Taylor Swift is “Bowie-esque”, according to a songwriter who’s worked with her
Dan Wilson co-wrote Treacherous, from Swift’s 2012 album Red, and Come Back… Be Here, which was released on a deluxe edition of the record.
Taylor with her pink Gibson J-180 (Photo by TAS2023 via Getty Images)
Taylor Swift is at the top of her game right now, and it’s likely the dream of many music makers to be able to write a song with her. Well, Grammy-winning songwriter Dan Wilson has plenty of glowing feedback on what it was like to write alongside the pop star.
Wilson has also written with the likes of Chris Stapleton, Jason Mraz, Pink and more artists across his career, but one interesting observation he’s made about Swift in particular is her “Bowie-esque” approach to crafting songs.
In an interview with Music Business Worldwide for its series on the world’s greatest songwriters, Wilson is asked what Swift’s unique skills are as a writer: “I’d define Taylor as extremely considerate, quick-witted, and just a joy,” he begins.
“As far as her skills are concerned… [laughs] I think they’re now part of the historical record! She never shies away from testing herself or re-inventing herself as an artist; she’s Bowie-esque in that way.
“She’s relentlessly able to say small, granular, detailed things about her experiences in her lyrics and have them resonate outward with a sense of universal connection. She’s like a historical event now, there are no secrets about how great she is.”
Wilson co-wrote track Treacherous, from Swift’s 2012 album Red, and Come Back… Be Here, which was released via a deluxe version of the record. He also produced the re-recorded version of Treacherous for Red (Taylor’s Version).
On her ground-breaking Eras Tour, where Swift performs tracks from multiple albums launched during her career, she has used a range of interesting guitars which we’ve rounded up in a comprehensive guide.
Across the many guitars of Tay-Tay, she most popularly uses models (fittingly) from Taylor, including a stunning Taylor Grand Symphony “Living Jewels” model, decorated with koi fish artwork. She’s also a Gibson fan, and can be seen with a plethora of its acoustics across her shows, and even a fiery red-sparkle Les Paul Standard electric model.
Find out more about The Eras Tour.