Really?

Holy shit...that is horrific.
In her defense (I have no idea why I'm coming to her defense) this looks like a really early video, and I think she has gotten a lot better as a singer. My kid is 7 and I've kind've been exposed to her music as she has grown up...and I have to say - her melodies are undeniable. She has it in her. I would MUCH rather hear her music than most of the Truck Country on Country radio. Also, the unabashed confidence and lack of any shame...the incredible convergence of a beautiful teen, social media and a label head that was a marketing/promoting genius. We went to a Taylor show for my kid's 5th bday and the very first thing she did was come out in front of the crowd, do a 180 degree pan and a 3 minute staredown of the audience (to a chorus of Beatle-like screams), and not say a word...I was just absolutely taken aback at the amount of confidence. This is a kid that has never had life kick her in the ass. Child-star that hasn't seen failure...and maybe she never will, but I kind of doubt it. Enough of my babbling...I just thought I would at least say I think she's talented and that video is absolute proof that it's terribly difficult to know who to hitch your wagon to...There are sooo many variables to success and the ability to sing is probably low on the totem pole.

Prob get burned for this.

Also been to one of her shows. Was n great show.

She isnt the strongest vocalist. BUT she is believable.
And she is a hell of a songwriter. Great melodies. Heard the other night they said at the CMA's, she have written every single song on all her records.

The show we went to she did a acoustic section. Think about 4 songs just with her guitar. Prob the best part of the show that night. Band bad pretty tight as well.

I think she's got it.
That video doesn't sound very good though. As John said it is pretty old.

I agree on the talent aspect and she's still so young. Amazing to have so much success while still having so much promise.

But, wait a minute... where was the awful Avantone Mic? Her nasal quality is a perfect fit for that bright mic (joke).

I saw her open for Tim and Faith in the round when she was 16 (IIRC). It was Taylor on ac gtr, a girl on fiddle and some dude on banjo. There was no question she would be a superstar. She is without a doubt a very charismatic entertainer. Not my fav female vocalist but I also think she has gotten better over the years.

I like how she talks about Big Machine as an infant label. Haha, look at them now!!!

like i said in the first post, this is the first i've ever heard her, i was taken aback in steps, first by the vapidly embarrassing bravado, then by the beginner robot like strumming of the guitar, then by the voice that has no tone, and finally by the wildly bad intonation problems. Normally i'd hear someone bang guitar strings like that, and hit the back button in about a 1/2 second, but I knew this person was uber famous from going though the checkout line at the food store with all the tabloid mags lol, so my curiosity gave it more of a chance. I also know that some girls named kerdasian? are famous for some reason too, just don't know why?
Later, I found the video of that parody, lol, and though....i gotta post this.

no offense intended to anyone who likes her, but this is the same regurgitated, cookie cutter corporate conjured bs song that Averil Levin did 10 years ago... it's lame imo. Paul McCartney and Elton John can't sell 50,000 records, and this joke is platinum?
what ever...this is what i feel is happening to music..

lol, of course i heard OF her, i just never listened to her until last night, and yes i do live under a rock..in my studio with my soldering iron for about a year now...  i cant wait to stop diddling, and start making some music again 8)

I saw her Red tour this past summer, I thought it was a great show entertainment wise. As far as vocal quality at the show I thought it was excellent, they had a really big digital console that was very clear sounding. I thought her band had talent but it was by all means pop! In my country band we played Mean, I learned the bassline from the 54th Grammy's version, great groove!

She simply sweetened up the breathy vibe of Suzanne Vega, and wrote lyrics for young teenage girls. The songs are solid, nothing original, but she has the knack for pop music. I tuned in once to a CMA award show a few years back. She was alone, with an acoustic guitar, still a teenager, in front of what, 25,000 people, and millions of viewers. She didn't miss a note, her guitar playing was basic, but flawless, not one wrong bass note/string, vocal pitch was spot on. Sure, it's not Ella Fitzgerald, or Whitney, or Chrissie Hynde, but she got the emotion of her song across, under all that scrutiny and pressure. That young woman has earned her place in music, even if it's not ground breaking or highly original, it's not crap, we're not her audience, it's really meant for very young girls.

Comparing her work to great art is like comparing a book for third grade level readers to great literature, there's no real reason to.

It's a very valid point. It's refreshing to say a role model for girls that isn't just a teen-to-twenty-something willing to take it in the you-know-where from whoever is holding the checkbook on the day. Then go crazy, shave their head and have a Britney comebac- oh, I said too much.

That said. It still is cookie cutter music and it'd be nice if the sincere performance was met with some interesting songwriting. It's 2013 and the music could be pulled right from the 80's.

Lastly, not everyone's into US pop culture and particularly the Southern country-pop thing (which outside of T.Swift doesn't even make blip on the radar in the European market). I only know her music because some of my guitar students have wanted to learn it. Not a lot of people could name a Girl's Generation tune or any big K-Pop artists despite them being huge in the Asian market and winning several awards from Google, Youtube etc. It's the way of the world, everyone thinks their lifestyle is obviously the majority one because all their friends live and consume the same way.

Guitar students may not be her primary demographic.  ;-)

I think the number of boys learning guitar would be close to 0, but higher with non-guitar playing boys. Usually boys that are learning to play are different from the pop listening crowd.