The remarks started with a simple Facebook post about Taylor Swift’s new album and grew into a controversy over whether the 34-year-old’s songs are inappropriate for children and teens.
“I feel bad for all the Taylor Tots because most parents are not going to deem this album appropriate,” Crystal Barkley posted on April 19.
Ms. Barkley was referring to “The Tortured Poets Department,” Ms. Swift’s 11th studio album in 18 years.
Although clean versions are available on various streaming platforms, some parents remain concerned.
“This is for the parents saying they won’t be using the clean/censored version,” posted CeCe Thompson. “I just feel like that’s ignorant asf. This is NOT an album for children. Your kids can still be swifties without this album.”
Songs include “The Tortured Poets Department,” as well as “Down Bad,” “But, Daddy, I Love Him,” “Florida!!!,” “loml,” “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart,” and “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.”
All seven have labels warning consumers that the lyrics may be inappropriate for kids because there’s language about violence, sex, or substance abuse.
While young Taylor Swift fans are fondly referred to as “Taylor Tots,” 53 percent of American adults are fans, of which 16 percent say they are avid, according to a Morning Consult study. In the avid category, 44 percent call themselves “Swifties.”
“Musicians are entitled to express themselves as they choose, but they should be cognizant of their audience,” Family Foundation President Victoria Cobb told The Epoch Times on May 7.
“Swift, knowing her audience skews young, should have considered a public relations strategy that warns parents that she’s not seeking to continue to be a preteen and teen icon in a productive way.”
The Family Foundation, a Virginia-based non-partisan 501(c)3, is a pro-family organization whose mission is to preserve and promote the family.
“We believe family is the foundation of a thriving society,” Ms. Cobb said.
Politically, avid Taylor Swift fans skew left, with Democrats making up 55 percent, 23 percent comprising Republicans, and 23 percent leaning independent.
‘Dark’ Lyrics
“Taylor Tot??????????” posted Shyla Schoelkopf on Facebook. “I don’t want my middle schooler to listen to some of these [songs.]”Jennifer Kopperman wrote: “Yeah I haven’t let my step daughter listen yet. I’m letting her dad go through all the songs first.”
In the past, Ms. Swift’s albums have tended toward bubblegum pop music, but as she navigated the often rocky waters of romance, the songstress has introduced mature lyrics.
Recently, Ms. Swift found new love with Travis Kelce, who plays for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs, which some had hoped would mark a return to happy love songs.
“As a mom, I was actually in that camp where I thought we might get a happier album until I heard the title of the album and then began to hear, as it had been released, what the songs actually said,” Ms. Cobb said.
What concerns Ms. Cobb the most are lyrics that reference self-harm.
For example, the refrain in the song “Down Bad” repeats: “What if I can’t have him? I might just die. It would make no difference. Down bad, waking up in blood. ... What if I can’t have us? I might just not get up. I might stay down bad.”
“Each album seems progressively less helpful for a young audience, and while it’s easy for parents to catch the expletives or the explosive increase in strong expletives, it’s actually more important that parents understand her continual plunge towards the deep dark,” Ms. Cobb added.
“In a world where our teens face more anxiety and mental health struggles, her continual references to suicide as a response to failed love is gut-wrenching.”
As a result, Ms. Cobb advises parents of faith to evaluate what music their children listen to and consider introducing them to other artists.
“There is great music out there by other people,” she said. “We just need to give young girls better choices. Fundamentally, an artist is free to express themselves as they choose, but it’s disappointing. She wasn’t cognizant of her audience. I would argue parents need to be making alternative choices.”
Ms. Swift did not reply to requests for comment.
