I have to agree with Seattle Times reviewer Mary Guiden who was also a bit put off at first by the high school musical production take on "You Belong With Me" which kicked off Taylor Swift's sold-out Key Arena concert Friday night. "Swift provided genuine hugs to nearly every fan she passed. Later, she carried her own mike stand down one of those big staircases (on stage). Those kinds of moves make it easier to shove the Disney-fying of the night by the wayside. Here's hoping the talented young woman continues to move in that direction."
But, heck, she's 19, reflects the values of her many Gen Y fans, and perhaps the reactions of older folks like Mary and me says more about us than about the undeniable, talented Taylor.
"I still do not understand reviewers of any media who fail to understand the audience of what it is they are reviewing. Taylor Swift's audience IS the HSM set. So why is it wrong that she seek to appeal to them as opposed to some middle aged concert reviewer?" - blogger rob98109
Country radio, as we have in the past, will find a way to create room on our playlists for both Taylor and her high school fans as well as the very different audience and appeal of Jamey Johnson, who recently also stole a sold-out show of his own at the BMI Key West songwriters festival.
Taylor and Jamey's diametrically-unique personnas and fan bases make it a tight fit, but hopefully, that's what listeners mean when they say they want more variety.
The common thread: be real, who you are.
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