Taylor Swift – “White Horse”

Oh no. The 9513 has another Taylor Swift apologist?

Well, now you’ve gone and done it. I can see this going to 75 comments or more.

After “Fifteen,” this is my favorite song on the record, for all of the reasons described here. I think it’s such a definitive step forward and an answer to the criticism that her music isn’t relatable for anyone outside her age group. Taylor has said she almost didn’t put this on the album, which I found really fascinating — I feel like maybe it’s so mature that she was saving it for her third record, and that it’s the best clue we have as to what her future stuff will sound like.

On a side note, with all due respect to the very capable men of The 9513, it’s nice to see some female voices added to the mix. :)

Hey Zach–I think you are exactly right:
“Taylor Swift will not lead fans to real country music, but she is a ‘gateway drug’ into today’s country music, and that is a great thing for the monetary welfare of today’s artists.”

I’d consider “real” country music to include Jones, Haggard and Jennings. But I would agree that her music could lend itself to fans discovering Alan Jackson and George Straight, as evidenced by her inclusion on AJ’s CMT Giants concerts tomorrow night. But I really doubt this specific song would influence anyone’s opinion on the history, instrumentation and thematic material unique to country music.

And Katie–Thanks! I’m not sure one of the guys would have thrown the Sex and the City reference in there. ;)

Great review, Karlie.

I will admit that after hearing this song, I dropped my protest against the album and gave it a real listen…and then gave the thing to my husband so I wouldn’t have to admit to owning it. But I liked it. And that’s why I don’t use my full name on this site. :)

This one’s the best song she’s recorded to date. It’s also going to be her biggest pop cross-over and actually should be the song that makes her an international phenomenon. She’s also already sold a million copies of “Fearless.”

Nice review, Karlie.

I really like this song. It’s my second favourite on the album, after Hey Stephen. I think that this song could be a really big song for her. It will no doubt be played on several different genres. It’s already at forty-something on the Billboard Hot 100, and it hasn’t even been released to radio yet.

The music video could very well be the sequel to love story. I really like the idea that this video could have several possibilities.

Nice review, Katie.

I agree with you on this song it has to be the strongest by far on her album. I heard her do this song live at the grammy nomination thing and she sounded even worse than she usually does live.

I’m glad this got a good review – its my favorite song of her’s!

While it may be well written pop song for someone her age, it is not a country song. More importantly, she still can’t sing live. The other night at the Grammy concert is enough evidence of that to anyone here who continues to defend her singing, or lack thereof.

I am not saying she is without talent. She has talent as a songwriter..and potential when she grows up to write songs adults might tolerate.

She butchered that Brenda Lee song. It is still giving me shudders.I think that Taylor needs to move to pop and stop pretending to be country. She would be more honest if she did that, and I might respect her more.

“Gone are the fiddle and banjo staples usually incorporated alongside her cutesy Southern drawl.”

Yeah, gotta love those Pennsylvania drawls.

Rainbow, you are succumbing to the mindless charms of AirHead Country Radio! Egads! I’d warn you to back away slowly before your I.Q. starts being adversely affected and you start desiring a minivan with soccer ball stickers in the rear window…..

Now Rainbow knows he’s in trouble for sure.

Taylor’s live singing is very uneven, sometimes she is passable and other times she is just plain terrible. The Tonight Show performance of “White Horse” was one of her better outings. I do like the song, Taylor has an exceptional talent at writing witty and tuneful pop songs, and White Horse is one of her better efforts.

I do think Taylor is a “pop” singer and that eventually when she doesn’t need country music as a cover any longer, she will happily end up where she belongs on the Pop charts. (Her label has said as much, they don’t care where she sells, just so that she sells. That, at least, is honest.) I also don’t think Taylor is a “gateway” to country, her main audience is tween and teen girls who primarily listen to pop music not country. That is why Taylor’s songs are all over the pop charts and the iTunes best sellers list.

While I do like White Horse, I think it is still a teenage song, the imagery is still that of a teenage girl looking for prince charming on a “white horse”. Most adult women hopefully don’t think in those terms anymore.

Taylor is not bringing pop fans to country music. She is selling to pop fans only– tweens- who scream so loud at her shows it hurts worse then Taylor’s vocals.

I saw taylor open for Rascal Flats, and the live singing was very very bad– yet her fans loved every minute of it.Some of them do not even think she is a country singer, they see her as pop due to the pop remixing. They hear her on pop radio, not country radio- as they dont’ even listen to country radio.

By contrast, Carrie Underwood is bringing fans into the genre that are actually buying cds of other artists, and seeing their shows. Carrie got me to like country music due to American Idol. I know what you are thinking- but before you bash me– know I actually love country music now, and buy cds of people like Patsy Cline, George Strait, Alan Jackson,Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Dolly, Brad Paisely, Martina, and Garth. So I am actually becoming a “real” country fan because Carrie exposed me to the genre. I go to all sorts of country concerts, not just Carrie concerts.
Alan Jackson is now my favorite, along with Brad.

At a Carrie show- you will see middle aged people, college kids, old timers as well as teens and kids.. It is a huge diverse group of fans, whereas at Taylor shows, it is only kids and tweens– with the parents who brought them looking annoyed and read to leave ASAP. Taylor is not helping country music– she is helping Taylor.

