It’s hard to ignore the media juggernaut surrounding cultural icon Taylor Swift’s new record-breaking album The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD).
The facts about this pop music artist are jaw-dropping. Her current international concert tour, called “The Eras Tour,” is the first musical event to gross more than $1 billion. Her music streamed more than 26 billion times on Spotify alone in a single year (2023). She holds 118 Guinness World Records. A little more than half of American adults identify as fans, and 16% say they are avid fans – also known as “Swifties.” Such statistics put her in the realm of Elvis and The Beatles.
Her newest album, TTPD, is a 31-track tribute to heartbreak. Gone are the catchy, uplifting tunes of wide-eyed innocence from her previous albums Fearless (2008) and Speak Now (2010). This new album is a 34-year-old Taylor with a litany of breakups, here to tell the tales … with receipts.
Many millennial and Gen Z moms want to share Swiftie status with their daughters, but TTPD is not an album wisely interpreted by young listeners. Seven of the first fifteen tracks are rated explicit. “Florida” is a dark ode to a stereotypical spring break rife with sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. Other concepts explored on the album include suicide, infidelity, abuse, revenge, loneliness, and betrayal, with lyrics saturated in blasphemy and profanity and delivered with defiance. It’s definitely not an album for “Taylor Tots,” very young children imitating Swiftie moms. TTPD isn’t as explicit as popular contemporaries, but that argument alone doesn’t justify unfiltered streaming of heavy, angsty thematic concepts.
The question I often hear is, “Should I allow my daughter to listen?” (usually followed by a disclaimer about clean versions available). A better question may be, “Is this album an effective tool to initiate meaningful discussion around difficult topics?” For tots, tweens, and young teens, my answer as a mom is a resounding no. But the truth is, a simple “no” won’t equip our daughters to face cultural saturation and discussions occurring in their peer circles.
Taylor Nation is real. Conversation is occurring in this space. As parents, we have an incredible privilege of joining conversation (album or not!), and research shows that despite parental self-doubt, we are the most influential force in shaping worldview if we invest in healthy relationships.
The truth is … Taylor’s lyrics are accurately reflective of realities facing teen girls today. They’re relatable, or they wouldn’t be so gravitationally powerful. The pull of Taylor Nation is community. Her fans will spend hours dissecting hidden meanings in her lyrics – and that’s intentional. Those searchers will find community with other searchers … and that’s what young listeners are really looking for – to be seen, known, and loved, and to know they are not alone.
Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun, and even as the wisest man in the world, he struggled to find meaning in life.
Join your daughters in their search and point them to a hope that doesn’t disappoint – a God who promised to never leave or forsake them, a joy that comes in the morning to give beauty for ashes (Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 30:5; Isaiah 61:3).
Impress these things on your daughters. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deuteronomy 6). Teach them to dwell on whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable; if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (Philippians 4).
Intentionally engaging your daughters in meaningful conversation will go a long way in helping shape a biblical worldview.
(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the July 2024 print edition of The Stand. Click HERE for a free six-month subscription to The Stand magazine.)
