Pushing the envelope. Defining yourself. Expressing emotions. Growing up. That’s
what music is about, and that’s what Taylor Swift does in her newly released album,
Red.
Unlike her previous albums where she straddled the line between pop country and
pop, Swift deviates strongly from her usual style, flirting with a more indie modern
sound.
With each release of her albums, Swift has shown her ability to introduce and
embrace new directions in her music.
Utilizing sounds from rock, pop, folk, indie, singer-songwriters and more, Swift
experiments with many different sounds, including the use of a dub-step in track
number four, “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
With a total of 22 songs, including the bonus tracks, only about eight of them are
recognizable Swift songs.
Several tracks make you question who you are listening to. If you didn’t know you
were listening to a Taylor Swift album beforehand, it would take you several songs
to figure it out without paying close attention to the lyrics.
It feels like Swift is trying to break out of a preconceived notion that people have of
her. Each song is so different from the next, showing she has a wide range of style.
Lyrically consistent, and musically diverse and unexpected, the album represents a
step outside of the proverbial box for T. Swift.
Singing about what she knows best, Swift still connects with listeners and
empathizes with the hardship, the passion and the heartache of love.
The title “Red” pays homage to that all consuming love or relationship that becomes
a part of our soul, which in turn can create great devastation. Swift couldn’t have
used a better word.
If you’re looking for the usual Nashville pop country album, keep looking. You
won’t find it here. And though critics and fans alike may criticize Swift’s departure
and accuse the album of not fitting into the pop country genre, the album is still
interesting, captivating and catchy regardless of the genre.
And maybe that’s the point. No matter what the sound, style or beat her music uses,
the lyrics are still the same. The message hasn’t changed; she’s still a young girl
getting her heart broken and sharing it with the world.
