How Does Taylor Swift Juggle Being Perfect and Letting Things Happen?
How does Taylor Swift manage both being super careful and just going with the flow? What makes a song or even a whole album finally feel finished to her? It’s honestly quite fascinating to really think about it.
When you talk about music today, Taylor Swift’s name pops up right away. She’s known for words that hit deep and stories you can get lost in. She’s jumped across genres, from country to pop and even indie folk. It seems to me she combines being extremely precise with embracing sudden creative moments. It really makes you wonder how she pulls this off when she’s making music. Have you ever thought about it? How does someone so focused also make room for creative surprises?
I believe it’s kind of like a tricky dance. She wants things just right, every single bit perfect. But she also makes space for those unplanned flashes of magic to happen. Her whole way of creating feels incredibly personal, doesn’t it? It’s shaped by her own life, the people she’s close to, and yeah, even the pressures she faces. So, let’s take a closer look together. How exactly does she manage to balance these two big ideas? And how does she finally say, “Okay, this music is done now”? I am eager to explore this with you and see what we find.
Taylor Swift’s Perfectionism
Being a perfectionist can be a double-edged sword. It has its good sides and its tough sides. For Taylor, this need for things to be perfect truly pushes her creative process forward. She’s famous for polishing her songs until they shine. She often writes lyrics over and over again. This makes sure they connect strongly with everyone listening. Back in 2021, a Rolling Stone article pointed this out. Swift pays huge attention to every tiny little detail. That story even mentioned her songs might go through 30 different versions. She keeps working and changing things until she lands on the one that just feels right. This really shows how deeply committed she is. But here’s the thing you know: this same drive can bring a lot of pressure too.
Imagine pouring your heart and soul into creating a song. Then you get that feeling that it’s just not quite perfect yet. A lot of artists feel this way, I think. But Taylor seems to handle it incredibly well. She often talks about how chasing perfection can lead to doubting yourself. In her documentary, Miss Americana, she was really honest about it. She spoke openly about dealing with anxiety. She also mentioned the tough pressures from the music industry. Honestly, it’s troubling to see someone so talented wrestle with that kind of stuff. But it also shows just how real and relatable she is, doesn’t it?
Letting Spontaneity Happen While Creating
Yes, Taylor’s work involves being perfect. But letting things happen spontaneously matters just as much to her art. She often shares that some of her best songs just seemed to appear out of nowhere. Think about her album, Folklore. She wrote the whole thing during the pandemic lockdowns. She used simple home recording setups. Aaron Dessner from the band The National helped her out. Her long-time friend and collaborator Jack Antonoff was part of it too.
This album felt really different from her earlier music. It had a more experimental vibe, for sure. Taylor herself described it as an album focused on storytelling. That’s where her spontaneous side really got to shine brightly. A 2020 Billboard report covered how well it did. Folklore shot straight to the number one spot on the charts. It sold over 3.2 million copies pretty quickly. This kind of proves that trusting the moment and going with the flow can truly pay off. It gives great results sometimes. I am excited to see artists explore new paths and sounds. Especially when the world feels a bit uncertain or strange.
Finding That Balance
Okay, so the big question is, how does Taylor Swift actually manage to balance these things? It seems to me she’s found her own unique recipe. On her Reputation Stadium Tour, she talked about just being true to yourself. That idea carries over into how she writes her songs. Swift often mixes and matches her methods. She brings in her need for precision and perfection. Then she lets pure creativity flow freely right alongside it. This all happens during her writing time.
For example, she might start with a chorus she’s worked on a lot to make perfect. Then, she might let the verses come directly from something happening in her life. Or from whatever thoughts pop into her head in that exact moment. She told GQ she uses a simple journal all the time. She quickly jots down ideas whenever inspiration hits her. This mix of some planning and letting things just happen freely works wonders. It makes her music feel so rich and full of genuine emotion.
When Does a Song or Album Feel Done?
Now, let’s get into the messy part: finishing things. Deciding when a song or a whole album is truly “complete” is incredibly tricky. I am happy to discuss how Taylor figures this out. For her, it often feels like trusting her gut instinct. Swift says she listens to her songs over and over. This happens while she’s in the process of mixing them. If a certain version just feels right, she knows it. It’s ready to be shared with the world.
She told The Guardian in 2019 that you just know. “You know when a song feels complete,” she said very clearly. She added that “You just feel it in your gut,” plain and simple. This powerful feeling really shows her experience as a creator. It proves her deep, deep connection to the music she makes. But honestly, it’s not just about trusting her feelings. She also actively asks for input from others. She works closely with people she trusts completely. Many artists prefer to work completely alone. But Swift actually loves collaborating with others. For instance, she often shares early song ideas. She sends them to close friends and fellow musicians she respects. Their thoughts and ideas help her improve things. They give her a different point of view she might not have considered.
