Ankle Breaker wrote: It was striking how much difference there was in vocals between Swift and Underwood performing only about a half hour apart. Night vs. day. It will be interesting to see how long Swift's career lasts. She is a great songwriter but can't sing any better than an average person entering a local karaoke contest.

I agree, but there's been many people in the past who can't sing to save their lives, and are not only popular but are legends in their types of music. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson all jump to mind immediately. The other guy today that's immensly popular that sounds absolutely terrible live is Brad Paisley, and nobody ever talks about him being flat...and he is as flat as a pancake on well over half of his notes. Just because you're not the best live singer doesn't mean you won't have a long career-it's also obviously not the best thing for fans, I'm just saying that she isn't the first one, nor is she the only big star in country music who sounds very bad live right now. And her career IMO I can see Taylor Swift putting out another 2-3 CD's until she's about 25-27 and then just retiring from performing and starting her own record label/writing songs/producing what have you. She's going to turn all that cash she's making now into something that's going to make her and her family a LOT of cash for the rest of her life basically. And who the hell would blame her? Ride your fame until it's waning a little and then retire at 27? I would if i could!!

As I've said on many threads about country music since she's been famous, a lot of people like Taylor Swift and a lot of people don't for various reasons. I like her because of her songwriting ability and the fact that she seems to translate emotion so well into her music; and her voice has never really bothered me, live or on the radio. BUT I can certainly understand why some people don't like her. But you have to respect her for what she's done to this point and what she's trying to do. Let's face it, while it's not 1970's or 80's country music she's singing, she's turning a whole audience of people on to today's country music that normally (most of them) probably wouldn't even know country music existed. She allows some of her songs to be made into "pop versions" to be released on pop stations, BUT she's also rejected several songs from doing that and she's always said from the very beginning that she's always been in country and she always will be as long as she's making music. She's got the perfect appeal because it seems like she's not leaving country to go to another genre, yet her music is appealing enough to pull in a huge demographic of listeners from other genre's of music. Who knows how many teenagers have been searching for Taylor Swift music on the internet and came across Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert's stuff, and liked it too. Most country performers are never able to be in the position she is, and both country music bigwigs and Taylor/her record company understand this, and they're taking advantage of it to it's fullest because for Taylor personally it makes her more money, and for country music it may be another 15, 20, 25 years before another person comes around who's loyal enough not to leave country music for pop, but who still appeals to a pop audience.

Red_Skin_Pride wrote:

Ankle Breaker wrote: It was striking how much difference there was in vocals between Swift and Underwood performing only about a half hour apart. Night vs. day. It will be interesting to see how long Swift's career lasts. She is a great songwriter but can't sing any better than an average person entering a local karaoke contest.

I agree, but there's been many people in the past who can't sing to save their lives, and are not only popular but are legends in their types of music. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson all jump to mind immediately. The other guy today that's immensly popular that sounds absolutely terrible live is Brad Paisley, and nobody ever talks about him being flat...and he is as flat as a pancake on well over half of his notes. Just because you're not the best live singer doesn't mean you won't have a long career-it's also obviously not the best thing for fans, I'm just saying that she isn't the first one, nor is she the only big star in country music who sounds very bad live right now. And her career IMO I can see Taylor Swift putting out another 2-3 CD's until she's about 25-27 and then just retiring from performing and starting her own record label/writing songs/producing what have you. She's going to turn all that cash she's making now into something that's going to make her and her family a LOT of cash for the rest of her life basically. And who the hell would blame her? Ride your fame until it's waning a little and then retire at 27? I would if i could!!

Rascal Flatts isn't very good live either. Janis Joplin is probably the worst singer to ever be deemed a legend.

And btw that chick...Laura Bundy...she's hot. But that song BLOWS. For real.

Red_Skin_Pride wrote: And btw that chick...Laura Bundy...she's hot. But that song BLOWS. For real.

Didn't even notice she was singing!

Red_Skin_Pride wrote:

Ankle Breaker wrote: It was striking how much difference there was in vocals between Swift and Underwood performing only about a half hour apart. Night vs. day. It will be interesting to see how long Swift's career lasts. She is a great songwriter but can't sing any better than an average person entering a local karaoke contest.

I agree, but there's been many people in the past who can't sing to save their lives, and are not only popular but are legends in their types of music. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson all jump to mind immediately. The other guy today that's immensly popular that sounds absolutely terrible live is Brad Paisley, and nobody ever talks about him being flat...and he is as flat as a pancake on well over half of his notes. Just because you're not the best live singer doesn't mean you won't have a long career-it's also obviously not the best thing for fans, I'm just saying that she isn't the first one, nor is she the only big star in country music who sounds very bad live right now. And her career IMO I can see Taylor Swift putting out another 2-3 CD's until she's about 25-27 and then just retiring from performing and starting her own record label/writing songs/producing what have you. She's going to turn all that cash she's making now into something that's going to make her and her family a LOT of cash for the rest of her life basically. And who the hell would blame her? Ride your fame until it's waning a little and then retire at 27? I would if i could!!

