[RidersDX]

Anyone with a bit of common sense could forsee Taylor eventually making a full on pop album. No matter how much her album was marketed as country, there were always pop sensibilities on it and that only became more apparent with her pop singles from "Red". From the get go, there's a fear that 1989 would dumb down the lyrics that brought Taylor this far into her career for the catchy hooks that Max Martin is known for. But what Taylor manages to do is to make an extremely credible album that has the best of both worlds. The catchiest melodies that are sure to flood radio for the years to come but with those classic Taylor Swift storytelling lyrics that are stronger and more personable than ever. Pop music lovers will finally see what they've been missing out on, a true legend in the making.

Song Notes

• "Welcome To New York" is a song with little substance on its own, but in the context of the album is a great and necessary mood setter of the album.
• "Blank Space" is one of the strongest tracks on the album, with production that sounds just like a Lorde song, Taylor's lyrics are at the center backed by an infectious melody and track.
• "Style" is a great 80s disco influenced jam that's both vulnerable and a sure future radio ear worm.
• "Out of the Woods" doesn't have the best chorus on the album, but it's able to exert this feeling on axiety that makes it a great album track.
• "All You Had To Do Was Stay" is the typical Max Martin track. Compared to the others, it's not an impressive but it certainly is catchy and that 80s influenced sound is great to the ears.
• "Shake It Off" absolutely does not fit on this album in terms of sound, but it serves as a nice break and helps prevent the album from sounding monotonous.
• "I Wish You Would" is another great track, the production is exciting and Taylor sings with a great intensity.
• "Bad Blood" might not live up to its extremely high expectations, but it's a catchy and standout track in its own way.
• "Wildest Dreams" is the greatest surprise on this album. No one expected this wonder Lana inspired track that's so haunting yet melodically catchy.
• "How You Get The Girl" is probably my least favorite track on the album. Compared to the other Max Martin tracks, it just seems outdated and bland, but it's not a bad track.
• "This Love" is classic Taylor, reminds me a lot of Innocent. This song should sound very familar to old Taylor fans.
• "I Know Places" has some of the best lyrics on the album, but the production to me is a bit heavy and overdramatic. Nonetheless, it's a haunting track and a surefire standout.
• "Clean" is a great way to close the album though I was hoping for something more impactful for her Imogen collab.
• "Wonderland" is an amazing track and would make a great single. Clearly put on the deluxe to make people want to pick it up, otherwise it would be on the standard.
• "You Are In Love" is a soothing ballad with calming synths in the background and beautiful lyrics. Unfortunately, its melody is not as memorable.
• "New Romantics" is one of my favorite tracks on the album. One of the most 80s inspired tracks on the album and it's full of energy and great melodies.

95/100

[Jackson]

We should review Imagine Dragons' new single I Bet My Life

[Jackson]

I think I was the 3rd request for Imagine Dragons

Also I think I'm second or third for Iggy's new single

[alexanderao]

Originally posted by GotSkill

I think I was the 3rd request for Imagine Dragons

Also I think I'm second or third for Iggy's new single

According to my search of the thread, you're the second for both singles. I would like to review both, however, so I will likely put them up for review in the coming days. I would prefer to receive one more request for each, though.

[Graduation]

Taylor Swift
1989

9.3 | 10

Taylor Swift’s shift towards a full-embrace of pop music was hardly shocking; her country hits have been crossing over to Top 40 for nearly a decade now, with her last album, 2012’s Red, featuring her most explicit tangling with Top 40 musical tropes yet. “Shake It Off” and “Welcome to New York”, two of three pre-release singles from 1989, are instantly two of the most unabashedly Top 40 tracks in her repertoire, yet luckily are outliers in the context of her new album. As much as those songs might ingrain themselves into your pre-frontal lobe, the relentless optimism of the tracks had some listeners worrying Swift was using this new musical outlet to explore the worst tendencies in pop. Instead, 1989 is Swift’s most intense record, as more often than not Swift cleverly uses her pop constructs as a gateway to examine the darker parts of her psyche and public persona.

“Bad Blood” features a singalong chorus reminiscent of “Shake It Off”’s bridge, but whereas on “Shake It Off” she brushes aside her critics, on “Bad Blood” she’s unapologetically confrontational. “If you’re coming my way, just don’t,” she venomously spits, verbally drawing a line in the sand.

