Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant says Taylor's music doesn't come close to Michael Jackson

[Teletubby 150,725]

Neil Tennant has hit out at Taylor Swift, claiming her music doesn't come close to music by the likes of Michael Jackson

Speaking at the Guardian Live event “An Evening with Pet Shop Boys” in London on Monday, Tennant said he couldn’t entirely understand Taylor Swift’s popularity.

He noted that Swift’s music fell short of his expectations for an artist of her success level and claimed her discography didn’t stand up to those of pop stars like Michael Jackson.

“I was looking at the chart today and it is all Taylor Swift. She sorts of fascinates me as a phenomenon because she is so popular. But then I listen to the records and I think, ‘Where are the famous songs? What is Taylor Swift’s Billie Jean?’ Shake It Off? I listened to that the other day and it is not Billie Jean, is it?”

He  added he likes Swift’s music because it “brings people together” but “the one disappointing thing is the music, not the lyrics”.

Tennant also critiqued Swift’s practice of drawing inspiration from her love life for lyrics. “To have a successful pop career now you have to have a series of relationships, which are amazing and then break up tragically,” he said.
source

[nATAH 50,307]

Shake It Off slander is my favourite, what a god awful song

[bionic 50,107]

16 minutes ago, Teletubby said:

Tennant also critiqued Swift’s practice of drawing inspiration from her love life for lyrics. “To have a successful pop career now you have to have a series of relationships, which are amazing and then break up tragically,” he said.

When she moves way from this we end up with stuff like "Welcome to New York" so IMO Taylor can stick to relationships  

[PartySick 161,505]

Whose music does though

He's not the most successful and influential artist in history for no reason hello

[PartySick 161,505]

1 minute ago, bionic said:

When she moves way from this we end up with stuff like "Welcome to New York" so IMO Taylor can stick to relationships  

That f*cking song

I took a bus tour around Manhattan and all I heard was New York, New York; Empire State of Mind; and that abomination on repeat for hours 

Would actually love to see what Taylor can write when she isn't ruminating on an ex or pretending she's a victim of anything. Like, sorry, but I will never feel bad for an attractive, blonde, white billionaire 

"My ex hurt me" hits way less when you realize the person saying it could afford to buy his hometown, bulldoze it, and use a space lazer to engrave her name and a middle finger into the rubble.

Billionaires don't have feelings

[Fantina 3,360]

It doesn't come close.

Does that mean her songs are bad? No, they are good and are a product of the era we are currently living in. I can't deny her level of artistry and the thought she put behind each album.

Having said this, she doesn't come close to Michael, Madonna or even Gaga level status, and she doesn't need to. She is successful in her own right and will always have fans who will stream her music and buy her albums. 

What you (not you OP, but some stans in general) will not do is say she is better than all of the aforementioned artists just because she is selling out like crazy. Sales and streams don't mean **** in the long run. What matters is how you impacted the world around you and the legacy you will leave behind. All 3 of the aforementioned artists (Michael, Madonna and Gaga) cemented their place in people's minds as trailblazers in their own communities, something that most modern artists will struggle to achieve. 

[Gorehound 4,755]

 

....well   .

[Teletubby 150,725]

13 minutes ago, PartySick said:

Whose music does though

Peppa Pig, Rita Ora, Dua Lipa, Bebe Rexha, Zara Larsson...

[Chesescake 4,013]

It's like beating a dead horse fetus in passion.

[rinasawachanta 3,096]

I couldn't agree more with one of my favorite artists 

[Celloo Deng 55,178]

26 minutes ago, NATAH said:

Shake It Off slander is my favourite, what a god awful song

You are always my fav commenter in taylor threads 

[Celloo Deng 55,178]

10 minutes ago, Teletubby said:

Rita Ora, Bebe Rexha

The same person 

[Teletubby 150,725]

1 minute ago, Cello said:

The same person 

they are like @Cello&@PartySick

[PartySick 161,505]

2 minutes ago, Teletubby said:

they are like @Cello&@PartySick

Why do timestamps not work anymore

6:55

[Bronco 12,192]

He's right tbf. 

I like her songs, I like quite a bit of the new album. But let's face it - we're 18 years in since Taylor's first album in 2006 and by now you'd expect to see artists coming through citing Fearless/Speak Now maybe even Red as influences. 

We're not. 
By comparison, we're 16 years in since The Fame and people are citing Gaga's The Fame/Fame Monster/BTW as influences. 

For older legacy acts - we're still seeing the likes of MJ & Madonna be cited by new emerging acts 40+ years in. 

I don't think there's a single Taylor Swift album (and I like the majority of them, love some of them even), that has any long lasting legacy/impact. Currently the only ones I think might have any impact in 10 years is Folklore/Evermore.