Not a fair characterization, IMHO. She writes her own songs, and manages her own career. She might have mass market appeal, but I don't see how you can argue she's not a legitimate artist.
Just because she is referred to as an artist by an industry attempting to profit from her production does not defacto her as such. Perhaps Taylor is just a shrewd business person who has a natural understanding of what has strong social appeal. What if she openly admit that was her intent? Would you still call her an artist? I would not, and I imagine a great many others wouldn't either. There is a lot to being an artist and this automatic labeling is misleading and perhaps, if you are extra paranoid, nefarious in intent.