Earlier, on the melodic “Blank Space”, Swift plays the same role she did on tracks such as Speak Now’s “Better Than Revenge,” although she makes much more interesting choices this time. She’s a “nightmare dressed like a daydream,” a point she drives home as she innocently coos “I got a long list of ex-lovers / They’ll tell you I’m insane.” In her earlier recordings, there weren’t many gaps between her lyrical content and musical choices. 1989, on the other hand, is full of contradictions. There’s an element of danger to a majority of 1989, due largely to Swift’s stunning vocal performances, which find the singer at her most urgent.

“Style” possesses a confident strut, but there’s a heavy dose of hesitation to her vocals when she sings, “I’ve been there, too, a few times” on the pre-chorus. There’s an interesting implication there; if being crazy is to do the same thing multiple times and expect different outcomes, then what does that mean for love? Is there a difference between the two? On “Out of the Woods”, she relives a horrifying, under-the-radar ski accident, and when she asks “are we out of the woods,” she knows what she wants to hear, yet how unlikely that response is.

Musically, Swift largely forgoes the prevailing pop trends of 2014; there’s no trace of DJ Mustard minimalism, of Tove Lo’s bombastic thrust or Ariana Grande’s playful exuberance. Instead, elements of Chromatics (on “Style”), Haim (“I Wish You Would”) and Jessie Ware (“This Love”) help create an album with depth and countless memorable moments. And for all the elements she borrows from her contemporaries, the finished products are undeniably marked with Taylor Swift’s imprint.

The bonus tracks on the deluxe edition of 1989 offer some of the best moments from these sessions. “Wonderland” finds Swift stretching her vocals to impressive lengths, her performance alluding to the collaborative efforts between Rihanna and Sia.

“New Romantics” is just as celebratory as “Welcome to New York” or “Shake It Off,” but there’s a strength in “Romantics” not even “Off” can match. “I could build a castle / From all the bricks they threw at me,” she sings on the chorus, embracing her detractors for the strength they inadvertently give her. “The rumors are terrible and cruel, but honey, most of them are true,” she sings, taunting her critics.

Then there’s “You R In Love,” a stunning ballad that perhaps best encapsulates the 80s’ sound she’s going for. It’s the quietest moment on the album, and Swift uses the sparse musical surrounding purposefully. “You can hear it in the silence,” she sings, letting the silence actually become a part of the song, turning it, as she does with her various life dramas, into captivating art. “You understand now why they lost their minds and fought the wars, and why I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words,” she sings in one of her most candid moments ever. As Caribou and Jessie Ware showed us earlier this month, love is an emotion that is ripe with musical possibilities, and as these artists prove, can be expressed in a multitude of ways.

On 1989, Swift shows a remarkable understanding of the public perception of Taylor Swift, what that name means to a general scale; more importantly, Swift appears to have a firm grasp of the artist she truly is, the one the public doesn’t get to see everyday. In lesser hands, 1989 would come across as a calculated, bloodless creation; but thanks to Swift’s ability to add humanity and personality to her compositions, this is the most vital collection of pop songs of the year, along with her best album to date. “Loose lips sink ships all the damn time,” she bitterly admits on highlight “I Know Places”. “But I know places we can hide,” she sings on the chorus, careful not to reveal where those places are. Because as much as we like to think we know about Taylor Swift, there’s always something else lurking behind the corner.

(Originally posted on my blog, OKWest).

[Obsession]

