1989

Competent, inoffensive, polished, corporate pop. It's fine.

Taylor Swift just doesn’t seem to do much for me—the vocals sound tinny and overprocessed and it all ends up sounding like New Look changing room or utility company phone line holding music. I tend to tune it out rather than pay attention to the lyrics which I understand are her strength… No songs have really stood out either. Inoffensive.

With minor exceptions, top 40 pop isn't my thing, so I didn't really expect this to blow me away either. It's funny, though, that despite never hearing this album before and not listening to the radio or other stuff, I recognized Blank Space IMMEDIATELY. Some pretty solid tracks out of the ones I didn't recognize, and I don't dislike any of the singles (Shake It Off comes close just because it's been played to death and then some) so I'd say this one was pretty decent.

Better than I thought it would be but not my thing.

I forgot how great of a catchy pop song 'Shake It Off' is. Taylor deserves her success. She's good.

Really, it's 2.5 stars. Not for me but a few of these songs at least sound like a blander version of CHVRCHES.

Starts strong with 'Welcome to New York' and 'Blank space' but loses steam. Still a nice listen.

Other than the singles that I’ve heard on the radio and have enjoyed, the rest of the album I wasn’t wild about. It was decent

had a valuable place in my childhood. i just despise miss T Swizzle

I think its one of Ms swift's better albums.

pop

out of all albums? i mean... sure, why not, i guess. i'm not skipping any in this collection, and if i have to listen to taylor swift, i guess i have to listen to taylor swift. if there's one thing i can say about this album after more than a decade of it being out, i never noticed the synthpop influences. however, even with synths and mixing techniques inspired from the 1980s, it can't save her songwriting. it's definitely not the worst album that she has ever put out, but literally half of these songs are top 40 hits that give me vietnam flashbacks. hey guys, ever had a boyfriend? ever had relationship troubles?

All her non-hits sound the same to me, but overall this was a fun pop album, though quite cringe at times. Stand-out: Style

eyy no way, an album I actually have as a CD in front of me as my sister was gifted it by my aunt like a decade ago :) interesting because I don't know if I've ever listened it from front to back but I do know multiple songs. Plus for me Taylor Swift embodies artists that stick around well into the 2020s including Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, etc. from what I remember I liked the songs, so probably like a 7/10 this is so catchy sheesh, but also feels firmly in the 2010, which I don't mind! I just realized we are halfway through the 2020s 😭 very sweet and wholesome but also cheesy pop at times lol I have heard I Know Places and another track though Benjamin, idk which one anymore though... I like the beat to Clean and Style! still a 6/10 or 7/10 for me i think

Solid enough for a bunch of catchy pop tunes. Happy to listen to it once. 2.5

pop

80s pop sound with the bass arpeggiator. More of a modern 1975 weeknd vibe though. I believe this album came around the same time as those other artists becoming popular. I like the 80s vibe. Not exactly what I was looking for from this website though. Probably not the whole album needs to be heard.

Heard this already, not my favorite Taylor album, but some really big anthems that are fun with a crowd and were great when when I saw them performed at the Era's tour

Not my go-to, however, had shared this in class last term as a 10 year album anniversary and had grown to appreciate it a little more than I would have at face value. Happy enough to listen to it again today.

While this sounds good initially as it moves forward it feels increasingly plastic. The Snthems sound like insincere slogans or declarations of very generic post-teen angst and en hi. Is this really smart pop or just poetry from your high school literary magazine.

Solid bangers on there. Soft spot for “got nothing on my brain”. But still went with a 3 as there are some truly weak ones.

When I think of a pop album, this is exactly what I picture. Some catchy songs and well produced. A time and place for an album like this but I won’t be revisiting any time soon.

нууу... в принципе то нормально, понятно что поп, но уши вырвать не хочется. есть хуки. сделано качественно, качает, Макс Мартин молодец. вердикт: норм, но не для меня, пока что такую музыку слушать не готов)

Okay pop album. Do not get the hype at all.

A couple of catchy anthems, but it's all the same sound, and I'm suspicious of songs that require a lot of lyrical padding such as repetition of words and syllables.

Half way through this album I was ready to give it four stars; there's no denying that Shake It Off is catchy. But the album seems to drop off quite a bit in the second half and get fairly unmemorable. Still merits a three.

2.9 her best for sure, had it on my dad's ipod, is it great? no but it's a decent listen faves: style

I'm not the biggest fan of modern pop, especially overly produced stuff with auto tuned vocals. This isn't that though, production is great and her voice sounds natural. I've never listened to a Taylor album before, usually shy away because she is overly played on the radio, I actually found the songs I didn't know more enjoyable. Will never be a go to listen but appreciate the talent

Not bad

Good for what it is (pretty bland generic pop music)

She is inarguably the present pop queen. That said, I don't care for this album or her music. It is built to have broad appeal and, while it is more technically apt than most, I won't let that elevate it for the sake of its sickly breed. It's fine.

can't go wrong with taylor

Alright but best so far

I’ve heard this but I still only remember the hits. I still hate Bad Blood. Enjoyed it more than I was expecting.

I'm not a swiftie but I think she has better albums.

This was a good listen I suppose. Growing up these songs plagued the radio for months and while there were some hood classics on here (Blank Space, Style, and Wildest Dreams) that shit irked me because it was all I would hear man. Seems like it aged a little worse over the years but it was still a solid listen either way. Top 3 Favorites: Wildest Dreams, Style, and Blank Space Top 2 Worst: Shake It Off and This Love 3.25-3.50/5

First time consciously listening to Taylor Swift! Well, can't say this is really my thing. However I can definitely respect Taylor as an artist, she's pretty damn talented.

Good pop album

Holy double clap batman!

So many hits - such good pop quality

Another album I already own. I have complicated feelings about this one. Shake It Off is impressively annoying, and Bad Blood is one of the worst hit songs from an artist of her stature that I've ever heard. It's ugly, poorly mixed, and lyrically awkward. I hate its two biggest hits. It's got other misses for me, too, like How You Get the Girl and Welcome to New York. But even at its worst, it's not boring, and it has some good songs mixed in. Blank Space and Out of the Woods are fun, and Clean, Wonderland, and New Romantics are at least interesting. Style, however, is one of her best songs. It's hard to recommend, since it's got a lot of bad in there. Like I said, I have this album, but almost half the songs aren't on my playlist. I feel like I should give this a two, but I like the highs enough to ignore the lows.

Not my favorite Taylor album, but it was what brought her into Pop stardom. I'm just going to leave a _________

Good pop music. Though a bit “Men suck because I don’t know how to pick ‘em” feel.

Nothing wrong with TayTay

I now understand why Swifties exist.

Fine, Shake It Off and Blank Space are fun.

better than most albums on here

Some really solid songs and overall a good pop album. Travis Kelce really let me down in the early going of this seasons fantasy football though so some marks are lost for that.

