Thank You, Taylor Swift, For Being The Most Fearless Artist

Jun 23, 2015

Looks like Katy Perry isn’t the only one Taylor Swift has bad blood with.

Some of us call her annoying.

Some of us call her a serial-dater.

All of us call her drop-dead gorgeous.

Whatever names we call her, we can’t deny this one simple fact; Taylor Swift is a genius and has shown us firsthand the effects simple words can have, even on one of the most domineering companies in the world.

If you’re like me, you almost instinctively activate your selective hearing mode at any mention of the lovely Ms. Swift, but this was one stunt even I couldn’t ignore. For those of you who have been living under a rock the past couple days or perhaps have been too busy to care, allow me to fill you in.

Essentially, Apple is launching Apple Music on June 30^th, allowing consumers to enjoy a free 3-month trial period. To all of us students whose bank accounts are struggling to accommodate even the reasonable “college kid” pricing of Spotify Premium, this announcement was literally music to our ears. For all the artists we love to stream, however, it was quite the opposite.

That is, until Taylor Swift had something to say about it.

She was not the first to complain about the fact that this 3-month trial would provide no compensation to the artists, but she certainly was the last. Swift speaks, Apple listens.

“Apple is a company that started with having a very strong ethos and a very strong end in mind. It’s not just a computer company; it’s a lifestyle,” stated Anthony Lauletta, an avid Apple consumer.

Within the realms of this technological lifestyle, Apple knew they needed Taylor on their side to effectively expedite its success. While most artists were too afraid to speak up, she had the courage to do so. I greatly fear the possibility of fans becoming too entangled in the technicalities that they may forget the greatest lesson to be learned from this; their words, too, when knowledgeable, can make a difference. For writers like me, this is an anthem we live by, so of course I had to say something about it. After all this time, I’ve finally come to terms with it; I like Taylor Swift, and I think it’s about time she gets the long-awaited “thank you” letter she deserves.

Dear Taylor,

Thank you for being the voice of so many that were stifled by their own fear.

Thank you for showing women everywhere that they don’t need to dress ridiculously and act out wildly to be successful. Thank you for bringing “classy” back.

You once said, “I’ll never change, but I’ll never stay the same either.” Thank you for showing us that revamping your image is okay, and is sometimes a necessary part of life. None of us wear the same clothes or enjoy the same music as we did five years ago, and we’d be disgustingly hypocritical if we expected you to.

Thank you for bringing Christmas presents to your fans with intricately hand-written notes. The amount of confidence and joy I’m sure you instilled in those girls is truly remarkable, and I don’t think you were commended enough for that.

Thank you for creating music that touches the hearts of fans everywhere and allows them to relive the moments they may have desperately needed to. Thank you for writing your own lyrics. Thank you for being directly involved in the creation of your art in a world where most “artists” feel more comfortable as puppets.

Most of all, thank you for reminding us all to take a stance when we believe in something. With all the outlets and resources we have available to us today, there is no excuse not to do so.

One Tumblr post can enrich the lives of many. One tweet can start a revolution. One person’s words can make all the difference.

In the one in a billion chance you were ever to stumble upon this during your daily musings, thank you, Taylor, for reminding us of the power we already have.