1989

De este tampoco esperaba nada y al final me guardo Blank space y Shake it off.

ass

Taylor and Max Martin borrowed deep from Robyn's playbook for this. There are some decent radio hits here but I'd rather listen to Robyn's original cuts than this. Best song: Style. If mostly for the fact that Harry Styles wrote the pettiest little reply in 1D's Perfect and you can mash 'em up with no problems. "if you want someone to write your breakup songs about, then baby I'm perfect"

Actually decent, even if it's unlikely that I give this another spin.

Enjoyed some songs more than others. Album flowed well. Would not say I loved it but will revisit a few songs in the future.

I get why people like this. I can see it’s fine but for some reason it doesn’t resonate with me. Pop music is kind of a dead spot and just not super enjoyable for me. I’ve never really listened to swift before but clearly she’s very popular. I think society just recycles through these pop stars every few years, it feels like she’s the biggest one ever but I bet it felt like that with a bunch of the others too. I will acknowledge what the masses like I tend to disregard. I really did listen to this and I gave it a chance but it’s just not very good. (To me) Just boring

As far as essential pop albums go, this probably should be near the top of the list. I know people will make up their minds about this based on their opinions of Taylor Swift, and that’s a disservice either way. Whatever you come into this album expecting is probably what you’ll find. The album title is a reference to Taylor’s birth year, but also the musical era she was taking inspiration from. 80s music was having a moment in the 2010s, kickstarted in part by the Vaporwave heavy soundtrack to the movie Drive (2011). The opening track of 1989, “Welcome To New York” is heavy with vaporwave style synth and sets that 80s tone for the album. In fact, there are a lot of keyboard forward tracks here, which is a striking departure for an artist who had previously been known for writing her music on guitar. This album relaunched Taylor as a pop artist. It’s pretty close to being a “no skip” album, but not because I think all the songs are bangers. Instead, I think they’re mostly perfectly fine pop songs (“All You Had To Do Way Stay” stood out as a track that I could live without). I had to listen back to the non-singles a few times just to remind myself what they sounded like. This is a very good album, and I can’t fault anyone who says it’s their favorite TS record. I’m gonna hold back my rating a little bit as I think Reputation may actually represent Taylor’s peak career-to-date pop songwriting (even if it’s more hit-or-miss).

Está entretenido. No es mucho mi onda pero me parece un muy buen disco de pop. Creo que nunca lo habría escuchado de no ser por esta lista.

OK, I tried. But for someone like me who grew up with Pop music of the 80s, this, while not bad, is a tad too sterile and predictable. 2.5/5

I just saw lcd soundsystem live last night and it was crazy. The synths on this album sound so weak and thin in comparison. I did not enjoy this. Low 2.

💜

first time listening to this whole album and outside of the singles i don't know how i feel about things...i think this album needed to get to me in a gay club before my skull hardened for me to fully get it

AHHHHH ONE OF HER BEST WORKS!! i'm sorry taylor, i had to listen to the orginal but the TS version.... this album is just so cute ahh! and had wonderful lines that quotable, i remembered when this came out and it shocked everyone cause of the genre shift but i think she fits pop pretty nicely! my only qualm is bad blood still sucks LMAO

dross and forgettable

"Alexa, write me a contemporary pop album with an occasional 80's style synth sound. Make it sound unique, but also so familiar that anyone will be able to at least hum along with it the first time they hear it." I'm sure there's more to it, but is sure doesn't sound like it. I'm completely out of the hype loop on this one

I honestly hadn’t listened to any Taylor Swift music since she became full-time pop. I had only heard her so-called country music before listening to 1989 today. Well, some of the songs are catchy, and although I do believe she is very talented, electro-pop just is not my thing. This is two stars in my book. I do understand why others seem to love this, but I don’t.

4/10

Musikalisches Pendant zu RomComs. Kann man gut hören und hat währenddessen vielleicht sogar Spaß, aber es wird mich langfristig nicht bewegen und verändern. Eine RomCom wird nie wie ei LOTR sein.

The first Taylor album I ever actually liked! Ah, summers on Cape Cod. Gotta love those Starbucks lovers.

benign Fluffy pop for little girls. No clue why its on the list.

Well, If I was 10... my sister would like it and I'd probably be sick to the back teeth of hearing it. My friends want to do routines to it at break. Someone's singing it in assembly. End of year assembly and the dance club does Shake It Off. Catchy pop for tween girls. It's hard to view it as anything but for children, and it's giving me Spice Girls Vietnam flashbacks even though they don't sound anything alike. Is it bad? No. I'm just a tomboy. Maybe I'd get indoctrinated into enjoying Blank Space a là Who Do You Think You Are. Her marketing team is genius, let's say that.

I find it interesting that I can only find "Taylor's version" of the album on both YouTube and Spotify. Her voice has definitely improved and I'm glad she has her music rights again, but part of me wished I could hear the raw original, even if it is potentially "worse"-- especially as her voice isn't my favorite. Also interesting to think about artists being so influential they can erase their old music and replace it with another version. Anyway, thoughts as I listened to each track: 1. Welcome to New York: good beat, repetitive. Reminds me of her being NY ambassador or whatever despite not having grown up there. I think I spaced out for part of it. 2. Blank Space: kept the "Starbucks lovers" A++. Also I swore this song came out when I was in high school, but nope. 2014. Makes me feel nostalgia despite the unhinged lyrics. The bridge is my favorite part, I like the vibrato-y, rasp ("boys only want love if it's torture") 3. Style: the guitar riff to start this is a banger. Her voice still grates a bit for me. The chorus is one of the catchiest most memorable parts for me-- especially since it's all a reference to Harry Styles. I did start getting bored at the end? Maybe because I've heard this song a lot though. 4. Out of the Woods: I don't think I've heard this song before? Or I forgot it because it's weird af. It's got some big drum/80s vibes? Oh wait, I'm listening and I know the chorus. It sounds like it's meant to be on a Disney movie like Tarzan or something. Taylor Swift meets Genesis. The music video is insane. Is it about relationships? Global warming? Mother Earth? Why not all? 5. All You Had to Do Was Stay: I vaguely know this song. The high pitched "stay" throughout took me out at times. The tone feels one-note throughout and repetitive (probably because of the constant STAY). These lyrics and beat are also the most generic of all the songs so far. 6. Shake It Off: I remember how iconic this music video (still makes me smile) was and it's one of Swift's best "clap back" kind of songs. The horn beat throughout is really fun and helps with the playful vibe the tone/lyrics give. Her voice is definitely not my favorite on this track, but the song is fun so it's easier to disregard. 7. I Wish You Would: I don't know this song and I don't know if Taylor's version is different, but it felt like I listened to it at 2x speed or something. The "driving past and memories/regret hits" vibe just makes me think of Olivia Rodrigo's song "Driver's License" and how it does a better job of capturing the vibe than this buzzy energy drink whatever this song is doing. Not surprised it didn't become as popular as the other tracks. By the end I was thinking "I Wish This Song Would End". 8. Bad Blood: I don't think I liked this song when it first came out because the chorus was annoying to me. It became an earworm though and it's grown on me over the years-- probably nostalgia goggles & Chris brainwashing. ALSO WTF KENDRICK? NVM I don't remember this song at all apparently. Has Kendrick always been featured on this??? Did it always have trap/dub clapping?? I remember less of this song that I thought lol The music video also makes me realize why people think Taylor is bi. I wonder if her and Katy Perry had a thing? Also Zendaya and Selena Gomez in the MV. Wild. 9. Wildest Dreams: she sounds like Selena Gomez in the opening. I think this song could have been on either Folklore/Evermore and fit in pretty well. Her voice is my favorite on this track compared to others, though the beat/melody is the most simple and the lyrics are just ... Fine. I love the pre-/chorus a lot though. One of my favorite tracks. 10. How You Get the Girl: the beat and lyrics are extremely generic and everything about it annoys me. I honestly think AI could make this will little prompting. Did not like it, it's the only track I couldn't listen to all the way and had to skip. 11. This Love: I like the ethereal instrumental opening. I think she's maybe doing a slight Florence and the Machine tone, but her voice isn't as husky/impactful. It's a little forgettable, but I don't mind the track overall. Just sad girl vibes. 12. I Know Places: I like the piano and vibe of her voice in the beginning of this song-- especially the vocal backtrack (the repeated "I" is fun) and some of her emotional rasp at words like "run"-- but I lose a bit at the chorus when it becomes more generic/falsetto again. I think she developed songs with this vibe that are way more refined later. I actually think this is an underrated track overall though. It's pretty fun and the lyrics aren't bad. 13. Clean: weird track to end on, but Swift loves her dark ass narrative storytelling songs and hitting you over the head with a metaphor (rain? CLEAN?? FRESH START???). Sounded like some more of her other tracks, especially the more sing-talk verse + wispy chorus with a synthesized drumbeat in the back. Not the worst, but definitely forgettable to me. Okay I didn't not realize how many iconic tracks came out on this album. No wonder it's regarded as one of her best (however I do think if it just ended at Wildest Dreams it would have been better). I'm still not a big Swiftie, so I don't think I would ever choose to listen to this album fully, but she does make some catchy tunes so I wouldn't mind listening to some of the better ones every now and then. I think Wildest Dreams, Blank Space, Shake it Off, and Style are the top for me, but again, don't think I'd even listen to them back to back.

Very good

Ayo the fact that she hasn’t spoken up about ICE using her music in one of their clips when she so actively pursues other people for the same thing speaks volumes. Also all her shit is ass and bland.

Its taylor swift its not bad

20 something me would have made fun of this, but if I’m being honest it’s not bad. Still not something I gravitate towards but I did find myself bopping my head and even singing along a little. I won’t go far enough to call myself a swiftie, but I’m going to give this 3+ stars.

I mean, it's really catchy.

I didn't really expect to like any of it, but didn't come away hating it and there were some pretty poppy songs throughout....

Go pop music

Back when I was 72 years old.

No that is not a sick beat.

Yeah, nah. It’s just slop I think, Blank Space is a highlight and for that reason it’s branched into a 1.5. I forgot how sick of Bad Blood I’d gotten. I’ve got bad blood with Bad Blood. The rest of the tracks are one and the same. 1.5(just) / 5.0 Best Song: Bad Blood

A completely mid album. Most of the time this album is annoying but at other times it’s boring. I’m not a Taylor Swift hater, this just isn’t a very good album. Shake it off the one of the all time pop songs.

it's fine

I don't hate it. I just don't like it

I know I will get backlash but I dont think this aged well. Taylor skyrocketed to fame when she released 1989, the album plays with the 80's influence but also is a good representation of a very synth fake pop that was all over the early 2010's (and I am not a fan- Rihanna, Katy Perry kinda oversaturated the sound). Taylor knew reallybwell how to choose the singles "Shake It Off", "Style" and even "Blank Space" are great songs and work well, but songs like "Bad Blood " I wish you would" " All You Had to Do Is Stay" - they are so overproduced and even the lyrics, Taylor strongest characteristic, get lost in the complaining. Also, you can tell so much from this fling she had with Harry Styles from the lyrics, she was 25 at the time, but she sounds like a teenager in some of the songs. I love Max Martin as well, but yeah, early 10s he marstered this full on weird synth pop. And ironically, this reminded me brat by charli xcx. Ironies of life. 3/5 It would be 5 out of 5 if only the singles were there.