As I've said on many threads about country music since she's been famous, a lot of people like Taylor Swift and a lot of people don't for various reasons. I like her because of her songwriting ability and the fact that she seems to translate emotion so well into her music; and her voice has never really bothered me, live or on the radio. BUT I can certainly understand why some people don't like her. But you have to respect her for what she's done to this point and what she's trying to do. Let's face it, while it's not 1970's or 80's country music she's singing, she's turning a whole audience of people on to today's country music that normally (most of them) probably wouldn't even know country music existed. She allows some of her songs to be made into "pop versions" to be released on pop stations, BUT she's also rejected several songs from doing that and she's always said from the very beginning that she's always been in country and she always will be as long as she's making music. She's got the perfect appeal because it seems like she's not leaving country to go to another genre, yet her music is appealing enough to pull in a huge demographic of listeners from other genre's of music. Who knows how many teenagers have been searching for Taylor Swift music on the internet and came across Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert's stuff, and liked it too. Most country performers are never able to be in the position she is, and both country music bigwigs and Taylor/her record company understand this, and they're taking advantage of it to it's fullest because for Taylor personally it makes her more money, and for country music it may be another 15, 20, 25 years before another person comes around who's loyal enough not to leave country music for pop, but who still appeals to a pop audience.

You make a ton of valid points. Won't or can't argue with any of them. I am a fan of Taylor Swift in that she is a tremendous songwriter and appears to have her priorities straight. I criticized her singing ability but that's about the only thing I don't like about her. I'm sure I came across very negatively about her but, as a whole, I do believe she is good for country music.

I've become a big fan of the Zac Brown Band.

This performance had a lot do with that.

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Ankle Breaker wrote:

Red_Skin_Pride wrote:

Ankle Breaker wrote: It was striking how much difference there was in vocals between Swift and Underwood performing only about a half hour apart. Night vs. day. It will be interesting to see how long Swift's career lasts. She is a great songwriter but can't sing any better than an average person entering a local karaoke contest.

I agree, but there's been many people in the past who can't sing to save their lives, and are not only popular but are legends in their types of music. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson all jump to mind immediately. The other guy today that's immensly popular that sounds absolutely terrible live is Brad Paisley, and nobody ever talks about him being flat...and he is as flat as a pancake on well over half of his notes. Just because you're not the best live singer doesn't mean you won't have a long career-it's also obviously not the best thing for fans, I'm just saying that she isn't the first one, nor is she the only big star in country music who sounds very bad live right now. And her career IMO I can see Taylor Swift putting out another 2-3 CD's until she's about 25-27 and then just retiring from performing and starting her own record label/writing songs/producing what have you. She's going to turn all that cash she's making now into something that's going to make her and her family a LOT of cash for the rest of her life basically. And who the hell would blame her? Ride your fame until it's waning a little and then retire at 27? I would if i could!!

As I've said on many threads about country music since she's been famous, a lot of people like Taylor Swift and a lot of people don't for various reasons. I like her because of her songwriting ability and the fact that she seems to translate emotion so well into her music; and her voice has never really bothered me, live or on the radio. BUT I can certainly understand why some people don't like her. But you have to respect her for what she's done to this point and what she's trying to do. Let's face it, while it's not 1970's or 80's country music she's singing, she's turning a whole audience of people on to today's country music that normally (most of them) probably wouldn't even know country music existed. She allows some of her songs to be made into "pop versions" to be released on pop stations, BUT she's also rejected several songs from doing that and she's always said from the very beginning that she's always been in country and she always will be as long as she's making music. She's got the perfect appeal because it seems like she's not leaving country to go to another genre, yet her music is appealing enough to pull in a huge demographic of listeners from other genre's of music. Who knows how many teenagers have been searching for Taylor Swift music on the internet and came across Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert's stuff, and liked it too. Most country performers are never able to be in the position she is, and both country music bigwigs and Taylor/her record company understand this, and they're taking advantage of it to it's fullest because for Taylor personally it makes her more money, and for country music it may be another 15, 20, 25 years before another person comes around who's loyal enough not to leave country music for pop, but who still appeals to a pop audience.

You make a ton of valid points. Won't or can't argue with any of them. I am a fan of Taylor Swift in that she is a tremendous songwriter and appears to have her priorities straight. I criticized her singing ability but that's about the only thing I don't like about her. I'm sure I came across very negatively about her but, as a whole, I do believe she is good for country music.

Not at all. I understand completely, because I like her too and I understand that she's not nearly as vocally talented as a woman such as, say, Carrie Underwood. The one thing I will say though is that a lot of times on the big awards shows, the sound system and the station don't really do her voice justice. They're set up for people who sing loudly, and she really doesn't. So she sounds really weak and seems to cut out alot when in reality, it doesn't sound that bad, it just sounds really soft.

IDK if you've ever seen this video, but since you said you like her here's the link.


I don't think she's awesome, but there's also a lot of other worse live performances I've seen.

The thing I like most about Taylor is that she seems so humble and sincere. The kind of kid you would want your daughter to hang around with. She treats the fans with respect and spent countless hours signing autographs after shows until she got so big that she can't sign them all now. That was a good performance you linked up.

The Zac Brown Band, as mentioned earlier, is awesome. I don't know how they were passed over so many awards in the last two country music shows.

Thunder70 wrote: <object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>

Thanks Thunder70,