1989
Taylor Swift has been slowly breaking up with the country world for a while now – and with her recent move to New York, she’s declared herself ready to make the final break. No one could say the superstar is crossing over out of necessity; she’s been doing just fine for years with her country material, despite the increasing inflection of pop that has been apparent as time has gone by. 1989 is just a point in her career that has been looming on the horizon for quite some time. Still this point doesn’t come without its doubts. Her shift comes with the issues one thinks such a change would bring, mainly the predicament of whether she can carry her ubiquitous charm into her new sound and whether she can find her niche despite eschewing her origins.
Happily, with this album, Taylor Swift manages to silence any doubts with the firmest and most resolute no she could ever give. 1989 gives Taylor a chance to prove her versatility as she abandons all twangs for the synths of 80s pop. “Welcome to New York” assures us that Swift’s wide-eyed enthusiasm is intact, even though it proves to be one of the middling tracks on the album. Still, Swift crafts a solid pop song here that fulfills its purpose as an introduction to the 1989 manifesto; it’s a change of scenery for anyone who thought they knew Taylor Swift. Taylor’s clearly felt some inspiration from her friend Lorde when she came up with “Blank Space” (though I could see this on a Cher Lloyd album). She kisses off the media with a certain playfulness and self-deprecation that we’ve only seen come out in her writing in her most recent of material. Destined to rule the radios at some point, “Style” is a churning stomper that’s unashamed to let on that it might be about Harry Styles. “Out of the Woods” and “I Wish You Would” have Taylor team up with Jack Antonoff for some of the best drum programming in her discography. These two songs also commit to the 80s theme more assertively than the other songs here, but the former carries an emotional intensity that the latter cannot.
“All You Had to Do Was Stay” is the most immediate and insinuating track on the album, but Swift’s lyricism keeps a steady balance between chastising and vulnerable in the face of its subject matter. Max Martin imbues “How You Get the Girl” with a similar immediacy but Swift surrenders her theme a bit too easily for commercial effect. Swift’s lyricism helps maintain her integrity here as she employs a unique step-by-step approach to her subject matter. Swift strays completely from the album’s 80s soundscape for “Shake It Off”, a brassy and loud number that plays off as shoehorned in the album’s sequence despite being an earworm. “Wildest Dreams” borrows heavily from Lana Del Rey but Swift manages to pull it off with aplomb and leaves no doubt that the record is Swift’s. “This Love” lets Swift take a slower pace with her only solo outing on the album. This track is sheer beauty as Swift reflects on a love that has rekindles as a result of maturity. Swift manages to elicit a better production from Ryan Tedder in “I Know Places”, a soaring composition that has her promising her love interest that they can hide from the world together. Swift hands more creative control to collaborator Imogen Heap on “Clean” than she does to anyone else on the album and it pays off as Swift delivers an introspective and intimate number that works as a brilliant closer. As an aside, deluxe edition tracks “New Romantics” and “Wonderland” might have benefitted Swift more had she placed these on the standard in place of some other tracks, but both numbers are welcome additions to the 1989 spectacle.
1989 lets Swift crossover seamlessly with an album that speaks to her talent as one of the most relatable songwriters in the game. Swift’s lyricism seldom fails to pierce in a way few others can, and here she has melodies that will allow her to stick them on the Hot 100. However, that’s not the whole point of this outing. Swift is earnest in her desire to bring something different to the table – and though Swift might not be sonically daring in the way other pop artists are trying to be, she proves she doesn’t need to. Swift can craft a solid pop number that stands out even when it shouldn’t. For years, Swift’s been serving us a sort of homemade vanilla ice cream and over time, it may have lost that organic essence as it became more refined. However, what Swift never eschews here is her heart and genuine love for her craft which remains unmatched as she brings forward an effort that is just as satisfying as her work in country.
Brava, Taylor Swift.
91

[Mezik]

Taylor Swift - 1989
Review By: Sugar Rush

---

For her first pure pop album, Taylor has never sounded more comfortable with a piece of work. This album is one of the most solid pop albums to be released in recent years. "1989" comes across as such a authentic, yet fun, record that makes you feel all ranges of emotions. The opening trio: "Welcome to New York", "Blank Space" and "Style" highlight's Taylor's fun and giddy side, even making fun of herself in "Blank Space" which can't help but make the listener smile while listening. However, the real gems come at the end of the album. "This Love" and "Clean" are masterpieces, and show that Taylor is really at the top when it comes to songwriting. The only solo written song by Taylor, "This Love", took me back to her debut album where I felt I was reading the diary of her personal life. "Clean", the collaboration with Imogean Heap, is perfect production wise and lyric wise. Overall the album is stellar, I can go on about everything right about this album but it is so much easier for people to listen to the album themselves and experience the magic.

9 / 10

---

[Mrs. Aaron Paul]

Taylor Swift is one of the biggest stars of the millenium. She has amassed an extremely loyal fanbase through her personal lyrics and relatable song content, as well as the country audience. However, Red, and especially this new album, 1989, represent a departure from that niche and this is her first full fledged pop album. I've been very curious to see how her style would translate to this genre.
BTW, this is the standard edition I'm reviewing

Welcome To NY: People don't seem to like this song very much, and I get why. The vocals on the 'welcome to ny' refrain are somewhat off key and it is grating. However, I really like the feeling of this song and I think the emotion she wated to capture came through perfectly and its just a very cute song. The lyric 'kaleidescope of loud heartbeats under coats' is extremely apt and as a NY resident, one of the most relatable and best on the album for me. Very enjoyable song overall, but definitely imperfect.

