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Taylor Swift

Date: Sep 07 2009

Themes: Music

Grammar: Be able to

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Intro

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Teenagers don’t have a very good reputation. They’re often accused of being ignorant, immature, or selfish. And, according to most adults, teen pop stars are even worse. Their lyrics are shallow and their music is over-produced and over-hyped.

Taylor Swift might be breaking that mold. The eighteen-year-old country music singer has gotten a lot of positive attention for her debut album, Taylor Swift. She writes her own songs, and her lyrics are pretty thoughtful. She’s also been praised for her ability to cross genres. Find out what Jason and Ella think about her.

Dialog

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Ella

Ella: Taylor Swift is overrated.

Jason: I don’t think so at all. I think she’s the one country artist who might be able to break global mainstream.

Ella: What? Her lyrics are so generic, and there’s no soul in it, you know?

Jason: I don’t know, I think she’s a good songwriter. It seems like she’s more in touch with herself than a lot of grown-ups, you know?

Ella: I mean, I guess she’s America’s Sweetheart, but there’s gotta be something bad about her, you know? There’s just nothing out there in the public to…

Jason: Oh definitely. She’ll definitely have an epic, public fall from grace at some point.

Ella: I’m excited for that.

Jason: But before then, I think she might, you know…she might go global. She’s dated one of the Jonas Brothers. They wrote songs about each other. That’s pretty interesting.

Ella; It’s pretty intense for teenagers and such.

Jason: Yeah.

Ella: I don’t know, I’m just not impressed by the music. I mean, it’s cool that she can go country and pop and rock, but…It just doesn’t seem very heartfelt.

Jason: But I think it’s time. I think the world’s ready for a country star.

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Discussion

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Ella doesn’t like Taylor Swift and can’t understand why her album has gotten good reviews. She finds her lyrics boring and typical. She can’t connect emotionally with Taylor’s songs.

Jason disagrees. He thinks Taylor’s lyrics are good. She seems to be in touch with herself. She writes about her true feelings and experiences, including her relationship with one of the Jonas Brothers.

Country music isn’t very popular outside of the US. But Jason thinks Taylor Swift might be the artist to change that. He thinks her music might be able to go global. Ella is more skeptical. She can’t wait to see Taylor Swift lose her perfect image.

Do you think country music will ever go global? Why do teenagers and teen musicians have such a bad reputation?

Comments

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CyrilCui

China

I think country music has begun to go global.There are so many famous country stars,such as Taylor Swift,Lady Antebellum,The Band Perry and Carrie Underwood,etc.And Taylor is the foreign female singer who has the most fans in China.So many chinese teenagers love her so much.The first song of hers I listened to is Love Story and at that time I was a high school student.

Even though Taylor has a good talent and nice voice,her private life is terrible.I hear that she has a habit that she will create a song for her ex-boyfriend after breaking up,and you can find that she has so many ex-boyfriends before.As a teen musician she leave to others a bad impression and then has a bad reputation.

princessanika

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

i hate u sooooooooooooooo much.

hey Taylor u are not good for Harry…............

u are better for Justin:)

KelvinPhillbert

China

i like Taylor Swift the first time when i listened to her music named you belong with me, she looks fresh, i just like this kind of girls.

Nafas75

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

yes she is beauty but not very much,i don’t know why u think she is different!!!

she is just nice,the most beauty girl in all the wrld?Hilary Duff is better than her!!!

kimiya abdi

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

beautiful girl

KardelenF

Turkey

Taylor Swift is very very beautiful girl and I love she.She is make great songs.For example,you beloning with me,mine,back to december,love story as.In fact I am not like listen country music.But Taylor’s song great!

Simon terminator

India

Taylor Swift is a good singer and she is talented too her songs r just owesome and romantic. She deserve to be at the top. Even she have proved it by wining 3 AMA award of 2011. And TS Happy Birth Day. I Just Luv Her

wicca*

Turkey

i see sparks fly whenever you smilee <3

Ashleyvn

Viet Nam

TS is just like a friend, a soulmate to me!!! Everything she writes and sings is just so beautiful and so close to my thinkings, my situations, my dreams, and my life. I’m thankful for her music. Go TS!