Why did Taylor Swift stop singing in a country accent?

Why did Taylor Swift stop singing in a country accent?

From NO SUCH THING by iHeartPodcasts and Kaleidoscope

May 6, 2026 · 1h 8m · Episode 63

About this episode

The episode explores why singers lose their accents when they sing, featuring a discussion on Taylor Swift and other artists.

On today’s episode, we’re tackling a question from a listener named Joel: Why do singers lose their accents when they sing? Our guest this week is New Yorker writer Kelefa Sanneh . In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore identity in country music, why Taylor Swift stopped singing with a twang, how Drake changed the way people think about authenticity in hip-hop, and why Adele and Harry Styles don’t sound British when they sing. Want to hear all the music from this episode? Check out our newsletter for a playlist. Check out Kelefa’s book Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genre s If you’re new here, listen to episode 36: Is Taylor Swift bigger than Michael Jackson? and check out our NST starter pack .  Fill out our NST listener survey here. Have a question you want us to answer? Email us at mannynoahdevan@gmail.com or leave a voicemail at ‪(860) 325-0286 EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ http://www.nordvpn.com/nst    Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guest: Kelefa Sanneh

Topics covered

  • music identity
  • country music
  • accent in singing
  • authenticity in hip-hop
  • pop music

Keywords

  • Taylor Swift
  • country accent
  • Kelefa Sanneh
  • music identity
  • Drake
  • Adele
  • Harry Styles

Sponsors

NordVPN

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New Yorker

Books & works: Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres

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