LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Taylor Swift has often been underestimated by critics, yet her popularity continues to soar with each new album release.
Despite initial doubts about her musical abilities following her album ‘Fearless’ (2008), her following albums ‘Speak Now’ (2010) and ‘Red’ (2012) did not meet the same commercial success as their predecessor, causing critics to question her longevity.
Nevertheless, Taylor Swift's global popularity only increased with the release of her album ‘1989’ (2014), despite accusations of selling out to a wider pop audience.
Even when her reputation was tarnished by Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, Swift's album ‘reputation’ (2017) proved her artistic merit and talent with several chart-topping hits.
Although ‘Lover’ (2019) did not match the sales of her previous albums, and her two pop albums released after ‘1989’ were snubbed by the Grammys, Taylor Swift's ‘Folklore’ (2020) and ‘Evermore’ (2020) were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
Even her re-released albums under the banner ‘Taylor's Version’ (2023) were successful, with ‘Midnights’ (2022) becoming her biggest career opening, second only to Adele's ‘25’ record.
Is Taylor Swift the greatest performer of all time?
Taylor Swift's popularity also extends to her live performances. Her ‘Eras Tour’ concerts have generated $2.2 billion in ticket sales in North America alone, with 146 tour dates announced across five continents.
The concert film ‘The Eras Tour’ (2023) has been screened in over 8,500 theaters in more than 100 countries.
Despite the doubts surrounding overexposure, Taylor Swift's music remains popular with all generations.
Her albums continue to sell well physically, and her new and re-recorded songs are still widely enjoyed. Her re-recorded albums have also reached number one on the charts.
Taylor Swift's longevity in the music industry is a testament to her talent and ability to adapt to changing musical trends.
Even in her 17th year in the music industry, her continued success has proven that she has not reached her creative peak and that her music remains popular with fans around the world.
Swifties on X question the intent behind pitting her against Michael Jackson
People on the internet have often put Taylor in opposition to the 'King of Pop' Michael Jackson, with many asking why the hitmaker hasn’t been compared against Elton John, Elvis Presley, Madonna, or, Miley Cyrus for that matter.
Madonna is highly regarded as she sparked conversations on LGBTQ+ issues, racial issues, and feminism at a time when nobody else was doing that in the pop genre.
Miley Cyrus broke out of her ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘High School Musical’ mold to become the "Pop Chameleon", now recognized worldwide for her musical versatility and artistic reinventions.
But people are more concerned as to why, Taylor’s success is constantly being compared to that of Black artists like MJ, an icon of their time and for generations to come, alleging there's a racist undertone to this whole line of questioning.
One X user wrote: “Why keep comparing her to Black artists? Why not compare her to Elton John, Elvis Presley, Madonna, Miley Cyrus??? Hmm.. something seems a little sinister."
Another user stated: "It really reads as a racist attempt to erase Black artists from history. It’s why she’s frontrunner for AOTY Grammy. The illusive greatness of Swift prevails if she breaks Stevie Wonder’s record. It’s sick. Because it’s totally unwarranted."
Another X user said: "Madonna being the most appropriate metric for comparison by far. They always gotta come for the King"
One user tweeted: "I asked this same thing a few months ago, when did she pass up lady Gaga, Madonna, and Adele? What about Celine Dion? They’re bypassing all of them and going straight to MJ. Very suspicious and bizarre."
Another user wrote: "That’s what I’ve been saying, they love comparing this white woman to black artists. I notice she’s not being compared to Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Madonna, etc. just the black artists."
Another X user quipped: "To be fair, comparing her to Elvis would still be comparing her to black artists since most (if not all) of his songs were written by black artists."
One user wrote: "I get what you saying here but none of them bigger than Micheal"
And finally, this user said: "michael jackson was bigger than all those guys (at least he’s a bigger deal lol). answer is definitively no tho"
