Despite trading country guitar riffs for electronic beats, Taylor Swift stays true to her contrary, whimsical, sassy, and optimistic self in her fifth and latest album, “1989,” released Monday.
Some are unimpressed with the music mogul’s first pure pop album, inspired by the music in the decade in which she was born. But like the crashing down of the Berlin Wall in the same year, 1989 breaks down barriers mainstream “pop” has upheld for years.
Staying true to form, Swift proves in “1989” that pop doesn’t have to mean crooning about “getting drunk on a minibar,” or having “all the right junk in all the right places.” Swift, in typical fashion, sing-talks about what she always has: love, relationships, heartbreak, and individuality. Her edgy sort of sweetness works just as well in New York City as it proved to in Nashville.
Swift revolutionized country music in the early years of her career, adding angsty girl music to a genre dominated by grown men singing about honky-tonks and whiskey. Country music has its limits, and for Swift, those came after her first album. In “Fearless,” her second album, hints of pop began to infiltrate her sound in chart-toppers like “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me.”
“1989” is a sort of culmination of her previous albums, fulfilling her transition to pop. While the album is studded with gems, the new electronic sound weighs down some of the tunes, especially later on the album, where more redundant numbers won’t be radio hits.
But that has always been typical of Tay. Only her closest followers know every word of “Last Kiss,” “You’re Not Sorry,” and “The Lucky One.” Those songs are only for her most loyal fans to appreciate.
Arguably the three best tracks of the set come in a row (numbers 2, 3 and 4): “Blank Space,” “Style” —allegedly about her old fling Harry Styles of One Direction— and “Out of the Woods.” All three are catchy and full of flair. “Out of the Woods” builds with such momentum throughout the chorus that it’s hard not to feel anxious about your own relationship.
Along with “Out of the Woods,” the catchy (albeit gimmicky) “Shake it Off” and “Welcome to New York” debuted earlier than the rest as singles, acting as teasers for Swifties and casual radio-listeners alike to listen to on repeat until the full album leaked.
The mellower and soulful “Clean” and snarky “Bad Blood” —allegedly about frenemy Katy Perry— also add substance both in lyrics and sound to “1989,” but the remaining six songs (five of them found in the bottom half of the set) will probably only find appreciation in devoted fans. Even for them, those songs can sound alike when listening to the album as a whole.
The New York Times’ review applauds Swift’s return to a “less overtly hybrid” pop music, last seen in the likes of Madonna’s hits of the 1980s. Rap and R&B does not make a guest appearance on any of the 13 tracks, as is the trend for most female pop artists (like Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea). Swift depends solely on her own voice, neither featuring guest artists nor relying on backup singers. The 80s undertones are most evident in the feel of “I Wish You Would.”
Taylor Swift has created yet another piece of musical mastery that connects with her fans and, perhaps even more unusually in today’s industry, actually sells albums. Three days after its release, 1989 is on its way to being the first and only album of 2014 to sell one million albums.
How? Swift has managed to use social media to every effective end in promotion of her album, with one noticeable exception: in her songs themselves. In an age where cultural references to current clothing styles, popular phrases, and other celebrities infiltrate the lyrics of so many popular songs, Swift gives her tunes the chance to stand the test of time by singing about relevant and yet transcendent issues. Despite the plastering of promotions on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and many other fan sites, the beauty of the album is that it could have been written in 1989. I wish it had, for that would give us 25 more years of listening to “1989.”
