Since her self-titled album’s release in 2006 at the age of 17, Taylor Swift has established a name for herself as a musician.
While she has been criticized as a musician, the talent held by Swift is nothing that can be denied. Her first album remained on the top country charts for 24 weeks and went platinum in five countries.
Several years following her highly successful debut album, Swift released her fourth album, Red, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The Red album remained on the country charts for 16 weeks. The album began Swift’s distancing herself from the country genre, as she shifted into the pop genre.
A genre shift is nothing small for a musician, especially an artist such as Swift whose entire start revolved around country. Taking a risk, Swift released the album 1989, which is her first pop album, in October. Within the first week of sales, Swift’s album sold 1.29 million copies.
According to Time magazine, the album sold more copies than Lady Gaga’s album Born This Way, Usher’s Confessions, or her own Red. Swift has sold 24.2 million albums, which is more than Justin Beiber and even Beyonce. The album differs drastically from previous albums, boasting synthesizers, deep bass, processed backing vocals, and a poppy style of guitar. While the shift was criticized by devout followers of the country genre, the immediate success of her album silenced any dispute of whether her album dominated the music world.
While in years past her music has been criticized for an obsession with boys, the 1989 album focuses on Swift’s life. Her lyrics describe her finally finding her place in life, which is something that she has struggled with in the past.
Swift has had more control over this album, which has allowed her to shed the shackles of the music industry’s power over artists. The album is a cast-off of the innocent little girl persona she has had in the past. Through overcoming obstacles in heartbreak, music industry politics, and living in New York City, Swift has become the 21-year-old woman she is supposed to be.
Anyone who picks up a copy of 1989 will hear a version of Taylor Swift that the world has not heard before. Each album released by Swift has been a reflection of who she was in that stage of her life. From country to pop, boy-obsessed to independent, little girl to an example girls can learn from, the album 1989 reflects all of these things.
Although this album is not for everyone, those looking for an album of feel-good, poppy, and adventure-seeking themes will not be disappointed.
Featured photo credit: TaylorSwift.com