Not as bad as expected but lyrically this is a lot poorer than you would expect given her rabid fandom. Sort of baffling the appeal in some respects 3*

Pleasant. I wish you would is a banger. But apart from this and Welcome to New York this did not invoke much for me. It was not painful to listen to unlike worse records but it was not that enjoyable either.

Man I hate this.

This was a Covid-early middle school staple in our house and car, heard this album so many times I can’t even count— but haven’t re-listened in a long time. It’s very catchy, no doubt, and far more entertaining than what she’s making now. But unlikely I’d ever reach for this unless prompted by the kid. And the kid is a bit over her at this point.

I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying I feel broken after listening to it.

I'm not a Taylor Swift hater, but I do think she's extremely overrated. Her ravenous fans can be insufferable, especially how they make her out to be some lyrical and musical genius. To me, what she is is a marketing genius. Buying back the rights to your songs and redoing them and selling them a second time? Brilliant. But regardless of my personal opinions of the artist, her skill and reach is undeniable. The question then is whether or not 1984 is a worthy entry to a list of albums we all should hear at one point. I've only listened to a few of her albums start to finish, and I'm pretty 'meh' on most of them. But the only album of hers I can say I just straight up think is good is 1984. This is absolutely a pop masterpiece. There is a handful of hits that charted, it starts with a bang and really doesn't let up, there's a nice mix of bops and ballads, and it's just fun. Plus you don't have to like Taylor Swift to acknowledge her cultural significance and massive influence on the music industry. This album fires on all cylinders to prove her title of the pop queen and cements 1984, if not also other albums of hers, as essentials on the list of 1001 albums you must hear. Now I'm fine with this one and would be fine if it were the only inclusion, I'm just saying there's a case for more. Real talk: if you don't believe this album belongs on the list then you don't know ball.

Produ on siin professionaalne, aga meloodiad, vokaal ja lüürika on ikka päris tüütud. "Blank Space" mulle meeldib, aga on ka võimalik, et ma olen lihtsalt vanast ajast Stockholmi sündroomi kukkunud. See album lihtsalt venib ja venib. Juba enne albumi keskpunkti tahtsin, et see lõppeks. Okei, "Wildest Dreams" on ka täitsa kuulatav.

Maybe the greatest argument yet for a better ratings system. This is better than a 3, but I just can't in good conscience give it a 4. Which is weird, because if it was a 0-10 point scale I'd probably give it a 7. With decimals it would be a 7.2. And I know that rounds up to 4 out of 5. But I just can't do it! Aaaarrrggghh!!!!!!!

Honestly the was really good, didn’t expect that from it but like it was kinda amazing. 4 stars

To use Taylor’s own lyrics against her: it’s so bad, but she does it so well. First off, let’s address the fact that singles are supposed to promote and sell an album. Most of the singles from 1989 are either irritating or bland. Either way, they are the worst songs on the album. “Blank Space” is dull, corny pop which hopes that one single hook line (“go down in fla-ames”) will disguise the fact that it’s a nothing song. “Shake It Off” is straight up annoying and has been played to death. “Wildest Dreams” is slow and blah. Not a good sign. However, the worst of the singles by a country mile is “Bad Blood”. My God, it falls into the irritating and boring categories (borritating?) at the same time. A seven year old could write the music and lyrics. Just listen to the melody. It’s awful...and so basic. One of the most overhyped pop songs of the generation. It’s an abomination of music. Whenever I hear a Taylor Swift diss track, I’m reminded of a line by Harvey Keitel’s character in From Dusk Till Dawn. He asks George Clooney “are you such a loser, you can’t tell when you’ve won? You’ve won. Enjoy it”. Why does TayTay concern herself with these never ending feuds with other celebs? The pettiness is off the charts She is still doing it in 2025. It’s like she is obsessed with conflict. I think she should enjoy the fact that she has ascended to the top of Pop Mountain. She is as famous as Madonna was, maybe even more famous. It’s clearly what you want, Taylor, so enjoy it. Now onto the positives. It’s clear, even to those who are not fans, that Taylor is (or could be) a good songwriter. There are some decent tunes here. The album starts off fairly strong. “Welcome To New York”, “Style” and “Out Of The Woods” are catchy and fun. They show that when she tries, she can indeed entertain. Unfortunately though, a lot of this album is middle of the road guff. The only truly bad song is “Bad Blood”; the rest is fine. Just fine. It’s very safe and risk averse. Taylor Swift is so famous that you cannot realistically expect to avoid her music. She has spawned countless imitators (Sabrina Carpenter is the most notable clone) and I guess there is a reason for that. People see this as passion filled, artistic release and a way to “know” the artist, but it really isn’t. It’s a damning indictment of modern pop that something so “okay” can be so successful and profitable. This kind of thing sells and the Swift team knows how to capitalise on that. To use that same lyric again: it’s so bad, but they do it so well.

Slay

Simple songs produced to all hell. Catchy as fuck.

This was a challenging one to rate. Am I rating the singles, or the cohesive album as a whole? I went with the latter. This album is *awful*. Many Michael Jackson level poppy bangers but so, so, so much absolute shite to sift through to get to them.

7/10

I get the early hype for country-pop Taylor Swift, but this is the era where she transitioned to generic, mass produced female pop.

such a fantastic pop album, style genuinely changed my life and there was truly no one doing it like her during this time. love it or hate it you cannot deny the influence of this album on pop music.

i mean, it's perfect pop that shaped the music landscape forever. whatever you feel about her, this cannot be denied. sorry! that relentless run of singles has only ever been matched by hot fuss.

amazing album. i am not a swiftie by any means but this album is a modern pop classic. the last third is less interesting to me, but i'll revisit this for sure. favorites: tracks 1-4, 6-9

I knew the words to more of these songs than I'm comfortable admitting. It's crazy how pervasive this was at the time.

I got Evermore a month ago and really liked it – it's actually gone up in my estimation since. This is much more poppy, although there are similarities in places of course. But I find the poppieness a little less attractive and the lo-fi nature of Evermore more preferable. Maybe part of tha comes with a little more maturity from Swift, or maybe the circumstances of recording and releasing an album in 2020. Anyway, this is OK. I knew some of the songs and I guess they're pretty catchy. But I grew up in the 80s and this isn't the sort of pop that's endured from then really, not for me anyway. This isn't quite at Stock, Aitken, and Waterman levels of production, but it's getting there. And that's not really a place I'd want to be. I might listen again, but this didn't really catch me.

A really good pop record with a couple of fantastic tracks, and a couple of absolute stinkers (Shake it Off and Bad Blood, clearly). Can't deny she smashed this career pivot. 4 Stars.

I’ve never been a fan but it wasn’t all bad tbh. A little repetitive but I didn’t not enjoy it.

"Shake It Off" and "Blank Space" remain good singles. The rest of this album runs together to me.

Id probably like this much more if i was a 12 yr old

Ich weigere mich es anzuhören (I want to give 0 but I can’t, so I give 1)

Going into this I was expecting generic contemporary pop for vanilla audiences. No surprises. I also found beginnings of extremist feminist views, which I found a little disturbing considering this artist's reach, and the potential for exquisite composition that's been processed for mass appeal. Only after reading Imogen Heap's name can I feel her influence, it's subtle but it's there, but it's the swedish power house that really pull through with what some might call magic. I call it carefully crafted predictability. Not willing to listen to Taylor's version right now, listening to this alone shows too much dedication to the project. 2.3/5

I'm not trying to be a hater, but I just can't imagine myself putting on this album for any occasion.

lol Goddamnit. Ok here’s the deal. I’ve heard 1989 a lot- except it’s the Ryan Adams version. I’m not looking forward to listening to the original. **** Alright- here goes. This really is pop music of the highest caliber. It’s just immaculate. 1989 is about as good as pop music gets. At the same time, this is not perfect. But it certainly isn't for lack of production value or intentionality or style. It has those in droves. My issues are mostly with Taylor's victim mentality that permeates everything, her insistence on only writing songs about her close personal relationships, and her inability to be authentic or vulnerable. Now maybe you think those last two contradict each other but - every song where she's singing about someone she knows personally (which is all of them, I think) she is always in the right. The drama is never her fault. She is the anti-Fiona Apple. But there's a run there in the middle of the album - from "Shake It Off" to "Wildest Dreams" that is exceptional. Even with all of the above flaws. In fact they may be the best examples of these flaws on the entire record! But they make incredible pop music. So many albums in this book are fine they just aren't my bag, and I tend to give them three stars. 1989 is not my bag, but it's pretty incredible. I don't know if I can in good conscience give this a four, because it seems better than that; but I don't want to give it a five because it's Taylor Swift and she's annoying as heck. It'll be a game-time decision. FIVE STARS

This is the first time I’ve ever sat down and actually listened to a Taylor Swift album, and honestly, it's much better than I expected. This is just straight-up, well-crafted pop music. It’s fun, catchy, polished, and the hits hit for a reason. If I graded purely on execution, it’s a 5/5. But since this isn’t really my type of music, it lands just shy of that. Still… respect. This is a pop album done right.

ogólnie bardzo znany album przez bardzo znaną autorkę, pomimo osobistej niechęci do niej, niektóre piosenki są bardzo nostalgiczne więc chcąc czy jej chcą nie chcąc bawiłam się bardzo dobrze

Easy five for this one even though this was my first time listening all the way through. This album has so many great songs and reminds me of being a teenager. Love her or hate her, Taylor knows how to make an album. Favorite Song(s): Welcome to New York, All You Had to Do Was Stay, Shake It Off, Bad Blood

Some of the best from T-Swizzle. Hit after hit on this album. Not my favorite album of hers - I much prefer some of her later ones, but this album has so many great songs that it would be a disservice to give it less than a 4

"Blank Space" is an all-time great song and was my "crossover" TS song where I went from being aware of her to being a fan. Love this album!!

(Moving out of earshot of the swifities) I’m not really into Taylor’s brand of pop music but (back into earshot) this is (back out) decently (back in) good

It's the musical equivalent of fast food at a foreign airport. I endured it, but didn't enjoy it. Well made but just not made for me.

It's fun, it's poppy, but doesn't land in my pantheon of great albums. Maybe in a decade or two when the over exposure has waned.

Decent pop

Taylor Swift is a bit of a guilty pleasure. I love just letting out my inner teen girl and blasting some TSwizzle. Although I tend to prefer the earlier Taylor Swift stuff where she a bit more country and a bit less modern pop. Having said that, this pops off. I didn’t realise just how many songs from this I’d heard but it was over half the album. It’s albums like this where you truly understand why she is the pop powerhouse she is!

A fun album

Several songs I know and really liked (Blank Space, Bad Blood, Shake It Off). Discovered songs I didn’t know (Wildest Dreams, This Love, I Know Places, Clean). Upbeat, easy, boppy pop. But also, slower, more melancholic tunes as well.

