Taylor Swift Is Completely Unremarkable — and That’s Precisely Her Appeal

A job posting just released by USA Today calls for a “Taylor Swift Reporter” who can “quench an undeniable thirst for all things Taylor Swift with a steady stream of content across multiple platforms.” Indeed, Taylor Swift is no stranger to headlines. She breaks and sets records, whether for ticket sales, song downloads, or Grammy awards. Her net worth exceeds $700 million, and she has over 100 million monthly listeners. But why does anyone like her?

It’s wrong to characterize Taylor Swift as a singer, since her lack of vocal talent means she’s usually just talking in a whispery voice. When hearing a Swift song, I’ve never thought, “This is great.” Rather, I’ve heard her glorified elevator music and thought, “This must be Taylor Swift.” Her music is distinct, but her songs are indistinct from one another.

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Abigail Anthony

Abigail Anthony is a staff writer at National Review.

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A job posting just released by USA Today calls for a “Taylor Swift Reporter” who can “quench an undeniable thirst for all things Taylor Swift with a steady stream of content across multiple platforms.” Indeed, Taylor Swift is no stranger to headlines. She breaks and sets records, whether for ticket sales, song downloads, or Grammy awards. Her net worth exceeds $700 million, and she has over 100 million monthly listeners. But why does anyone like her?

It’s wrong to characterize Taylor Swift as a singer, since her lack of vocal talent means she’s usually just talking in a whispery voice. When hearing a Swift song, I’ve never thought, “This is great.” Rather, I’ve heard her glorified elevator music and thought, “This must be Taylor Swift.” Her music is distinct, but her songs are indistinct from one another.