THE BLUE BANNER I WEDNESDAY, NOV. 5, 2014 I THEBLUEBANNER.NET
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#TaylorSwift's new sound, album fails to hit its mark
GRACE RARER
graper@unca.edu -
Editor-in-Chief
Taylor Swift smashed
through album sales this
week with the release of
her highly-anticipated fifth
studio album 1989, but
her new sound comes off
a little jarring to long-time
fans.
1989 packs a lot of pop
punch in its short (for
Swift) 13-song tracklist
on the standard edition,
but not much depth after a
thorough listening.
While many Swift haters
have long held their hatred
flags high, her talent as a
savvy businesswoman can
no longer be denied.
With seven Grammys
under her belt before the
age of 25, her previous al
bum Red, held the title of
record-highest album sales
in a decade with 1.2 mil
lion.
The world literally exists
at her feet to do whatever
she likes and the release of
1989 marks a new path for
her.
“Shake It Off’, her first
single from 1989, debuted
to many spin off videos
from universities all around
the United States and a
virtual video campaign of
behind the scenes footage
from the official video.
Yet, among the Swift fe
ver came the voices asking,
but what about her more
stripped down roots?
While her versatility is
Album Review
undeniable, the over-satu
rated nature of 1989 makes
a full-length listen through
difficult.
She soars high in songs
tailored, (no pun intended),
to this new pop-centric beat
such as “Out of the Woods”
and “Blank Space”, but ul
timately sputters on songs
which could have used a
softer approach.
“All You Had To Do Was
Stay,” feels jilted as a pop-
heavy ballad and comes
off a little flippant, which
might have been different
with a little more, of the
country touches found on
Red.
The catchy nature of
some of the more infec
tious songs on the album
display other artists’ influ
ence.
“Wildest Dreams” plays
like the creation of Swift’s
new pop sound merging
with the softer shades of
Lana Del Key’s discogra
phy.
Its dark, heavy-handed
references to discarded
clothes and being tangled
up ^ill night might come
as surprising to longtime
listeners of pop’s newest
princess.
Yet, “Wildest Dreams”
comes as an interesting
exploration of a now-adult
Taylor Swift learning to
navigate through adulthood
and relationships with new
layers.
It’s a welcome addition
to her extensive discogra
phy and succeeds in com
bining lyrics with a fitting
tone, without coming off as
heavy-handed.
The biggest disappoint
ment on 1989 appears with
the first track, “Welcome to
New York,” which seems a
little lazy for someone like
Swift, who has shown pre
viously her ability to spin
lyrical metaphors with ease
and grace.
Instead of becoming an
instant New York anthem,
it sounds more like some
thing that would be played
in an airport bathroom in
New York.
Some of the best songs
on the album come with
the deluxe edition sold ex
clusively through Target. ■
“Wonderland” deserved
the standard album treat
ment, with Florence -i-
The Machine-esque lyrics,
while “You Are In Love”
would have benefitted the
album with a much-needed
softness.
“New Romantics” is a
cheerful, pop ballad found
on the deluxe edition, but
perhaps shows Swift’s new
sound at its best.
Just like “Shake it Off”,
“New Romantics” gives
a tongue-in-cheek middle
finger to her critics and hat
ers with a fun and familiar
Betty Who twist.
Taylor Swift’s new
sound reaches highs, but
also finds itself missing its
target by a wide margin on
her fifth studio album.
1989 could do with a lit
tle more of her soft country
rock touch to help balance
out the sugar-laden pop
synth found on nearly ev
ery track.
The only question that
needs to be asked now is:
Where can Taylor Swift go
next?
vs v'-f-'T-'-
■«' y.Y ■ ■ ■ 1“
.-:r
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