Surprisingly good until Bad Blood is done. Then the songs start to lack any real substance or trace of quality.

High highs that are dragged down to hell whenever a song like Bad Blood or Shake it Off comes on. Style, Into the Woods, songs that felt like they offered a story or an aesthetic rather than just being a White Woman Rules song were delightful.

Not a Swifty, but I'd rather be a Swifty than one of her haters. Y'alls are weird.

Perfect.

Good album

i mean yeah thats her i think i enjoy it but no so a big fan of her but if its that album then its her best one

Great album lots of big hits! This was the album that made me think she wasn't a total lame person and she had some talent!

Reading the top reviews is depressing. I hate men. This is one of the best pop albums to release in the last decade (and a bit) and it still mostly sounds timeless. Taylor would never again reach these heights of pop perfection, but at least we have 1989 to come back to. I think Style is her best song.

I think Shake It Off is a good song but it's never as good as imagine it to be can't stand the rest of this that I skimmed through. could be a 1 star if not for all the students I knew who used this music to de-stress. haters gonna hate. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

I’m just gonna skate Skate Skate Skate Skate Skate Skate Skate Tony Hawk! Tony Hawk! I don’t have much to say other than: how do they pick em, these artists that get to be bigger than God?

I've never gone out of my way to listen to Taylor Swift before. I'm aware of her popularity and brand (who isn't?), but I've never taken the time to sit down and listen to an album. While this music is definitely not to my taste, I can see why she is so popular.

Pure pop. I like the '80s synth and wished they had done a little more with it. I don't hate the vocals and not sure why the critics did. Processed sure but it works. Great producers help. I can't hate this. I'm a bit over the age range to truly enjoy it, but I hear why girls love her the world over.

oh sadness, oh tragedy for my morning but I can set aside my feelings and rate fairly 3/5

Where do I even begin? To be honest, I never really paid much attention to Taylor Swift, so I didn’t have much of an opinion about her in the past. But recently, she’s started embodying everything I can’t stand about superstardom. The grandstanding and arrogance of massive celebrities, who suddenly think they have all the answers to the world’s problems, really turns me off. When public figures like her start making political statements, I just feel like they’re overstepping. It’s like they reach a certain level of fame and suddenly believe they have to tell everyone what to think and do. On that alone, I’d love to give this album a low rating. Now, musically, this album was way too commercial, polished, and glitzy for my liking. But I will say, it was interesting to hear such a strong ’80s synthpop influence, especially compared to her more country-oriented albums. As a 43-year-old man, this feels like music aimed at suburban teenage cheerleaders, but I have to admit, she worked with some top-notch producers who clearly knew what they were doing. While it’s too commercial and manufactured for my taste, that’s exactly what they were going for, and they nailed it. So, while it falls short of the middle ground for me, I still have to give credit where it’s due.

fun album but i refuse to listen to tswift in 2025. get a GRIP YALL

I always thought it was Red, but this might be her peak

Even the hits from this album ("Blank Space", "Shake If Off") don't convince me at all. In total much too blend and same same for my taste. Really can't see a reason for the hype about her. 2,5

Prior to today, I don't think I've ever voluntarily listened to a Taylor Swift song. By that, I mean I’ve never opened a music player/streaming service, went to a Swift song, and clicked play. This is primarily because I have involuntarily heard too many of her songs too many times because of her complete proliferation throughout society. "Maybe this won’t be so bad, there’s no way they can all be bad" I lie to myself as I bring up the album and scan through the track list. "Look, you don’t even recognize the title of the opener". I then hit play and realize I very much do in fact remember "Welcome to New York" and I had just undone my brain’s years-worth of efforts to memory-hole this piece of garbage. Every song that I recognized prior to listening to this was terrible. "Blank Space" was worse than I remember it being, and my undying hatred for "Shake it Off" has never died from the many bus rides during middle school that this song plagued. Outside of the ones that everyone knows, most of the other tracks are still very dull synthpop songs which are not helped by the fact that Taylor is one of the least favorite vocalists that I have listened. I’ll hesitantly admit that "This is Love" might actually be a good song. Nevertheless, it’s not going to save this album from the fact that everything else is terrible.

Pretty fun to sing along to many of these: TSwift knows her way around a hook, and exploits that persona in her lyrics like a champ. Fun

Man this is a tough one. I have listened to Ryan Adam's cover of this album more times than I am comfortable saying. Hearing these (well Taylor's version) songs fresh gave a new prospective. Best of all time, maybe not. But game recognized game. Great song writing. Great production.

Peak TS and an almost perfect pop album — there’s not a bad song on it.

Well. I guess is her best album (I cannot confirm that now), but it felt loooong. I like her, she was a good singer for my teen self. I like what she does now. However, I am no passionate about her. But that is not the point. The point is that this is pop. Heavy, rough, pure pop. I liked it. But it was a bit much. I don't know wether having listened to some of the songs so many times everywhere makes an impact. Anyway. Yeah. (Why did it feel sometimes like this album birthed k-pop?)

This album was my indoctrination by my daughters into Swiftdom. This entire album was on repeat anytime we were in the car. I like pop and TS writes and her producers produce some fantastic pop song. The songs have fun and clever lyrics, catchy hooks, and great rhythm. I know haters will hate but this is a great album.

Average White.

I mean, OBVIOUSLY this has to be here on the list. It's be weird if the most commercially successful artist of the millennium (probably) wasn't. You can't really go into an artist like T-Swizzle with fresh ears. I'm pretty agnostic on Swift and didn't really come in with much bias except that I expected to be mildly amused, and wasn't surprised (especially considering most of the songs were already familiar enough). I'm not the target audience though, so I'm not exactly shocked either. Swift's first proper foray into pop is an overall pastiche of/love-letter to 80s romantic pop, but it feels like it misses its ironic depth of substance. On the plus side, it's a sound so clearly stapled to the mid-2010s and that fading sense of pop-optimism (poptimism?) that the era represents that it feels nostalgic looking back. You can see why she sold a gazillion albums - it's clean, listenable, inoffensive and ultimately easy radio music that's fun and familiar. 'Style' in particular was pretty great. it's great that Swift writes her own music and there's plenty of good hooks here. But it's not very *interesting*. Maybe it's an unfortunate time to be exploring this era in the back catalogue - too soon, perhaps, when the trends of a decade ago are always considered dorky. To badly paraphrase Guy Browning: "Your old coats and sneakers will come back into fashion only just after you've thrown them away". But 1989 also suffers the double-whammy of being so over-replicated since its release as well to the point that the sound lacks its verve to a modern listener. I once heard somebody say "Taylor Swift is life-defining music to the kind of people who don't listen to much music", and while I think it's a little harsh I can't imagine this one sticking out in this list at all. Then again, maybe elevating uniqueness on a pedestal is against the whole point of why we're here. The songs are a little catchy but I never found myself tapping my toes. Is it uninspired? is it cheesy? Maybe. But it's nice. And it certainly sells. I've tried, earnestly, with Swift over the last few years and I still don't get it. I *can't* hear what the hordes of fanatics are hearing and I'm not sure what I'm missing. The most clear 3/5 there could be. And just not for me, clearly. fav tracks: Style, All You Had to Do Was Stay, Wildest Dreams

one of taylors better albums. This sound fits her extremely well and this album was also unironically the birth of MANY many many bangers. new romantics is also the greatest thing shes ever recorded. admittely not the biggest on ms swift myself but i think this album is pleasant.

STAVO ASPETTANDO QUESTO MOMENTO iconico. non ho niente da dire. ogni volta che lo ascolto diventa sempre più bello.

Dei due che ho sentito di Teilor Suift questo mi è piaciuto abbastanza dai Shake it off alza il voto

Ignoring the fact that Taylor Swift is a terrible person who uses her success to stifle out other female artists, this album is so boring. It's filled with a bunch of undeniable pop hits and I like the synth influence, but I just can't get past how plain Taylor's lyrics and vocals are. Favorite Songs: Shake it Off,

Great

There’s a reason she’s the biggest artist of a generation. Accessible, catchy, fun. A great pop record in my opinion. Not many—if any—tracks whiff from this album. Breezed right through. Some true bonafide bangers that will be played for decades.

Best Taylor Swift album. If I could give an additional half star, I would.

This is one of my favorite Taylor Swift albums. I own it on vinyl. I especially love the songs Out of the Woods, Wildest Dreams, Clean, and I Know Places.

Listening to this again really makes me glad that my kid doesn’t listen to this album endlessly on repeat anymore. Lots of it is catchy, sure, but it’s all just so exhausting and calculated in a way I will never be able to tolerate.

Commercial, uninspired garbage for people with the EQ of a teenager in angst.

6/10 I ain't got no beef with Taylor. This is a pretty solid record. It isn't my normal fair but I ain't mad at it. 10-14-2025

This album makes more sense in historical context. The shift in sound from previous work is notable and it's got some great pop hooks and cool synthy production, but sounds a little bit flat or surface-level on its own.

I honestly love, Ryan Adams version of this better

*gasp*. Phew, another contempop album. It hasn't been too long since the last one - Lorde's Melodrama was precisely nine albums ago, though I will never not appreciate having the ability to shut off my brain and take it easy. The number of Taylor Swift songs that have been jammed down my earholes through radio play is probably numbered in the low forties at this point, though the only one I know by name is "Shake It Off". I'm normally pretty squeamish when it comes to immortalising millennial pop albums on this list, though from what I've heard Taylor Swift has an unprecedented level of power and influence as an artist, so this inclusion may have some historical weight to it. In any case, I'm cracking this one open. Hmm. There's some megahits in here, though for nearly every second of this album's runtime I was being smashed over the head with how artificial and commercial the music is. I can see the appeal of Taylor Swift as a vocalist, though from my factual, measured musical perspective, her big hits are distinctive without being earwormy, which is pretty dire as far as a pop act is concerned. The actual music is just unremarkable, adult contemporary synth-pop tunes lazily put together on an assembly line. I'm surprised Wikipedia has an entire novel written about the compositions of this album. Who could possibly care? Anyways, enough with my bitching about Wikipedia and on with a novel of my own. I've heard "Blank Space", no surprises there. Truth be told, the song toes a very delicate line between bugging me and being an alright listen. I don't like cynical lyrics in pop music, though for the musically uninclined I guess this is an alright way of channeling such emotions. The song gets markedly worse over time as it endlessly pivots towards progressively worse vocal styles. "Style" is another one I've heard. This one's a step up from the previous track. The synth instrumental is good, and I like the funky bass guitar whenever it rubbernecks into the instrumental. Taylor's vocals carry the song pretty well - I like how they seamlessly transition between the verses and chorus. I've heard "Out of the Woods", too. The echoey vocal sample and repetitious chorus annoys me, I'm not a big synth guy and the song becomes somewhat airheaded during the second half, though for what it is, it's fine. I've heard my beloved "Shake It Off" before, unsurprisingly. I shudder to think of how many times I've heard this song on the rare occasions where I incline my ears to the radio waves. Still, it's a decent tune. I appreciate the optimistic chorus, and the snappy instrumental serves as a nice break from the synth-dominated first half of the album. The tongue-in-cheek rap segment during the latter half is fun, too. "Bad Blood" (this is getting ridiculous now) is another one I've heard. This is the worst offering of the heavy-hitters. Taylor's vocal melody sucks dick and is incredibly annoying. The quintessential adult contemporary instrumental doesn't do the song any favours, and I don't remember Kendrick Lamar being on this song - I think he was removed from the radio version. Anyways, he's a shit vocalist, a shit lyricist and has an incredible amount of gall to jam his shitty fucking lyrics from one of his shitty songs onto this stinker. Get this MELANIN-INCLINED INDIVIDUAL the FUCK outta here. "Wildest Dreams" is another okay cut, though at this point I've exhausted just about everything I can say about this music. Vocal melody competent, instrumental unremarkable. Boom, bring out the next tune. That's the last noteworthy song? Oh well. Pack it up, boys. Book time. Megahit (no surprises there). The rest of the book entry is just interview quotes. Hmm. HMMMMMM. I'm not sold on this inclusion yet. Wikipedia reveals that this was a stylistic shift, which doesn't wow me given that she effectively sold out her image. Influential within the synth-pop revival of the 2010s, which also doesn't impress me. Solid critic backing with a surprise re-appraisal. Uh, yeah. Under slightly different circumstances I would be snubbing this one, though I have an incredibly slim number of albums that I can replace it with. I suppose there's some merit to hearing this one given how massive Taylor Swift is, though I'm doubtful as to whether her music will be remembered once she exits the limelight.

