Today I am going to be doing a quick review of one of the biggest albums of the year.
Admittedly, I can't say that I had a huge interest in Taylor Swift, so when I knew I would be reviewing the album, I went in there with an open mind.
The standard album lasts for 48:41, a clever amount of time as it leaves you not wanting the album to hurry up and finish, but doesn't leave you feeling like you've gone to lunch and all you've had is an apple.
The artwork is stunning. It's simple yet elegant, and gives no major give away as to what the album is going to sound like. As I said, I went into the review with an open mind, but I still wasn't expecting much. Boy was I mistaken.
1. Welcome To New York: This song is effortlessly cool. The synth beats at the beginning make it known that Taylor means business and plans to dominate the pop world. The repeated 'Welcome to New York' line makes it impossible to not sing along by the third chorus. Despite this track being a bit repetitive for my liking, this is the perfect first song for Swift's first pop album.
2. Blank Space: This is Swift's second single from the album, and I can see why, with it's smooth and polished melody and lyrics. As with the first track, I feel like there is just a little spark missing. The production reminds me a lot of Lorde, and I am a fan of the song. It glides Taylor into a different league, one which I hope she will excel in.3. Style: After a mere 5 seconds, I am already loving this track. It has a slight resemblance to a 1975 song, which I like a lot. Taylor sounds a LOT like Selena Gomez in this track, again showing her talent and diversity, as she can adapt her voice as and when needed. This track is much better than the first two, and the spark that I am looking for is starting to appear.
4. Out of The Woods: This is by far my favourite song on the album. The drum beats at the beginning promise for a heavy, anthemic ballad, and they do not disappoint. This effortlessly brilliant. I am impressed.
5. All You Had to Do Was Stay: This is a generic pop song, and is a bit disappointing after the marvel of OOTW. However, the song is very catchy, and I can see why it is a fan favourite. Swift's voice suits this style perfectly, and I'm slightly confused as to why she hasn't done this earlier.
6. Shake It Off: The only way that you won't have heard this song is if you have been living under a rock. They catchy and upbeat track is one of the biggest songs of the year, and I love it. Swift has a nack of making anything sound happy, and this is a perfect example of that.
7. I Wish You Would: This is different from the other songs on the album. The synth beats are still there, but the track would still work without them because of the strong drum beat underneath. Taylor has found her niche, and this album is very clever. I am very impressed.
8. Bad Blood: I love the start of this song. In fact, I love the entire length of this song. I feel for whoever this was written about, because she is packing punches left right and centre. Bad Blood is a perfect pop song for Swift. It's angsty, angry, and Taylor can really play around with the melody.
9. Wildest Dreams: One thing I have picked up on with this album is that it is pretty repetitive. Quite a few of the songs sound similar, and I feel like I've definitely heard this one only minutes before. Despite that, it's still a pretty good song. The words leave you thinking, something which previous songs have failed to do.
10. How You Get the Girl: Perfect pop song to change the pace, which is much needed in my opinion.
11. This Love: The beginning of this reminds me of the old Taylor Swift, with the guitar riffs; it starts off pretty country. It's a slow, moving ballad, and it truly is beautiful.
12. I Know Places: I love it. The chorus is unbelievably catchy, and Swift's talent really shines through here.
13. Clean: This is the final song on the album, and it's the perfect closing number. Smooth, clean and catchy, Swift shows again that she knows exactly what she is doing.
Overall, the album is much better than what I was expecting. It's not the best album, however for her first all pop album, it's very very good. There are a few exceptional tracks, which I feel save the album from being lacklustre. I think it's much better than what people would think. I you forget that Taylor Swift used to be a country artist, you cannot fault the album really.
I would give this album a rating of 7/10.
Until next time,
MG x
No comments:
Post a Comment