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Taylor Swift fever swept the nation this summer as her tour came to the UK – but there’s one Swiftie who admits she found her “poetry” as good as therapy.
Jenny Ryan of The Chase revealed during an exclusive chat with Express.co.uk that she has related to “lots of” Taylor’s lyrics, which cover relationship struggles and vengefully purging feelings about her exes. She made the admission at the Nordoff and Robbins 02 Silver Clef Awards earlier this month, an annual event which raises funds and awareness for the art of music therapy.
Jenny warmed to the topic, revealing that she believes Taylor’s music is a “great public service” to the heartbroken. Describing her lyrics as a “valuable tool”, she explained: “She expresses herself through the words and she tells stories that are personal to her.
“They’re helping her, but also they can be applied to millions of people – everyone who finds something in her songs that means something to them – so she’s doing a great public service.” Asked whether she’d personally related to any topics in her songs, she declared decisively: “Lots of things, quite privately.”
Jenny went on to share how important the joy of music is to her in her everyday life, leading to her feeling “dreadful” when lockdown prevented her from accessing live music or sharing it with others. “It’s one of those things that I didn’t realise just how important it was to me until there wasn’t as much… during the first lockdown,” she explained.
“The absence of music made me realise just how important it is to boost my mood and calm myself down.”
Jenny added: “Having to rediscover the joy of music all over again was quite a tough call, but it’s something that’s really important.”
She added that singing in a group of people – something that was unavailable to her during the pandemic – is a “magical” experience everyone should try at some point in their lives.
“It’s really important because there’s something about the resonance in your bones of other people singing the same thing as you at the same time.”
Meanwhile, Jenny subscribes wholeheartedly to the claims that Amy Winehouse was healed by music during her tragically short life.
Referring to how her music has also helped others, she mused: “I think it is an incredible legacy thing that she would have wanted. She’s one of my favourites.”
The award ceremony raised an incredible £760,000 through ticket sales and auction lots, which went towards providing music therapy to the UK’s “most vulnerable” children and adults. Many have found learning to play instruments helpful as an outlet for their mental health, especially when they feel emotionally blocked and unable to express themselves in any other way.
Meanwhile, award winners for 2024 included a wide range of artists from across the genres, including Blur, The 1975, Chaka Khan, Jessie Ware, Texas and Brian Johnson of AC/DC.