Wait Tay Tay used to be so good. I will use her cute nickname from now on, I didn't think she deserved it before

I dont know if this is her best album (it probably is) but I can definitely say that this is her most far-reaching one. I was, before this project, not one to listen to Taylor Swift but I had heard almost all of these songs prior to listening through this album today.

ive heard most of these songs sooo many times growing up, the album is nostalgic for sure. it also 100% changed pop music... however its just fine, and bad blood might be one of taylors worst written songs, but its a decent-ok pop album that gets an extra star for nostalgia

Soulless Starbucks pop

OK, I suppose. Shake it off is the only one I enjoyed though, has a beat and a decent tempo

Not my favorite era

As someone who never cared much at the time for her stylistic controversies that are well-documented by Wikipedia, I think the synth-pop sound and production shines and sounds almost out of time. When she gets rolling, she makes the bouncy pop, catchy songwriting, and revealing singing all sound so *easy* — like watching a basketball star glide down the court for a dunk. However, for my taste, there’s a lot of repetition (“Out of the Woods” x 100) and she tends to hit me with an anti-frisson, moments of discord that detach me from the music (the bridge in “Shake It Off”, every “stay” in “All You Had to Do Was Stay”; there’s something in nearly song, honestly). Peaks: Blank Space, Shake It Off, the non-chorus of Style, Clean Pits: Bad Blood, Welcome to New York, This Love

I already liked this album, but it feels incredibly good coming off the back of listening to the dire The Life of a Showgirl that was released last week. This is my favourite TS album outside of the folklore/evermore period, and it’s great to listen to her doing some proper pop bangers from before she was *the* biggest star on the planet (don’t get me wrong, she was still hugely successful, but it felt like she still gave a shit about her work). I haven’t listened to Taylor’s Version of this album yet, so I’m going to give that a whirl after this, but yeah: great album that I’m sure every boring old bloke on this website has reviewed fairly and objectively… Started listening to the Taylor’s Version of this album, and it’s just the exact same thing - I thought she might have mixed things up a bit and composed the songs a bit differently but no, so I binned that idea off.

Not my cup of tea but had a few bangers still. Better than I thought it would be

Not my style

if you had a lab that could somehow create perfectly distilled pop music in songs under 4:00 in length, this is the album it would create. Production and lyrics are perfectly intertwined and nothing feels too quick nor overstaying its welcome. This is the album that made the Taylor Swift industrial machine that's still churning out tens of millions of sold albums and billions of listened minutes on Spotify...

6.8/10

T Swift's flag on the pop moon

Terrible yo

Look, I'm not an idiot, I understand that this is quite perfectly made, fun and flashy, and efficiently infused with 80s nostalgia pop music. I can hear even *hear* that, not merely *understand* in an abstract sense. There are good reasons for Swift being the monumental pop titan she has become. Is this an AYMHBYD? Of course it is. That doesn't change how much it's not for me. Reference? I'm currently doing one of those Social Media "challenges" of 10 Days of [favourite songs/artists] and this one happens to be Songs From Women/Women Fronted Bands From the Past 10 Years and so far I'm having Warpaint, tricot, Emma Ruth Rundle, Petrol Girls and Hello Mary. The remaining five will likely include Ithaca, Oathbreaker and Water From Your Eyes - this is not for me. Or, thinking of it, it very well could be - after all I've had fun with similarly styled cuts from Miley Cyrus' "Plastic Hearts" for instance - but I'm just utterly unmoved by Swift's white girl sorority cheerleader voice and I actively dislike many of the beats on here, as they don't really seem to be so much 80s inspired but rather curtsy to the then fashionable seeping of trap elements into contemporary dance music. And that seems to be a theme: it's all very calculated and strategised on a whiteboard kind of music. Meh.

This is probably my favourite Taylor Swift record. There are some fun tracks here, but also some tracks that are less so. Favourite Track(s): Blank Space, Bad Blood, Shake It Off, Wildest Dreams Least Favourite Track(s): I Wish You Would, This Love, Clean

Full of modern pop hits, it sounds great, but safe.

Hard to separate the music from the mega-mega star. I’ve always been kinda agnostic about T-Swizzle, not worth the effort to be a hater, but always found pop music I enjoyed more. But I have to say this is full of bangers, and totally enjoyable front to back. Catchy and fun, I found my head bobbing almost every track. Dinged it a star for the lyrics and rhyming schemes getting a little predictable and cheesy by the end of the record.

This one surprised me. Almost every track is an earworm, and that’s not just pop sheen — the songwriting holds up, as proven by Ryan Adams covering the entire album. It’s bright, polished, and maybe a little too sleek to feel like a 5 for me, but I can’t deny how strong it is start to finish. Definitely a 4, and part of me wonders if it deserves more.

I guess the 1001 albums to hear before I die gods knew of Taylor's newest album coming out at the end of this week as they assigned me her 2014 album 1989 to hear today. This album was always one of my favorite Taylor Swift projects to hear as I remember it coming out and my mother/sister being obsessed with it. Again this is an album where I am very clearly not the target demographic, but even I didn't mind this squeaky clean and extremely polished Synthpop album. I can't lie I was raised on the 2000s and 2010s radio so I do have a bit of a soft spot for some of the cheesier releases from around those times, and 1989 is one of them. Don't get me wrong I don't love this project, and I totally understand for some I definitely will rate this higher than expected but like can we at least try to have some fun and enjoy this for what it is worth? As I mentioned before this is a very squeaky clean sounding project and I very much know this is kind of what Taylor's sound is, but here it is done in a way that is not very annoying and is pretty tame all things considered. She has a tendency to over do it or to not bring enough substance to the table but I think this album works in finding a good balance to have everything at. It is a very plain album and, in my humble opinion, does not deserve to be anywhere near a list you need to hear before you die. 1989 is serviceable, and that seems to be the bar Taylor likes to shoot for when it comes to her music.

clean is a very pretty song

This is the first album we've listened to that I can say I remember from when it came out in 2014. And I know all of the songs. An instant classic.

Makes me nostalgic for the early days of my career. Probably the most iconic album of today’s most iconic performer. Also represents the shift from All American Girl to music megastar. Favorite track: New Romantics

This is, in my opinion, the best album from the biggest pop star of our day. I haven't enjoyed her songs as much since this album, but this particular album really captured magic in a bottle for me. Well done Tay Tay!

I was a serious swiftie when this came out so this is very nostalgic for me but it’s also just a great album. Very iconic!

Excellent. A few middling, but still authentic and catchy.

Only gets a second star because this list has introduced me to worse music. Overproduced and irritating

Some really good songs on this On this. Never been a fan. Maybe it’s time

I mean it's fire. It's got pretty much her only danceable song with Shake It Off, but the rest is good too. Overall it's definitely better than her most recent album. I miss the poppier stuff.

that’s some catchy shit. fun music is fun.

I wouldn’t call myself a Swiftie but I love this album. It’s fun and makes me happy.

#136/1001. I don't think I've never listened to a whole Swift album. Many friends with good musical taste have become swifties, so why not give it a fresh listen. But the 2nd or third song the pattern was more or less clear: too perfect pop songs meant for stadiums of swifties, or dancing at your home on a fake white oak-patterned floor holding an alcohol free bacardi mojito on your hand. The songs are so perfect there is no guessing how they will turn out and play, a feature I am sure millions of her fans expect and want. More danger please. I really tried, but this is not for me.

My wife loves T Swift. So, by association I listen to A LOT of her music. Of all of her albums, this is probably my favorite. All that said, being the best of a massed produced, hyper processed, ultra engineered genre of music isn't saying much in my book.

This is very "white man in his 30s" of me, but I am really into this album because of the Ryan Adams cover version. I know basically all of the lyrics. On its own merits, this is still very good. Shake It Off is one of my favorite songs of the 2010s.

Eh

Like drowning in a sea of bubblegum.

The singles are really fantastic, but the B-sides leave a lot to be desired ★★★½

A few catchy melodies, but so formulaic and entirely uninteresting to me.

Okay, I've never really put much thought into Taylor Swift before. Her discography has always been on my listenlist just due to pop culture relevance. I've heard most of the hits on the radio or somewhere else. I'm going to try and do my best to reserve judgement and listen to the album without prejudice (despite my immediate feeling of dread upon seeing the tracklist" Blank Space - "the worst is yet to come" Uncanny foreshadowing by Taylor here. This was definitely one of the worst listening experiences I've had to endure recently, and I just did the 10 Electro Swing albums! You can tell Taylor knows her audience - middle school aged white girls. Lots of very cringe lyrics and immature relationship comments throughout this entire release. That's not even the worst part of it though, it's the production. Or I should say lack of thereof, because it's so boring and uninspired that I've without a doubt heard better sounding instrumentals from soundcloud and bandcamp! After I had an involuntary shudder reaction as a result to the cringeworthy opening track, I thought it would be funny to track my shudder count for this album. None of these were intentional or forced either. Shudder count: 8 Most tolerable song on the album was I Know Places

It was okay, couple of decent songs.

The other reviews seem to be split between love and hate, which is odd, because for almost any album I have seen on this list there is a spectrum of opinions. Obviously Taylor is the biggest music star in the world at the moment so everyone's got an opinion and more than a few want to take her down a peg. But come on, even if you don't like her, this is some top-tier pop music. Great production without being overproduced, clear vocals (effects used sparingly, with her voice standing on its own) with clear messages, a lot of fun to listen to and it made me smile, which the prospect of ANOTHER David Bowie album does not. Music can and should cover all emotions and feelings, and simple fun is one of those. Not every album has to be a pretentious thinkpiece.