Solid pop album but not my favourite of hers

3.5, good pop

It’s really really nice music, but I dislike the feeling of my icy heart melting.

not for me but pop is catchy and she is good a pop 2.5

Pop, RnB, 2014 -> 3

One of the few albums I've heard fully before reading this book. It's as mid as I remember, surprised to see it here, honestly. Then again it's Taylor Swift so as mid as she is it's hard to deny the influence and broad appeal

I don’t want to be a hater, but I didn’t love this

It's a nice pop album with some good production. *Favorite tracks: Style All You Had to Do Was Stay Shake It Off Clean

This album has 3 international hits. Even I heard them countless times in the radio. They are pretty fun. But I'm afraid the rest of the songs, although brilliantly produced, doesn't hit it for me. Don't want to call them fillers or anything, but how many times I can hear Taylor describing some guy.

It’s a good album, but I just am not the biggest fan of Taylor Swift.

Really curious to see what the community reviews on this are. We took our kids to see her live last year, and I gotta say, she earned some serious respect from me when I saw her. It takes a lot to do what she does. This is definitely the album where I started to take her seriously. That said, this is pop music and I’m not really a fan of pop music. It’s pretty good pop music, but pop all the same.

Yeah. Whatever.

It's fine for a modern pop album, a genre which I am not a fan of. Backing music is pretty basic and uninteresting and people clearly are drawn to Taylor's poetry, which doesn't do too much for me personally but I can respect it. Shake It Off is undeniably a banger.

I have to dress up as a Swiftie next week for Halloween. She sounds so outrageously polished, I may as well dunk myself in lacquer.

In 2014 Taylor Swift was already a hugely popular musician, with prior crossover hits ("I knew you were trouble"), but this album launched her into the stratosphere. It was inescapable at the time, proven out by the 6 huge singles released from the album (almost 50% of the standard edition). This was the album that really solidified T Swift as a pop culture icon (for better or worse). Personally, I like several of the tracks, but my opinion of Taylor Swift has soured in recent years so I'm unlikely to revisit this album outside of a project like this. For reference, listened to the original, standard version of the album instead of "Taylor's version"

This doesn’t talk to me but it does talk to younger generations and they love it.

Was originally listening to Taylor’s Version because that’s what the artist wants, but realized I think “Style” is better on the original. So I switched over to the original. Hate to give money to Scooter Braun, but I doubt Taylor is lacking in funds. I find Swift albums are perfect for song by song write ups, even the bad ones (like Lover) Welcome to New York: is Taylor known as an NYC artist? Sounds like a “Party in the USA” ripoff if I’m being honest Blank Space: this has held up better than I would have thought. Some of the lyrical quirks are maybe a bit too quirky, but on average one of her better big hits from this period. Style: that bubbling synth bass with the scratchy guitars on top! Taylor doing early The 1975 better than Healey and the boys. I think she projects just a bit too much on the chorus, but what a chorus it is to get lost in. This never topped the charts, which make it massively underrated in my eyes. Out of the Woods: Honestly a bit annoying, far from the worst Swift song I’ve heard though. All You Had to Do Was Stay: really hate the falsetto “Stay!” in the chorus. Rest of the song isn’t great enough to distract me from it. Shake It Off: I still don’t love the bridge but as a constructed mainstream pop song this may otherwise be perfect I Wish You Would: too many bells and whistles in the production, makes the whole experience too overwhelming for what’s supposed to be such a personal song Bad Blood: YEESH Wildest Dreams: Would legitimately kill to hear Beach House take a crack at this, great song How You Get the Girl: Firmly ok This Love: See above I Know Places: “In the End” pianos and a drum line beat while Taylor digital stutters a backing vocal hook. That chord change from verse to hook should have gotten someone sent to jail. Clean: Like the instrumental here, and Taylor’s vocal feels slightly less pushed up in the mix. Dig this one. Overall not my favorite Swift album (that’s still Folklore), but a solid record and a firm declaration away from country, which is what she needed at the time. The big hits still hit (except for Bad Blood, which always missed), and none of the deep cuts are offensively bad. Good pop album!

Taylor is the undisputed reigning "Princess of Pop." No matter what everyone says, she makes her music on her terms and fills stadiums with crazed fans who pay hundreds or thousands to see her. I like several of the songs on this album, but they are pop songs, not my favorite genre. There is no dispute that they are good pop music, but generally, I would go for something less pop-oriented.

Yeah, there are some quality pop tunes on here for sure. Some are pretty middle-of-the-road though. Favourite tracks: the singles; I'm shallow.

As much as I dislike her overexposed and cringey persona I cannot take away that she can write some catchy and easily digestable tunes. Corny lyrics, sure - but some great melodies honestly.

One of the better albums by Taylor Swift that I’ve heard. You have to admire the ability to write essentially an albums worth of singles. But there is some quite uninspired instrumentals and cringy lyrics in there too.

lowkey had some bangers. Hard to argue with the influence of this album regardless if its to your taste. Last 3/4 songs were purely filler though

1989 marked a full-on shift for Swift as she ditched her country roots for a strictly modernized pop sound. Largely inspired by the synths and dancepop of the '80s, 1989 embodies a successfully catchy and retro style of music that has been updated for modern audiences with contemporary production. For all that it is, 1989 is a landmark album not just in Swift's career as a rising star (now arguably at the peak), but also a landmark album for pop music as whole by defining the sound that dominated the radio waves. And the songs are good. I am not a Taylor Swift fan by any stretch but her songs are really not that bad. They are well-produced, catchy, and occasionally have good writing. Songs like Style and Out of the Woods are easily her best in her entire back catalogue, showcasing her ability to leverage a song's atmosphere and tone to elevate her vocals. The last track, Clean, does this to great affect. The rest are fairly consistent in quality with maybe a few lulls. For the megastar that she is and the qualities that her (and her fans) embody, I can't bring myself to hate this album. It actually has some decent artistic merit and it has some genuinely good songs. Within a broader context, 1989 reflects the cultural landscape of pop music at a time when everything seemed to be approaching a crossroads.

Not as awful of a listening experience as I thought it was going to be. By no means am I becoming a Swifty.

I was eight in 2014- prime Taylor Swift age- so obviously I had the CD. I still think the album sounds better and more textured with the sound of the CD spinning behind everything and between songs. I guess it’s pretty good, and I do like this kind of synth pop but really the production is the best thing about it. Lyrics aren’t amazing but there is some personality coming through and some of the songs tell pretty vivid stories, particularly Style and New Romantics. I still think for this kind of thing I’ll turn to Carly Rae Jepsen first.

