The partnership eventually dissolved in intense conflict, as Swift objected to the transfer of her Big Machine albums to music manager Scooter Braun, with whom she had previously had disagreements. In an interview with Time, she expressed her belief that the new owner had malicious intentions for her masters.
Braun has not responded to the interview, but has previously stated that there were misunderstandings in the deal and the resulting media frenzy. He acknowledged that he felt it was unfair, but also recognized that the other party may have felt the same way.
Swift’s dislike for Braun stems from their history when he was managing Kanye West. West had released a song called Famous which included the lyrics: “I made that bitch famous”, referencing a past argument between the two. Swift had publicly spoken out against the lyrics, but faced backlash when Kim Kardashian, West’s wife at the time, leaked a phone call recording between West and Swift where it seemed like she had given her approval for the song. However, a longer version of the video proved Swift’s innocence by showing that she had not approved the use of the word “bitch” in the lyrics.
The long-standing dispute received widespread coverage in tabloids and on social media, causing damage to Swift’s reputation. This was referenced in the title of her sixth album. In her interview with Time, she revealed that her career was essentially taken from her due to a fabricated situation involving an illegally recorded phone call that was edited by Kim Kardashian and publicly released, painting Swift as a liar. This experience had a profound impact on her mental state, causing her to move to a different country, avoid leaving her rental house for a year, and become wary of trusting others. Ultimately, she suffered greatly as a result of this ordeal.
Kardashian did not provide a comment, but stated in 2020: “It was never denied that the word ‘bitch’ was used without her consent…I did not alter the footage (another false claim) – I simply shared a few clips on Snapchat to prove my point.” She also mentioned in a 2016 interview that Swift “completely approved” of the line.
Swift expressed her satisfaction with her album Reputation, released in 2017. While initially deemed a disappointment by some, it has gained strong support from her fans. She described it as a powerful representation of goth-punk and female anger towards being manipulated by societal norms.
In her interview with Time, she also talks about her highly-analyzed relationship with NFL athlete Travis Kelce, her ongoing efforts to re-record her albums from her time with Big Machine, and responds to the comparisons made between her and Beyoncé’s tours, both of which have resulted in successful concert films. She notes, “It’s evident that the media and fan culture benefit from pitting two women against each other.”
In a wider sense, she expressed that the current trend of female pop stars being popular – as seen in the 2024 Grammy nominations being predominantly female artists – is a positive development. She also added that if viewed cynically, the commercial success of feminine concepts could result in an increase in female-driven art, which is encouraging.
Source: theguardian.com
