1989

I have been a fan of Taylor Swift approximately since 2007, after I heard her debut LP that was released in the year 2006. Since then, I have listened to all of her records and I was able to witness her changes throughout the years. I always wanted to write a review about Taylor Swift’s 1989 album, but I thought it would be best to do it after that “era” was over. Now, after almost a year and a half after its release, I decided to write a track-by-track review.First of all, 1989 is Taylor Swift’s first documented pop album. She always flirted with the concept of pop songs but she never went full-out with it. When you listen to 1989, you notice that it is a pop album, but it is far from bubblegum-pop meaningless songs that make no sense at all. As the album title suggests, she was inspired by the music and ideas that were flowing in the decade she was born in, and you can notice that in some songs. Every song on the album is perfectly crafted, they all have her signature heart-on-her-sleeve-open-diary songwriting but you can notice that she has grown as a person by reading the lyrics, something I highly recommend.This album includes the following songs:-Welcome To New York: it is the perfect song to start the album with. Right from the start you can tell that it is a pop song and it sets the tone of 1989. Taylor sings about how moving to the magical and eclectic city of New York changed her and her perspective.-Blank Space: it is one of the best lyrically-written songs on the album. This song is about the man-eating image the media has created of her. Instead of sitting in a corner and cry, she decides to take on that idea and create a catchy song about that fictional character that was created of her.-Style: if there is one song in 1989 that definitely sounds like the 80’s, this is it. In this one she sings about that kind of relationship that always comes back around (“they never go out of style”) and you can hear a Miami Vice vibe hear that is perfect for this song.-Out Of The Woods: this is one of the many highlights of the album. It has a chorus that really makes you feel what she was feeling (“are we out of the woods yet?”) and it is written so perfectly it will be hard to get it out of your head.-All You Had To Do Was Stay: in this song, Taylor does something she has never done before: she incorporated a high-pitched “Stay” in the chorus. The song tells the story of how her lover broke all of his promises and she tells him that the only thing he had to do was stay, but it is too late for him to return.-Shake It Off: probably the most up-beat song on the album, “Shake It Off” is an ode to her independence from everybody else's opinion. In this instant hit, Taylor declares that she is aware of all the things that she is criticized for, but she is not going to change who she is in order to be more liked, she is just going to “shake off” the haters.-I Wish You Would: this is a very innovative song from the point of view of the narrative: it constantly goes between the point of view of two people that were in a relationship and how they wish the other one knew how they really feel.-Bad Blood: This song is about betrayal, and how Taylor was affected by the other person’s actions. It has some strong beats that really makes this song stand out. It would be great if the album also had the version with Kendrick Lamar.-Wildest Dreams: a slow-paced song in which she sings about a relationship that she knows she is going to end sometime soon, so she wishes that her partner remembers her in the best way possible (“standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset”). It is a great song that starts with a minimalistic sound then develops into a larger-than-life song and then goes back again to that intimate sound.-How You Get The Girl: a funny, upbeat song about how a man has to win her heart back. It almost feels like a step-by-step guide met a fairytale, and that is awesome. It is one of the most full-out pop songs and she nails it perfectly.-This Love: this slow song feels like it could be sung by millions of people in a stadium while still feeling intimate. It paints the situation of how she felt her lover had gone but he reappeared out of the blue.-I Know Places: when you listen to this song for the first time, you might say that it is different from what she has done before: and it is exactly that. You can feel that this song is almost like a movie (it even has the sound of a movie starting and stopping at the beginning and at the end of the song, respectively). It is a great song about the fragility of a relationship at the beginning and how she wishes to keep the media away from them given how publicly known she is.-Clean: the song that closes the standard edition of the album, Clean is a masterpiece. In this song, Taylor refers to her relationship as something not healthy for her. She has grown out of it and she wishes to get “clean”, just like an addiction. It really makes you stand in her shoes and it is beautifully written.All in all, 1989 is an amazing album that rightfully won “Album Of The Year” at the Grammy's. I completely recommend it because it shows that Taylor Swift knows who she is and you can see it reflect on her music. Now, all there is left to do is to eagerly wait for her new music and smashing hits.

During 2013-2014, there seemed to be something of an '80s synth-pop revival, led by groups such as Echosmith, and singers Tove Lo, and Charli XCX. Perhaps the artist to offer this resurgence its most lasting and crowning achievement, however, was 24-year-old Taylor Swift. Never one to rest on her laurels, she could have very easily made a "Red" Part Two (and racked up mega-sales in the process, no doubt), but Taylor instead followed her heart, and created an album that reflected her interest in the music produced at or before the year she was born -- 1989.Which brings us to the disc in question of the same name. I am listening to this CD as I write this and am convinced it is a masterpiece, no less than one of the best albums to come out by any artist, male or female, in years. At the time of this writing, it has been out for two years, and yet I still listen to it constantly. It never gets old, and I never get tired of it. I even have one copy for home and one for the car!With "1989," both Taylor's gift for songwriting, along with the big beats and basslines, and timeless synths placed throughout the record, make it an unparalleled gem that demands repeat listens (and I mean repeat!). Each song weaves such a vivid and intricate tapestry of different soundscapes and emotions. Standouts? All of them. There is no filler to be found; EVERY track is brilliant and forms a greater whole. And aside from the music itself, mention must go to Taylor's knack for writing both memorable and meaningful lyrics. Perhaps the most stunning example in this regard is in first single "Shake It Off," where Taylor basically tells all of her haters, both online and elsewhere in the music industry, to go jump in the lake. From seeing Taylor sell out arena after arena, not to mention "1989's" mega-multiplatinum-selling status, it is clear who has emerged the victor. Ah, sweet revenge.I think that, in fact, is a big part of Taylor's success -- is that, she is, at the end of the day, a GOOD PERSON, gracious to her fans, and not out breaking the law and drinking and drugging like so many of her peers.And there you have it -- a timeless masterpiece by a beautiful, and immeasurably talented, young woman. I honestly can find absolutely no fault with this record. If you haven't already done so, by all means, go out and buy a copy without hesitation!