It’s reassuring and also comforting that this still sells, with this much competition in the market, and resonates with me so much. They tell stories instead of showing off. It’s like found their own way to harness their scars or life experiences, and turn them into doors leading to their eventual evolution through creativity. Sometimes, those who are imperfect, broken, hurt, but headstrong, open, authentic, courageous, and unapologetic are more interesting. Sometimes it’s not about technical perfection. Sometimes, the mastery of a craft looks different for different people. With everything put together, and a strong belief in herself - she has used this creativity of hers to garner millions and millions of fans all around the world. She is an amazing storyteller of her own life, and without necessarily being the best at singing or any instrument, she was the best at telling her unique stories. She just writes songs like she writes her diary - but she’s also smart and catchy and commercial about it. She doesn’t use fancy techy gear, she doesn’t use fancy chords, she doesn’t do fancy grooves or sing fancy riffs. is undeniably impressive, and downright inspiring to me.
for someone like Taylor Swift to be the mega success that she is. but with everything put together, mayyyybe you would be able to become a little bit of something.”Īnd for me, to see someone like Taylor Swift do so well in this world, someone who doesn’t belt like Beyoncé, doesn’t shred on the guitar like John Mayer, doesn’t play keys like Alicia Keys, doesn’t riff like Ariana Grande. Very, very early on in my career, before R&K, one producer once said to me, “you’re not the best singer, you’re not really a great guitar player, piano you’re a little better but still not that great. In that format, she somehow still managed to find a dominant spot in the mainstream and manufactured pop world - and that was so reassuring for me because that’s how I have written a TON of my songs. In between songs, she shared thoughts and her creative process so openly and vulnerably, and how she wrote her songs as self-therapy, usually with just one instrument, in her pajamas, in the middle of the night. I admit I even got a tad bit emotional after watching it, not because of anything else but the fact that I can resonated with so so much the stuff she said about songwriting and her creative process, and I enjoyed how she picked the songs and played completely alone, stripped down and raw, in the songs’ demo versions.
But this was a surprising one, and so I clicked. It was a surprise to see Taylor Swift there, because it usually features up-and-coming artists or jazz musicians, performances of which I enjoy thoroughly also. It takes what happens on a big stage into your average office work space. I love the rawness of it, the realness of it, and the closeness of it. I recently watched her NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and if you don’t know about Tiny Desk, perhaps you could check it out and be inspired - it’s a YouTube channel where artists and musicians perform in a tiny cramped space behind a work desk - and it’s brilliant. 🤷🏻♀️ So who am I to diss it? I actually really admire her, and definitely count her as one of my previously unspoken inspirations. But if I’m honest, fewer and fewer people treat the whole Cantopop market as “real music” as well, so perhaps we kinda do share that in common. I know liking her music is sometimes seen as “uncool”- how dare any serious musician say they like her stuff, it’s only for silly teenage girls.
I know she gets a lot of hate, and a lot of people don’t necessarily see her music as “real music”, whatever that means. While we speculate, give “Phases” a spin via Spotify below.I have a second confession to make. If it’s all in the vein of “Phases,” it’ll be an interesting listen from the duo. Word is that Majid Jordan is working on their sophomore album, which could possibly bow before the year is over. Suddenly, Majid’s tale of feeling displaced and alienated takes on the feel of a man just trying to cope with the many changes life throws at us. Rather than stick with the dramatic chords and melancholy feel, Jordan switches everything up as the track builds slowly before bursting into an undeniable dance groove heavy on programmed kick drum and synth (as well as Auto-Tuned vocals). “I came to this country, didn’t know a damn thing /18 years old and in need of planning / Thought I was ready, I wasn’t ready /Guess it’s me and myself again,” he sings earnestly. It starts with cool piano chords as Majid sings about immigrating to a new country at the tender age of 18. “Phases,” interestingly enough, is a departure from the smooth R&B stylings we’ve become accustomed to from the group.
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