Got some massive bangers on it like Blank Space, Shake it off,Bad blood and Wildest Dreams 3/5 tho bc even tho her songs are alright i don't really care for her

much prefer "synth taylor" to "guitar taylor" so there's a lot to appreciate here even if it gets a little slow for me in the third act. style remains a top 5 pop song of the decade

Taylor Swift is a genuinely evil and unbelievably greedy person that represents everything wrong with the music industry nowadays. From having one of the largest carbon footprints of any single person in recorded history, to re-releasing her "Tortured Poets Department" album 18(!!!) times just to squeeze every single extra cent from her rabid fanbase and screw over upcoming artists from the #1 chart position; I can't believe people consider her to be the "only ethical billionaire". Rant aside, I kind of enjoy the music itself. I get why people listen to this. It feels like it was engineered in an evil alchemist's lab to appeal to as many people as possible. It's catchy, makes you feel good, the lyrics are the perfect amount of fake-deep to make teenage girls feel like they're consuming high art, Taylor's voice is pleasant to the ears. Whatever, man. 3/5. One point for each 3000 tonnes of carbon emissions Taylor Swift produces in a year. Yass queen, so cottage-core, autumn vibes ✩°｡🧸𓏲⋆.🧺𖦹

nem fogok hazudni és azt mondani, hogy nem üvöltöttem az egészet rendrakás közben. :D az egészet a bad blood-ig, that is. ha ott vége van, lehet hogy kap egy négyest, de ami utána jött, az olyan unalmas, hogy uhh. és továbbra is fárasztóan egydimenziósak a szövegek sajnos. also ugye hogy starbucks loverst énekel a blank space-ben? :D

7/10 Favourite songs: Style, Out of the Woods idk, not a fan of pop but I can see the appeal for this sound. There seems to be a layer of pretentious 'objectivity' to music these days, people generally talk less about 'favourite' and 'least favourite' and instead 'good music' and 'bad music'.l, which can make pop music become a target of the 'wrong' opinion. I'll probably not revisit this anytime soon but I'm still glad I had to listen to this. I personally think the album is quite good, however getting fed up of swiftmania did create a feeling of dread going in. - Have to give it extra because standing in a nice dress staring at the sunset with rosy cheeks is transition goals

Good album, prefer Reputation, but this was the sound of the Harry Styles era for me. Beautiful pop. But nothing edgy

3.8

nostalgic but mid

My first full Taylor Swift album. There were songs I actually enjoyed, like Welcome to New York, while others I felt that her age of 24/25 when the album came out were pretty apparent. The angsty, bad relationship songs just aren't as relatable anymore. But, I can see why people like her and I would be open to listening to her newer stuff. It was all very catchy.

I’ve never really minded Taylor Swift. It’s completely inoffensive bubblegum for the ears. You’ll be hard pressed to find any thought provoking poetry here, but I can’t deny I did find myself tapping my feet and generally thinking the music was fun. I think I already knew around 4 tracks here through general day to day life. The other tracks weren’t much different. This is a fine album if you just want to turn your brain off and shake your butt. It’s not revolutionary (at least for me) but I guess it does its job.

Yeah okay, this is the first TS album ive listened to all the way through, sue me. Im just not a swiftie! not that this album is bad in any way, just not really for me. a ton of these songs brought up good memories from highschool middle school era, this album was kinda the IT album for like 2 years after it came out. Fav Song: idk probably blank space, its the one i remember the most for sure ( bad blood is good too, especially the kendrick version) 3

Probably time to put aside my dislike for this person due all the over the top media attention. There are some pretty solid tunes of this album and yes, I found myself grooving in my seat a little bit. First 3-4 songs were pretty good. Shake It Off is annoying as all shit, same for Bad Blood, but for the most part, nothing too terrible to listen a couple times. After each listen, The 1975 was first to pop up with songs of similar genre on my Spotify. I'm finding myself enjoying more and more of their music. But this is about Taylor. She's OK. Her music is not nearly as bad as I make it out to be. I'm never going to be a fan, but she's got some solid music. Yes, I'm feeling OK , Luke. 3

3 Holy high school, Batman. For as big as this album was, it’s crazy to think that sitting here ten years later, she’s somehow even bigger. In fact, at this point, she’s probably the biggest musician to have ever walked this Earth. I was nowhere near a state of being alive during the height of Beatlemania, but I have to imagine Swiftiemania is comparable, if not bigger - though probably just as insufferable. I’m very much over the cult of Taylor (as as I’m sure many others are as well), but I’d be lying if I said I don’t have a respect for her because of it - for as much trash as the vocal minority likes to pile on, she admittedly built her empire largely on her own with self-written hit tunes and acclaimed, re-recorded albums, proving no part of her success was ever a fluke. While I don’t personally care for some of her more recent actions, I do think Taylor is responsible for making singer-songwriters into pop stars, and I think both pop music and the listening world owe so much to her for it - Lord knows I’d rather listen to this than the mainstream hits of the 00s. It may not be a fair comparison given that this album is still relatively recent in the grand scheme of things, but as the years continue to pass, I really think that it will hold up much better than pop albums from the decade before (I mean, the world is already turning on Katy Perry). Anyway, 1989. I don’t claim to be a Swiftie or any sort of expert on Taylor’s music for that matter, but if memory serves correctly, this is the album that pretty much erased any notion of her as a country starlet and cemented her as a certified pop icon - and it’s a pretty damn good pop album at that. I wouldn’t have ever admitted that when this album dropped my Senior year of high school, but sitting here now, I can’t deny that the production is incredibly solid and the songs are catchy - in many ways, I could see this as having set the benchmark for pop albums in the years that followed, even into today. Granted, it’s still not likely the kind of thing you’re about to see my cranking on my own volition anytime soon, but the first few tracks in particular are all great, to the point I almost wish I had a wedding coming up just so I could get drunk and jump around to them. Style in particular is a song I recognize as having heard many times before, but I quite enjoyed it here - if I had to name a favorite TSwift song going forward, it would probably be that one. That to say, there are definitely songs here that I remember hating hearing ten years ago, and I can confidently say my feelings haven't changed much on them now - chief among them being Bad Blood and Shake It Off. I’ve always found the latter to be particularly annoying, to the point where I would probably be fine never hearing it again in my life. Also, I can never help but cringe at the lyric: “Just think, while you've been gettin' down and out about the liars And the dirty, dirty cheats of the world You could've been gettin' down to this sick beat” I do think Taylor’s a good songwriter, but that line wasn’t it. Things do pick back up a bit after those two tracks, but you also start reaching a point where the production starts to blend together and Taylor’s whole “ex-girlfriend” schtick starts to wear a bit thin - though Clean at least is a solid conclusion. It has a nice variance to it musically from the rest of the album, and lyrically, it reminded me of one of my favorite album closers of all time, God of Wine by Third Eye Blind. That all to say, this still really isn’t my kind of thing, but I’m capable of admiring what it is - that being just a really good pop album, one arguably definitive of the era (no pun intended). There aren’t a lot of artists who stick the landing when genre-jumping, but Taylor landed it with both feet flat and hands held high in the air. Gotta end my review with a shoutout to my friend and Swiftie, Sarah - yes, I gave another decent review to Taylor!!

It was totally fine! It had a few really memorable ones, like Style and All You Had To Do Was Stay, but I find the lyrcis very difficult to listen to. Feels like arrested development honestly.

Some really good and fun singles on this one. The production has some really great moments along with the lyrics. The overall album experience isn't fully rewarding.

Honestly, the only song of hers that I know is Shake it Off. First song is the gentrifier’s anthem. Go away. Native New Yorkers don’t want you. This is very much not my thing. Way too pop. Like, sanitized pop. Made to be piped into the background of shopping centers kinda pop. It’s all very well made. But, it’s over-polished. I think that’s the thing that doesn’t totally click for me. Feels like I’m listening to Disney Radio. There’s nothing wrong here, really. It’s cute for modern pop music. It’s better than expected. But I feel absolutely ancient listening to this.

