Grade: 85/100
While her work is usually either hated or loved, Taylor Swift is probably one of the fastest evolving artists in the pop industry.
Her new album “1989” is exemplifies her growth from a country singer to pop artist to respected songwriter.
However, Swift has a long way to go if she wants to truly be taken seriously. The album is filled with marvelous potential and tracks that show a glimmer of her distinctive style, but there isn’t a lot of consistency throughout.
Listeners receive mixed emotions as they are taken on a personal journey through Swift’s life, followed by a juvenile piece that begs to debate her maturity.
For instance, the album’s opener, “Welcome To New York,” sounds as though it could have been a sequel to the painfully awkward “Friday” by Rebecca Black. It doesn’t really tell the listener anything about New York which should be a focus like it is in Jay Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind.”
However, it is followed by two of the best tracks on the album — “Blank Space” and “Style,” which prove Swift’s ability to produce meaningful music that appeals to more than just the teenage demographic.
“1989” seems to be a double-edged sword in that it gives the listener pleasant and fun songs while conveying true emotion, but too many songs still embody the immature puppy love that Swift is notorious for documenting.
The most important thing to take away from this new album, however, is that Swift is incredibly courageous in choosing the music and beats to accompany her lyrics. In fact, the music sometimes salvages certain tracks where the lack of attention to lyrics crippled the overall approach to the song.
Some of the tracks even lean toward more of a indie-rock feel similar to that of The Kooks’ new album.
The best song on the album by far is “Style” with its distinctive guitar licks paired with an occasional piano accompaniment. With a driving dance-style beat and electric guitar prevalence, the song makes the listener pay more attention to the musical details rather than the slightly superficial lyrical storyline.
Overall, “1989” is a huge step forward for Swift and is definitely a sign of good things to come in her songwriting future. It seems that she is getting progressively adventurous and sophisticated in her music.