Reviews: Taylor Swift - 1989

1. Welcome to New York

2. Blank Space

3. Style

4. Out of the Woods

5. All You Had to Do Was Stay

6. Shake It Off

7. I Wish You Would

8. Bad Blood

9. Wildest Dreams

10. How You Get the Girl

11. This Love

12. I Know Places

13. Clean

My Favourites: Wildest Dreams, Clean, This Love, Blank Space and I Know Places

Welcome to New York:

Begins with a cool, steady beat. The typical Swift-style song to make you clap and chant. Taylor's verses start with an element of power in her voice. Lyrics are a progression of a journey to New York; this matches the development of the edgy music to a jumpy chorus. When she sings beat in the chorus, I find it soothing and sweet, a stark contrast with the punchy Welcome to New York.

Blank Space:

Throughout the song, there’s a Lorde inspired beat with a soft chime, suggestively representing Swift’s innocence or naivety. I stumbled across a line in the song, which caused me to become particularly baffled ‘got a list, Starbucks lovers’ – when in fact it was (due to extensive research ) ‘got a long list of ex lovers’ (I struggled to admit this; chipped away at my musical confidence).  P.S. the video is awesome, very spectacular and melodramatic. The lyrics are super cool and easy to remember, makes me sing along every time – clever tactic, Swift.

Style:

Rumoured to be about HARRY STYLES. I remember first listening to this song, immediately captivated by the head bopping insertion of a beat, after the little guitar piece at the beginning. We are yet again summoned to another tale of heartbreaks and bad boys with the one and only T. Swift.  I get a synthpop/rocky vibe from Style.

Out of the Woods:

There’s always one, guys. So, this has probably got to be my least favourite of the album. The repetition of the chorus regrettably drains me. Her voice sounds dragged out to fill the ‘blank spaces’. HA.

All You Had to Do Was Stay:

Sounding from a distance, the high pitched stay does indeed stay (proud of that one) in your head for a few days. Not a bad thing, another score for Swift’s ploy at making us remember her songs. I’d describe All You Had to Do Was Stay as an anthem for the unloved, in a melancholic sort of way.

Shake It Off:

Brilliant opening single for the album, welcomes a variety of listeners with the chart-stopping style of music. Taylor speaks a lot in this one; her voice is engaging, in an American peppy sort of way. Have to admit, my body jerks in strange motions when the earphones are in. Goodbye, world.

I Wish You Would:

The verses aren’t appealing, but the chorus is great. It makes me sad, which I like.

Bad Blood:

The chanting of an aggressive Taylor Swift opens the song right up! She seems pretty upset, just a warning. Her low voice on the verse after the chorus is almost threatening; but then...‘band aids don’t fix bullet holes’ in the bridge.  For closure, of both the song and herself, Swift gives us a ‘HEY!’ to reassure us she’s not hurting or anything. We hear you, T Swizzle!

Wildest Dreams:

OMG, this song. THIS song. The trance-like sensation I get every time from Lana Del Rey, I get from Wildest Dreams. From Taylor’s echoing voice, to the soft thud of the heartbeat-like rhythm, I go through a whirlwind of emotions with Miss. Swift. For the first time, I feel her pain... her loss of a tragically epic love. His hands are in my hair; his clothes are in my room – quite a steamy vision, but a passionate one. Nothing but praise for a flawless journey of ecstasy and melancholy.

How You Get the Girl:

I like this one, a lot. It makes me want to sit on the fence of a country house, rubbing shoulders with my BFF. For once we see Taylor giving guidance on a relationship, rather than singing about her own. Or, it could be an older, wiser Taylor giving advice to a younger, more wide-eyed Taylor to avoid a traditional ol’ dumping. Either way, How You Get the Girl makes me more than happy to listen to dating advice.

This Love:

Gentle strums of a guitar set you in the perfect mood for Taylor’s vivid description in This Love. I close my eyes, and rest my head back to fully appreciate the imagery presented in this stunning musical piece. This Love could do great for a movie soundtrack; and even set off a few tears.

I Know Places:

‘They are the hunters, we are the foxes... and WE RUN’. Taylor uses many clever literature techniques in I Know Places; this specifically made me enjoy listening to every lyric, and inspired me to sing along VERY LOUDLY like I’m being chased too, from this fictional predator.

Clean:

Putting down my weapons and losing the surge of adrenaline spurred on by Bad Blood, T Swizzle abolishes any sense of anger for an ex, and urges a spiritual awakening with Clean. The song feels like a detox, with the calm and composed melody. I always see deep, blue oceans swallowing me up when I play this song, weird. A brilliant conclusion to Taylor’s fifth album.