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By Sakshi Bhasin
As a recent Taylor Swift fan, the colour I associate the most with her is not Red, like her album, but actually….pink. Let me explain!
Pink is a colour most associated with women, and over time has gained an unkind reputation for itself. It’s too girly, too out there, too bright and bold, and most women have been conditioned to dissociate themselves from it, out of fear of being put in a box (yours truly included).
However, with time, we’ve realised just how flattering and universally pleasing the colour is. It’s a true blend of warm and cool tones, it’s a statement and a subtlety, and there’s finally an unbothered attitude in the people who enjoy the colour and are embracing it (again, yours truly included).
Just like our relationship to Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift’s reputation (pun included) may see its ups and downs, but the artist has stood her ground, and how. It’s almost astonishing to see everything that the media and life has put her through, and yet she has not moved away from the limelight.
It’s not the first time we have seen something like this happen to a woman in pop culture. Think Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, who have all been painted in an unflattering light by the media for simply being who they are. They have a big moment in pop culture and are instantly villainized. We’ve all been guilty of succumbing to this narrative that is fed to us about these women. In fact, some of us have been subject to something similar, if not to the same degree, in our own homes, societies and lives.
Taylor has gone through this countless times, but with a different end result. A result where she has managed to drive her own narrative and career. (Ahem, remember Reputation and Taylor owning the snake imagery leveraged against her? Or how she sued David Mueller for $1 for grabbing her?). This may be why we find comfort and solace in her lyrics, and inspiration and bravery in her actions.
Right now, we’re seeing another landmark moment in her life where she is taking charge of her life and career, by rerecording her past albums and releasing music from the vault so she can truly own her music and work. Red (Taylor’s Version) has managed to break her own records AND the usual norms of the music industry. In fact, All Too Well (Taylor’s Version (10 minute version) debuted at #1.
I won’t say women, I’ll say people across the world have much to take from Taylor’s work and her life. Her music doesn’t just cover breakups and ex-boyfriend bashing, but the highlights of her relationships (Delicate), her own past mistakes (Back to December) and her career trajectory (The Man). She’s never shied away from revealing her personal lessons and showing how much she has grown. There’s also so much more to cover when it comes to her music videos and lyricism but I’ll wait for the next album drop.
Reply to me, and let me know what you think!
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