Blank Space: This song is one of my favorites on the album. It's a fun track where Taylor makes fun of her reputation, and the pen clicking noise is PERFECT. I also think the melody is very catchy but still interesting enough not to feel like I've heard it a million times before. A highlight of the album for me.

Style: This song already seems to be getting fan favorite status, however, the lyrics don't really do anything for me, and I think her vocals are bland on this track. It feels like something any pop star could be singing. Its got a great chance of becoming a hit, but I can't say I'd be thrilled to hear it on the radio 24/7

Out Of the Woods: I really like the production on this track. The 80's influence is perhaps most obvious on this song and its cool. The lyrics to this track are some of the best on the album too, especially the bridge. However, the chorus is very lazy, and almost tuneless. Its a huge part of the song that does almost nothing for me, which is sad because this couldve been one of her best songs ever.

All You Had To Do Was Day: This song has another really cool instrumental. Taylor herself is honestly the worst part of the song. Her vocals are so monotone and soulless sounding. The lyrics are cute but nothing special.

Shake It Off: This song has grown on me a little bit (or maybe my resolve has worn down after hearing it on the radio a million times a day and I've become immune to disliking it) but it really is very generic sounding and cliche lyrically. Not only is it cliche lyrically (hardly a new thing for Taylor) its extremely lazily written. Not a favorite of mine at all.

I Wish You Would: This song is inoffensive but not terribly memorable. Pretty boring, and feels like Taylor on autopilot.

Bad Blood: Leaving aside my feelings on the conflict with Katy in question, and believe me, they do nothing to endear this song to me, I am not a huge fan of the song regardless. It reminds me a lot of Avril Lavigne, which is not a bad thing in and of itself, but I don't think her vocal delivery stands up to the 'stadium pop/rock' style the song seems to be shooting for. The lyrics are also poorly written, and thats not even getting into the melodrama.

Wildest Dreams: This song is awesome. People have compared this to a Lana Del Rey song and I definitely hear that, but honestly, I dont care for Lana at all and I still love this song. Her vocal delivery is emotional and really pretty, and the lyrics evoke a story, something only OOTW and WTNY have done for me thus far. Another highlight.

How You Get The Girl: This song is definitely filler- I can't really think of much to say about it honestly. Its just there.

This Love: I think this song is very cute and sweet and it was nice to break up all the very prevalent production for something a little more stripped back. However, melodically, this song is boring and her vocals are decent but its just not a very memorable tune. Not a bad song, but not one I'll be going back to for repeat listens.

I Know Places: This song definitely stands out from the rest of the album in terms of vibe. Its cool. I'm not overly impressed with the lyrics or vocals on this song (which seems to be a minority opinion) but I appreciate what she was going for with this song and I'm glad she did it. Its interesting, if nothing else.

Clean: This is a really strong closing for the album. The lyrics are good and the melody is beautiful. Reminds me of a better version of 'Come Clean' by Hilary Duff. This isnt some kind of masterpiece that will become a classic in her discography, but its a well concieved and executed, very pretty, song. There's definitely something to be said for that.

I think this album was a mostly successful pop debut from Taylor. There are for sure some moments that drag, and this album is lyrically inferior to most of her other work, which is dissapointing. Additionally, I would love for her to work on her vocals because she's only on key about 85% of the time here and thats in the studio. But I think this album does a great job of switching genre's while still maintaining an identifiable Taylor style.
Highlights: Welcome to NY, Blank Space, Wildest Dreams, Clean
Lowlights: Shake it Off, I Wish You Would, Bad Blood, How You Get The Girl
Grade: 6.9/10

[Vespertine]

TAYLOR SWIFT - 1989

I was a freshman and Louis was a senior, and he showed me the world.

"It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here for the next four years in this city..." I thought as I stepped into my dorm for the first time. It was a shabby little thing, a cinderblock-walled room covered in multiple layers of peeling paint. Not quite as comfy as home. My RA had left a pamphlet on my desk listing local attractions. As soon as I read the title--it was emblazoned with "Welcome To New York" in big neon lettering--I felt a pang in the pit of my stomach. I tossed the pamphlet into my trash bin, where it landed on top of a cracked copy of Britney Jean that last year's tenant must've left behind. Gross. I had a feeling I wouldn't like it much here...

... until I met Louis Tomlinson.

It was the day after move-in, and a bunch of seniors were heading up groups of freshman to show them around campus. I was struggling to find a group that wasn't too crowded until I heard him.

