The country songstress goes full-blown pop on her latest album, and it's surprisingly good
Having hinted her foray into pop with a few tracks on 2012's Red, it came as no surprise that its follow-up, 1989, would see Taylor Swift wholeheartedly embracing the mainstream in such a big way. Produced by none other than the daddy of pop smashes Max Martin as well as an army of high-powered producers including Shellback (Pink, Maroon 5), Greg Kurstin (Lana Del Rey, Kylie Minogue), and OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder, Swift's fifth LP is effectively devoid of her usual Nashville sound. Gone is the image of a country sweetheart strumming the guitar, crooning soft words off of her diary — 1989 is all about hi-def studio sheen. Think synths, loops and drum machines instead of banjos and mandolins.
And so it's quite fitting to kick off the album with Welcome to New York, an ode to starting over in a new city. Drawing heavily from the '80s synth-pop sound, the song is about — you guessed it — the Big Apple. "It's a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, forevermore/The lights are so bright, but they never blind me," Swift sings of her new hometown with the kind of optimism that sometimes borders on naiveté. Blank Space is a fun one. Here, she's being a good sport by poking fun of herself (or at least her portrayal in the media) as a serial monogamist. "Got a long list of ex-lovers/They'll tell you I'm insane/But I've got a blank space, baby/And I'll write your name," she offers half-jokingly.
Style (a blatant reference to her ex, One Direction's Harry Styles, perhaps?) is a melodic jam built upon driving synths and the chorus that just begs to be hummed along to: "You've got that James Dean daydream look in your eye/And I've got that red-lipped classic thing that you like." Elsewhere on the album, there are danceable kiss-off anthems to her defectors (Shake It Off, Bad Blood), a Lana Del Rey knock-off (Wildest Dreams) and an Imogen Heap-assisted closer where airy electro beats drift like a snowflake in the wind (Clean).
All in all, 1989 is an impressively bold move from the 24-year-old singer-songwriter, and we have to admit that it is working out for her. Granted, the retro-modern sonic influences may not be entirely groundbreaking (Daft Punk did it on their 2013 album Random Access Memories), but in Swift's hands, somehow they sound fresh and entirely new. The melodies are highly addictive and the hooks are naggingly on-point — combine those with Swift's songwriting chops, and you have one of the finest, most well-crafted pop records of the year. n
THE PLAYLIST
Stoondio/ Yin Dee Tee Dai Pob Thur
Stoondio is the one-woman musical project of Chotika “Toon” Kamwongpin, a graphic designer-turned-bedroom musician who first made an impression in 2012 with her brand of wistful indie folk. Back with her sophomore full-length Plural, Stoondio shares with us lead single Yin Dee Tee Dai Pob Thur (Nice to meet you), a gentle production paired with understated melody, and humble songwriting: “I will know you as much as you’ll want me to/I’ll smile for you as often as you’d like me to.”
Robbie Williams/ Bully
Robbie Williams is the latest to pull a Beyoncé by dropping a surprise album called Under the Radar Volume 1. The record is Williams’ 11th studio album, and comprises 14 previously unreleased tracks. Lead single, Bully, is decidedly more angsty and cinematic than what makes up most of his discography. “I simply don’t care if you hate me or love me/Pass me the pistol, shoot the bully,” sings Robbie over the slow-burning guitar and cocking gun sound effect.
Lana Del Rey/ Big Eyes
Big Eyes is one of Lana Del Rey’s two contributions to Tim Burton’s upcoming biopic of the same name that highlights the life and work of American artist Margaret Keane (paintings of doe-eyed children, those are hers). The track is exactly what you’d expect to hear from a Del Rey song: melodramatic, nostalgic, melancholy and darkly sensual. In other words, it’s all the lovely qualities one can usually expect to find in a Tim Burton film. A match made in heaven? We think yes.
Peter Andre/ Christmas Time’s For Family
The onslaught of Christmas music is just as inevitable as all the pretty lights and retail madness. Cashing in on the occasion is British supermarket chain Iceland who has drafted the Mysterious Girl singer into providing its holiday campaign with a soundtrack, Christmas Time’s For Family. As with most ditties dedicated to this very festivity, it’s a bombardment of brass, bells and general holiday jolliness — not an overly memorable affair if you ask us. But in case anyone’s interested (and somehow still calling themselves a Peter Andre fan after all these years), the song’s also included on his album White Christmas.
Father John Misty/ Bored in the USA
Former Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman, aka Father John Misty, returns with a new single from his forthcoming second solo album I Love You, Honeybear. Here, piano ballad Bored In The USA finds Tillman giving us an honest rundown of what’s wrong with his homeland: “They gave me a useless education/A subprime loan, craftsman home/Keep my prescriptions filled/Now I can’t get off, but I can kind of deal/Oh, with being Bored in the USA.” And as if this wasn’t depressing enough, the sitcom-style laughter chimes in, rubbing salt into the wound brought on by botched American dreams. n
