In celebration of Women’s History Month, Atwood Magazine has invited artists to contribute essays that delve into themes of identity, music, culture, inclusion, and more.
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Today, Nashville-based singer/songwriter Taylor Bickett shares the personal experience that inspired her latest song “The Crime,” along with her collaboration with The Circle, an organization committed to preventing global violence against women, as part of Atwood Magazine’s Women’s History Month series.
Taylor Bickett embodies a storyteller’s spirit. Originating from Indiana, she has been crafting music for as long as she can remember. Her heartfelt lyrics and remarkable vocal ability create self-reflective indie-pop songs that deeply connect with audiences. Following the viral success of her poignant anthem “QUARTER LIFE CRISIS” in 2022, which gained traction on TikTok, Taylor quickly captured the interest of a generation grappling with adulthood. The track generated nearly half a million fan-created videos and garnered over 35 million streams, with notable figures like Drew Barrymore and Kevin Jonas sharing their personal transformations inspired by Taylor’s lyrics, “I swear 16 was yesterday, but now I’m closer to 28.”
Taylor’s 2023 EP ‘grown up and lonely’ further solidified her success, showcasing her genuine, unfiltered songwriting. She welcomed 2024 with the release of the beloved track “I Like Mondays,” followed by her EP ‘This Isn’t Me Missing You’ in the fall. Throughout 2024, she toured alongside artists such as Ron Pope, Blü Eyes, and Áine Deane.
Alongside her new single, Taylor Bickett is announcing a unique solo acoustic tour with performances in Nashville, New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Chicago. Tickets are now available for purchase. For all U.S. shows, Taylor has teamed up with Plus One, an organization focused on creating a more sustainable, fair, and just world. For each ticket sold, $1 will be contributed to The Circle.
Plus One is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit that collaborates with artists and their communities to promote meaningful advocacy and philanthropy. Since its inception in 2014, Plus One has helped raise over $30 million for more than 850 nonprofit organizations across the globe.
“The Crime” is currently accessible on all digital platforms, offering a raw and emotional anthem that many women will find profoundly relatable. Listen wherever you stream music, and read Taylor Bickett’s special essay for Women’s History Month below!
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by Taylor Bickett
Trigger warning: Violence, Assault
If I engage, he might kill me. If I ignore him, he might kill me.
In the fall of 2023, while walking near my home in Nashville, Tennessee, a man drove up beside me, calling out from his window. I never know how to deal with such situations. Any response I give could lead to my rape or murder. This is something we learn early on. Girls are put through self-defense classes. They are discouraged from walking alone at night. We're taught to hold our keys like weapons. A small bottle of light purple pepper spray often appears in our Christmas stockings alongside treats.
Immediately tense and acutely aware of my vulnerability, I chose to ignore him. With a slight tremor in my legs, I kept walking, hoping he’d take the hint and move on. They usually do.
Before I realized what was happening, the man was barreling toward me with his car. I turned just in time to see him speeding my way, his eyes locked on me and foot on the accelerator. The rest is a blur. My glasses were knocked off my face, my phone flew from my grip. Somehow, I found myself behind the vehicle, and suddenly everything became clear. I snatched my phone from the pavement and ran for my life.
When the police arrived, my instinct was to downplay the situation, assuring them I was fine, reluctantly stepping into the ambulance for a check-up. In fact, I had only called the non-emergency line, afraid of making too much of a trivial incident. Of being seen as dramatic. The officer looked at me with concern in his eyes. He asked, “Ma'am, do you understand that what happened to you was aggravated assault with a deadly weapon?”
That is classified as a Class C felony in Tennessee, a serious offense. And all that ran through my mind was what I could have done differently. Well, maybe if I had greeted him… Oh, if only I had smiled back, he wouldn’t have tried to harm me… In retrospect, the most shocking part is the mental gymnastics I went through, seeking out a fault that belonged to me.
My only “crime” was being a woman.
I may never know what caused the man to attack me that day. It doesn’t matter. What I do
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Nashville singer/songwriter Taylor Bickett reveals the personal experiences that inspired her latest song “The Crime” and her collaboration with The Circle, an organization focused on preventing violence against women worldwide, as part of Atwood Magazine’s Women’s History Month series!