Queen's anthems are dreadfully overwrought. Let TV networks and corporate advertisers use them.
Michael Bolton's power ballads are of another time and for a different audience; let him recovery from his brain tumor surgery and wish him well.
Millions of people spanning the globe have paid hundreds to thousands of dollars in the past year plus to gather in large arenas and sing Taylor Swift songs along side others doing the same, and "You Belong with Me" is an upbeat, easy-to-sing, 'romantic love triumphant' tune that provides an arguably comparable sing-along experience that compensates for being on a lesser scale by offering a lower barrier-to-entry across many factors, while simultaneously providing the live experience of America's top indoor college sport.
In pure heteronormative demographic terms, the mix of Swift & basketball offers "something for the boys & something for the girls," which was the magical sweet spot that turned Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors" (1977) and James Cameron's "Titanic" (1997) into record-shattering pop culture phenomenons.
Walking on-campus to your school's arena to score a $2 beer and witness the #1-ranked Huskies dominate a ranked conference opponent, and sing along with "game day decision"-returning Donovan Clingan who is the same age Taylor Swift was when "You Belong With Me" (19)? Maybe not "priceless," but powerful enough to stir a whole bunch of emotions among the the fans, the perplexed, the jealous, and the haters.