Lacking the lyrical depth of Taylor’s later work, 1989 was EVERYWHERE when it dropped, and truly launched her to superstardom. It brings me back to a very specific period of my life. While a bit vanilla, I still consider this her pop peak. Multiple radio hits don’t lie. The sonic aesthetic of the album bops but fails to evolve or demonstrate meaningful variety though, keeping this just below the highest echelon of pop albums. Listened to: on a flight to Tirana. Favorite tracks: Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams, I Know Places

20.00, hima, koss, qobuz finally some good music! eivaa kiva kuulla tääkin kokonaisuutena bängää paikoin

This is my second favorite Taylor Swift album. No other comments, haha.

There’s a reason she’s as big of a star as she is, but the style gets a bit repetitive for me over the course of a full album.

This was a wonderful listen - the songs I hadn't heard before had a lot of interesting sounds!

Taylor's music is what unseasoned, boiled to the point of being stringy chicken tastes like.

It might just be nostalgia as a day one fan, but I can’t imagine not giving this a 5.

I put this on as my wife and daughter came into the house from piano lessons. They love this album. Annie danced and setup a weird cat space in the living room. John went outside to play soccer. Colleen and I sat in the porch and chatted. There are a couple bangers. I would never put it on if it didn't make the ladies in my life so happy. Keep it up Taylor.

It’s tired and obvious to dunk on Taylor Swift. I appreciate there is genuine song craft here and lots of catchy hooks. Don’t hate it but don’t like it either.

What can I say she has talent. Not an album in my rotation but gotta give her props. Prefer some of her news tracks. She’s the queen of pop

Couple undeniable songs on here. I like the ones that make feel like a teenage girl. Also if only tay tay met me back then, we could have been great.

i haven’t listened to this one in a while, but it was on regular rotation upon its release. i still remember the day it was released fondly. my friend and i hauling ass to our local target across town after school so we could secure a copy of the deluxe CD (which i still have)… the album itself still holds up quite well despite a few duds (Bad Blood, Shake It Off). the other singles are staples of Swift’s catalogue and genuinely great pop songs, with Style being her magnum opus (in my opinion, of course). also has some great deep cuts like Clean, I Wish You Would, etc. overall it’s nice to revisit this album before her next, which i will inevitably tune into because the 1989 production team worked on it 🤷‍♀️

Haters gonna hate. I quite like it. Not sure if it is influential but it's a great pop album of its time.

This was an easy, fun and enjoyable listen. This isn't really my kind of thing but it is still a strong 4 for me. If you wanted to make the case that this is a 5 you wouldn't get an argument from me, it's a very good album.

This album has its mainstream bangers for sure. More importantly, it marks her style shift to a more pop style which has propelled her to a global superstar. At least she writes her own stuff which is more than can be said of many artists in this genre. All that said, I give the album and artist their props, but it’s just not a style I gravitate towards. “Out of the woods” would have been a fitting last track for my ears.

I enjoyed this. Not a lot of depth here, which appears to kinda be the point with her shift into this more synth-pop style. I think overall the songs are not amazing and do pretty much sound the same. But a good consistent spirit seems to help this whole collection along. Tracks like Style and I Wish You Would stood out to me this time. And while it’s easy to harsh on Taylor, credit needs to be given for an overall good listen. Shave it down 2-3 songs and the album probably jumps higher.

Hilarious seeing how polarizing this album is. Sure the songs may be simple and formulaic, but I’ll be damned if they aren’t catchy. Gotta give Tay her props and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this.

Great example of hit songs alone not adding up to a great album. I like many of these songs but everything feels sorta… flat. Not a lot of depth and songs end up running together. I’ll give Tay Tay her flowers but this falls short of top tier IMO. 4/5

Ok, got it.

A fun pop album.

In general, I dislike Taylor Swift because I think she embodies the worst of consumer-driven music. A thousand versions of one album with slight variations, limited edition merchandise, releases all tailored (ha) to get her fan base ravenous enough to buy the next thing lest they miss out. Her marketing machine works overtime. Everything about her image and music is carefully curated. Credit where credit is due, though. I'm 500ish albums in and very few have this many hits or are good listens in one sitting. Is that because Taylor Swift is actually that good or because of her dedicated media / marketing empire that I already know most of the songs without really trying? Are her hits actually hits because they deserve to be or because her fans decided they should be regardless of what we all think, and the media doesn't want to upset the Swifties? Keeping with my rating scale, this is a 5/5 despite my reservations.

not a big taylor swift fan, but still really good

Shake It Off is a rock solid modern pop single, and some of the other tracks on here are as good as anything else her peers have to offer. Not really my music, of course - it's all just a bit self-absorbed - but the quality shines through and Swift has the charisma and charm (and success) to suggest she is the real deal. It's all right, but, as you might have guessed, not something I'd choose to listen to.

Not a big Taylor swift fan, but this has to be one of the greatest 2000s pop album ever made.

I just don’t get the Taylor Swift hype. Every song sounds the same, her style is super basic, and her voice? Nothing special. And somehow she’s a billionaire off this? Meanwhile Lady Gaga actually has talent and a voice that blows you away. And the private jet thing… she’s zipping around the U.S. like it’s no big deal, while we peasants struggle with soggy paper straws to “save the planet.” Peak basic. I’ll happily die on this hill.

Fun pop music, decent writing, a surprising number of hits for an album. While she is not a virtuostic writer, singer, or dancer, she knows how to put on a great show and she knows how to market herself.

No matter your opinion on her, you have to admit that this is a genuinely great pop album

I actually liked this quite a bit. I liked the retro synth pop feel, the vocal delivery was spot on, the songs were just catchy enough, without being syrupy. I think I'll go with a 4 star rating.

No thanks

8/10… teen - happy pop

This music was not meant for a happily married man with kids over the age of 30 - definitely has a suburban white girl teenager sort of appeal. That being said the hits do hit pretty well (especially Blank Space) - many of the others are pretty mid, and her voice comes off as plain. The electronic elements throughout elevate the project a bit. 2.7/5 - > 3/5

jajsjsuajshusjsjkdj

Amazing how virtually every song is a chart worthy single and how enduring the whole album has been

É bom, mas é ruim É ruim, mas é bom

Standard adult contemporary radio fare. People act like she's the second coming of christ but her lyrics are middle school poetry at best. I just don't get the hype. My niece loves her, though, so I'll give this a 2.

Shake it off and black space are fun, but this album really didn't necessarily age that well. A lot of themes return in modern pop songs which just do this more interestingly

I have never been able to take to Taylor Swift, but I remember enjoying songs off this album when it came out. It has been a while since I've listened to them. Unfortunately I reeeeeeally (sorry Taylor), don't enjoy her singing voice at all snd find it annoying. I also find it hard to put aside my feelings about her when listening. I'll start with the low points on the album for me: don't enjoy Blank Space, I find the lyrics really corny, and the same goes for Wonderland. Shake it off really drives me crazy, but think that's more to do with it being so overplayed. I think Clean is poorly performed. That said, I the tracks I enjoyed then, I think still hold up now: Style (really like the chorus - very catchy), the bridge on Out of the Woods is decent as well. I think she sings well on Wildest Dreams, and again, it has a great bridge. My favourite track on the album is New Romantics. I think her vocal performance here is best, and it's a real feel-good pop anthem! Not bad.

Solidly produced album, perhaps her strongest album to date

I didn't like this at all. Welcome to New York was an actively bad song. How You Get the Girl is the only song I think I could have listened to all the way through. The issue isn't that they're bad songs, they're just not good songs. They have nice build ups that crescendo into nothingness. Nothing burger maxing. They're boring, middle-of-the-road pop. 1/5 stars.

Guess this is the big breakthrough album when Taylor Swift’s transformation from country to pop is fully realised. Slickly produced, this is what 2010s pop sounds like. Second half is forgettable though. But it started me on a journey of her other albums (upon recommendation from a friend) and I found that I like folklore much more.

Lots of great songs. It’s too long. Taylor always needs editing.

Mi mayor temor se hizo realidad: escuchar un disco de Taylor Swift. La experiencia fue incluso peor de lo que pensaba a pesar de que sabía del tipo de música que me iba a encontrar... 1/5

Terrible

As much as I hate to admit it (because I’m not a Swiftie), this album kinda slaps

Most of the songs on here are plagued by this generic fake-sounding production of the 2010s, but it’s still better than a lot of what was being played on the radio at the time. Most of the lyrics weren’t anything special and awkwardly executed. Though, I liked the backing vocal harmonies on some of the songs. I think I found the second half more enjoyable than the first, though the first half was more recognizable with a bunch of hits of its time. Alright album.

# Album Name: 1989 # Artist: Tay Tay # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: A very over produced pop album. Parts sound extremely generic. But theres no doubt theres several strong singles. # Top Tunes: WTNY / Blank space / Style / Shake it off / Bad blood # Would I listen to it again? Just the five tracks

I first listened to this album in its entirety in preparation for attending The Eras Tour with my wife. My wife, it should be known, is a big Swiftie. My goal was not to become one myself, but rather to have the proper context for the tour. Well, I became one anyway. I'm not the most intense one you'll ever meet. I don't know insane bits of trivia, and I couldn't care less about her public or private life. And I do find her omnipresence in our culture to be annoying and redundant at times. But her music is, undeniably in my opinion, very well made. She has a unique sound, one that has evolved over nearly 20 years in the public eye. She has evolved as a songwriter, as a singer, and as a musician. She knows how to pick her collaborators, and she knows how to write a hit. I feel no shame and suffer no embarrassment in telling you that I not only respect Taylor Swift for her talents and performance ability, I also genuinely enjoy much of her music. Below is the review I wrote when I initially listened to her discography up to "Midnights." I mostly stand by it today, so I figured I'd take the easy route on this one and reuse it here. But then I this preface, so here we are, I suppose. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A pop masterpiece. Even the songs I left out of my standouts are excellent. This was, by far, her most sonically consistent album up to this point in her career. Everything has this airiness, this light breathiness about it that is so consistent throughout. It unites the album and makes it feel more like a cohesive piece of art than anything she'd done before. The themes are a little more mature (not saying they ARE mature, but more so than prior albums which felt much more fairytale love song), the sound is more complex and produced, and the overall effort is to be applauded. This was the best album she'd produced at this point in her career. Very impressive. Hit after hit, you can't find anything wrong with it. All of that applies to every song except "Shake It Off." "Shake It Off" does not belong on this album. At all. Sonically, it's completely different. Gone is the airiness of the rest of the songs. Gone are the more grown up themes. Gone are the more interesting, more mature lyrics. This song was written to be a radio hit. It was released as the lead single. It would have been better as a non-album single. Or a song she wrote for someone else. Or a vault track later on. It doesn't belong on this album. She chose this over "New Romantics," a track she left off the album entirely and saved as a bonus track??? I didn't much care for "This Love," "How You Get the Girl," or "Clean." But they're still good songs. I feel like "I Know Places" is an early look into what she would do on "Reputation," the subsequent album. I find this to be an entirely enjoyable pop album that, while it doesn't have much new to say, really scratches that pop music itch we all have, whether we'd like to admit it or not. I'm happy to admit I do, and I'll scratch away all day. Four stars. Standout Tracks: Blank Space, Style, Out of the Woods, Bad Blood, I Know Places

Since there's nothing interesting about the songs, let me share a story. Taylor came to my city, Rio de Janeiro, a few years ago. The mayor shut down the city, lit up the Christ the Redeemer statue, and a bunch of people, in 50-degree celsius heat (122 °F), gathered at a soccer stadium to watch this bitter-whited-ass girl sing using playback. Anyway, a little bit of everything happened on the day of her show (at least one of them, I don't know how many there were): There was a blackout in the poor part of the city (remember, it was 50 degrees Celsius), a fan died of overheating and dehydration during the show... in short, this bitch's presence in Rio was something to forget.

