Australian philosopher Rudolf Steiner had a popular theory that every person life can be broken down into 7-year cycles, based on their astrology. That we tend to change jobs, locations, and even relationships based around that 7-year itch to start anew. Whether there is any truth in that is up to the big heads of the room to debate, but it sure seems that way when you look at country music’s big news today.
Taylor Swift is set to make her return to tonight’s ACM Awards broadcast for the first time in SEVEN Years which leads us to question… are country fans having it?
Her big breakup with the country music machine made headlines all over the world. Blogs and business journals railed against her. Pop fans welcomed her with open arms. Radio stations had no idea what to do with her until the fans called in to select “their share” of her catalog. But Taylor just went on writing, recording, producing, and releasing. She had a few choice words to say about coming up in the ranks as a country music princess, then she left us all behind like we never mattered at all.
And now she’s back. Her new track “Betty” is getting a prime time premiere on an award show she didn’t want to be a part of, and we’re all supposed to herald her return like a saint’s homecoming when there are other artists who have worked all year and paid their dues through community participation and fan dedication who would likely be far more entitled to this niche airtime. It makes a hardcore country music fan wonder what was going on behind the scenes when they planned tonight’s show? Who got the bump to make room for the wayward wanderer?
I’m sure Princess Tay’s presence on the show will be great for ratings, but to me it’s just another reminder that the country music machine is made to crush people in its’ cogs, not support them as they rise.