Bradley Burgess | rawr reviews
Taylor Swift’s latest offering includes a foreword inside written by Swift herself.
“For the last few years, I’ve woken up every day not wanting, but needing to write a new style of music. I needed to change the way I told my stories and the way they sounded … I was also writing a different storyline than I’d ever told you before.”
Swift has undergone an interesting evolution over the years. She began as a country star, segued into a brief acting career, culminating in a surprisingly funny stint as a “Saturday Night Live” hostess and only two years ago fused her country roots with a Top 40 mentality, in the form of her album “Red.”
In her newest album “1989,” Swift went full blown, crowd-pleasing pop. Some were concerned Swift wouldn’t be able to make the transition smoothly, but this album manages to work in her favor… to an extent.
The central theme of the album is nostalgia.
The name of the album is also the year Taylor Swift was born. When you hear tracks like “Welcome To New York,” “I Wish You Would” and “Style,” nostalgia is certainly the impression you get. However, the majority of the album gives off a more Top 40 vibe.
What’s notable about the album is that Swift isn’t the only star. There are unique enough synth beats and percussion to appeal to dance enthusiasts. But as a result, there are certain points when Swift tends to disappear into the background. Swift seemed to look at late ‘80s pop hits as inspiration — she even says so in the foreword — but this album isn’t meant to replace the classic songs of the era. It’s her interpretation of them. This is still a Top 40 superstar, after all.
When Swift gets things right, she really gets things right. “How You Get The Girl” is criminally enjoyable and could even hold its own on the dance floor. “Shake It Off” is the centerpiece of the album and Swift’s moment to shine. “Blank Space” proves Swift can be a pop superstar.
Then there are songs like “Out Of The Woods,” which doesn’t necessarily stretch Swift’s songwriting skills and “Bad Blood,” which feels more like a Lorde single than a pop anthem. The drums on the latter even feel reminiscent of the song, “Royals.”
“1989” is a weird mesh between old and new. It’s somewhere between the new funk-synth of the 1970s, and the throwback energy of HAIM’s “Days Are Gone.”
Even with all that said, it’s hard not to enjoy the album for what it is — an energetic, youthful pop record. Hardcore fans of Swift’s earlier work probably won’t like this new album, but for new listeners, it stands enough on its own to merit a download.