Very generic pop. Has a couple bops, but the album is way too long and drags so I didn't feel like I could give it a third star.

Not only is '1989' deeply nostalgic for me, but I also think it's a fire album. Star down only because the best was yet to come.

If I'm being really real, I prefer the Ryan Adams full-album cover of this album.

For you get me

Glossy pop.

First of all: I'm totally unfamiliar with Swift's music. Wrong generation. Her success and especially devoted fanbase surprise me, in the sense that she apparently is very popular among people (mainly women) who usually listen to much more challenging (alternative) music than pop. This could have been a rather good pop album, but the production is truly awful. And I mean: awful. It's way too loud and everything sounds so disgustingly synthetic.... It's supposed to be bass guitar, but it all sounds like coming from a computer. The singing is also obviously f*cked with. This point is clearly illustrated by the bizarre cover version that Ryan Adams made of this entire album. The hits are clearly better in the Swift versions, but Adams' album sounds so much better, so much more musical. Fascinating: this illustrates perfectly that Swift indeed is a talented songwriter. Highlight of the album is beyond doubt 'Style'. That's a great song, and yes, probably the least synthetic sounding.

It's fine

So many hits

I originally had this as 4 stars, but after listening again, I needed to bump it up. Shockingly, popular artists are popular for a reason.

It was ok

I don't normally like TS. And I really only like a few songs on this album. But this is a very good album. It as a lot of variety and diversity. It has a great order to it and at least it's not totally about some relationship with some boy like almost 100% of TS songs that came before this. Even the songs I don't really like have something about them that I like or can admire. Can't deny it, this is a very good album. But I have to emphasize, I belive the reason Shake it off was such a big hit is because it's true and personal and NOT about a guy. I wanna hear more of that. (But, that is NOT a "sick beat")

Fine album. Nothing really stuck out to me, but I found nothing truly dislikable about any of the songs.

Klingt nach unschuldigem gute Laune Pop.

208/1089 - I know she's very popular but I can't think of a single song I've heard from Taylor Swift other than the "shake shake shake" one which was shit, hopefully the rest of it isn't like that. After listening: Huh? This is just corny, bland, 80s music with modern production techniques. At least she's a good singer I think. Can't tell with all of the modern effects making things abnormally clean. Didn't enjoy this one at all. Non-list recommendation: I am using one of my free three album recommendations from the Charlatans notes - (Choose Your Weapon - Hiatus Kaiyote).

I do my best to keep an open mind when listening to the albums presented before me, but this was one that was unexpected. I'll say there is some good stuff, but for the most part it feels like listening to a hospital room. Very sterile and inoffensive.

I’ve listened to Clean too many times to not give this a 5

Mayhaps her best I must confess

I don't get it! I don't get why she's so lauded. It's average, actually fairly dull pop music. Look, I'm not the biggest fan of pop music, but when it's interesting, different, a little subversive, I can get behind it. When it's safe and monotonous and over produced then I'm just not interested and this is definitely in the latter camp. I'd even take Adele over this, and that's saying something!

I’m sure she a nice young woman and certainly appreciated by the Swifties but personally I found this awful

Not living in a cave in the Outer Hebrides I have heard of Taylor Swift, but wouldn’t normally listen to this overly produced type of pop music. I do like “we are never ever getting back together” and her tracks are catchy but I know I am never ever going to buy an album. It includes just one song I know “Shake it Off” as it is in the film Sing and even though the piggies do a great job of dancing their hearts off to this one, it is my least favourite song in the film. Bottom line, its meant to be autobiographical, which normally means deep, but I thought this album was quite vapid. 3 STARS as I thought it was okay to listen to, but that’s it.

well, first time I listened to Taylor Swift. Nothing but respect for an artist that can outsell the Beatles, but... maybe I need to listen to it many more times to get the appeal?

I unironically love this album. My introduction to TS came through my small girl-child listening to Red nonstop. I thought I’d be indifferent to the TS charm but I was lured in even then. 1989 is a masterpiece of pop.

Fine album solid 3

It'd be a 4.5 if we could do halves.

Day584 - i was a fan of ryan adams cover of this whole album but i’ve never heard the original. welcome to new york isn’t a good first song but it really picks up after that

I am not a fan of Taylor Swift. I do not like thinking or hearing about her or her music. And I feel like I have to explain this every time I say something like that: it's not because I dislike her as a person, or as an artist, or even as a celebrity. Sure, I'll razz her for how much she just loves to use her private plane, but it's not like I have much reason to make a big deal out of it. I would've had one when I was younger, however. When I was younger, I very, very much disliked Taylor Swift. It's possible I even hated her, though I think even then I would've thought "hate" was a strong word. Back in 2014 or whenever, I had the same problems with her that everyone else did: she dated a lot of men and wrote songs about 'em. Somehow, I'd bought into the line that it was somehow a bad thing that she wrote about her relationships — as if musicians haven't been doing exactly that sort of thing for years. It was obviously just a lot of celebrity tabloid nonsense, and back when I was a lot more openly emotional (aka: angry) this kind of stuff somehow mattered to me. At some point not too many years later, I realized none of this mattered and I shouldn't give a shit. That would've been the end of it, too, if Taylor Swift hadn't dropped REPUTATION not too long after and decided that everybody should care a **lot** about her personal life and celebrity tabloid nonsense. And besides a brief period during the COVID lockdown when she recorded her "more" albums, that sort of thing has basically been all she's written about ever since. Between that and the "(Taylor's Version)" re-recordings and the Eras Tour, her brand since REPUTATION has basically been just "ME!" And none of that should matter to me. I don't care about what goes on in the personal lives of celebrities unless it's some real egregious shit; if Taylor Swift wants to have her albums be "lore drops," ala the stuff on THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT, how does that affect me? But that's where we get to the thing that actually causes me to struggle with Taylor. In a word, it's overexposure. When Taylor embarked on her Eras Tour a while back, she quickly became perhaps the single most famous person on Earth. It felt like I couldn't go anywhere without hearing about her or how damn successful the tour was. Every day: "the Eras Tour is a nation unto itself! It's pulled in so much money, it has its own GDP! It's the most successful tour EVER!!" And it bothered me to walk through the Walmart where I worked and see so many damn books and magazines about her and how **just absolutely wonderful** she was. It felt like all of this shit was being forced upon me and it just really turned me off of her and her music. What's funny about that is that, honestly, if it weren't for this extreme level of overexposure, I figure I might honestly listen to her music more. I wouldn't call myself a super fan or anything, but I could see myself working some of her songs into regular rotation (besides Weird Al parodies and DragonForce covers, anyway). Earlier this year, I watched (the super extended edit of) the Eras Tour concert film ahead of a podcast I like covering it, and besides getting burned out by its length, it pretty much confirmed my thought. So, hey, maybe finally listening to an album of hers will further convince me...? Here's the problem off the very top. If we'd gotten the "more" album that's on here, that'd be one thing. If any of her earlier, country albums were on here, that'd be another thing. Heck, if RED was on here... But of course, **OF COURSE** the one we got was 1989. Of course we got the one released at the height of my Taylor Swift hatedom — the one where everything started going wrong for her music, as far as I can tell. The way I've been seeing it 'til now, if she didn't make the full leap to pop on here, and if it weren't for shit like "Shake It Off", REPUTATION wouldn't have happened, and I wouldn't have spent the next near-decade getting so exhausted. I have to admit, I was kind of dreading getting this album (as much as you **can** dread getting an album, anyway). But, I should give this thing a fair chance. After all, I know there's some damn good songs on here ("Style" and "Wildest Dreams"), so it can't be **all** bad. And, hey, maybe after 800-some words of preamble I should finally get the dang album already, eh? So, did it convince me? Uhm... Maybe a little? But not enough to actually go over the cliff and actually incorporate more Taylor into my listening rotation. 1989 is the kind of album where I feel like I can blame any lack of enthusiasm on it for two reasons. First, this thing has probably had a **massive** impact on pop music that I'm just not even aware of because I didn't listen to this thing at the time. For the longest time I assumed this album was on this list solely because it was "the one where Taylor went pop," and I pre-emptively dismissed it for that, but modern pop stars are probably still building on the framework this thing laid down. If I'm going "Eh, is it really that special?", it might probably be just because Chappel Roan and Sabrina Carpenter and so many people between them and this album have been playing from out of this thing's book. And after that, secondly, there's Taylor's **own** building on this sound. You can trace the "generic Taylor Swift sound" (aka Gracie Abrams) to this exact album, with the scattered fast-spoken-kinda-sung parts and everything. It's the kind of sound we'd go on to hear on LOVER and MIDNIGHTS and all of the billion deluxe editions of THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT... And, look, I'm no stranger to loving a band or artist for having one sound. It's exactly why I like bands like AC/DC, the Ramones and Motörhead. But I guess when you put it together with the kind of baggage I have with Taylor, it can be difficult to just enjoy it on its own without thinking of my frustrations. I mean, I do wonder what this music would sound like to me if I had no idea who she was. Listening through this album, I wasn't able to not think she wasn't just thinking about herself, which is a self-indulgence I've grown to loathe on more recent albums. But imagine how this stuff would sound if I didn't hafta understand it through the lens of Taylor "Me" Swift and instead could just take it as a bunch of character songs. Y'know, like how I've heard the "more" albums play out. I think it'd go two ways. For some songs, the outside context really helps things. "Blank Space" is a song that gets a lot of its appeal for being a reaction to the people who accused her of dating too much. It was her first "Yeah, maybe I **am** a bad guy" song, and it plays way better here than any of her attempts to do that on REPUTATION. Heck, I remember even back in 2014 I was listening to Todd In The Shadows reviewing this song and thinking to myself, "Yeah, this is all fair — get their asses!" I don't think it's a spectacular song in total, but, yeah, I can say I enjoyed it. Then there's the other side of the coin, "Shake It Off". This is a song where, for me at least, knowing anything about Taylor Swift makes it utterly obnoxious. Seriously, to this day it's my least favorite song she's ever done, and all because she's **FUCKIN' LYIN'** on this song. "I'm just gonna shake it off?" A song called "Look What You Made Me Do" would say otherwise! So would "You Need To Calm Down" and whatever equivalents MIDNIGHTS and THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT have. It's only gotten worse with age, because it's always felt to me like a big, forced smile and like she's rubbing it in my face how much she **TOTALLY DOESN'T CARE** when she plainly and obviously actually does. You wouldn't make such a point to tell me you didn't care if you did. At least the detached "Damn, it's 7AM" thing "You Need To Calm Down" scans a lot better, even if it has its own issue of "Me! And gay people, I guess — but mostly: me!" To be 100%, I skipped this song on my listen-through. I was willing to put up with "Bad Blood", one of her other worst songs ever, but not "Shake It Off". Consider **that**, eh? Still, combined they both drag this album down a point or so. No great album would have songs like **this**, in my mind. And I wouldn't even say it's that great of an album, anyway. It's absolutely not bad, and most everyone giving this thing a 1 are likely mostly just mad Taylor's on here at all. But, I'unno. The sound of this album can work in places, but it's just not one I'm all too into. I never wished for it to end like I have with some albums, but by the time this thing ended, I felt like the only reaction I could really have was a light "Yep. That's a pop album alright." And that's even with the excuses for this thing I listed above. And I know it's not because I'm a rock supremacist, or (if we wanna jump to a more extreme accusation) that I just don't like female pop stars or anything. I own Lady Gaga's ARTPOP, for goodness sake. It's just... Not my kind of pop. Not the kind I enjoy. My tastes typically skew a lot older or just weirder, and this... Well, just doesn't do it for me too much. "Style" **is** incredible, though. Lemme just take a paragraph out to say that "Style" is the best song on the album, bar none. If I were to work anything I heard here into my regular rotation, it'd be that. So 1989 wasn't as painful as I thought it'd be. It had its highs, and its lows (and even lowers), and in the end... I'm fine with it. It sure as heck hasn't convinced me I need to go listen to her stuff past this point (except maybe the "more" albums; we'll see when EVERMORE pops up), but maybe I might look into the earlier ones? But if nothing else, it proved my thesis at least a little: I **would** like more Taylor Swift music if I wasn't just so overwhelmed by her everything. I mean, give me some time. Let the hype and the Era Tour and the (Taylor's Version)s and everything fade away. Once she's no longer the single most popular artist in the universe... Yeah, I'll probably dig her. In any case, until then, please do not kill me, any Swifties who happen upon this. I am scared to death of you people and I'll fold like a house of cards if you come steppin' to me, so... Just be gentle, OK? Please?

