Taylor Swift can no longer be considered the sweet country star she once was after the release of her fifth studio album entitled “1989” on Oct. 27. The album sold 1.287 million copies in the first week of its release and found a number one spot on Billboard’s latest chart. This is Swift’s fourth album to make number one on Billboard. Swift’s new album is the first album of 2014 to instantly become the best-selling new title. The last album to have such an impact was Eminem’s 2002 album “The Eminem Show,” which sold 1.322 million copies. “1989” offers a completely different sound for Swift that opens up several different doors for her as an artist. The album itself takes on a sound slightly similar to that of fellow pop artist, Lorde with obvious mid-1980 influences. After nearly a decade of dealing with all of the haters, Swift is finally shaking it all off and it shows in the new addition to her discography.
Taylor Swift debuted to the world when she was a 16-year-old with country ballads about love and heartbreak. It wasn’t too long before all of her songs seemed to be about boys that would break her heart with a country track playing in the background, and people wouldn’t let that just happen. Luckily for all of us, all of the comments made by media and individuals about her personal and dating life were the reason for Swift’s album and mostly her newest hit single “Blank Space,” according to an interview with Swift.
If you haven’t heard Swift’s single “Blank Space,” you’re genuinely missing out. In the new music video for the single Swift takes on the persona that everyone gives her in the media; a psycho ex-girlfriend that has simply dated way too many men in her time. Swift says it herself in the song, “Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane.” This song is a wonderful example of how much Swift simply does not care what people think anymore.
It is pretty much a guarantee that anyone who listens to music, despite their favorite genre, has heard some of Swift’s insanely catchy lines from the huge single “Shake It Off.” Although “Shake It Off” is a wonderful portrayal of how Swift views her hater’s comments and how confident she is in herself, there is much more to the album. Songs including “I Know Places” and “Clean” feature an almost haunting sound through the simple beats and clarity of Swift’s voice that can provide you with chills as you listen. Other songs like “How You Get the Girl” and “Bad Blood” offers up a more pop sound influenced by the 1980’s, hence the album’s name. The biggest flop on the album would be “Welcome to New York”. The track takes on an over the top cliché pop sound that makes Swift sound less genuine. Even though “Welcome to New York” can be considered Swift’s flop on the album, it’s still a very catchy track that can and will get stuck in your head for hours on end. For the most part, Swift’s new album covers about all that a listener would be looking for in a pop album. Not only does the album reach a whole new level for Swift’s music, it also helps make Swift finally come off as a grown up and independent woman. If “1989” is an appropriate portrayal of all that is to come from Swift, it is safe to say that we, as listeners, have nothing to worry about and much more to look forward to from the new pop queen herself.