How Getting Feedback and Working Together Helps
Taylor works with other artists quite often. These aren’t just creative buddies, you know? Their opinions really do help shape her final choices. On her album Evermore, she worked with Bon Iver. Many fans found this surprising at first. But it turned out so, so well. The song “Exile” with Justin Vernon is amazing, really. It shows off her strong way with words. It also shows she can blend different musical styles easily. That song even hit number six on the Billboard Hot 100 list. That really proves her incredible range.
This kind of teamwork allowed her to experiment with new sounds. She also got to explore completely fresh ideas. I believe that working together with others is so beneficial for artists. It helps them move past their own usual ways of doing things. It’s no secret that new perspectives can spark amazing new ideas. Taylor often talks about this openly. She says it’s important to be around people. They should push her creatively and help her make more. This mix of different views helps create a wonderful final piece of art. It truly highlights her growth as a working artist over time.
A Really Deep Feeling About Finishing Music
Finishing a song or an album is a very personal thing for Taylor. Each musical project feels like a piece of her own life story. Just look at her album Lover, for example. That album captured a genuinely happier period in her life. The title song “Lover” is all about finding true love. It’s a beautiful, heartfelt song, honestly. Swift has even called it her absolute favorite one she’s ever written. That tells you so much about her connection. It shows exactly how much she feels linked to the music she creates.
She told Billboard she really wanted to capture that specific feeling. That feeling of pure joy and just feeling good inside. This strong emotional link is incredibly important for her creative process. If a song doesn’t bring out exactly the right feelings in her? She knows deep down it’s not quite finished yet.
Why Fan Reactions Matter So Much
Her fans’ reactions play a massive part too. Their connection helps shape how she decides if her music is done and ready. Taylor Swift has a huge number of fans, and they are incredibly loyal. Her fans really connect with her work on a deep level. They often give ideas that end up influencing her next projects. In a 2021 interview with Variety, Swift mentioned something interesting. She said fans’ thoughts on her songs often really surprise her. Their excitement and passion for her music truly fuel her own creativity.
She even used fan ideas and input for her re-recorded albums. Think about Fearless (Taylor’s Version). She went back to her old songs with a fresh look and new energy. Reclaiming ownership of her music is a powerful statement, isn’t it? It’s all about control and being true to herself. Fans absolutely love this commitment to being authentic. And it makes her already strong bond with them even tighter and more meaningful.
The Blending of Perfect and Spontaneous
Finally, it all boils down to finding that sweet spot of balance. This unique mix of being super careful and totally spontaneous makes Taylor Swift truly special. She can build songs carefully, adding small pieces one by one. She also leaves plenty of room for sudden, exciting creative ideas to just show up. This genuinely shows her incredible skill as a songwriter and artist. Her albums’ success really proves that this balancing act works so well. For instance, the massive sales of 1989 speak volumes. That album actually won her a Grammy for Album of the Year.
It sold over 10 million copies across the whole world. This album also marked a huge, defining shift in her career direction. It makes you stop and think, doesn’t it? Meticulous planning combined with sudden bursts of creativity working together. They created these absolutely amazing musical moments. Is that something to think about or what?
To Wrap It All Up
So, just to bring everything together now, Taylor Swift shows us something really big. Her journey navigating between being perfect and being spontaneous is a fantastic lesson for anyone. It really helps artists who are just starting out. It means thinking about using both of these approaches in your own work. Doing that can truly lead to creating wonderful, original art. She finds her own way to decide when songs or albums are completely finished. She relies on her intuition and that gut feeling. She works together with other talented people. Her own feelings about the music guide her final choices too. This just highlights how complex the whole creative process really is.
[Imagine] trying to balance your own personal goals and plans. Then you also have to deal with all of life’s little surprises popping up unexpectedly. It’s definitely not easy, right? [Imagine] your own creative projects benefiting from just letting things happen sometimes. I am excited to see how Taylor continues to evolve as an artist. She keeps pushing boundaries and trying new things. One thing is absolutely clear about her work: her ability to balance these creative forces will keep inspiring people. It will inspire musicians for many generations still to come. So, maybe let’s all think about that for a bit. How can we bring a little more of this balance into our own creative lives, whatever we’re making? The world often seems to demand that everything be perfect all the time. But her story reminds us of something truly vital and important. Sometimes, just letting things happen naturally is exactly where the real magic is waiting.