This is a good album, but the overexposure of the singles has given me some major burnout from this track list. 3.5 bumped down to 3.

I’m unabashedly at a 5. Haters gonna hate, hate, hate and all that. Here’s a quick story: the first time I ever heard “Shake It Off” was at a high school pep rally in 2014. I thought it was a little cheesy, & I didn’t know who was singing it. It was catchy as hell though, and the chorus got stuck in my ear. Once I got home, I googled it. Imagine my surprise to find out it was Taylor Swift, the country artist, and it was THE biggest song in the world at the time. As a 14-year-old boy, I fell victim to the classic “this is popular, so I’m going to hate it” trope, and I… was wrong. I was very, very wrong. Someone wanting to demean the type of women who listen to & enjoy Taylor Swift might write something along the lines of the following: “these are songs made for the Grey’s Anatomy-loving / idealized love & empathy generation of women who grew up with The Notebook as their favorite movie, a pink DS to play Nintendogs on, and who would swear by scrolling through Pinterest & writing down every thought they have in the Notes app as self-therapy.” Of course, tell this to any woman who actually enjoys Taylor Swift and they’d probably take it as a massive compliment. That’s modern-day girlhood for you. I wouldn’t have written something like this in 2014, but as far as my mindset back then goes, I probably was doing some kind of subconscious celebrity-driven misogyny (or just the whole “eww cooties” thing taken to a natural, if really flawed conclusion). I came to the realization that I was wrong in 2021, as a 21-year-old man, when Taylor Swift started to drop her re-recordings of all her albums in light of the ownership situation, giving me an excuse to actually listen to all of these tracks that I thought all of my girl friends (*please* note the space) had been overhyping for years, with a decently fresh mind, a good bit of empathy, and the realization that I was never going to stop the train, so I may as well take a ride on it, just for fun. Of course, I proved myself to be a moron, as one does with this sort of thing. They were all right, to some degree, and I found myself enjoying her stuff far more than I did from just hearing it in passing on nearly every commercial or radio station for years. Granted, I still think “Red” is a *really* mediocre (if not outright bad) album, but hey; I also think “Fearless” & “Speak Now” are *really* good, so it weighs out. When the “1989” re-recording came out in late 2023 (66 days before starting this 1001 Albums project), I gave it a listen, and a weird wave of nostalgia came over me, with every song feeling familiar, but only just now coming into full focus. I had forgotten just how many monster hits were on this thing; you would think “Shake It Off” would obviously be the biggest one, but “Blank Space” has more plays than it on Spotify (2.1 billion), and 4 of the tracks have at least a billion plays. I haven’t heard the album in full since then, but hearing it again now, with 588 albums across several decades & styles inbetween to sharpen & hone my musical tastes… yeah, this one’s still really fucking good too. I listened to the original version this time, since she got her ownership back, and let me tell you; it blows the re-recording out of the water. Good to finally hear this thing as it was intended. Taylor Swift is a good, if not great (albeit really self-indulgent to an annoying point as of late) songwriter, with her biggest strength being able to find one or two cutting lines that can immediately capture the modus operandi of a song through some striking imagery. Whether or not you agree or care about that modus operandi is another thing, but regardless, her lyricism comes out really well on this album, especially so on “Clean”, but every track has a gem of a line somewhere in it. Her production team on this (especially Max Martin, arguably hitting a peak) knock it out of the park with this sort of hybrid mix of an 80s new wave style with the production tricks & heavy synth work of the early 2010s, and while it’s certainly dated to 11 years ago, it’s the sort of soundscape where if you like it, you’ll really like it, and it clicked very nicely for me this time around. Some people would call this album a pop Bible, and while I disagree (it’s “Thriller.” “Thriller” is the pop Bible.), I won’t dissuade people from having that take at all, since this is probably one of the most influential pop albums of the decade. Much like Frank Ocean’s “channel ORANGE”, this album’s success & all the artists it inspired has opened up a Pandora’s Box of sorts. However, I think that Pandora’s Box has finally started to pay off – the new “big 3” of Olivia Rodrigo, Chappell Roan & Sabrina Carpenter (Billie Eilish is in there somewhere, trust me, she’s just not fully “pop music” to my ears) are a direct product of the wave that Taylor Swift started with this album, and they’re all expanding on it in a way that feels like a proper renaissance of radio pop music after it got really stagnant around mid 2019 into early 2021. I’m not saying we should thank Taylor Swift for their success, but I don’t know if we get to this point without this album. I’ve done all this yapping without talking much about the album itself, but it should be obvious that I enjoyed the hell out of it. I’ve come away from this with arguably an even greater appreciation for it, now having a much better sense of the styles she & her team were pulling from throughout this album, and with how well-crafted of an homage it all is. Yes, its commercialism can be used as a knock against it, and you could just as easily call it “corporate, overproduced nonsense that loses the soul of what makes music music”. I wouldn’t hate on anybody for that take, but it’s probably just a cycle that’s been perpetuated for years. I’d bet a dollar someone called “Thriller” overproduced nonsense compared to the heart shown by the Rolling Stones, or “Abbey Road” as such compared to the “true” musicianship of Aretha Franklin, or hell, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony compared to the earliest attempts at orchestral work. Musical tastes are constant & ever evolving, much like mine were between 2014 and 2021, and especially so since I’ve started this whole 1001 Albums project. All of this bullshit rambling preamble aside, I've grown to fucking love this album. If you can allow yourself to let loose and open up your mind for just 49 minutes (or 60 minutes via the deluxe), what emerges is a tightly crafted, well-written, well-composed & well-sung pop album that stands up with (and next to) some of the best of its genre, full of monster hits, which has probably shaped an entire generation, for better or for worse. It is probably the best Taylor Swift album, and it’s her at her pop peak. I know one of her COVID-era albums is on the list, and I’ve never heard that one before, so I’ll be ready when we get that one, but as far as "1989" goes, it’s an easy 5. By the way, did I mention that I'm older now than Taylor Swift was when she recorded this album? Yeah, she did this album when she was 24. I'm cooked.

Wasn't bad

Favorite Track: Out of the Woods

An entire album of overplayed earworms I’ve heard too many times to count already.

For sure an album of all time

Oh boy, take 2…I’m going to stick to my cranky old man policy and keep ignoring Ms.Swift. I am happy not knowing a single song of hers. Could be the greatest album ever and I’d still pass. She gets 2 stars for her celebrity.

this is probably her worst album but it's still too scientifically engineered to be enjoyable to call it "bad" per se. a 1/5 as a taylor album but perfectly acceptable in the grand scheme of things

Me suena a plástico.

Blank Space. Essa é boa, viu?

I was a fan of Taylor Swift's songwriting before this album. 1989 made me a full-on Taylor fan. I have complex feelings and opinions about T-Swizzle, but generally I think she is the among the best songwriters of her generation and I admire her for standing up against corporate greed in the music industry via her fight to reclaim the master recordings to her first six albums. A fight that she ultimately won in such a big way that it has literally changed the way the music industry works. Anyway, this record is full of bangers. Banger after banger after banger. It is an album that gave Taylor the confidence to become the cultural icon she was meant to be, for better or worse.

I've heard this album many times because my girlfriend is a huge fan. It's alright, a lot of catchy beats and nice vocal arrangements. I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it just because I heard it somewhat often in my life. It's not something that I would put on but I don't hate it either.

Basic is what comes to mind

servicable pop music

As to expect from Swift, great songwriting and catchy songs. The so-called “Pop Bible” is a no-skip album to me. Altough it is very mainstream, making good pop music is also a craft to appreciate. The singles “Style”, “Blank Space” and “Shake it Off” are known worldwide, but the album has way more to offer. One of my favourite songs off the album - “Clean”, really showcases her ability of writing relatable but also profound. Even Imogen Heap, who worked alongside Taylor on the track, was surprised at her songwriting skills. Altough Taylor is one of the most famous musicians on earth right now, her talent is overlooked most of the time. I also really like “You Are in Love”, which describes the relationship of her producer and friend, Jack Antonoff and his former girlfriend. With its memorable bridges and phrases, 1989 remains one of the best pop albums off modern history. Really enjoyed revisiting this record.

Awesome album

Suck

Get over him girl

This album starts off strong with some uplifting tracks but soon melds into one ongoing synth with little differentiation. Did I enjoy it? Yes. Did I think it was just generic music to slowly sway to? Also yes. I didn't get a story, and I didn't get the heartbreak that everybody else did.

-this was one of the first albums i owned as a kid. soooo many great and iconic songs, probably Taylor’s most fun and listenable album imo -there are a few parts that are. very corny and rough. my god the Shake It Off rap verse. but i think it’s an overwhelmingly solid record and one of the most important pop albums of the 2010s -Favorites are Style, Out Of The Woods, and All You Had To Do Was Stay

Shake it off slaps

This is a pop record. It is as good and bad as every other standard pop record. There are a few great songs and lots of mid. If I was a teenage girl in 2015 going through a breakup I would connect to this album more. Fortunately, I am not.

