I don't know how much she really changed the genre but she definitely changed the way A&R scout for upcoming country and young pop acts. Everyone wants to replicate her formula.
I wouldn't say she changed country music as much as she changed herself...
She started doing pop-influenced music in 2008... Major success of "Fearless" is what catapulted it basically, imo. "Fearless" is the most acclaimed country album of all time.
Ok, I haven't read the BB article, so if there's some bulletproof, plausible evidence of Taylor Swift making country pop, then I'm ignorant of it.
That said, there have been a handful of country artists that have experienced pop success within the past ten years. Gretchen Wilson, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, etc. Granted, none have been quite as successful as Taylor, but country artists experiencing pop crossover success can't be traced back to Taylor Swift. More than anything, Taylor is a phenomenon. If she were really this trailblazer, then Maddie and Tae would have probably smashed harder by now, since they're Taylor-lite.
She took a genre and made it kid-friendly. Country has always been a primarily adult-followed genre and Taylor Swift changed that. She opened an entire generation up to a genre that didn't care about beforehand.
And now she's taking her country followers and opening them to pop.
Not trying to be negative but I thought country went pop with Shania. "Come On Over" and its international and pop versions was more controversial at the time.
She started doing pop-influenced music in 2008... Major success of "Fearless" is what catapulted it basically, imo. "Fearless" is the most acclaimed country album of all time.
I've never listened to it because I strongly dislike pre-1989 Taylor music, but how much of it is actually COUNTRY and not country pop
Hmmm changed country music? I mean the more the industry moved into a more digital society.
Taylor has definitely stood with social media unlike most other country artists, but I've seen plenty of country artist uploading YT videos weekly and stayed connected to their fans.
Country gone pop? Country Pop really began around when Shania was slaying in the 90's, if anything the Bro Country sound is the one that changed the country music scene (Cruise was probably the song that cemented its existence and Luke Bryan perfected the use of the sound).
Younger Artists getting signed in country music? that might be true...
Singers write their own songs?
She isn't the first artist to write their own songs in country music and it be successful numerous times
I will say she has had a great effect on country music, so yes she has changed country music, but not without others helping change country music as well
I would say that title would be more for Shania. She was really the first to take country and have pop versions that everyone listened to. Even after her though you had Leann and Faith doing it. I think Taylor is more of a result of what you are able to do now with the genre because of the changes that were made possible before hand.
