Not a memoir but not fiction (1)

Heartbreak is the National Anthem

the trash takes itself out

I was quite dismissive of Heartbreak is the National Anthem, a book on Taylor Swift, until I saw the Rob Sheffield wrote it. Sheffield, author of Love is a Mixtape, Rolling Stone Critic, ongoing ranker of all of Taylor Swift’s songs (and hard agree that All Too Well will forever be #1). So I entered a contest to win this book and I won and now I am passing the love forward.

giving in doesn’t always mean you are weak

First, don’t pass this book up because you think it looks all surface and no substance. If you are a Swiftie, you’ll love it. If you are curious why Taylor Swift fans are so hardcore, layers upon layers of insights in here. Second, The author is a critic and fan but most importantly, get’s it. Rob takes you through the eventful moments in Taylor’s life and dissects a few of her songs. Rob knows her songs are never about the boys. They’re always about the girl. Taylor flawlessly captures an emotion, how the girl is feeling and what she is doing about it.

Any Taylor fan knows the core feeling of her songs parlay into so much more, reaching a wide audience. Girls of a certain age have connected with happiness. Those who have suffered any loss have cried to bigger than the whole sky. The author himself has experienced so much grief and used Taylor’s music to live through it. Small parts of his story are shared throughout this book.

got a long list of ex-lovers

A few things that stood out to me as a medium-well done Taylor Swift fan:

1. “The archetypal Taylor Swift heroine is the shy girl trying to cop an attitude, talking tougher than she actually is, trying to fake it until she makes it.”

2. As Rob attends early Taylor Swift shows and sees how inspired her fans are, he thinks “Ten years from now, my favorite music will be coming from these girls” He was not wrong. What a legacy to leave.

3. If you were on the Reputation tour in 2018 in Glendale, AZ, you got All Too Well as a surprise song because of Rob Sheffield. One of Taylor’s most impressive song evolutions. ATW goes on from unexpected fan favorite to getting a short film and 10 minute version.

4. But did anyone notice the ending in the ATW short film? Rob did but I certainly didn’t and it was pulled from one of my favorite movies, Stella Dallas, starring Barbara Stanwyck. Stanwyck watching her daughter through a window marry into NYC high society and in the ATW short film, the ex standing outside in the cold in the red scarf. These peeping characters aren’t part of the story anymore, and they are not better off. everybody moved on.

   

   

5. Taylor as the ultimate fan is a engaging theme throughout. Taylor is a fangirl and she pays homage throughout her career to the many artists she loves. when you think Tim McGraw.

6. Lest you think this book is one sided, Petty Taylor is a chapter that sums up many of her revengeful moments but the K family get’s an entirely separate chapter, which I like because it’s been told so many times it’s skippable.

is this the end of all endings?

I am writing this right after seeing Taylor’s last Toronto livestream (Eras tour). Seeing her be so emotional speaking about the Eras tour ending, I wondered what will she do next? How many times can she re-invent herself? Is she going to take a well-deserved break? Put out her remaining TVs and run off into the sunset?

Some links are affiliate because this is me trying.

italicized and bolded quotes are Taylor’s.