Whether it’s dancing in the car with my friends or crying alone in my room, Taylor Swift’s music has been getting me through the up and downs of my life since I was a pre-teen and still listened to Radio Disney in my mom’s car. Now that I’m a full-fledged adult, my love for Swift’s country-to-pop style has only grown. A sudden crossover from one genre to another can leave some feeling pretty skeptical, but Swift manages to do it flawlessly while never losing sight of who she is. Filled with catchy beats, pen clicks and inspirational lyrics, I could list 1,989 reasons why you should get T-Swizzle’s new album, but I’m sure I’ll be able to convince you in five.
1. Her new sound/style works.
Unlike many artists who awkwardly change their style and sound, Swift’s musical and fashion change was a smooth, elegant transition. Whether she’s a curly-haired Tennessee girl in cowboy boots singing country songs or a red-lipped, Peter-Pan collar-wearing New Yorker dancing to pop, her growth as an artist is tremendous. Some may think that abandoning her previous genre means abandoning her identity, but Swift manages to stay true to herself. Though her genre may be different, Swift still sings about the same things since the beginning: the beauty of falling in love but still loving yourself. How could you not love a girl who stays true to herself, all while looking effortlessly show-stopping?
2. She genuinely cares about her fans.
Constantly re-tweeting pictures that her fans post of her album, re-blogging gifs on Tumblr and even having Facebook giveaways, Swift is always interacting with fans. Her latest giveaway, The 1989 Swiftstakes, is giving 250 people the chance to get free tickets to Swift’s next concert, in addition to a meet-and-greet. She’s also giving out hundreds of prizes like autographed CDs, guitar picks and tote bags to 1989 other winners. An artist that goes out of their way to personally meet and give back to fans (instead of throwing everything to their publicist) is incredible and hard to find these days.
3. Her songs advocate self-love and self-acceptance.
Aware of the rumors about her love life, Swift sings, “I go on too many dates, but I can’t make them stay. That’s what people say. That’s what people say.” By poking fun at gossip, Swift gives a message to the world that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. Her romantic relationships have always been, and still are, under constant scrutiny. Instead of dwelling on the hate, Swift simply “shakes it off”. She teaches a lesson we could all learn from — being comfortable with yourself despite what other people think.
4. She admits she makes mistakes too.
Her new album’s lyrics differ from previous songs which blamed boys for breaking her heart and girls in short skirts for stealing the boy, showing Swift’s growth as an artist. In “I Wish You Would,” Swift apologetically sings, “I wish I never hung up the phone like I did/I wish you knew that I miss you too much to be mad anymore.” Taking a more mature tone in her lyrics, Swift is not afraid to acknowledge regret or admit that she did something wrong. Showing vulnerability is something that Swift has not done much of in her previous albums and it exhibits how much her character has developed.
5. The album is not available on Spotify — so you have to buy it.
No one knows why Swift doesn’t have “1989” available on Spotify. But having already sold 1.2 million copies in the first week, Taylor Swift, like Beyoncé, is one of the only artists that do not need put albums on free streaming to get others to listen. And since you won’t be able to legally stream this amazing album for free, I guess you’ll just have to buy it right?
Overrated.
Not necessarily! Music isn’t always about being the most complex and innovative artist out there, sometimes it’s just about having fun and singing along with your friends. I don’t think that’s overrated at all.