The Life of a Trainwreck: How Taylor Swift Vindicates the «Bad Woman» Narrative since reputation (2017)

César F. Más Sánchez

doi:10.14198/fem.29103

Autores/as

César F. Más Sánchez Universidad de Alicante, España https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0560-2438

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14198/fem.29103

Palabras clave:

Taylor Swift, trainwreck, mujer mala, representaciones de mujeres, feminismo, patriarcado, industria musical, cultura pop

Resumen

Una vez celebrada como la «novia de América», Taylor Swift sufrió un daño severo a su imagen pública tras su enfrentamiento en 2016 con Kanye West y Kim Kardashian. En su regreso a la música y a la vida pública con reputation (2017), Swift confrontó este vilipendio y lo transformó en un espacio de autorreclamación. Este artículo contribuye a los estudios sobre Swift al ofrecer un análisis detallado de su uso del tropo de la «mujer mala» desde reputation (2017) hasta THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT (2024). Aunque la expresión «en mi reputation era» ha llegado a significar empoderamiento personal a través de un comportamiento «malo» – o asertivo –, el tropo está lejos de ser central en la obra de Swift, funcionando en cambio como un recurso recurrente para navegar el escrutinio público y la crítica. La lectura detallada de once canciones seleccionadas revela su presencia intermitente y evolución narrativa: desde representaciones contestatarias y abstractas en reputation hasta articulaciones más disruptivas, incluyendo conductas ferales y actos de asesinato. Aunque estas representaciones son transgresoras, Swift se sumerge en fantasías de «mujeres malas», frente a sus posiciones moderadas en términos de interpretación, marketing e ideología. Siendo parte de un linaje de cantantes denigradas públicamente, incluyendo a Britney Spears, Whitney Houston y Amy Winehouse, el uso del tropo por parte de Swift resuena con un panorama cultural cada vez más receptivo a la reivindicación feminista de narrativas patriarcales tradicionales. Sin embargo, al destacar la tensión entre su uso narrativo de la «mujer mala» y su encarnación del tropo, el artículo demuestra cómo la fuerza de este se materializa parcialmente – esa es la vida de una trainwreck en la música de Taylor Swift.

Financiación

Este artículo ha sido concebido siendo beneficiario de un contrato destinado a la formación predoctoral del programa propio del Vicerrectorado de Investigación para el fomento de la I+D+i en la Universidad de Alicante (UAFPU22-13).

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