Extremely mediocre and repetitive. I had heard these songs many times before and didn't realize that it was Taylor Swift. Also, there's like one theme in this album and it's "I'm too crazy for this world and that's why you can't love me." Well maybe do something about it then. This falls into my genre of people like this to fit in as opposed to actually liking it, just like the Grateful Dead currently. Just have the community and drop the cult of personality. This is a lot of sophomore year drama that really only exists because people watch too much reality TV and think it's normal to always be in an argument whereas that's extremely aberrant behavior. Just exist, be thankful for what you have, love each other, and be happy.

I was quite impressed by this album, it’s a pretty good pop record to be honest. I’d listened through the Taylor’s version before which now having heard the original, the original is much better. I don’t really need all the bonus tracks and frankly I prefer the older albums production as well.

So many songs I know. At this point I can’t tell if it’s a great album or I’m just losing it

for the meme of it

So, I listened. I knew like half of these songs already? Overall, cringe songwriting and the music sounds like it should be left in 2014 forever. This is the downfall of decent pop. Shake It Off and Bad Blood are not that bad.

Een aantal nummers zijn geschreven door Max Martin, de Zweedse pop producer, dus was dit ideaal om eens op te leggen tijdens mijn reis naar Zweden. Misschien dat ik de Swiftie hype beter begrijp na een volledig album te beluisteren, maar helaas. I'll never be a Swiftie 1.5/5

I can't say I've ever sat down and listened to a full Taylor Swift album. Partly because of my age, gender and taste in music. However, I was surprised how many songs I recognised. She's popular. For someone who has been accused (on many occasions) of being an uptight music snob, I've never really had a problem with her. She produces (writes as well?) catchy music. She appears to have ditched the country sound I recall she came onto the scene with. Anyway, the album. 1989 starts with an MC-808 beat and a song about New York. I'm sure there's a reason she started it this way, but there wasn't anything particularly inspiring about one of the world's most sung about cities. It's been done, love. It's been done. However, as the tracks went on, I actually didn't mind it. She knows how to write a good melody ('Bad Blood', 'Shake it Off' and 'Out of the Woods'). While the lyrics didn't particularly hit home for me, I could pick up on the vibe she was trying to give. I read a little about the album in an incredibly expansive Wikipedia article and nodded along when it go to section where it talked about synth pop. I've decided that my song I'm going to add to my playlist is 'Blank Space', upon second listen I realised I was listening more intently to the lyrics and enjoying the melodies more than yesterday (when I wrote most of this review). I'm sure it's a hit, but I'd not heard it before. In fact, the second listen found me enjoying the melodies more and more. Taylor Swift (and I'm sure a series of writers/producers) can write a catchy song. I understand why she's so popular. So, in summary, I didn't hate it. I'd even perhaps admit to others that I kind of liked it. Perhaps. 3 Stars.

This album is like you’ve just ended a toxic relationship with a girl who was a bad influence, dragging you into a damaging lifestyle of excess. You’ve woken up feeling like a new man, you’re here to live clean, and you’re maintaining a positive outlook on the world. You’ll never forget where you’ve come from, but you’re more focussed on where you are going.

Has some great tunes and you can see why it was such a hit. Bit also, so filler tracks that you'll want to skip

Has the hits. Is adored but don’t think ground breaking. Folklore is a better album

But why?

Taylor jumps into pop music and drops the country. I do not like Shake it off, "getting down to this sick beat" While playing the least interesting part of the song grates the song overall. Maybe the starter of releasing not the strongest song as first single of TS projects Bad blood OG without Kendrick is good. But the remix was better. It takes guts to jump music generes when you are the best at your own, I give kuddos for that, but this album is way overhyped IMO 3/5

7/10 girl you are not a vibe

A lot of hits. Extremely catchy and very well produced album

I really like Taylor. Like all artists I don't like every song, however she does have a very unique voice and style. When you hear her music it is not usually a remake of another artist's work; she writes.

Sorry Swifties. This isn't my thing at all. I've heard worse but this wasn't made for schlubs like me.

I understand why this album is on here, but I did not need to listen to it before I died. The only thing the songs have going for them is that they’re catchy - and all the catchiest songs I’ve already heard over and over on the radio. I should admit that I’m not really a pop person so I’m definitely not the target audience. I found the synths and drum tracks cheesy. I’m sure she can sing but they’ve done so much to her vocals it’s like they don’t think she can. The whole thing seemed overproduced. Didn’t feel like a single real emotion in the whole album. I’m not giving it a 1 because I will absolutely sing along to the catchy ones. I just don’t think being catchy is the same as being good. Fav song: Blank Space Least fav: How You Get The Girl

Iconic I’ll give it that. But sometimes it feels very generic. I know it’s about the music more than the lyrics but I made the mistake of listening to bad blood too closely and it’s just so vague. Maybe I’m too harsh. Specific rating -3.8 Fav song- blank space Least fav- bad blood

I can't even lie, love taylor, but I am not a 1989 girlie

It’s not my favourite Taylor swift album- I don’t think the lyrics are quite at the level some of her other albums reach. That being said it is banger after banger- I found picking favourite/least very difficult cause almost any song on this album could be my favourite on any given day. Favourite song: Out of The Woods (or Is It Over Now? if we include bonus/vault songs) Least: All You Had To Do Was Stay

I tried, listened to the whole thing. I appreciate musical talent and songwriting prowess ecc but if I never hear a TS song again it will be too soon - girly bubblegum pop noooot my thing ICK.

This is better than expected. I can see how it taps into an empowering perspective for young women.

I once lost an argument comparing Bob Dylan to Paul Westerberg. They are in fact not on the same level. The Replacements leader captures nostalgia for a specific moment of doubt and change and uncertainty that we all navigate. Bob writes about something unknown and it somehow becomes universal. That same person years later presented my argument back to me on the form of Taylor Swift. At the time I didn't "understand" TS. Not that I do now but I recognize game. And I can't ever know what it's like to be a a xten year old girl - I do know what it's like to hear Sixteen Blue as a teenager. And I know how great it feels to return to that moment - for only a moment - through a 4 minute pop song. And that is how music transcends - 4 minutes at a time. This song a a greatest hits album for most people. It's the moment Taylor Swift became Taylor. Even I can pick up what she's throwing down.

Those spice-less food memes sure are accurate. It is extremely unfair that other "Pop" artists and projects fall into the same category as her. And I'm not even talking about 70's pioneers or 80's kings or queens of the genre, but contemporary acts that get a minuscule percentage of the attention that she gets...

Awesome, largely mellow album, full of pop hits. Simple, clean music.

Ladies and gentlemen this album IS season 3 of your favourite young adult series

Carefully crafted pop, with a human feel, especially joyful on Shake It Off

Okay so yes the lyrics are vacuous and I’m not really into the valorization of the female fuckboy thing, but finally listening to this helped me understand her superstardom better. It’s fun!

83% Best: Blank Space; All You Had To Do Was Stay; Bad Blood; I Know Places; Clean Must-Hear? Sure

Great album! Catchy music!

this album is very entry level for the genre, very easy to get into it because of the recognizability of the tracks, i enjoy a lot of the songs because i think they’re fairly catchy, i think it’s an important album for modern pop as well, great listen

Always wondered why people go on about Taylor Swift so much. And now I know 😊

Some great hits and fun melodies but let down by the lyrics, which get a little self-pitying. FS: Blank Space

A wise woman once said, "we are all Swifties". On some levels, I see truth to this philosophy - the hits are HITS. Blank space, shake it off and style are pop perfection. That said, I'm afraid for me the rest of the album is overhyped. I hated the opening track and found a lot of the lyrics blood curdlingly earnest. Perhaps it is because I am British. Also, every time I hear Taylor Swift say "you should have been getting down to this sick beat!" my skin crawls. It wasn't even a sick beat!

Masterstroke pop transition. Tight fucking hooks and breakdowns with soaring background vocals. I am particularly partial to the "boys only want love if its torture" bit. She is definitely singing "lonely starbucks lovers" and not "long list of ex lovers." Can't fool me.

Weeellll no soi fan pero esta bien

So this really isn’t my thing but I am guilty of saying that I’ve both listened to and enjoyed this before the list brought it up… I’m definitely not who this is written for, but it’s unmistakably good pop songs. I’m not sure there’s much more to add. Its like a Greggs Chicken and Bacon baguette. There’s nothing more you really need to say about it. It is what it is. A nice sandwich for the masses. It’s no where near as good as Folklore / Evermore, but they are totally different styles. Probably more my cuppa tea. But I’m not gonna whack on Folklore to make up dance moves with my daughter, that’s what this record is for. And not to pour scorn on the equivalent mega pop stars I grew up with in the 90s, this is MILES better musically than say Britney Spears, Steps, Spice Girls, etc. Pop music has come a long way!

This is the big Swift album I guess, most of the songs I know were on here I think. Though they are pretty much all big at this point. Being called 1989 when the first riff kicked in I expected it to really lean in to 80s pop and after that it didn't really, maybe she was born in 1989? Of the tracks I didn't know welcome to new York was the best. Taylor Swift is definitely the best of this sort of pop but the tracks without a hook are a bit washy and lyrically its a bit too relentlessly about relationships failing meaningfully.

Quite the pleasant suprise. Shake It Off, Blank Space, Out of the Woods, and Bad Blood are solid, and great examples of the genre. I could have sworn these were more recently originally released than 2014 - so fairly enduring. Welcome to New York was alright too. The production was good too, refreshing and not overly complex. It is funny how much I fairly genuinely enjoyed this album, and disliked Evermore. This one was good enough for me to listen to the re-recorded Taylor's version. Didn't notice any differences. By then, I'd had my fill though. I know you should write about your life experiences, yada yada, but I think here she managed to also capture a sense of fun and irony with (a majority) of her lyrics. Perhaps unlike some of her other stuff, which is fairly maudlin, pedestrian, and lacking some self-awareness.

I enjoyed the previous "evermore" Taylor swift album we had on the list, so was willing to go into this with an open mind. I was pretty surprised by how many songs I recognised, but I don't really like any of them! It's so teenage girl pop. I'm definitely not the target demographic. I kept checking to see how long was left. All signs of a 1 for me. Sorry Taylor, I do think she can write, which is more than a lot of her contemporaries can say, but this album just ain't for me. I'll stick with evermore 1

We love her.

imagine dragons for girls

Blank Space Style Shake It Off Bad Blood

Not much for pop, but Tay Tay I do like. She’s a true songwriter and performer. This album has some classic pop writing. Good wholesome fun

Meh, some songs were B from the Ps but it just sounded like a very long jcpenney ad

T swizzle is the shizzle. I stole my sister's vinyl copy of this album to listen to it. Best grindcore album, second only to Pig Destroyer's 2004 masterpiece, "Terrifyer". The album Terrifyer is widely regarded to be the best grindcore album of all time, for obvious reason. 1989 was good grindcore too, but I would've liked more breakdowns and guitar solos. Also their blastbeats seemed a little lacking. Still waiting on Terrifyer (Scott Hull's version) btw.

Could give a shit

Some of this is decent, good even, but the vast majority is just modern pop drivel.