“Love Story” by Taylor Swift (2008)

Memories about the white girl with guitar

How time flies! It has been 10 years since I first heard “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “Love Story” by then country pop princess Taylor Swift (because Shania Twain is the queen).

It was in the summer of 2008 when I first heard “Teardrops on My Guitar”, which received good airplays from FM stations. Rolling Stone even featured her in one of their articles. My initial impression of her was that she is just a white girl with guitar, got beautiful blonde hair and beautiful long legs. That was just it.

Love Story by country pop princess Taylor Swift

I did not expect that she would make it big in a decade… and go through different boyfriends and write songs about them.

Then came “Love Story”, which for me is the definitive song of 2009. It was this song that made her world famous. It was a great song, probably her magnum opus. The music video, which I first saw on Channel V, has a great storyline; it is one of the best music videos I have ever seen.

I liked the song and the video… and her. I finally developed a crush on Taylor Swift but it was not that strong of a crush. I did not like the other songs that arrived before or after “Love Story.” The songs “You Belong With Me”, “I Knew You Were Trouble”, “Blank Space”, “Shake It Off”, and “Bad Blood” were all lame, like most songs today, to my taste.

A scene from “Love Story”

The infamous VMAs incident of 2009

2009 could have been a beautiful year for Taylor Swift had not Kanye West, one of today’s music acts I strongly dislike, upstaged her during her acceptance speech at the VMAs 2009. She won the Best Female Video category for “You Belong With Me,” which beat out Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).”

Kanye West got triggered that a white girl with guitar, a country artist, won the award so he stormed the stage and took the mic from her to tell the audience that Beyoncé deserved the Moon Man. “Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time,” he who will be called later a “jackass” by then-President Barack Obama screamed. The Jackass was then kicked out of the VMAs.

Kanye West grabs the mic from Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs. Image from Telegraph

A former workmate told me Kanye West was just trying to suck up to rap mogul Jay-Z, Beyoncé’s husband. A few years later, he would join Tidal, Jay-Z’s music streaming service, as one of the owners, alongside Beyoncé.
Speaking of Beyoncé, she’s class. She won her own Moon Man for Video of the Year. She invited Swift onstage to have the acceptance speech she deserved.

Kanye West later apologized, even composing a song for her to perform. But it was not enough for me. He should have hung or shoot himself in the head. He isn’t like 50 Cent, his rival in the hip-hop/rap race of 2006. When he lost to the rock band Evanescence for the 2004 Grammys Best New artist Award, 50 Cent climbed the stage to congratulate the band. 50 Cent is not only the man of the hood. He is a true gentleman.

Years later, Kanye’s wife, Kim Kardashian, who also went through different boyfriends, would get herself involved in her husband’s feud with Taylor Swift. I remember I also had a crush on Kardashian and it’s a memory I would like to forget forever.

I admired Taylor’s poise during that horrible moment in MTV history. I applauded Beyonce’s concern for the rising country pop superstar that time. I also commended the audience for booing Kanye West.

Fast forward, Taylor Swift would release more records, break records, gain more fans, and make the headlines. Kanye West would release mediocre records and leave Tidal.

The 10-year challenge: current trend on Facebook

As of this writing, Manny Pacquiao has won over American Adrien Broner by unanimous decision. In 2009, Pacquiao defeated Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto via technical knockout. More than 8 years – and 14 fights, including 4 losses – would pass before he scored another victory by technical knockout.

I became hooked on Kpop (Korean pop) in 2009, listening to Big Bang, SNSD (Girls’ Generation), and Super Junior. These groups are not popular anymore but I sometimes listen to them on Spotify. Kpop groups come and go because Kpop is a fad.

I now listen to Jpop and a few good songs, including the classics, from the west. I no longer depend on MTV, Myx Channel, and Channel V for music; I now turn to YouTube and Spotify.

In 2009, Backstreet Boys, then a quartet, released the single “Straight Through My Heart,” A1 was still performing as a three-man band, and Westlife released their version of Daughtry’s “What About Now.” In 2018, Backstreet Boys, already back as a quintet, released new singles and is set to launch their 9th studio album few days from now, A1 returned as a quartet, and Westlife returned to the music scene to celebrate their 20th founding anniversary and have just released a new single.

MySpace, Friendster, and Multiply were the most popular social media accounts. Now, they’re go and Facebook and Instagram took their place. Not everyone had a MySpace or Friendster account back then but almost everyone now owns a smartphone, plus an Instagram account. Everyone wants to become a social media whore and be blessed.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was the president then and now she is the Speaker of the House of Representatives. She is still corrupt and power-hungry like almost all politicians in the Philippines.

Filipinos used to fight against graft and corruption and political dynasties. Not anymore. As long as the corrupt and incompetent politicians and the dynastic politicians are supporters of the current President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, popularly known as Digong… as long as they support federalism and the war on drugs… as long as they also support China … it’s alright. Filipinos have become evil and stupid.