"Hey! Over here! I've got a Blank Space in my group," he said, flashing a quick smile and batting his eyelashes a bit. Oh god, those eyes, two big Koons balls just waiting for me to gaze into them. He was so tall and handsome as hell. Oh, maybe New York wasn't all bad.

We spent the next few hours getting a full tour of the place, going over the class registration process, and being offered various fun tips by Louis. I started heading back to my dorm after our group session ended, until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"You know, I really like your Style. Your ass looks amazing in those jeans." Louis obviously spotted my mouth hanging open and the color creeping onto my face, continuing, "Oh, did I come on too strong? Look, you're Out Of The Woods now. If you weren't ready for city life, All You Had To Do Was Stay."

"Oh no, no... I appreciate it," I said, Shaking Off the slight embarrassment on my face.

"Well good," he grinned, "you know, I Wish You Would give me your phone number."

I hesitated. There was some Bad Blood between me and the last guy I gave my phone number to, a hairy old thumb-looking lump of a man named Liam. But Louis was really the man of my Wildest Dreams, and I wasn't about to go back to considering How You Get The Girl. I wanted a man in my life.

Flash forward and we're taking on the world together.

We've been together for most of the year at this point. "This Love is just perfect," I think as I look into Louis' wild eyes.

"Want to go somewhere a bit more private, babe? I Know Places." Soon enough the lights are off and he's taking off his coat, then his hands are in my hair and his clothes are on the floor.

Thirty minutes later I'm in the shower, and it's probably the best shower I've ever taken in my life. It's like no shower I've ever taken before, probably deserves an award or two. Louis calls from outside the shower to ask if I'm almost finished cleaning up the mess, and I call back, "I think I am finally Clean."

9/10


Read my previous reviews:
Cheek To Cheek
Chasing Time

[Superpower]

Vespertine, your fanfics are entertaining but they are not reviews. Will this even count?

[holyground]

holyground: music in review

9.7 "smart, blissful pop" highlights blank space out of the woods i know places wildest dreams clean

1989 Taylor Swift Forget what you've always thought Taylor Swift was. Many may have expressed disappointment (including myself) when she announced that she was going full-pop, collaborating with Max Martin/Shellback primarily on her fifth studio effort. Because let's be honest, from their previous work together (We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, 22), they seem to dumb her lyrics down for earworms. Also, the lead single Shake It Off didn't give us much insight on the quality of the lyrics in the album, much worse was Welcome To New York's vapid and cheesy outlook. But like the lead single of Red, they mean nothing as to what the album really packs, a stunning foray of pop hits that pack with emotion and heart. However, some may feel like her writing still got dumbed down for the sake of pop sensibilities. This may be apparent in some songs, such as Shake It Off's simplistic and repetitive lyrics and Bad Blood's mild and meek take on revenge. Also, another thing different about her writing is that she seems to be putting a lot less details (like All Too Well's "dancing in the refrigerator light"). Though it feels cheesy at times, they make you feel like you are in the situation right there and then, making her songs so relatable. Despite these things that are lacking in some parts of the album, her writing is still immaculate. While we shall agree that simplistic is never good for Taylor's standards, repetitive works, sometimes. Out Of The Woods is the perfect example. It's chorus repeats two lines over and over, but it creates a frantic atmosphere that emphasizes on the desperate nature of the song, and her life. Some intricate details are still evident in many songs, but now what dominates are sweeping metaphors, a sign of her maturing abilities. These give the 1989 tracks a more universal appeal, which lyrics that sound like they ought to be chanted along to and yet feel very applicable to your own situations. The production however, is for once the main star of her album instead of her lyrics. Despite Max Martin and Shellback not quite the duo you expect to get meaningful pop music out of, Taylor seems to have extracted the best out of them. Wildest Dreams is a song you would never imagine them doing. Soothing strings and an understated production elevates the dreamy mood of the song. Blank Space is a light hip-hop influenced which perhaps mirror a bit of what indie producers are doing. Jack Antonoff brings the most 80s influence, with I Wish You Would probably being the most 80s song in the album with it's snazzy snare beat influenced by Fine Young Cannibals. The closing track, is where she's at her most glorious. The Imogen Heap collaboration, Clean harks back to more classic Taylor material, but with an Imogen twist. A more minimalistic production is used, paired with Imogen's backing vocals, create new layers of music Taylor has never really had, elevating the song into an ethereal masterpiece and one of Taylor's most important creations. Only using the influences to pepper her productions, it make sure that the album doesn't sound like a straight-up 80s tribute album. Even though the album is mostly uptempo, there is a really sad and tragic undertone in the album, which is how she admits that her life isn't quite normal anymore. Tracks like Out Of The Woods, Wildest Dreams and I Know Places highlight how she cannot have a normal relationship anymore thanks to the media's fixation on her life. Even the bouncy Blank Space, it is like she's given into the persona the world painted her as, even though it's meant to be satirical and ironic. Overall, this album is a stunning take on pop music with the same nimble tactics that she has always had. The lyrics are good and smart, the productions are clean and catchy. Yes, the album sounds like it will fit right at home on Top 40 radio, but instead of just creating what other pop stars are creating, she's going right into the heart of their genre, and taking it up ten notches with her genius songwriting. It simply doesn't matter what genre she does because at the core, what attracts throngs of people to her and ultimately gets her all these sales, is her writing and how she makes it so witty and relatable.

