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‘Heartbreak Is the National Anthem’ Author Rob Sheffield on Taylor Swift’s Growth From Teen Prodigy to Transformative Figure — and Why Even Fans Love Arguing About Her


Rob Sheffield, author and Rolling Stone columnist, discusses his new book 'Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music.'

And if you’re a Swift skeptic… consider reading the following Q&A anyhow, to see how the other half lives … but do be warned that there is some enthusiastic Swiftie-on-Swiftie dialogue here between her respective Rolling Stone and Variety advocates that could be triggering. Obviously you are up there as one of the world’s foremost reputable Swifties, and a go-to for people with things like your ranked list of every song she’s ever released. You can’t hear a lot of young artists now who are breaking through in a big way, like Gracie Abrams, and not realize that there is something in their style or intonation that was introduced into the lexicon by her, even if they’re doing something original and not imitating her.

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