
The panic about pop music becoming artificial and about pop stars becoming inauthentic is nothing new. But you shouldn’t worry too much. There’s hope.
Yes, back in the 1970s, many of the great music stars began working with outside songwriters. In the 1980s, the rise of synth pop freaked out those who believed that the only way to ensure the purity of the music was to use guitars on all records. More recently, the rise of AI technology has led to doubts about real songwriters having a future in the music industry. But don’t panic just yet.
The recent success of high-profile stars shows that the public still wants real stories from real people in their pop songs. It’s not just that Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, or Paul Simon are selling out stadiums. It’s the fact that younger female pop stars like Kacey Musgraves, Noah Cyrus, and Taylor Swift are doing the same on the back of songs that are, essentially, folk tunes about their lives and experiences.
Shalisa Taylor is one of those pop singers who, at the heart of the matter, writes highly intimate folk songs about her life and those around her. And, just like the greats, when Taylor is speaking about herself, she is trying to speak about everyone else. The most personal songs end up having universal appeal.
The album’s opener, “When Time Belongs to You”, is a song that blends hope with melancholy. The lyrics are extremely mature and speak about seizing the day while this is possible. The singing is enchanting.
The folk-pop of “Oldest Story of Love” works as a diary entry in the singer’s life, one in which Taylor confesses to emotional hardships but also realises that such challenges are part of nearly every lover’s story throughout history.
Most of the songs are acoustic-based and focus on Taylor’s easygoing, relatable vocal delivery. Songs like the sweet “Guide Me Home” or the nostalgia-filled “Bittersweet Aftertaste” will be an easy proposition for fans of modern country-pop and Taylor Swift’s highly successful records.
But, Shalisa Taylor isn’t looking merely at imitating other famous artists. This is her journey being documented. “It’s Time” talks about falling in love, out of love and back again. It includes Taylor’s most heartfelt vocal performance. The album closer, “Mother”, is a piano ballad about taking comfort in ancient wisdom in times of trouble. Even the choice to cover Suzanne Vega’s “Luka” feels like adding one more piece to the jigsaw that paints Taylor’s life experiences in bright, clear colours.
Where does this all leave us? Lost and found at the same time. Hearing “When Time Belongs to You” feels like swimming back through the murky waters of one’s own memories. It’s supposed to leave you wounded but also hopeful. That’s the power of earnest songwriting and of songwriters looking to be themselves when it could be easier to just play act someone else’s fantasy.
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