An in depth look at the life of our Mother, Taylor Swift. Go behind the scenes to see how she became who she is and how she dominates the entertainment world!

I love Taylor Swift and I love reading more about her and other opinions / ideas of her so I was really excited to read this. I loved seeing the different songs dissected and got so many new insights into her music from reading this, so many I had not previously thought of.

“Taylor Swift for adults” might not be the best title for this. I am a HUGE Taylor Swift fan, since Fearless dropped in 2008. I’m now an older swiftie at 30. However reading this, it reminded me of texts I’ve read in college. I feel this would better be described with a more dissertation like title. That would more explain what you’re getting into when you pick up this book. I know it’s called “For Adults” because it go behind the sex references and cuss words in her lyrics. But I also I feel like the statement on the first page that an “adult” as described by the book is someone who cares less about Taylor’s personal life but on her art is condensing. I can be an adult Swiftie and do both. Her art is influenced by her personal life and whose she’s dating. I love Taylor as a person. Being too invested in Swift’s personal life is something swifties get crap for ALOT. I don’t also need it from a book for Swfites. This books wasn’t what I expected when I picked it up.

If you want to learn more about the life of Taylor Swift this is not the book for you! But if you are a serious follower of Swift’s music, songwriting, and lyrics, then you would find this comprehensive study of the works of Taylor Swift over her career to date a very interesting read.

Author Kev Nickells admires Taylor Swift not only as a gifted singer and songwriter, but he also attributes her phenomenal success to her being a shrewd businesswoman. He explains her success in dealing with Spotify and her ability to negotiate more lucrative compensation for performers. Then he explains the motive behind Taylor’s rerecording of her own material in order to win back the copyright of the songs. The Taylor Swift “brand” is also discussed.

Nickells devotes a large portion of the book to analyzing lyrics, patterns, style of writing, metaphors, and flow and detail in her songs. He traces the growth of her confidence as he analyzes the the progression of her songs and albums. Mr. Nickells also talks about the art used on album covers and the relationship of colors to the music.

He states that Taylor Swift is “a case study in life in early twentieth century and in the pop art of the millennial culture”. He speculates on how Taylor’s career will progress as she ages. In addition to her song writing and performing, Taylor has also been the producer, art director, and executive producer on her albums and videos as well as writing songs which have been performed by other artists. These qualities should server her well in the future.

I found this book to be quite interesting. However, since I am not a dedicated Taylor Swift follower, I am not familiar with many of the songs Nickells analyzes. If you do follow Taylor Swift’s songs and albums closely, then this book would add to your knowledge. Kev Nickells concludes his book with the statement, “I hope I’ve given you new ways to listen to Swift, and things to think about along the way”. That he has definitely accomplished.

Thank you to Net Galley, White Owl publishing, and author Kev Nickells for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of this book.

Taylor Swift for Adults strips away the tabloids and the gossip and examines the craft and lyricism behind arguably one of the most prolific pop artists of our time.

The first section of the book is highly academic, and the author clearly has a deep understanding of both Swift's extensive body of work, and also the music industry, as we explore what makes Swift stand out in a sea of pop artists, her transition from Country to Pop, and the way she pivots and reinvents herself.

The second part of the book is an album-by-album, song-by song analysis into the lyrics and meanings behind the songs *without going into gossip and speculation*. Rather than looking at the protagonist of each song as Swift herself the author looks at the "I" of the songs as an anonymous third party, and explores the meanings and intentions of the songs from an impartial distance, as well as analysing the lyrical phrasing and rhythms Swift uses so well.

This was an interesting read. I didn't necessarily agree with the author on all points of their interpretations of lyrics, but they certainly know their stuff, and this book was thoroughly well-researched. A good coffee table for older Swifties.

~ Many thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review~

An erudite info-rich look at Taylor Swift. Well-researched and written, this title by author Kev Nickells also reflects in-depth knowledge of the music industry and Taylor's storied place in it. Recommended for Swifties who want an intelligent analysis, not a rah rah fan book.

As a Swiftie, I was overjoyed by the opportunity to read this book, focusing on my favourite singer and her music!

Rather than centring around gossip, which magazines and news articles cover, this book is all about Taylor’s music and songwriting, with references to her personal life where relevant. The tone is fairly formal and academic, and it is not a quick read.

There are many points and interpretations suggested by the author which leave room for thought and the possibility for discussion. I would recommend this book to be buddy read in sections with other Swifties, as the content will certainly bring up opinions and would be ideal for a Swiftie bookclub! The majority of the book focuses on songs and albums, delving into lyrics, meanings, and other references. It would be the perfect way to listen back through all of Taylor’s albums, reading relevant sections as you go.

Overall, this was enjoyable, though at times a little too academic for my personal taste. I enjoyed reading the author’s thoughts on my favourite songs, and loved references to ‘One Tree Hill’, my favourite teenage show!

This book has quite a lot of information! I like that it approached Taylor Swift's career from the viewpoint of accomplishments and craft vs gossip and possible meanings behind the songs. You don't find that as often, it was refreshing. Personally, I had to read this in parts due to how much info it has and how in-depth it dove into the topic. It reads kind of like a dissertation or something you would find in a Literary Journal. For the average reader this would make a good coffee table book to keep around and consume in bite size portions. I can't wait to get a copy to keep in my living room.

This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.
It was a much deeper dive into Taylor Swift’s lyrics and use of different techniques.

It was extremely interesting, but a drags on for a bit. Moments seem repetitive.

But if you’re like me and a Swiftie then it’s still an interesting read overall.

So I'm not what you would call a "Swifty" but I do like her music and really impressed by her accomplishments. They is really not a book geared towards children as stated in the book's summary. Like seriously don't let a child read it lol. It's not raunchy or anything. I really liked reading this bio cause it didn't really feel like a bio, if that makes sense. I'd recommend

I have loved Taylor's music since I was a kid so I really wanted to know more about her and this was a great insight into her and her life! I think this would be perfect for new Swifties or anyone like me who is a long time listener and wants to know more about the artist behind the music. I had read one book about her and this is a more in depth look at her which I liked.
I especially loved 1. That you can tell how much the author loves Taylor and 2. The breakdown of each album!

Perfect gift for the older Swifties with a great guide to understanding what makes fans of Taylor’s. Showcasing her songwriting and an in-depth dive into her career this is a great guide for someone who likes to deep dive a bit more into her lyricism ect.

Taylor Swift for Adults Taking Swift Seriously by new to me author Kev Nickells, published by Pen & Sword White Owl, is a fantastic read. Thoroughly researched, with explicit knowledge of the music industry and TS' history, with exquisit writing it was a pleasure being enlightened by KN.
Blurb: It's a book aimed at adults - taking a subject seriously can also mean laughing at swearwords and metaphors. This is a lightly witty book expressing, at its core, a deep affection for this generation's favourite songwriter.

Thank you so much to Pen & Sword and NetGalley for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

As a Swiftie I was so excited for the opportunity to read and review this book! This was by far the most in depth book I’ve read about Taylor’s musical journey.

It went through every single Album song by song, analyzing it all. It gave lots of insight into the lyrics and musical reasoning of every single song, which was just so cool! Especially to see what was written about my favorite albums (Lover and Folklore) and *some* of my favorite songs (Cornelia Street and the 1). Some times the descriptions did seem a bit wordy and long winded to get through, but I truly just loved the attention to detail. The author left no stone unturned when diving through the journey of Taylor’s albums!

A must read for any Swifties out there, and a delightful edition to your bookshelf. I also enjoyed the pictures at the end of the book. And I can’t wait to see if in the future the book will be rereleased to include the TTPD album!