We Don’t Need Another Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has been crowning her pop star disciples left and right, bringing striving musicians under her wing to provide them with levels of exposure that the undiscovered can only dream of.  Except, who’s asked for these “up-and-comers,” these apparent “Taylor Swifts” in the making? And can any of them truly hold a candle to Swift’s eternal flame?

Gracie Abrams, an opener on Swift’s The Eras Tour, has been championed by the pop-star for months, even landing a Taylor feature on her recently released album, The Secret of Us. A known nepotism baby (a conversation for another time) and a self-proclaimed (by me!) mumble-singer, Abrams leans heavily into the indie-pop sound, grasping at the label of “songwriter” which Swift has held since the start of her career. 

Sabrina Carpenter, a former Disney star, has recently achieved new levels of success months after opening for Swift’s world-renowned tour. With smash hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” Carpenter has managed to capture the attention of pop-lovers everywhere as she’s brought the beloved camp music style back into mainstream discourse. Her fifth studio album, emails i can’t send, has also gained steady traction with songs such as “Nonsense,” and its comically effective outro, sparking support from Swift’s fans and those alike. 

These two women are currently at the forefront of Swift’s repertoire, following in the footsteps of pop-girls past. From late-aughts collaborator Kellie Pickler to Reputation Tour opener Camila Cabello, Swift is known for touting the “next big thing,” allowing these artists to grace her ever-growing stage with their (historically-speaking) momentary success. Not to downplay the career of a talent like Cabello, although the past few years have appeared bleak for the singer’s chance at a sensational pop comeback. 

All this to say that, while Swift presents these artists as her peers, as her successors, they rarely, if barely, scratch the surface of the star’s catalogue. So no, we don’t need another Taylor Swift, but Swift herself isn’t the one pushing this notion forward. She’s merely promoting the one-hit-wonders, the whispering indies, the humorous bubblegums, those who cannot and will not threaten her position as head pop-girl in charge. 

Enter: Olivia Rodrigo. 

Rodrigo garnered huge success in early 2021 with the release of her hit single “Driver’s License,” which was closely followed by her highly-decorated debut album, Sour. By May of that year she was photographed with Swift at an awards show, flashing a peace sign for the camera while the pop-country star wrapped an arm around her shoulders. However, rumours of a feud began to spread when Swift was credited as a songwriter on Rodrigo’s “deja vu” after comparisons were made between the Sour single and Swift’s 2019 smash-hit “Cruel Summer.” The two haven’t been seen together since, and fans can only speculate on the supposed conflict that seems to have driven a wedge between the accomplished artists. 

But, is this alleged feud simply about a 2021 writing credit? I choose to believe otherwise. When Swift’s The Eras Tour was announced in late 2022, Rodrigo’s name was nowhere to be found on the list of openers. Once the tour kicked off, a myriad of celebrities were spotted in the crowd, but Rodrigo was absent, notably due to her self-proclaimed “Swiftie” status. Could it be that, after years of Swift’s world domination, a young songwriting star might be coming for her throne? It’s in my estimation that Swift herself seems to think so. 

Olivia Rodrigo is not the next Taylor Swift; nobody is. Swift is a lone entity, balancing on a tightrope of millennial relatability, diaristic songwriting, and pop-insert-genre-here perfection. But she is getting older, and eventually a younger, newer, artist will enter the conversation, bringing with her a fresh set of tightrope balancing acts that invigorate the generations of tomorrow. There can never be another Taylor Swift, but there will always be another pop star, whether we deem it fair or not. Rodrigo has made her name known, and it would be in Swift’s best interest to make room on her throne, for every ruler's reign must come to an end eventually.