‘Even if everyone hated me’: When Taylor Swift opened up about the ‘worst times’ of her career, said it was ‘significant and damaging’

Taylor Swift’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary when it comes to her journey of dominating the music industry. While she’s celebrated as a multi-talented artist and a chart-topping sensation, her career hasn’t been without its fair share of ups and downs. In a candid reflection, Taylor Swift opened up about the “worst times” in her career, revealing that these challenging moments did have their problems but luckily during this phase, she identified her true well-wishers to overcome her hardships.

Taylor Swift reflected upon the challenges she faced while building her successful career

Taylor Swift shared, in an interview with Rolling Stone, that her path to stardom has been marked by a series of upheavals that have shaped her artistry. She faced the world of criticism at the age of 18 for not writing her own song. Swift shared, “I’ve had several upheavals in my career. When I was 18, they were like, ‘She doesn’t really write those songs.’ So my third album I wrote by myself as a reaction to that. Then they decided I was a serial dater — a boy-crazy man-eater — when I was 22. And so I didn’t date anyone for, like, two years.”

The most disappointing times came in 2016 when the scrutiny reached an all-time high for Swift. Every aspect of her life, even her good deeds, was viewed through a lens and was criticized from every angle. “And then they decided in 2016 that absolutely everything about me was wrong. If I did something good, it was for the wrong reasons. If I did something brave, I didn’t do it correctly. If I stood up for myself, I was throwing a tantrum. And so I found myself in this endless mockery echo chamber,” Swift stated. 

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Taylor Swift claimed that the worst phase of her career made some of her best memories

In the midst of these tumultuous career moments, Taylor Swift’s life was far from one-dimensional. She shares that some of her most beautiful memories and best times were intertwined with the chaos of her public reputation. She explained, “It’s weird because in some of the worst times of my career, and reputation, dare I say, I had some of the most beautiful times — in my quiet life that I chose to have. And I had some of the most incredible memories with the friends I now knew cared about me, even if everyone hated me.”

Swift admitted that these bad phases did surely take a toll upon her but she was able to walk through it with her cherished memories and genuine friends. “The bad stuff was really significant and damaging. But the good stuff will endure. The good lessons — you realize that you can’t just show your life to people,” the superstar added. 

Taylor Swift’s career has been a journey filled with challenges and triumphs. The ever-evolving landscape of her reputation has shaped her music and her outlook on life. Her candid reflection on the “worst times” in her career serves as an inspiration to many. 

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