Songs of Herself

How did Taylor Swift convince the world that she's relatable?

- By Spencer Kornhaber

A great way to ruin a party is to put on a Taylor Swift playlist.

The Swift fans in the crowd will stop what they're doing to sing along, but pretty soon the non-Swifties will start to complain—about the breathy and effortful singing, or some fussily worded lyrics, or the general vibe of lovelorn sentimentality cut with dorky humor (“This. Sick. Beat!”). You'll soon find yourself hosting another round in the endless debate about whether Taylor Swift is a visionary artist or merely a slick product of marketing. Both camps will be reacting to the defining feature of Swift's music: There's just so much of her in it.

Pop isn’t supposed to work this way. The most consequential American singer of the past 20 years, Swift can claim commercial achievements that equal or surpass those of the Beatles, Madonna, and Michael Jackson. But Swift still has the feel of an acquired taste, albeit one that millions have acquired. Her success owes less to smash singles—though she has them—than to the obsessive listening she elicits from fans. She is the perfect entertainer for our socially fractured era, in which internet-forged tribes—led by charismatic, love-'em-or-hate-'em idols—have upended politics and popular culture.

Why her? What is the essence of Swiftness?