Posted: 5/29/20 at 11:01pm
Gaveston, I love Del Rey very much (she is probably my favorite musical artist of this century, along with Lady Gaga) but do note her most famous record, Born to Die, is certainly her most pop-oriented. Although it has her gorgeous ballad "Video Games", it has her weakest lyrics. In a highly publicized (and misogynistic) review, Pitchfork called it something along the lines of "the musical equivalent of a faked orgasm." As her career has gone on (and she proved she wasn't a flash in the pan, what with 5 albums and 1 ep released in the last decade) and she has receded into the alternative/indie sphere, her songwriting has grown. Her last album is a gorgeous (though certainly 21st century) version of Carole King, Joni Mitchell, or even Alanis Morissette.
As for Swift, I've never seen her live so that probably allows me to appreciate her more. I also like pop styling, which she has been pushing for her last 3 albums. She is an expert at marketing, I'll give her that.
Thanks. You really appear to have a high level of knowledge.
Well that certainly brightened my day! Thank you. You know a lot as well - it's seldom a pleasure to have a discussion on this site (I've been using it less and less) but these past few days it has been a welcome distraction.