Some would argue that her shifting onto the Pop scene was a risk and could've potentially alienated her fan base, but it was a gradual, inevitable, expected transition, so not really.
She had given her fans Max Martin pop songs before with RED, which successfully smashed. More than 6 million people purchased the hybrid pop/country RED--the same amount as the people who bought the exclusively country Speak Now.
How is doing Max Martin pop songs ready for radio risky?
It wasn't risky. I know some other Taylor fans will tell you it was a risk going country to pop - but that's a false remark to make since Taylor has been introducing pop elements into her music from as early on as Fearless.
It was also on-trend for pop music in 2014. So no, no real risk - just a well crafted pop album from a country singer who sufficiently prepped her audiences for a genre shift.
She had given her fans Max Martin pop songs before with RED, which successfully smashed. More than 6 million people purchased the hybrid pop/country RED--the same amount as the people who bought the exclusively country Speak Now.
How is doing Max Martin pop songs ready for radio risky?
Sounds like you are set in your answer, so why make a thread?
RED and Speak Now sold pretty much the same, which shows her stepping into pop territory did not alienate her fanbase
Doing pop songs only gave her far more exposure. Shake It Off was her first big hit in many European countries
Red was much more global; they sold the same amount because she lost a considerable amount of album buyers from her original fanbase (aka alienating them)
