27 • michigan swiftie
“People often, I think, disrespect Taylor Swift in that they act very surprised that she has matured as an artist. Yes, she started in a teen pop mode, and she wrote incredible songs when she was still an adolescent, about adolescent life. But she's 30 years old now — think about what other artists were doing when they were 30. Joni Mitchell made Court and Spark, one of her great masterpieces, and incidentally an album on which she pivoted away from more confessional music toward more observational songwriting. Stevie Wonder made Songs in the Key of Life when he was 26; he was well into his masterwork phase by 30. Mick Jagger was 29 when the Stones made Exile on Main St. PJ Harvey was just over 30 when she made Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. Elliott Smith made Either/Or when he was 28. In every single one of these cases, this was adult music tackling adult themes, made by adults. So why are we surprised that Taylor Swift is a mature songwriter? She's a grown woman. I think it's really wrong that the general conversation around Taylor is always as if we are amazed that she's taking baby steps. She's far beyond that.”
— NPR Music’s Ann Powers on Taylor’s maturation as an artist and how her trajectory fits in with other all-time greats (x)
I’m not your problem anymore
Exile, Taylor Swift (feat. Bon Iver), folklore
