Yesterday, I was talking to my friend when we came about the topic of icons. We debated what the word meant, and my friend gave me an example: Taylor Swift. She happens to be a huge Taylor Swift fan, and while I like some of her music, I do not really consider myself a fan. While I did not know whether or not Taylor Swift was iconic, my friend had some very convincing arguments. She found the official definition of an icon:
“a person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).
Of course, when learning this definition, there was no denying that Taylor Swift is an icon. Arguably, she is the biggest icon of our generation. However, this launched our real debate. Will Taylor Swift stand the test of time?
We agreed that the craze around Taylor Swift is very similar to that of the Beatles in the 1960’s. Everyone was obsessed with the Beatles, and people could not get enough of them. My grandparent’s generation grew up with the Beatles, and so, of course they idolize their music. What’s more interesting than this, is that two generations later, people do not just know who the Beatles are, but know and like at least a few songs. According to a 2014 CBS news poll, 75% of Americans like the Beatles and 40% of these people like them a lot. Only 15% of Americans claimed that they disliked the Beatles. By all metrics, the Fab Four have stood the test of time.
This is where I shifted my argument over to Taylor Swift. Since we had agreed that Taylor Swift was one of, if not the biggest icon of our generation, it brought up the question of whether masses of people in fifty years would be listening to her music?
My friend started by arguing that, yes, people will be listening to her music. This is because she will be raising her kids on Taylor Swift, since she is such a big fan and does not see that changing.
While there is no denying that there will be a generation of parents listening to Taylor Swift in the car with their kids, I am more interested on if this love for her will be passed down further? Will these kids grow up to cherish Taylor Swift and her music in the same fashion as our parents did with the Beatles? Will they be inspired to pass this music down another generation, keeping her fame and beloved music alive?
This was the real “meat and bones” of my argument. My friend said that yes, her music will be passed down from generation to generation. This is because, like the Beatles, she has done something groundbreaking and different with her music. This will set her aside from other artists and allow her to “stand the test of time”. On the other hand, I was not so sure. I believe that while Taylor Swift’s music is creative, I do not think it will translate in future generations.
This debate was just for fun, and I think it outlines the kind of things my friends and I “argue” about. I think that it is pretty fitting to make this my passion blog for the semester, as this class focuses heavily on opinions and arguments, and I happen to really love a good debate. I hope you enjoy!
I agree with you that Taylor Swift won’t stand the test of time. But, I find it interesting that the Beatles would even be considered to be forgotten in the future. The Beatles were one of the first starters of the pop music genre, so when talking about music history they always have to be mentioned. Taylor on the other hand I don’t think has had the same impact. There are many solo pop artists who have had an impact that she does, her fans just seem to praise her more, which I can see you alluding to a little throughout your blog.