Books & Literature

Book Review: Heartbreak is The National Anthem, by Rob Sheffield

NON-FICTION: An intimate look at the life and music of modern pop’s most legendary figure, Taylor Swift, from leading music journalist Rob Sheffield.

To read this book is to understand why Taylor Swift is so loved by so many.
5

Featured image credit: HarperCollins Australia

It would be fair to say that there are a LOT of books about arguably the most successful singer/songwriter of the 20th century and most of them are hastily written and lacking in any real substance. Then there is this book.

Rob Sheffield is a veteran music journalist at Rolling Stone magazine, and he is also the author of several books on various musicians that he has an affinity for: Duran Duran, David Bowie, and Stevie Nicks, amongst others. This one, however, hits hardest. His love and admiration for Taylor Swift is less about the glitz and more about the substance and the fact that her music has been the major soundtrack of his life since she burst onto the scene at 16 with “Tim McGraw.”

What sets this book apart from most is the absolute love he has for the subject and the deep connection he feels with the lyrics of her songs. The book is written in short chapters in roughly chronological fashion and there is nary a wasted word. The most significant moments come when Sheffield lets us in to how Swift’s music has helped him through traumatic moments, such as losing his mother. The imagery of him struggling through a party and finding solace in the Lover album and especially “The Archer” is some of the most moving and beautiful reflective writing you will likely see.

Sheffield has a wonderful knack for description, and this is in full force throughout this all too slim volume. Of course, being a music journalist, Sheffield describes his own encounters with the lady herself. Chief amongst those is her asking pointedly which song she should play, “Bad Blood” (Sheffield’s least favourite Swift song) or “All Too Well” (his favourite). Naturally, he chooses the latter; she sings both anyway and then drops the latter for the rest of the tour. Typical Taylor.

Elsewhere, Sheffield points out the interconnectedness of the lyrics from across multiple albums, as well as describing the emotions of hearing these songs for the first time (he was literally in Swift’s apartment when he heard Red) and then how their lyrics became a focal point for his understanding of this complex genius.

There are, of course, some mentions of the scandals and controversies that have inhabited the Swift universe: The Kanye feud, the political views, her famous (and not so famous) boyfriends up to, and including, current beau Travis Kelce are all described from the viewpoint of a bystander fan who just wants the world to see her the way he does. Not that he lets her off the hook when necessary; he calls her out on silly decisions and makes no bones about the songs he feels are lacking.

At the end of the day, this is an eminently readable volume that Swifties will absolutely connect with on a deep level. And non-Swifties may finally understand why it is that so many people are riding the Swift train.

Reviewed by Rodney Hrvatin

The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.

Published by: HarperCollins Australia
Released: November 2024
RRP: $29.99

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