I'm so confused by this. I never found Taylor Swift to be a country artist... Pop music with country vibes at most, but never a country artist. I'm not saying this a derogatory thing to her, but I always assumed the majority of her fan base were pop fans, not country fans. I don't see how she's isolating anyone with Red. It's a pop album for pop fans.

Two more points:

1. JEWEL!?! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Taylor had more hits of her debut than Jewel had in her whole career.

2. I'm no devotee of Max Martin, and have complained about him pretty regularly, but anyone who says "Since U Been Gone" had a short shelf-life is divorced from reality.

I mean there are people who love country and hate the crossover stuff -- country legend George Jones criticized it a while back -- but the people who feel that way probably don't listen to contemporary country stations.

General points could be made at anyone. Just sucks Taylor Swift had to be singled out.

Originally Posted by ChaseTx

I mean there are people who love country and hate the crossover stuff -- country legend George Jones criticized it a while back -- but the people who feel that way probably don't listen to contemporary country stations.

I feel that the only thing that makes contemporary country "country" is the singing, and lyrics.

Originally Posted by bobby runs

I feel that the only thing that makes contemporary country "country" is the singing, and lyrics.

And instrumentation. Fiddle and steel guitar are still very prevalent. The songwriting is a lot poppier in most current bands

Originally Posted by cshadows2887

Two more points:

1. JEWEL!?! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Taylor had more hits of her debut than Jewel had in her whole career.

Not really. Taylor had no mainstream No. 1 singles on her debut, just on country charts. Jewel had 2 mainstream #1s off her debut (one which held for 9 weeks) and also one which reached No. 2 I believe. Not to mention that Jewel's debut is one of the best selling albums OF ALL TIME. 12x Platinum.

Taylor's career is MUCH better however and I think Lefsetz is still holding a grudge for getting dissed in "Mean." He's usually a bit more thoughtful than this.

ITT: Butthurt. Some points are ridiculous but there are some good points in here that can apply to Taydolf Swiftler and other Top40 people.

Originally Posted by Joey (J-Train)

ITT: Butthurt. Some points are ridiculous but there are some good points in here that can apply to Taydolf Swiftler and other Top40 people.

I wouldn't go so far as to call her Taydolf Swiftler, but I do agree.

He disregarded the fact that Red is actually a damn good record, and much better than the country fodder she put out in her past. She was always good, but Red is her breaking out a bit more artistically. That has to have weight here. If her country fans don't want to grow with her, fuck 'em.

Her career reminds me of avril lavigne's, lavigne's biggest hit was the dr.luke song "girlfriend" but instead of gaining news loyal fans she gained disposable tween fans who only wanted that weeks popular pop single all the while her hardcore fans became alieneted, so the article's point of short term success vs longevity is a good point, as well as selling a million in a week isn't really all that relative (even limp bizkit accomplished that).

His writing is teribbly choppy. I feel as though he writes like a child.

Why are people still on her about the Papa Johns thing? There's been much weirder cross promotional deals with country artists the past few years. Like how Jason Aldean had to change a lyric to accommodate his sponsor Coors and how 2000 Flushes gave away a Jo Dee Messina album to everyone who bought their toilet bowl cleaner

Great article... The Pearl Jam part was interesting as well. The band that put out one amazing record, then a just OK record and then proceeds to put out average to straight up garbage for the rest of their career.... but as long as people remember how awesome that first record was they will still come pay 60$ to come see you live. As for Taylor, she has kind of turned into a shit talking brat that has it all and still wants more. As long as she continues to right catchy radio hits it will be all good for her I guess but the CMA country backlash part of the article was very interesting. Could not of been a fun night for her getting shut out of any awards and being made fun of... She probably was back stage afterwards demanding someone be fired.

The success and money she has earned over her career is so far from what any of us will ever experience. Lose some fans, put out a record that doesn't sell for a year, ...change?

Regardless of any, and few, valid points this guy made, I'm sure Swift is really not concerned.