EXTRA: Track-by-track review

1. Welcome To New York

"it's a new soundtrack I could dance to this beat, beat, forevermore"

Polarising track from the start. The synths sound too cute and cheesy, but would probably make a killer soundtrack to some New York movie or tourism promo. Lyrics are okay at some parts ("took our broken hearts and put them in a drawer"), but what's problematic is the lame way she expresses her love for New York, with no depth.

2. Blank Space

"got a long list of ex-lovers, they'll tell you I'm insane
cause I heard you love the players, and you love the game"

Genius track. The way she takes the persona the world paints her to be and runs with it full out is not only amusing but also laudable. The production is a bit chill and laidback, making the song not feel too over-the-top and feels like a crazy anthem of sorts.

3. Style

"I say "I've heard that you've been out and about with some other girl, some other girl"
he says "What you've heard is true but I can't stop thinking about you and I."
I said "I've been there too a few times" "

Production comes into play mostly here. Funky guitars start off this sexy and slinky track and in comes the hypnotic beat. 80s feels are very apparent in this song, and the allusions to James Dean and classic looks just help further the mood.

4. Out Of The Woods

"remember when we couldn't take the heat
I walked out and said I'm setting you free"

A mix of 80s synthpop and modern indie pop aka CHVRCHES. The detailed writing is most reminiscent of her older work and the production and writing really propels the frantic nature of the song.

5. All You Had To Do Was Stay

"let me remind you, this was what you wanted
you ended it
you were all I wanted, but not like this"

This one is a grower. It is not as immediate as the other tracks but it's a charming ditty. The falsetto "stays" add a nice touch and the song overall is catchy and light.

6. Shake It Off

"but I keep cruisin', can't stop, won't stop movin'
it's like I got this music in my mind sayin' it's gonna be alright"

I would've appreciated if there was more lyrical complexity to the song and that the verses aren't sung in a robotic and squeaky way. But it achieved it's aim as a hit lead single so okay.

7. I Wish You Would

you always knew how to push my buttons
you give me everything and nothing

It would be very easy to dismiss this song at first listen, but when you listen to it more you will get it's charm. It's the most overtly 80's song on the album for me. The way the choruses slow down from the verses is a nice change that differentiates this song from the others. The "I, I, I wish I, wish I" is the infectious detail that ties up the song's magnificence.

8. Bad Blood

"band-aids don't fix bullet holes
you say sorry just for show
if you live like that, you live with ghosts"

Yeah okay we all expected her to go all Better Than Revenge on this song, but sadly she'll never do that again. Consisting of a basic playground chanting chorus (which is still catchy) and un-specific lyrics, it really leaves us disappointed. She should not be afraid of being scathing, which was what made Dear John such an unapologetic gem.

9. Wildest Dreams

"you see me in hindsight
tangled up with you all night
burning it down"

Yes it sounds like a Lana Del Rey song, and to be honest it wouldn't feel out of place in her discography. Lyrics are exquisite and the production is so light and breathy yet with a dark undertone, making this a true album highlight.

10. How You Get The Girl

"and then you say, I want you for worse or for better
I would wait forever and ever
broke your heart, I'll put it back together
I would wait forever and ever"

From the Diet Coke commercial I was so sure this was going to turn out to be a basic bop like 22. But no, it is one of, if not the catchiest song in the album. Her "manual for getting the girl" may seem a bit naive and basic, but let's not deny the fact that this song is the pop song everyone wishes they had. It is filled with hooks from start to end and the quoted lyrics are just so shoutable.

