Lessons from a Taylor Swift Shoutout

Aaron's Blog, Humble Bragging, Music Industry

The day started normal enough: I woke, had some coffee, checked a few emails.

One was from the head of my record label, forwarding a playlist called Songs Taylor Loves. I clicked the link, and there it was—the unmistakable face of Taylor Swift on the cover.

I didn’t understand. I scrolled the list:

  • Miley Cyrus
  • Chris Stapleton
  • HAIM
  • Aaron Espe

“Wait, what?” I thought.

“No, that can’t be right. Aaron Espe is a kid from northern Minnesota, a town of 2,000 people. Aaron Espe wore clothes his mom sewed from Sears catalog patterns.”

Still, I figured the proper response was to tweet Miss Swift a thank-you. Her management would see it, realize the mistake, and I’d return to my normal Tuesday.

But I didn’t return to my normal Tuesday.

My phone started buzzing like what I imagine an influencer’s acts like. Notifications. Likes. Retweets.

I thought, I should thank Taylor Swift more often. That’s the trick to Twitter. I’VE CRACKED THE CODE!

Nope. The real trick I learned was that Taylor Swift liked my tweet. One tap, and suddenly it went viral. That’s the power she has. Just from a like.

From that moment, my life changed. I got rich and famous. Currently, I’m lying sideways on a velvet pillow stuffed with European goose down. I’m typing with one hand and sipping a cocktail with the other. People are waiting in line for my autograph (“I’LL GET TO YOU SOON–JEEZ!”).

Of course, none of this is true. What is true is that I impressed some people for a few days. I even got a couple of “OMG!!” texts from friends I hadn’t heard from in years.

What was weird, though–even with praise from Taylor Swift, it didn’t last very long. I was reminded of a lesson I have to repeat again and again: public recognition is validating but fleeting.

If you’re a songwriter or creative person, recognition is nice. It means your work connected with someone, and that’s rewarding. But when the serotonin wears off–when the little praise-high fades–it’s just you and the next project. A blinking cursor. An unsung melody. A lyric waiting to be shaped.

I hope, like me, you’ll remind yourself that praise is like water. You need it, but it won’t fuel the engine. For that, you need diesel. And diesel is loving the work itself: writing, building, collaborating, wrestling that abstract pull on your heart onto paper, into four chords and a melody.

So yes, I’m grateful to Taylor Swift for the water (fancy, purified, bottled water at that). But now it’s time to get back to work.

I hope to see you out there.

Love,
Aaron