Taylor Pt 2

I broke this up because it really fits best in two parts. The first was of course all about Emily, as that was really the whole point of going. This second bit is what I took away from the night.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show and couldn’t help but admire the poise, presence and performance of such a young performer. When she first appeared, she did little more than stand at the front of the stage and bathe in the adulation of the crowd. Far from appearing as if it were an ego trip though, she seemed to be genuinely delighted that the crowd cared enough to be there and even somewhat amused by the fact that a simple glance would launch them into a renewed frenzy.

Part way through the performance, she descended from the stairs and walked around the outskirts of the general admission area, high fiving and shaking hands with the punters who surged from one side of the area to the other as she made her way to perform at the back of the area for a few songs, before returning down the other side. I can’t remember going to a concert where that has been done before (not that I’ve been to that many) but it must certainly have only helped endear her even further with her loyal fans.

I was left wondering how someone so young manages to maintain such a wholesome image and deal with the reality of being a celebrity. As she said at one point during her performance, if she goes on a date with someone, she doesn’t need to ask people’s opinion because whether she wants it or not, the whole world will tell her what they think of the match for good or ill. It’s hard to imagine being subjected to such scrutiny that even such small choices as the clothes you choose to leave the house in become cause for international scrutiny, let alone the pressure that must be on her to maintain a lifestyle that doesn’t conflict with the image that she’s built up.

As a father, you can’t help but think that she’s one of the better celebrity role models out there and I’d be much happier if Emily aspires to be like Taylor than say a Miley Cyrus. Or perhaps I should be glad that Emily observed recently that she doesn’t think that Thomas should become a famous soccer player because he’d have to deal with the paparazzi. Maybe it’s a reflection on the fact that she doesn’t aspire to such lofty heights of stardom herself!