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The Weeknd and Taylor Swift are the two most-streamed artists on Spotify right now, and this is not a recent trend. Rather, they’ve remained music figureheads for the better part of the last decade. So how have the two superstars managed to stay dominant in the industry throughout their long careers? The answer lies within their artist direction– they both have the ability to evolve their songwriting and production styles which allows them to stay fresh while maintaining their identity in their music. 

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The Weeknd is currently enjoying a world tour following his recent release, ‘Dawn FM’, a synthpop-inspired record in which the artist flaunts his singing talents and engaging presence with hip hop collaborators such as Lil Wayne and Tyler, the Creator. What long-time fans are sure to notice is the drastic difference between his current melodic synth sound and the intense raw RnB dronings of his early mixtapes. This gradual shift towards an accessible pop sound started in collaboration with Max Martin, the veteran songwriter and producer behind singles such as “I Can’t Feel My Face” and “Blinding Lights”.

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Martin only opened the gateway for The Weeknd to experiment with synthpop as he further collaborated with the likes of Daft Punk, Metro Boomin, and Swedish House Mafia. This willingness to collaborate with veteran artists allows him to explore new reaches while remaining polished and exciting on his initial attempts, and his distinctive voice and presence reinforces his musical identity as he experiments throughout his career. 

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Almost in Parallel, Taylor Swift is busy with a world tour which celebrates just how malleable she is as an artist. The theme of ‘Eras’ is supported by her long career which has seen a distinct change of her sound between almost every album. Coming off of a third country album, Swift released ‘Red’ in 2014, which featured a handful of pop tunes including “I Knew You Were Trouble”, to go alongside her established country sound in tracks like “Begin Again”. Though this was a litmus test for fans, it hinted at her trajectory towards a full pop expedition from ‘1989’ to her more recent release, ‘Midnights’. 

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This shift was welcomed by audiences– which can be partly attributed to Swift’s collaboration with Max Martin as well, who helped create her early pop tracks. More recent works, ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’ highlight Swift’s genre-transcending curiosity as she collaborated with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, and Aaron Dessner of The National, to deliver a more subdued folk sound with Swift’s familiar voice and story-like lyricism. The support from Vernon and Dessner is what makes this album a fresh aesthetic which has become synonymous with the artists, and Swift’s enthralling presence and genuine passion for music is why it works. 

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So what can we learn from shifts in the careers of Swift and The Weeknd? That passion and curiosity are noticeable and conducive to lengthy careers in music. Swift and The Weeknd both have the presence and eagerness to seek out new collaborations, even at their peaks of being the most popular artists in the world. And this allows their new releases to not only feel fresh and refined, but a genuine development of their previous efforts. While new artists are rarely concerned with how their careers might evolve over decades, Swift and the Weeknd stand as examples on how careful planning and passion can provide a music career with longevity.

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