“All of Taylor Swift’s songs are about guys.” “She can’t sing.” “Noah Kahan’s songs are just sad.” These are just a few complaints you can find on media platforms. However, digging deeper into supposedly overrated artists and their music proves that there are important lessons and advice you can find.
Many people know Swift’s more mainstream songs, such as “Love Story”, “You Belong With Me”, and “Cruel Summer”. But taking a closer look into other songs on albums such as folklore, evermore and Speak Now offers another take on her music.
Take the track “the 1” from the 2020 album, folklore, for example. In the chorus, Swift sings “And if you never bleed, you’re never gonna grow.” This lyric explains how you must step out of your comfort zone and fail, in order to become stronger and grow as a person. Success cannot come without failure, and you’ll never learn if you don’t try.
In another song, called “marjorie” after her grandmother, from her 2020 album evermore, Swift sings about things her grandmother taught her. One notable line is “Never be so clever, you forget to be kind.” Sometimes, we get caught up in our lives and trying to out-do others, and we forget that it’s everybody’s first time living. So, cut people some slack, and be nice; you never know what’s going on in their lives.
Moving on to an artist who became popular more recently, singer-songwriter Noah Kahan offers little bits of wisdom, and emotions that come along with it, in some of his hits.
“You’re Gonna Go Far” is a track that not only stirs up emotions, but encourages listeners to do that thing that’s been occupying their mind. Whether it’s moving to a new city, traveling the world, or simply just taking a small step towards a goal, it reminds listeners that the Earth will not stop on its axis. As the song says “The birds will still sing, your folks will still fight, the boards will still creak, the leaves will still die.” Life goes on, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.
Words hold meaning, even if they’re in one of the top songs on the charts.
