The curly-haired country star has done it again. The day we have all been waiting for is finally here. There are most certainly teardrops on the guitars of presumably half the female population out of utter excitement. Taylor Swift has recorded yet another amazing album, which was released on Oct. 22.
Entitled “Red,” this album is similar to previous albums in that, through her emotional lyrics, we can infer that the words are inspired by her own real-life relationships, heartbreak and questions of self. However, in this case, rather than making you want to sob yourself to sleep, many of the songs on this new album feature a new side of Swift: that of an empowered, no-nonsense woman.
Most people are probably familiar with her first single off the album, “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” While Swift has never officially revealed which ex-fling was the inspiration behind this song, it is not who it may or may not be about that makes it so catchy. Whether you think she can sing or not, there is no doubt that Swift knows how to write.
The songs from her previous albums have frequently featured lyrics that hopelessly document her final moments with boyfriends or favorite traits of ex-flings. “Red,” on the other hand, is not completely depressing by any means.
Of course, there are some songs that convince you for the momentary three minutes that you are never going to find love and will clearly die alone, such as in the song “The Last Time.” However, there are also those that encompass a much more positive tone.
In her first single off the album, Swift asserts her confidence in her declarative statement: “We are never, ever getting back together,” and her vocal performance is enhanced with such powerful lyrics. No longer will listeners feel the need to cry while walking to class alone with their headphones in, but rather feel empowered, like Swift, to jam with the sunroof down about old boyfriends who will never have them back either.
In “I Knew You Were Trouble,” Swift embodies a confident woman and gives variety of emotion. Swift sings: “No apologies/ He’ll never see you cry/ Pretend he doesn’t know/ That he’s the reason why.” Instead of sending her most common message that usually includes how she wasted too much time waiting around, or how she sits on the floor at night in his old sweatshirt crying, she tells women to be strong. To any men that don’t treat women right, we must respond by holding our heads high, while never letting them see us crumble.
Not only are Swift’s lyrics remarkably different in “Red,” but the style of music is unique to this album as well. Swift’s notable country twang is masked behind the incorporation of electronic beats modeled after dubstep. Many songs do not sound so much like country hits as they do pop songs, as is the case in “22.” While she begins this song with her classic acoustic introduction, there is an immediate shift to a heavy bass line and catchy, fast-paced rhythm. If fans are expecting more songs that sound anything like her record-breaking lead single “Last Kiss,” they’d better think again when preparing to listen to the new album.
It seems as though Swift is done with the no-nonsense, manipulative and untrustworthy men of Hollywood. As the title suggests, the album, like the color red, is bold and powerful.
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