There’s one enormous benefit for Taylor if she did rebrand hersalf asa pop singer – she wouldn’t have to embarrass herself by trying to sing live. Lipsynching live performances seems to be accepted in pop.

“While I do like White Horse, I think it is still a teenage song, the imagery is still that of a teenage girl looking for prince charming on a “white horse”. Most adult women hopefully don’t think in those terms anymore.”

I can’t speak for most adult women, but I think being disappointed by love in the quiet, crushing way Swift describes here is applicable to women of all ages. I also think the metaphor works, since we’ve been conditioned from birth with images from Disney, etc., about “the one” who will make everything okay. And although I’d agree that ideal has changed since our parents and grandparents’ generations, it’s still perpetuated by shows like The Bachelor, most romantic comedies, etc. And, possibly, in the back of our own minds.

I have to agree with Mike Parker. I am not a Taylor fan but I will say someone who can write and sing their own songs scores some points with me. Especially when the songs have some sort of message or story to tell. While her songs arent necessarily country. They are an awful lot closer than songs from the likes of Luke Bryan, Lost Trailers, and the Trailer Choir.

I’m sure this song shatters dreams of “Prince Charmin’” that girls have. Its lyrics is inspirational. I think this song will be up for a tight competition against Just A Dream for Song of the year, in cma (assuming they’re not gonna root for George), acm and grammys

Karlie says: I can’t speak for most adult women, but I think being disappointed by love in the quiet, crushing way Swift describes here is applicable to women of all ages.

Considering that my 50 something mother is going through a break-up with her husband, she certainly relates to this song, eerily so. Almost as if Taylor and Liz wrote it for her.

I love Britney. I love her Circus Video. I will certainly buy the CD. I hope she sells record numbers so that her critics will have to eat crow!

By the way, check out this very cool web site – they have a software that lets you publish your comments to a special page dedicated for Britney http://www.commentino.com/Tags/Britney – very cool in my opinion

I don’t think she should be recognized for having a crappy voice and mediocre songwriting skills. Any fifth grader with a dull pencil could have written this and like all of Taylor’s other songs – it falls under the same fairy tale teenage melodramatic schmooze. I don’t find this particularly interesting at all.

Where does Taylor Swift live?

white horse is actually much better than all her other songs. it’s more mature, sweet, she sounds better here than ever before and all her other songs on her first album r a bit childish. then again, she was younger when she wrote that and fearless is much better (yes it is, whatever u taylor haters say. if u don’t believe me check out rolling stone’s 4-star review of it) and thank God she started writing songs like white horse. y don’t u like it? i didn’t find anything 2 complain when i compared it 2 picture to burn, should’ve said no (let’s face it, those songs were filled with arrogance and teenage bitchiness, as karlie rightly put it) or any other song. Conclusion : she’s not a gr8 or a gud singer, just ok (if u don’t believe me, hear her live performances. though i think miley was mainly responsible 4 murdering ‘fifteen’ at d grammys, taylor did a fairly gud job considering d rest of her live performances), just a gr8 songwriter nd a gr8 entertainer. Conclusion of white horse: this souns like an Anti-Love Story which is why i like it. shows that she has started writing songs which have a sad ending, but thankfully, daddy’s not interfering. y does her daddy interfere in her relationships in her songs (picture 2 burn, love story)? but, on the whole, let’s not shift from the topic, white horse is much better than her other songs, except youre not sorry. yup, i loved that song, even if it really didn’t have a touch of country in it. truth is, banjo doesn’t really fit on songs like fifteen, the best day, forever nd always ( another gud song, considering she wrote it by herself). nd neither does banjo fit on white horse. nd y do u say taylor has a pop base? she does hve a country base in her songs (all right some songs). still, white horse is a gud song, which is what is important.

There is my problem–I have been listening to her songs, not trying to ingest them.

Miss Amy, i agree with you :).. She’s a breath of fresh air in the country music scene. She has good stories to tell.
Stormy, oops, I should’ve typed digest (easier to understand) not ingest ,my apology..
I have a question because I am a newbie in this site and I’ll be glad if you respond.
What are the bases for saying that a certain country song is good enough to the ears of critics and listeners? Thanks in advance :)

Gaetano, if you don’t like her then don’t comment on her. Honestly, I’m very sick of you bringing your ugly face in on good Taylor Swift stuff. She’s amazing, and you’re a dumbass!

@Rainbow: I’m not a fan of Rascal Flatts, but you’ve got great taste because you like Taylor’s song! Kudos to you! Boo for Gaetano: the dumb fag!

Suzy, I agree whole-heartedly. Has country become sexist? And what the hell is it with all of these retarded Taylor haters?! And yes! People gave Shania and Faith the EXACT SAME TREATMENT! Taylor’s got pure, honest, clever lyrics and an amazing voice! Country music is more about lyrics than the way it sounds! Honestly, some people I’ve known who call themselves “country music fans” are nothing but arrogant jackasses who won’t give a newer country artist a chance and who’ll bash new artists and anyone who likes the new artists (Exhibit A: Gaetano.) Taylor’s great. She’s smart; beautiful; and a very talented singer, song-writer, and guitar player and every single song that she’s ever sang/writen is a great masterpiece! There’s a reason why so many people love her! There are many reasons! She’s new, but “new” doesn’t mean “bad”. In fact, she’s already a legend! And I’m not going to criticize anybody who doesn’t really like her, but I will tell off anyone who says she’s not good! Team Taylor all the way! :D