Taylor Swift - reputation (Album Review)

While better than initially expected, Taylor Swift releases the worst, and most "personal", album of her career.

Release date: 10 November 2017
Record label: Big Machine
Genre: Pop
Best songs: "New Year's Day", "Dancing With Our Hands Tied", "Getaway Car"
Worst songs: "Dress", "Gorgeous", "End Game" (ft. Future and Ed Sheeran), "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things", "King of My Heart", "So It Goes..."
Rating: 4/10

See, I love Taylor Swift. She's not only my all-time celebrity crush (I guess), but she's a really good musician, with a knack for good hooks, a good instrumentalist and songwriter, and has a lot of charisma and personality in her voice. But just because you have all that, it doesn't mean the album is going to be good. Now, I knew this was going to happen. She'd find someone, and she'd be all lovey-dovey about it. But is it actually good? Well...

I suppose we'll talk about the good songs first. We get the beautiful piano ballad "New Year's Day", about holding on to the good and bad memories, as they're both valuable. While the production is sparse, and her voice isn't the greatest (my main issue is it's a bit airy), but really I don't have too much issue with this track. It's kind of being appreciative of her past, and not letting that bring her down. The issues of the past can often help you improve and I think she's finally realized that. Another song I really like is "Getaway Car". It's pretty damn catchy, and the comparison to how being in a getaway car is similar to a certain relationship in the fact that "nothing good happens at the end". The references to Bonnie and Clyde actually work here, she knows it isn't going to work out between them, it's going to end badly. And is there perhaps some admittance to cheating on here? Now, this is speculation, don't attack, but labeling yourself a "traitor" and that you turned him in is pretty alarming, especially when you connect to other songs, indicating she was interested while she was still in a relationship. And really, "Look What You Made Me Do" fit nowhere on this record. Doesn't match the theme, and it's far more dark than really... anything. Now, Taylor often has this issue constantly on this record, and I'll get to it later, when she talks about Joe Alwyn, her boyfriend, and it really just misses the mark. Well, one where I feel it does actually work is "Dancing With Our Hands Tied". Granted, there is that line about a "sacred oasis", which is just really gross. That aside, while she kept dating guys, I remember her saying (can't remember when to be honest), that due to her celebrity status, she'd likely remain single. Which does make me sympathize, because she seems like an awesome person. Well, now, she seems to have found "the one", even though the odds may seem against them in this industry, as being in the spotlight seems to hurt a lot of couples. She was able to keep this under wraps for quite a while and she seems to love this guy more than ever.

And I say this because I wouldn't be surprised if Swifties go and call me jealous for not liking the sex songs on this album. And I guess that could be part of it. Blatant sexuality like the lyrics of "Dress" or "So It Goes..." just come off as really too try-hard. "I only bought this dress so you could it off", how much your hands are shaking from all this moaning, and the "scratches on your back". But she does look hot in black, so I appreciate the imagery I guess? But seriously, first off, I don't need to hear how much good fucking you're getting, and really, it sounds like it comes from a Disney star who just turned 18 and discovered she can be "sexy" now. I mean, come on. She's even making alcohol references a whole lot more now, and it comes off as lot more mature and lot less corny. A lot of this sexiness seems forced. And while "...So It Goes" is a bit catchy, the spareness of the instrumentation at points can show off just how bare-boned her vocals can be. Not much weight to them. And the airiness of "Dress"'s vocals do make sense with the message, but she sounds far sensual and sexy in her lower range, and it has this awkward rhythmic cadence. Look, "This Is Why We Can't Have Things" was fine for a bit, but it does sound like it could have come from '1989'. And the vocal quirks, especially that laugh, was cringey as fuck. Or some of the odd "Drama!" sounds to her voice. Same with "Gorgeous", which starts off with that irritating baby voice which annoys me every time I hear it. "I Did Something Bad" was alright, how she kinda acknowledges she liked being bad, but the "da da da" just... no.

On "End Game", Future is uninteresting in his typical mumble rap drawl that's very uninteresting. And it's just as very generic except for the parts that aren't great. Ed Sheeran's more melodic "rap" delivery may come off as better as than Future's, but he did it better on "Galway Girl" on his latest album. Plus, why get them on a song? I get Sheeran's your friend, but he's been boring for quite a bit for the most part, and Future's one of the worst hip-hop artists with a big following right now. And "King Of My Heart", while I like the sentiment, those robotic vocaloid-esque vocals are a huge turn-off for me. They're usually only good on an actual vocaloid song. And really, besides the references to exes and their expensive cars, there is nothing that puts this outside generic territory.

