Why isn't there a black version of Taylor Swift?

[Dynamite James]

This dishonest narrative here! lol. You guys don't care about modestly dressed Black women. You don't. Stop acting like you do. That's why the industry refuses to put them on. Just remember Chloe, Janelle, Sza, all started out covered up.

If you really care about seeing more variety though, here you go. Consider this your starter kit. These women have been around for YEARS. If you like what you see and want to see more of it, please give them streaming views and likes. If you don't like it, stop complaining.

Even H.E.R.. some women called her boring

 

[Cereal_Bowl_Assassin]

taylor swift‘s music is outdated. Soon she will be doing vegas casinos

She’s selling 1 million this week



She’s been a top 5-10 biggest artist on the planet for the past 10+ years

At least touch gloves first...sheesh

 

[Sauce Dab]

I want to see what her spouse or s/o looks like first?

You already know what her spouse looks like you ain’t gotta guess. But we just talking about not twerking in music videos and shyt

 

[Eternally Jaded]

I just listened to parts of her new album earlier today with my niece and sister and I thought it was pretty good. She was able to tell stories about love and heartbreak that young girls would find relatable. Next to little vulgarity in her songs unlike 99% of the mainstream black female artists.

And more importantly, I've always found her aesthetic a breath of fresh air in the IG era. That plain Jane, Girl-Next-Door look is a rarity in this era of whores.

I want young black girls looking up to women like that as role models not Summer Walker, Megan, Doja.

We did generally.
Aaliyah couldn't sing much better than a fish stick n she had her space.

Ciara and others did well in her wake.

The real issue imo is the backdrop of talent would probably squeeze her out before too long.
Taylor can write/produce apparently pretty well but she's middle school talent level vocally n we'd not ride for that for 10+ years.
White people clearly will.

That plus the infatuation with realness would filter her milquetoast lyrics before long.

Swift fans literally grew up with her.

 

[Sauce Dab]

This doesn’t move me at all. It just doesn’t pack anything behind it.

Taylor Swift music moves you?

 

[TM101]

More than you think.

Bigger question is how many black artists have the writers that Taylor does.

Outside of Matthew Knowles, I can't think of any other examples in music

 

[Thavoiceofthevoiceless]

More than you think.

Bigger question is how many black artists have the writers that Taylor does.

A lot of Taylor Swift's material is write by her.

 

[Eternally Jaded]

Brandy was the closest thing to that.

Brandy can sing her tail off though.

To me you can't speak on Swift without mentioning her elementary school level singing ability.

She has vocal ability, similar to a can of beefaroni.

Our talent backdrop would filter out a black equivalent of Swift years before she'd be comparable in longevity and hype.

 

[Chip Skylark]

Brandy can sing her tail off though.

To me you can't speak on Swift without mentioning her elementary school level singing ability.

She has vocal ability, similar to a can of beefaroni.

Our talent backdrop would filter out a black equivalent of Swift years before she'd be comparable in longevity and hype.

No lie though

 

[Piff Perkins]

I don't think most people cared about Alicia Keys' personal life enough to stop being fans. The bigger issue is that she couldn't keep up with the evolution of music. Ballads died out, she couldn't ride the waves and by 2016 it was over. Lemonade came out that year. A year later, SZA dropped CTRL. The next year, Summer Walker dropped Last Day Of Summer. And all that has basically been the blueprint ever since.

I don't listen to Taylor Swift but she def deserves credit for shifting from country pop to pop, changing her image multiple times, etc. Nor is it particularly fair or logical to wonder where the black version of her is. There's one Taylor Swift. If this was as simple as not cursing (as much) and being more wholesome there would be plenty of white Taylor Swift clones doing well...but there aren't. Just as there aren't a bunch of Adeles out here. Both artists are pretty standalone.

I'm curious to see what SZA's album sounds like. The singles so far have had a lot of variation. Beyonce's album has a mixture of traditional r&b, newer r&b/rap shyt and of course dance. Anything that gets r&b away from the slower reverb and 90s r&b samples is good to me.

 

[Chip Skylark]

Taylor Swift music moves you?

No but I’m objective enough to know how huge she is.

I don’t like most country music I’m more an old 70s soul and 70s rock and R&B dude when it comes to singers

 

[Eternally Jaded]

I’d say the “black Taylor Swift” is HER.

She’s been in the game since she was a teen.

She’s won Grammys, an Academy Award, BET Awards and Soul Train Awards

She writes her own songs and produces many of them

She’s one of the most acclaimed R&B performers of her generation.


Only thing she can’t stack up to Swift is sales, but NO black female entertainer can stack up to Taylor Swift in sales, not even Beyonce. So minus sales and you’ve got similar acclaim, awards, and overall respect

Her can sing though.

White people have proven to be far more receptive to vocal mediocrity than we ever have, tbh.

Like everyone people are in here naming would stomp on Swift in a sing off, but are dwarfed by her public reception and success.

She's white mediocrity personified and welcomed.

 

[Sauce Mane]

Alternative R&B needs to die!

Why?

 

[Eternally Jaded]

Exactly. It’s interesting how White Popstars can have a Taylor, Ariana, and Adele, who all have vastly different sounds but still sell crazy amounts or have huge hits. Then Black R&B/Pop acts like HER, Tinashe (not a fan but she has tried the Pop route), Jazmine don’t see half of the success. They each have modest hits but nothing compared to, for example, Cardi, Doja, Nicki, etc.

Music industry lowkey racist af

Highkey breh.

 

[King Static X]

Some of you are blaming the music industry but they are only going to push what sells.

Young people drive the sales & popularity of popular music (in any decade). Outside of niche groups, young Black people generally don't care for Taylor Swift-esque music or any other similar types of music. So why would the music industry push a Black Taylor Swift or similar kind of artist?

The "hot girl" and drill music is what sells and what the significant portion of young Black people prefer and like.