I never understood the fanaticism of the Swifties. I just didn't get it. To be fair there are some pretty good pop songs on this album. As I listen I can certainly see why you get thousnads of young girls screaming along to every word. Not that it resonated so stongly with this middle aged man.

It's fine. 3/5

Kind of average pop music. She has a nice voice, but almost the entire first half of the album had quite large parts that were just monotone. Disappointing. I hope for the swifties that she had better synths on Taylor's Version. I felt they didn't fit with her voice. The best songs were Blank Space and Clean.

It's pop at It's highest pop. It's fructose. Obviously catchy stuff on here. A product of the machine. It's not for me but as a product there is nothing really wrong with this. I would say I won't listen to this again but you can't avoid hearing most of it in this day and age.

I get the talent, but it all sounds empty. Guess I’m not a Swiftie.

People saying most average album ever and then giving it 1 star is amusing... I just feel like this is a run-of-the-mill pop album, but it seems to be worshipped as an all time great. The Fame by Lady Gaga is better. Side note: Zane Lowe ranking this as greater than Revolver by The Beatles is absolutely wild.

Just been too much TS lately

Closet swiftie…

made me white again

General thoughts: Weird, the popular songs (the ones I already knew) were good, the rest where 3/5 or lower, I was really expecting more. Favorite song(s): I Know Places, Blank Space Worst song(s): Welcome to New York, All you had to do was stay Cover: The covers online are either messed up in brightness or contrast. Even then, the polaroid concept has been used plenty times before. Taylor's version cover is infinitely better. Real rating: 3.11

Been waiting on this one so I could see what all the fuss is about. It's VERY 2014 isn't it? for better or worse, that's my main take away Also, holy smokes Shake It Off is glorious. a perfect pop song.

Used to own it. Lots of good tracks. Really do I have to listen to it before I die?

2.5

After Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars a few years ago, my favorite quote came courtesy of Daniel Radcliffe when he was asked about the incident: "I'm just so already dramatically bored of hearing people's opinions about it that I just don't want to be another opinion adding to it." That is kind of how I feel about Taylor Swift; I respect that (and understand why) her music means so much to so many people, and I equally respect that (and understand why) so many are annoyed by her constant presence in the mainstream. But what about people like me, who are kind of just in the middle of it all? Why must I be forced to have an opinion on someone who I don't particularly care about?! Truth be told, I don't blame Taylor. Perhaps it's her "fault" that she's gained such cultural significance in the fact that she's written a multitude of hit songs and has had an incredible marketing team around her for nearly two decades now, but it's not her fault that our pop culture-obsessed society operates the way it does in lifting certain celebrities up on a pedestal and/or shoving them down our throats. At the end of the day, I suppose it goes both ways: we love the players, and she loves the game. Anyway, I digress. I'm just so dramatically bored of feeling the need to either love or hate Taylor Swift. And truth be told, I don't love or hate this album. It shouldn't surprise anyone that I'm not the biggest pop girlie in the world; the poppiest moments on this record - "I Wish You Would" and "How You Get the Girl" in particular - grate on me quite a bit, and yes, the overall style of 1989 is not one that I would normally gravitate toward. However, I find I tend to like modern, 80's inspired pop slightly more than actual 80's pop because, even if I don't love the production, I still find the sounds more palatable than the ones from 40+ years ago. To that end, this isn't the hardest album for me to listen to, and there are moments/songs I genuinely enjoy, particularly on Side A. "Welcome to New York" has some really fascinating production elements, and I really like some of the dissonant vocal harmonies. Additionally, I might have told you 10 years ago that I was sick and tired of "Shake It Off" and "Blank Space", but these days, I find the former to be extremely fun and the latter to be a melodic tour-de-force. I think they're almost perfect songs... ...almost, because I think they both have pretty lousy bridges. Although I stand by the fact that I don't hate Taylor and never have, I have definitely always grimaced whenever she's broken out her particular brand of hip-hop inspired vocal delivery, so the bridge to "Shake It Off" always leaves me freezing cold. As far as "Blank Space", I'm a huge proponent of a well-utilized direct lyrical approach, but the "boys only want love if it's torture" bit sounds so drastically out of place and underwritten compared to the rest of the song. That juxtaposition kind of sums of my feelings on her writing as a whole: I think she clearly has a lot of talent, and every now and then, she'll break out a lyric that really impresses me. Other times, though, I find her writing extremely clunky, and not even just in a "I don't think I relate to this" way. "Bad Blood" is the worst offender for me on this record, but it's certainly not the only culprit. Then again, that melody is pretty damn solid...see, this is why I can't commit to love or hatred! I don't think I'll ever reach for this album on a regular basis, but I also don't see how anyone could deny it of all merit. And for those of you who love it, I salute you. 2.5/5

Just 2 songs, thats it

I’d give this one a 3.5, there are quite of few big hits here that I was familiar with and the rest of the album was decent!

1989 is the fifth studio album by Taylor Swift, originally released in 2014. When people think of the greatest pop records, they might think of Sgt Pepper, or Thriller. I'd put this record up there with the best pop records based off of pure hit potential. Every song on here is a hit. Sure it's kinda bland at times. I'm definitely not the target audience as a mid-20s male but if I can find substance out of it than so can you. This basically set the scene for the synth pop revival of the 2010s, which is not my favorite era of pop, but it produced some great hits. Speaking of produced, that's where I think this album is drawn back... by its production. It's pretty overproduced, like a lot of 2010s pop records. It's mixed extremely loud for some reason, I had to turn the volume in my headphones down multiple notches from where I typically listen from.

Comparing this to her latest albums (TPD, Midnights), this is some of her best pop. However despite the catchy choruses and melodies, it lacks depth and originality.

Chart music. Formulatico pero con algunos temas bastante catchy. Eso si la mejor manera de escuchar es brainroting y no leer las lyrics

First swift album. Contagious pop

Ja, nette Nebenbeimusik.

this kind of music is just not for me but i think she must be a great songwriter because i really like the ryan adams version and miss swift wrote all the songs

While I won't pretend like Taylor Swift isn't talented or catchy, I do think overrated and a little derivative are fair criticisms. Hard to listen to an entire album of relationship/breakup songs without it getting a little repetitive, especially when some of the lyrics are just goofy. I also think it's hard when every song has the same basic drum beat and tempo, makes them a lot more interchangeable. Still fun to listen to the songs in small doses, but a full album is a bit much. Top tracks: Blank Space, All You Had To Do Was Stay, Clean

It annoys me.

Superpoppigt. Vissa låtar känns dock så otroligt generiska. De låter som en låt på typ en ungdomsshow på Disney, typ Hannah Montana-esque. Det är inte en positiv kritik. How you get the girl, welcome to new york, blank space, style har den kvaliteten, mer eller mindre. Men så kommer det lite roligare pop-låtar, shake it off, bad blood, clean. Det är ju svårt att göra något om man inte diggar pop generellt, men de bra pop-låtarna blir man glad av och de poppigaste låtarna är ju inte nödvändigtvis dåliga heller (men inget jag själv någonsin skulle sätta på).

the good parts were good and the bad parts were horrible. thank you harry styles.