And really, that's my problem throughout a lot of this record. Her tracks towards Joe, all this lovey-dovey stuff, it just doesn't work for me, they're often pretty by-the-numbers. Usually when there's references like this, I can at least put myself in her shoes, and feel like it's believable for the most part. I couldn't do it often here. I can't believe I'm doing this, but... 4/10, and I think I'm being generous. The lyrical content is decent this time around (save some cringey as hell lines). If it gets a lot of listens for me, it'll be just for filler. But check out "New Year's Day", "Dancing With Our Hands Tied". and "Getaway Car". I can't recommend this. It's bad when you're trying to like songs because they're from Taylor Swift and not because they're good. She's completely manufactured, and seems to have become a product of her label, which is disappointing. There's not much for a normal person to grab onto here. And I'm astonished how this is her most well-received record (at least from the public given its debut sales), because as someone who is kinda toting the fan/not fan line at this point... this is very much trying my patience.

So yeah. This'll be controversial. If you heard it, let me know what you think. Respectfully disagree please, if you're going to disagree. But feel free to call me a faggot, and out of touch if you want, I guess.

Taylor Swift - 1989: Album Review

Taylor Swift goes even more so into pop, with a better performance, but still lukewarm.

Release date: 27 October 2014

Genre: Pop/Synthpop

Best songs: "Style", "How You Get The Girl", "I Wish You Would", "Clean"

Worst songs: "Welcome To New York", "Shake It Off"

Rating: 6/10.

Let me start out by saying, I was a huge fan of Taylor Swift. I loved “Tim McGraw”, “Our Song”, “Love Story”, “Dear John”, “Mean”, pretty much her entire discography. She always had a knack for good hooks, so I don’t see why she had to turn to pop. She was successful enough in her previous genre.

So, 1989. The album that sold over 1.2 million in the United States in its first week alone. The review is obviously going to be contentious, so just respect my opinion here. I tend to talk about the singles first, so “Shake It Off”. While not being outright terrible, it honestly was a disappointment. I heard that Taylor was going full pop, and I didn’t mind that, if she could do it well. Sure, it has a catchy melody and the hook, while repetitive, sticks in your head well, the production is basic, and the “white-girl rapping” is not all that great. Also, I don’t tend to like anti-hater anthems, because making the song just shows how much it affects you. We do get a good follow-up with “Blank Space”, nice production, good hook, and it shows a more “adult” tone. Problem being, it doesn’t seem like her. It doesn’t seem honest, and that is what I always loved about her. She didn’t have to make a cover-up, she was herself, at least that’s the impression I got. Third single “Style” is a pure gem. It tells about how both partners are realizing that they screwed up, and they both have problems, shows a great deal a maturity. The 80s style guitar carries a very nice melody. Now we get to the polarizing “Bad Blood”, which honestly, I didn’t hate the album version, carrying a much more darker tone, it’s an alright song. Now the Kendrick Lamar featured remix, now I could go on about how bad that one is, but it’s not part of this album, so no bitching there. Then we get “Wildest Dreams”, a low-key sex song that really isn’t to my taste, though it could be, knowing Taylor as a teenager, I just can’t see her being 24 like she is here. It’s a good version of say, Lana Del Rey. It isn’t bad, but again, not for me. After is “Out Of The Woods”, which I like, but not as a single. The echoing vocals and 80s production works fine enough. Finally, we get the final and seventh single, “New Romantics”. I actually like quite a bit, with the synth and just being a feel-good anthem with the line “the best people in life are free” (though it should be pointed out she likely does not even know what the “New Romantics” is).

Now we have to get to the album tracks and… “Welcome To New York”, the opening track. Overproduced, cheesy, and just for the most part, boring. I had fun with it at first, but now… it’s just filler. Then we get “All You Had To Do Was Stay”, and really, it’s a pretty good song, but I will say the high head voiced “Stay!” on the hook… I’m going to paraphrase Shane Dawson here and say it sounds like someone is shoving something big up her ass. “I Wish You Would” sounds great, saying that she knows the relationship wouldn’t work, and she wish it did. Though the “You always knew how to push my buttons” line is kinda goofy, whatever. “How You Get The Girl” is a nice acoustic track that could’ve fit on her other albums. I like the heartfelt, stripped-back sentiment of giving advice to a guy who wants a girl back. “Clean” is a gorgeous cut as well.

All in all, this album could have been great, but it’s barely good. She’s playing a persona it seems and doesn’t seem too honest most of the time. She's playing off other artists rather than being herself and what makes her unique. It’s a strong 6/10 and I’m recommending it, but really it’s a modest one, and she could do better.

Your own rating of 1989?