Semester in Review

Written Analysis- 5

Due March 26, 2016

            Over the past 6 weeks, I reviewed the life and talents of Taylor Swift. Looking back over the course of the semester, I have noticed that she most represents the theories of an icon, myth, stereotype, and formula. Taylor Swift is a true icon. She has proven this time and time again with her many awards throughout the years. Many females look up to her throughout the world and I feel this has a lot to do with how her fans relate to her song lyrics. Taylor Swift’s many song lyrics are myths of romance and hope. They are typically stories about her life that has already happened or what she wishes for her future. Her numerous break-up and perfect relationship lyrics are examples of myths of romance and hope. Though many find these lyrics to be relatable, others find them stereotypical. Singing of a break-up or a “perfect” guy that usually does not exist seems typical of a love song and typical of a female to be singing, and Taylor Swift has been put into that stereotype. She seems to break away from those stereotypes, however, by giving her break-up songs (and some love songs) an upbeat melody with a hint of sarcasm. Lastly, the formula that Taylor Swift uses is in the way she writes her songs. Her lyrics have a formula that is they tell a story about different points in her life. Also, the arrangements of her songs have a formula that is typical of what we see in pop songs today, A/A/B/A. This formula seems to be a winning combination for her as she just won a Grammy this year for album of the year.

            What I found most interesting in doing these assignments is the formula analysis. I had no idea that a formula actually existed in constructing a song. I thought that artists just sat down and wrote it, then put music to it. To learn that there is actually a formula and that over time it has been adjusted to mold with the culture was amazing. It makes sense that a formula like this would need adjusted to help keep music new and interesting, that is why music has changed so much over the years; it is just an adjustment and not a 100 percent overhaul because I feel that the original would still be needed as a reference.

            I picked Taylor Swift as my popular culture topic because just a few days before she had just won her Grammy and I had just heard her song on the radio. I was not a huge fan of hers but I would not change the station if her song came on. Now, on the other hand, when I hear her songs I will more than likely try to analyze them. When I hear stories about her on the news or Internet I will think twice before 100 percent believing it because it could be people stereotyping her. I will finally start to recognize her as a popular culture icon instead of just another celebrity because she deserves it.