Like a lot of pop albums it is a bit unrelentingly samey but I liked the feeling I was in a remake of a John Hughes film.

First TSwift album, I guess I'll do the original because Taylor's version is 2x as long. I've liked some of her songs but never got the rabid hype, she just isn't for me, but I respect what she's done. 3* Highlights: blank space (starbucks lovers, every time), shake it off, bad blood (maybe I'd like these more if radio didn't overplay them), this love

Great production, great vocals, solid band. Not unpleasant to listen to m, but a bit too much pop for my tastes. However, I listened to a Taylor Swifft album all the way through and it wasn’t bad…

I won't fault this album for being pop music. It's popular, which means very appealing to a broad populace, which means you can't expect much depth or experimentation. Nevertheless, I was positively surprised by the synth wave approaches and some, albeit somewhat infantile, lyricism. There are some hits that you know even if you're not a Taylor Swift fan and where you can't help bobbing your head to. But every song on the album has only one theme, and I can't listen to any more of this ex-boyfriend crap, no matter if it's whiny or emancipated.

Catchy. Too poppy for my taste.

Got to give it to her she's catchy. Recognised every song (probably because of Beth)

Anthemic positive dance songs. Well crafted. An overly strong belief in the lyrics that problems are being solved: e.g. "I know places" proposes the fox escapes the hunters; "Shake It Off" proposes that one can psychologically overcome the bullying and dissing of the masses with a dance song in ones head. Although the lyrics come across as a kind of confessional and biographical style --here is an event that happened to me and how I've learned to handle it--they really fall into stylized tropes and fantasies rather than any actual introspection into what went wrong or how to actually resolve issues and be strong. A good bit of "borrowed/learned" forms of lyrical phrasing and musical style that are lifted from other groups. A strong feel of having borrowed quite a bit from Lorde especially on Bad Blood and from Lana Del Rey. But without the edge that people like Lorde and Lana Del Ray seem to have.

Enjoyed that.

Of course I know Taylor especially in 2024, but never really liked her tbh, I don't get the hype, but she has some good songs, basically neutral about her. I've checked her newest album and it sucked really bad, this one must be a little better, I know some songs off of it, but not all of them, so I hope I won't be disappointed, but I honestly don't have high expectations, I even though don't hate her, don't like her style in general. First song, oh shit I know this beat already, must have been popular just didn't know it was from here. It's a good opening track I suppose, but I don't vibe with it. Love the beat slowly increasing it's existence in the song. Too long of a chorus already. She repeats the track line too much honestly I'm sick of it. Better have a good bridge. I like the song fully if I know I'll be able to perform it in style, this one has nothing in that fashion. Bridge is mid, good build-up, but that's it. The best part was beat and it's catchy as fuck, but lyrically it's so boring. Second song, who doesn't know this one, it has catchy lyrical delivery and I'm here for it. Chorus is as good as the verses and that's actually kind of rare in songs. The beat is nostalgic also. That one part when she starts speaking is so cunty of her tbh. Lyrically it's kinda childish in some parts, but they're delivered too well. Bridge is also perfect, because I've heard it so much I think, but still it slaps. The last part of she saying the chorus fully again is the worst part because it's kind of unnecessary. Third song, it's giving Beach vibes in a good way. Oooo this chorus is giviiiiing. I mean songs that have billion listens are usually good or good, but overheard, and this one is just good. Chorus is better than the verse, though both of them are delivered perfectly. Comparing this to what she made with the ttpd album, I'm even more disappointed with her. I forgot to recognise bridge oops. Not a classic cult, but it still pops. 4th song, what a weird way to start a song. Chorus is too repetitive, that's the point, but still. Verses are dried out, the slowness in them is exhausting, though the best behind it is kinda satisfying. The bridge was the best part in the song, really fits the vibe. There was a man singing the chorus, don't know what that was. I didn't fully enjoy this I have to say. 5th song, sounds like a song used in malls. I don't like that it's literally about her love life only, like it's too noticeable. Verses are good enough, but the chorus sucks. The way stay is sang is satisfying, but also annoying. Bridge is bad, simply bad. It has One Direction vibe in a bad way. She has hooky lines, but the choruses ruin them sometimes, especially here. 6th song, her one of the most know songs again, people laugh at this, and it does have a bad Meghan Trainor song vibe, but it's not that bad to me. It's too long, God. The way she says the song title, it's accenty and I like it. Ooh never heard a bridge before, how have I never heard of this before wow, it's bitchy in a good way. 7th song, first verse was fast-talked and I love when she does that. If the chorus wasn't so bad I'd like this one too, it's absolutely about her wishing that smn would come back and I don't like the delivery of it. Bridge is neutral, but better than the chorus definitely. Sonically Taylor has this one beat the background and some type of drums to make the song kind of dramatic, it never makes it that way, but still, she doesn't have this girl boss attitude I usually find satisfying in artists. So sonically this one is good, but Tay never tries to make it the best part. 8th song, another hit, eh. This one is trying to be bitchy, but fails in my view. Perfect verse lyrical delivery tho. The pre chorus is as good, but the chorus itself is overheard and I don't like her voice on it. Bridge is not for this song, she's like mad, but now she sings softly, what's the point then. I wish I could listen to all of these songs for the first time, because having heard them affects how good they are, thing IS I'm not a real critic and this is a safe zone. Anyway bad blood has a chaotic style in a bad bad way. 9th song, okay wtf, this is straight up Lana Del Rey style of singing, did she take inspiration, I mean she never sang like this before in the song, and idk her whole discography, I know this song too, but some of the first lines are so Lana, then not. Ohh just remembered what happens here with that breath, there's a heartbeat beat sound in the background. CHORUS IS ALSO LITERALLY LANA COME THE FUCK ON, "say you'll remember me" has a delivery of her. The bridge is too known and apparently not annoyingly. Naaah the ending is slower version of what she said before and it's even more Lana to me, I'm not a lover lover of Lana, but she's better than Taylor definitely. 10th song, beat came on, and it's the most 2014 thing. Chorus is irritating, makes me want to skip the song. She so doesn't have any vocals too, bridge proved this quite ironically. None of the songs have neither happy, sad, dancey or any kind of 100% this emotion vibe, you can only want to know the lyrics and somehow dance to it idk, but the choruses maaan they just turn me off... musically. 11th song, oh, sad. Is this her ironic way of getting back to me because of what I've said in the last song review. Fuck this, it's actually sad, not in a good way actually, since I mentioned her already, Lana would do this better, she has this voice and style of singing that makes the songs fill with depression, but also this cunty vibe. Anywayy this is painfully bad. 12th song, weird way to start a song, but what a good lyrical delivery after it. Also I know this song, it's one of the songs I personally checked and liked. Chorus is bad if it was a first listen, but now it's kinda not. Verses are superior tho. Nevermind I skipped the chorus. Bridge is fused with chorus, and I so don't like it, I think I never listened to this fully. 13th song, I remember this one having the weirdest beat, riiight it just came in, and it's gone. It's so slow and has no vibe that the album is finished. Apparently there is a deluxe version of this, if I liked her I'd listen additionally, but I got enough of her today tbh. Not an album I'd be addicted to, or would want it to play from start to finish, that wasn't her point obvi, but I love albums that are goooood from the bottom to the top. Chorus is catchy, but it's too sad and makes me dislike everything in it, actually it's trying to be sad, not that it is. Bridge kinda changed up the game, but also failed miserably. Skipped a little, can't take anymore of it. Weeell, I expected a lot worse tbh. There are many hits here and I liked most of the songs, but the album as a whole is not that good for me. Production is low and this kind of pop always sucks in maaany ways. It would've been 4 stars, if I liked her voice, style or something that no one else has, but I can only give this 3 stars. At least songs didn't sound too same as they did in ttpd. I think I can honestly say I know a lot of songs from her, and I still don't get why she's THE pop star rn.