11. This Love

"when you're young you just run
but you come back to what you need"

Taylor's voice is manipulated such that this song just sounds so haunting. It is the Sad Beautiful Tragic of the album, with sparse words linked together to form something still so beautiful and meaningful. And that is why Taylor will always shine best in ballads.

12. I Know Places

"they are the hunters, we are the foxes
and we run"

Production is ace here, after the dud that was Welcome To New York for Ryan Tedder. It feels cinematic and epic, especially when the chorus starts and she takes her voice up a few notches to deliver something so orgasmic.

13. Clean

"ten months sober, I must admit
just because you clean don't mean you don't miss it"

Who knew that Imogen and Taylor could sound so good together? I have spoken quite a bit about the song in the formal review, but the way she links this hardship to a drug addiction is so poignant and deep. Definitely would want to hear more from them, or at least Taylor with such a vibe.

14. Wonderland

"you searched the world for something else, to make you feel like what we had
and in the end, in Wonderland, we both went mad"

Taylor takes her last shred of innocent, enchanting, fairytale-like essence of her and rips it apart into a dark twisted nightmare. The mildly dubsteppy production makes this song sound like a bona fide hit.

15. You Are In Love

"one night he wakes, strange look on his face
pauses, then says "you're my best friend."
and you knew what it was, he is in love"

Warm, soft 80s snyths fill this sparse track. Even her writing is sparse, but that is not a problem as these capture the un-capturable feeling of love. It might take a while to get into this song amidst the more loud production on the album, but it is stellar.

16. New Romantics

"heartbreak is the national anthem
we're too busy dancing to get knocked off our feet"

For the closer, Taylor gets satirical again. The verses sound too robotic, but the chorus is a pure triumphant anthem.



1939 words, ugh just 50 words away!

previous reviews

archives

...

hozier - hozier - 9.0

aquarius - tinashe - 7.3

kings of suburbia - tokio hotel - 6.8

tough love - jessie ware - 8.3

baby don't lie - gwen stefani - 6.0

[Jet]

Originally posted by Vespertine

TAYLOR SWIFT - 1989

I was a freshman and Louis was a senior, and he showed me the world.

"It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here for the next four years in this city..." I thought as I stepped into my dorm for the first time. It was a shabby little thing, a cinderblock-walled room covered in multiple layers of peeling paint. Not quite as comfy as home. My RA had left a pamphlet on my desk listing local attractions. As soon as I read the title--it was emblazoned with "Welcome To New York" in big neon lettering--I felt a pang in the pit of my stomach. I tossed the pamphlet into my trash bin, where it landed on top of a cracked copy of Britney Jean that last year's tenant must've left behind. Gross. I had a feeling I wouldn't like it much here...

... until I met Louis Tomlinson.

It was the day after move-in, and a bunch of seniors were heading up groups of freshman to show them around campus. I was struggling to find a group that wasn't too crowded until I heard him.

"Hey! Over here! I've got a Blank Space in my group," he said, flashing a quick smile and batting his eyelashes a bit. Oh god, those eyes, two big Koons balls just waiting for me to gaze into them. He was so tall and handsome as hell. Oh, maybe New York wasn't all bad.

We spent the next few hours getting a full tour of the place, going over the class registration process, and being offered various fun tips by Louis. I started heading back to my dorm after our group session ended, until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"You know, I really like your Style. Your ass looks amazing in those jeans." Louis obviously spotted my mouth hanging open and the color creeping onto my face, continuing, "Oh, did I come on too strong? Look, you're Out Of The Woods now. If you weren't ready for city life, All You Had To Do Was Stay."

"Oh no, no... I appreciate it," I said, Shaking Off the slight embarrassment on my face.

"Well good," he grinned, "you know, I Wish You Would give me your phone number."

I hesitated. There was some Bad Blood between me and the last guy I gave my phone number to, a hairy old thumb-looking lump of a man named Liam. But Louis was really the man of my Wildest Dreams, and I wasn't about to go back to considering How You Get The Girl. I wanted a man in my life.

Flash forward and we're taking on the world together.

We've been together for most of the year at this point. "This Love is just perfect," I think as I look into Louis' wild eyes.

"Want to go somewhere a bit more private, babe? I Know Places." Soon enough the lights are off and he's taking off his coat, then his hands are in my hair and his clothes are on the floor.

Thirty minutes later I'm in the shower, and it's probably the best shower I've ever taken in my life. It's like no shower I've ever taken before, probably deserves an award or two. Louis calls from outside the shower to ask if I'm almost finished cleaning up the mess, and I call back, "I think I am finally Clean."

