2019/10/01 by Myles McNutt · 3 citations
Social Sciences · Arts and Humanities · #Gender, Feminism, and Media #Media, Gender, and Advertising #Music History and Culture #Swift #Feminism #Articulation (sociology) #Context (archaeology) #Autonomy #Sociology #Star trek #Gender studies #Media studies #Political science #History #Law #Politics
paper · doi:10.1093/ccc/tcz042
openalex publication_date 2019/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/25
Abstract This article analyzes paratextual strategies deployed by Taylor Swift in her transition from country to pop in the context of her articulation of her authorship as a female songwriter. This was a transition complicated by the gendered hierarchies of pop music, wherein male producers carry significant discursive weight. The article frames the “Voice Memos” included with her 2014 album 1989 as a form of paratextual feminism, reiterating the authenticity she developed as a country star and pushing back against claims her collaboration with male producers like Max Martin and Ryan Tedder threaten her autonomy as a female voice in the music industry. However, the article goes on to consider how these and other paratextual feminisms are inherently tied to neoliberal values of post-feminism, demonstrating that their potential as a gendered critique of the media industries is limited by the lack of actualization within Swift’s broader star text and industry practice.