Definitely not my favorite swift.

This album is a straight A student with no personality.

Fine but not really my taste. The biggest hits remind me of high school/college time which is a good memory.

A good enjoyable pop album with a few bangers. Still, it did nothing to help me understand the frenzy around Taylor Swift.

I felt more pressure on this than previous albums. I really haven't listened to any Taylor Swift, but as she's gotten ever bigger I've been meaning to but putting off getting to know her music. This ended up being my first real listen to anything of hers. Overall I felt it was fine. I didn't like the standard party anthem opening of Welcome to New York. I really liked Blank Space, the chorus is exactly my kind of catchy. During Blank Space, I was thinking "damn ok I'm in. If the rest of the album does this, then I totally get it" The rest of the album never really hit that mark again for me though. Out of the Woods was another standout, but not quite as much. I could take or leave the whole middle section. This Love was a good break from the driving, glitzy pop it had been up till then. I Know Places was my second favorite - I liked the darker, more melancholy sound, and the piano reminded me of Linkin Park. Clean was a good song to close on, and another that I genuinely enjoyed. I liked it more than I thought I would, and less than I wanted to. I would listen to it again, but wouldn't seek it out, save for a few songs. I'm glad to have finally given Taylor some real attention though, and will listen to more. Also it sounds VERY much of 2014 Album cover: A-. Very much matches the visual with how the album sounds.

Mildly catchy tunes. I really like Shake it Off. Blank Spaces and All you Had to Do was Stay are also pretty good.

Plenty of bangers, but none of them really captured me beyond that jolt of recognition. I do think Taylor's music is thoroughly listenable, but I still don't really understand the hype.

In which Taylor tries to write "You're So Vain" and "You Oughta Know" as many times as she can with as little mystery as possible.

I really liked this album when it came out, was such a change for her and felt like a breath of fresh air for pop music. Hasn't aged super well and the filler tracks are boring as hell, but Blank Space still bangs.

A good album, Swift’s at her best in her pop song creation in this album, but it’s not an album I would listen to unless my daughter asks. 3/5!

+: Welcome to New York, I Wish You Would, This Love +-: Blank Space, Style, Out of The Woods, All You Had to Do Was Stay, Shake It Off, Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams, I Know Places -: How You Get the Girl 5,8/10

No doubt that these radio-friendly pop tunes are infectiously catchy. That’s not really my style, but still this album was more enjoyable than annoying. A handful of song are clear hits, but most songs are in the same vein but don’t always land as strongly. A pretty cohesive sound for an album of this sorts. Better than I expected, probably an important and strong modern pop album. It’s still probably not something I’ll revisit frequently, but may not be so quick to change the channel if Taylor Swift comes on. I may even enjoy a song or 2. She set out to make a fun, catchy album and generally achieved that, but the lyrics about tall guys with nice hair gets stale after a bit.

Great pop album. Lots o hits.

Synth based pop music is not my thing. However, this is a solid pop album. Had to skip ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘Bad Blood’ as they are just too sickly sweet (and probably over played), but there’s some great songwriting and arrangements on here. A respectful 3 stars.

As easy to access and enjoy as one would expect and packed with huge and famous tracks. This is much more pop-y than the album I reviewed previously. Good, but not great.

a lot of hits but she is so money hungry i cant enjoy it

So this is basically a synthwave record with a few mediocre singles put into the mix… I enjoy the synthwave part though, and I now finally understand the hype: Taylor Swift exposes people that have no interest in music to her version of great pop music styles. Sadly, quite a few of this people are music critics.

Not bad, but also not great. So far nothing on this album has given me a "wow" factor. The track, "Style," is solid though; the opening track, "Welcome To New York," however, seems to be poorly written. It made my facial expression cringe upon listening.

Bad Blood is the Taylor Swift song I've ever really liked, I generally don't get the appeal.

I feel like I'd like Taylor Swift's music a whole lot more if I couldn't understand what she was saying. Swift has a tendency to reduce situations into superficial tableaus that I find deeply unsatisfying. She writes about what dress she had on, or that she's wearing cherry red lipstick, and we end up knowing nothing about the situation except that Taylor thinks she looked hot in it. However, it may be a deliberate songwriting choice intended to evoke nostalgia and our tendencies to sand off all the edges of romantic memories - the album cover is a Polaroid, after all - or to display the emptiness she feels when reminiscing about past loves. I'm unfamiliar with Swift's wider catalogue and whether she writes in character, or if her albums often explore a key concept or theme. But judging it on its own merits, the songwriting was infuriatingly shallow and unrelatable to me. However, Shake It Off is a banger, the production is great, and the booming 80s synth sounds that permeate the album (especially on Blank Space) was very much my cup of tea. 3.5

This is rather derivative, or perhaps, everyone else is sounding like her these days. I wouldn't go so far as to say it's bad, but it feels like the mass market fast food of female led modern pop.

Only really got the synth-pop vibe on a couple of songs, was hoping for more. Pretty catchy album but don't think I'm converted to a "swiftie" just yet.

Pretty good album. I think I get the whole Taylor Swift thing. I probably wouldn't revisit it, it's just not really for me.

Stabilt popalbum. Lite svårt att förstå hypen, åtminstone baserad på detta album. Inget extraordinärt.

Hooooh boy... I'm scared to say something about this album. Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest music artist of the past 10 years. Because of this, she has developed something of an... interesting fanbase. A lot of people treat her like the greatest musician to ever live. I remember in my high school weights class the students would ask for Taylor Swift to play, which led to various days of deadlifting to nothing but her music for 40 minutes at a time. I hated those days, but I know realize that they prepared me for this, the inevitable Taylor Swift album listen. Here we have her 2014 album, 1989. In my opinion, this album... is alright. It's not really my thing personally, but I can see the talent and I respect the album. I can see why this is popular. The production behind the sound is pretty good when it comes to the beats and stuff. It's definitely modern but there's a little 80s influence that aids in making the album decent. I will say, for as long as I've thought that Taylor Swift was overrated, I've always been able to recognize that she's a good singer. The writing is a bit mixed for me. Some songs are pretty solid. Of the big hugely popular songs I've heard before, I think "Blank Space" and "Style" are pretty alright. I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or something, but I think "Shake It Off" and "Bad Blood" are probably the worst songs on the album. Maybe I'm biased from how overplayed those songs are. I don't know. Overall, this is a perfectly fine pop album. Again, it's not really my thing. But I don't dislike it. It's solid. I still think she's overrated though. 3/5.