9/10


Read my previous reviews:
Cheek To Cheek
Chasing Time

[HausOfCarlos]

Originally posted by Vespertine

TAYLOR SWIFT - 1989

I was a freshman and Louis was a senior, and he showed me the world.

"It's your freshman year and you're gonna be here for the next four years in this city..." I thought as I stepped into my dorm for the first time. It was a shabby little thing, a cinderblock-walled room covered in multiple layers of peeling paint. Not quite as comfy as home. My RA had left a pamphlet on my desk listing local attractions. As soon as I read the title--it was emblazoned with "Welcome To New York" in big neon lettering--I felt a pang in the pit of my stomach. I tossed the pamphlet into my trash bin, where it landed on top of a cracked copy of Britney Jean that last year's tenant must've left behind. Gross. I had a feeling I wouldn't like it much here...

... until I met Louis Tomlinson.

It was the day after move-in, and a bunch of seniors were heading up groups of freshman to show them around campus. I was struggling to find a group that wasn't too crowded until I heard him.

"Hey! Over here! I've got a Blank Space in my group," he said, flashing a quick smile and batting his eyelashes a bit. Oh god, those eyes, two big Koons balls just waiting for me to gaze into them. He was so tall and handsome as hell. Oh, maybe New York wasn't all bad.

We spent the next few hours getting a full tour of the place, going over the class registration process, and being offered various fun tips by Louis. I started heading back to my dorm after our group session ended, until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"You know, I really like your Style. Your ass looks amazing in those jeans." Louis obviously spotted my mouth hanging open and the color creeping onto my face, continuing, "Oh, did I come on too strong? Look, you're Out Of The Woods now. If you weren't ready for city life, All You Had To Do Was Stay."

"Oh no, no... I appreciate it," I said, Shaking Off the slight embarrassment on my face.

"Well good," he grinned, "you know, I Wish You Would give me your phone number."

I hesitated. There was some Bad Blood between me and the last guy I gave my phone number to, a hairy old thumb-looking lump of a man named Liam. But Louis was really the man of my Wildest Dreams, and I wasn't about to go back to considering How You Get The Girl. I wanted a man in my life.

Flash forward and we're taking on the world together.

We've been together for most of the year at this point. "This Love is just perfect," I think as I look into Louis' wild eyes.

"Want to go somewhere a bit more private, babe? I Know Places." Soon enough the lights are off and he's taking off his coat, then his hands are in my hair and his clothes are on the floor.

Thirty minutes later I'm in the shower, and it's probably the best shower I've ever taken in my life. It's like no shower I've ever taken before, probably deserves an award or two. Louis calls from outside the shower to ask if I'm almost finished cleaning up the mess, and I call back, "I think I am finally Clean."

9/10


Read my previous reviews:
Cheek To Cheek
Chasing Time

genius, SLAY

[HausOfCarlos]

Can we review Beg For It

[TRF.]

DEAD at literally nobody reviewing 'Sound of a Woman'



Honestly, TRF.

[alexanderao]

Originally posted by HausOfCarlos

Can we review Beg For It

You're the 2nd request.

[holyground]

Yes of course we have to do Beg For It, do we really need to wait till 3 requests

And do Imagine Dragons too!

[Staryu]

"Sound Of A Woman" - Kiesza

I honestly don't have too much to say about Sound of a Woman (like the review above me ), but I will say I love the 90's inspired dance/house tracks. No Enemiesz, The Love, Hideaway, Over Myself and Giant In My Heart are my favorites because of their throwback production, with No Enemiesz being the best of the bunch. The Love brings me back to the 90's the most, it sounds like it is straight off of a 'Pulse' compilation album. Other noteworthy tracks for me are the "love is war" anthem Vietnam, innuendo laden Piano, and rent-a-rapper assisted Bad Thing. I deleted a few songs on the album starting with the snoozy So Deep, I don't think I even got through one listen. Other deletes were the nyquil drenched cover of What Is Love and the unnecessary acoustic version of Hideaway. I came here for the nostalgia and to dance, not to tread through 2 too many R&B ballads.

Overall I would recommend Kiesza, skip the downersz, put No Enemiesz on repeat. Grade: B+

[Staryu]

Originally posted by Cupid

Not you shading my review. You need like 30 more words for it to count.

Let me spew some more out then

edit: done I count 170~ now

[Superpower]

Let me request Only by Nicki Minaj featuring Wayne, Chris Brown and Drake