Taylor Swift is an enigma. She is a series of contradictions. First, she claimed that she wasn’t a feminist. Once she discovered what a true feminist is, she decided she is one. However, the most significant contradiction appears to be that she is a strong, independent, successful woman … who is constantly being defined by her love life.

Taylor Swift is undoubtedly talented. Whenever a new single of hers comes out, it is quick to reach the top of the charts. She is also notorious for her love life. While this may come with the territory of being a pop star, it doesn’t seem fair to judge someone who is young and having fun. I have always been quick to come to Swift’s defense; it is not her fault that her every move is being documented and dissected. Her relationship status should not be the top news of the day.

That being said, she does capitalize on the public nature of her personal relationships. Her success is partly attributed to her connection to famous men. Her recent announcement that she was “remaining single” lends support to the idea that her success is directly related to her personal life. Many of her more popular songs revolve around her love life. Even her newest hit single “Out of the Woods” features somber lyrics about a love lost. How do we reconcile these apparent contradictions?

Maybe Taylor Swift is no different than any other artist who merely makes a living off writing and singing about their personal life. I don’t see an equally successful man being attacked for moving from girl to girl. (In some circles such behavior is even applauded but I will leave that discussion for another time.) We should applaud her willingness to share her personal experiences; her songs are successful because they are real.