Welcome to New York is the most soulless pop song I’ve ever heard. It’s pointless and adds nothing. I hope to never hear it again. The beat on Style goes hard and some of these song’s production outshines Taylor. Blank Space is unique and original while also remaining very Taylor, though Shake It Off and Bad Blood are exhausting and, frankly, cringey. Wildest Dreams and clean are nice. All the songs have a very urgent feeling including production and lyrics, but fails to make me want to actually do anything, such as excite me. Some of her songs have a timeless feeling while this whole album felt dated almost immediately after it came out. I can enjoy, maybe, one? two? songs on the is album. 3/5

Some good hits, though most musics are in short of identity.

pretty quintessential pop. Easy to listen to, and obviously recognize a lot of the singles. Not my favorite thing to listen to regularly, but see the appeal.

I just don't get it.

The album is a banger, 4/5. But im gonna remove a point because Taylor seems to be a horrible person.

it's a new soundtrack i could dance to this beat pop in the 00's was missing a zeitgeist-defining figure like taylor swift (or, funnily, 2010's kanye). some of the comparison is ridiculous (her attention to visual aesthetic and choregraphy is no where near michael jackson's) but she genuinely is the michael jackson of her time. i dont mind calling it now, blank space and style will be remembered as two of the best pop songs of the entire century, they certainly already were of their decade. i may have hated shake it off in high school but a decade later there is something to be said that it is one of the most (the most?) recognizable songs of its decade. the production on it is really enjoyable, i somehow never noticed all the brass on it. the bridge to out of the woods is amongst her most powerful, and we're at a point where she is delivering career-best moments in songwriting. there is a lot to love about the albums that came before 1989 but they all suffer from studio meddling at times. 1989 doesnt have the lyrical depth that taylor swift would hit on her late 10's/early 20's albums but it is her most consistent and concentrated pop album. it makes me want to speak in superlatives and romanticize everything i say. the biggest knock on this album is that the lyrics are often cliche-ridden. as smart as the songwriting is and as tight as the tracklist is, it can't make up for often vapid lyrics that can feel madlibbed together at times. i dont think 1989 is exceptional but it is incredibly listenable and its opening 4 track run is amongst the best in her career.

I've never listened to this before, but of course you know some tunes. Genuinely solid pop. 3.5

About what I expected. No nice suprises.

3.4/5 listened 2x. high energy and nice beat but not really my thing

I have never listened to Taylor Swift before, but this album wasn't too bad. I doubt it will ever make my top 20 albums, but it is worth another listen

Honestly, pretty solid pop songs. It's not for me, but I get why pre-teen girls go nuts for it

This is more proof of what I've always said. It's a pretty solid pop album, but why do people treat it like it's the most transcendent and influential musical album ever? It's pretty good.

Pretty good

Mostly too generic-pop-y for me. I also don't like the production on Taylor's Version as much as the originals :(

Power pop princess with a lot of big hits. Album has a modern candy pop feeling, up beat and catchy. Commercial success obviously, with all the successful singles, but there were a couple annoying tracks I couldn’t listen to like Welcone to New York and Out of the Woods. Had to skip through as a bit one dimensional and repetitively annoying. Glad she’s comfortable with evolving and see her transform from a country singer to pop diva but maybe some of her authenticity is lost?

Meh, enige reden dat het drie sterren krijgt is omdat 10-jarige ik hier wild op ging. Ze is TE hetero voor mij, sorry not sorry.

I’m just gonna say that I’m not the biggest pop fan, so I went in with an open mind. Eh, it wasn’t terrible. It’s has a cool synth-pop sound and there’s a few good pop tunes and lyrics here and there. But to be honest, while it is probably THE pop record of the 2010s, most of this is too sappy for me. Most of it didn’t really do anything to me. It’s not my thing, but I can see why other people like it.

Too long. Would be 5 stars without some filler songs.

Fun and made me appreciate her style more

Mid music for mid fans

First time I’d listened to a Taylor Swift album. Not sure if this is considered her best one or not but overall I thought it was a pretty serviceable pop album. I can see where she gets the reputation as being disingenuous, the overall theme of the album seems to be “I’m a relatable hot mess” from the most prolific and successful pop star of her generation. Shake it off had me turn the volume up as always.

3.2 So does this mean I'm a Swiftie now?

This is alright. Not offensive. Although (apart from the classics over played on the radio) nothing really stands out…

2,5

Honestly better than I thought it would be. I can definitely see why so many people enjoy her music. Great singing voice and some solid production. Not every song hits for me, but some do.

taylor mid

Had never heard of this artist but hope she makes more of a name for herself soon. There were a couple I’d revisit and a few more that I wouldn’t

Pop is definitely still alive and vibrant.

Not a Swiftie, but it is got a lot of well written songs.

Lots of catchy songs

first time listening to one of her albums in full. This one has a lot of songs I recognize. Not bad overall. Just not super into pop songs.

Note: I listened to the original version rather than Taylor's version. Turned this thing on and I think it started strong. 'Welcome to New York' is good followed by 'Blank Space' which slaps, followed by 'Style' which slaps again. The album coasts and then you get to 'Shake it Off'. I don't care for 'shake it off' If Taylor Swift is music for 12 year olds, 'Shake it off' is made for the sensibilities of an 8 year old. Maybe if I were listening to it for the first time I could like it. Then the next hit, Bad Blood comes on, which might be my actual least favorite TS song. I'm not sure what producer told Taylor that she needs a song with booming beats, but it doesn't compliment her voice at all and has what might be the worst hook/ chorus of any of her songs. It's undanceable which rides on a garage band bassline that can't even be salvaged by Kendrick Lamar, awful song, Failed experiment and I don't think we've seen Taylor try something like that again. Next song, Wildest Dreams, awesome, great song love it. How you get the girl and I know places are also good as the album closes. This album has some of my favorite and least favorite Swift Songs, If I liked Bad Blood and Shake it Off it would probably be a 4/5 star album, relatively consistent with pop hits sprinkled in. As it sits with me, it feels like Taylor was trying a lot of things on this album, some stuck and some didn't. I will say I think that this is the first album of hers that shows influence from Lana Del Rey which she definitely taps into more on Folklore and Evermore which I think is a good direction for her to go. As it stands, this project may have been important for Taylor's career but as a musical statement it's a bit of pop guff.

Sometimes I’d start to think “oh this track sounds pretty good” then she’d start singing. Really weak vocals imo One of the best TS albums and singles and this is all it is + The Screaming Females cover of Shake it Off is so much better it was shocking to hear the original again Homeschooled weirdo energy

Taylor Swift has poetic strengths of a highschool sophomore broken up with before the big dance mixed with the showmanship of an MLM spokesperson. You can't listen to the album without understanding why it resonates with young white women everywhere. My favorite track was Wonderland and I loved the high pitched bendy synth in How You Get the Girl.

Taylor Swift’s music is not for me, but she is the best of the best of her milieu. Love her or hate her, she is iconic in the pop sphere. I actually knew a couple songs on this album (Blank Space, Shake it Off, Bad Blood) and they aren’t bad, the ones I wasn’t familiar with were pretty forgettable as I wasn’t really willing to do a repeat listen.

I remember this album being released, and suddenly becoming aware of what a huge pop culture phenomenon Taylor Swift had become. The fact that it has now been ten years and she's sustained the same level of interest is quite incredible - since becoming aware that Taylor Swift was 'a thing', I don't think there's ever been a time that she hadn't been part of the Zeitgeist (at least in my circles, as a millennial elder). Ultimately, I just don't like listening to these songs. But there are a handful of stand out tracks (Blank Space, Style and Wildest Dreams), and the songwriting talent is clear. I'll never be a Swiftie, but I can respect it.

Tried and failed to get through the vault tracks

Liked it more than I thought, get less planes though Taylor.

theres a few nice songs here like shake it off and wildest dreams but the trash like bad blood and how you get the girl along with the mediocrity like i know places drag this down to a 5/10. still a bit better than i was expecting though

Contains some of the highs and lows of TSwift’s discography imo. Maybe I’m a hater or maybe I have a sertraline prescription but I prefer her sadder less poppy stuff.

I was not expecting this for some reason. I have never listened to TS before and it was very strange. I put on Taylor’s version because why not. Nothing against the woman, but this music doesn’t strike me as particularly good. It’s just well-engineered to appeal to a particular type of listener/fan. And in that respect it is very successful.

it’s fine

Not hating on Taylor, I understand why it’s so popular. Just not my thing.

Muy piola siftie me copo. Ni sabia que shake it era de ella.

I love how polarised people are towards this album and Tay Tay in general. You either think she's the queen of pop or think she's the reaper of happiness and artistic talent. Well guess what? This album is neither amazing, nor shit. It's fun, it's catchy, it's danceable. But it doesn't do much more. Fav songs: - Blank Space - Style - Out of the Woods - Shake it Off - All You Had to Do Was Stay

From “Summer of Taylor”: A solid album, but the influence of Martin and Shellback as co-writers is starting to wear thin. Way too many repeated lyrics on a bunch of the tracks. The last 4 songs were a real drop off. Pleased to see it's a totally non-country album. The whole "this song is about one of my exes" motif is getting old.

The two people in this group, but not every potential reader of this review, will know that I just embarked on a “Summer of Taylor” last year and am therefore well acquainted with her oeuvre. I thought then, and continue to believe upon re-listen, that this is a weaker entry in her catalog. And I submit that “welcome to New York” is one of her worst songs, period. Highlights: style, shake it off (for at least a couple more weddings before I get sick of it), and bad blood

My only issues are that the album is a bit too long and I absolutely despise Shake it off. Ignoring those two things, this is a fairly decent album.

I agree that this should be on the list. I dont have any opinion about Taylor, but this is a pretty good album. 3/5

Its generic pop stuff. Some songs sounded like Carly Rae jepsen whos better. Almost every song sounded the same. Cant imagine anyone out of high school listening to this one.

Pop con sintetizadores. Muy comercial. Ni fu ni fa.

Quality production and songwriting

Very pop-y. Not that I didn't expect it of course. Some bangers, some not-bangers.

Ok

Different from what I expected. Better in some ways. I'm not a person who can connect tightly to the work here but I get why folks do. Taylor has lyrics that are a little bit like life therapy. Good therapy. I'm never going to be a girl born in 1989 progressing through the America experience, with boyfriends and loves and lessons of life being full of ups and downs - but if I was, this would be a lovely balm to coping with the shit times, and a lovely anthem for celebrating the great times. It's got music and style and complexity behind simplicity and it's done exceptionally well. It deserves its place on this list. It doesn't work for me because a)I'm not that type of girl (alert: I'm a guy, over 50, greying and partnered - so thinking in that way has me feeling uncomfortable) b) Tailors voice grates on me. Just the pitch. I'm embarrassed at that, but I don't like Barbera Streisand for the same reason. c) some of the musical tricks she uses are repetitive, but that might just be her style, and I'm just unlucky at not being excited by them. That's all the complaints or issues I have. They are minor and selfish, but this *is* my personal review. 3 stars. Will listen to again, but not with intent or expectation. Just lightly.

Some of these lyrics are corny trash but it’s mostly pretty catchy. Not my genre but I see the appeal.

Biden propaganda smh /s

Pretty decent radio friendly princess pop. Blank Space is great.

Strong 3

Still don't get it.. Formulaic/corporate feeling, great system I guess

Look, she's a good singer. The songs are catchy. One or two struck a chord, maybe. But it's overall not my style.

Not my kind of music. That being said, I can understand why people like her so much. For a pop record, it was good, but again just not for me. 3/5 Won’t listen again

2024-03-18...

Alles toll produziert und massentauglich. Sicherlich auch 1-2 Songs, die sehr im Kopf bleiben. Ich habe den (extrem großen) Hype um Taylor Swift bis heute aber noch nicht verstanden. Wahrscheinlich weiß ich vieles über sie nicht, achte zu wenig auf die Texte. Dass sie ein großer Star ist, verstehe ich. Ich verstehe aber nicht, was sie nochmal eine Stufe höher stellt als andere große Popikonen. Ich finde sie und ihre Musik insgesamt etwas langweilig. Sorry..

Hat mir sehr viel besser gefallen, als gedacht. Werde ich sicherlich ab und zu mal wieder reinhören.

Not a Taylor swift fan, it was ok

good only because its super nostalgic

I’ve tried, I mean really tried, several times, to like Taylor Swift. But I just don’t get the hype and why she’s a critics darling. The songs are kind of OK catchy pop tunes that are fine, nothing special. But they are rather forgettable.

Her hits are ok, but this is just generic pop music. Does not belong on this list. 2.5 stars.

Quite good, but much too long.

After listening to this, I can really see the appeal of Taylor Swift. Her lyrics are very simple, but portray a kind of bittersweet nostalgia that could really resonate with someone who has had the same kind of experiences. The music is pop as pop can be, with some songs harkening back to 80s synth pop, while others feel like the dirty pop of the 2000s. So it’s all very good if it’s what you’re into, but it’s just not for me.

Hearty, upbeat, hard to flaw.

very nostalgic least fav taylor album cute songs though !

Can't believe she wrote Wildest Dreams about Hugh Neutron

This is fine. I've liked some of her newer stuff much more than this. Some of these songs go on for at least 30 seconds longer than they need to. They're just repeating the same words and it makes me anxious for the thing to end. For a pop record, though, I’m not opposed to it. I think I’d love to dance to it, but I was listening to it at work, which is quite the clash of vibes.

For fear of SWIFT retribution... very 'pop-y' and if that's your thing this is great.

Honestly the first time listening. Listen to the original and not Taylor's version. There are a handful of great singles on this album. She's definitely an interesting and talented artist but the fanaticism is lost on me somehow.

Best songs: Blank Space, Style, Shake It Off, Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams

Шо, реально, сестрёнки? Тейлор уже тогда выстрелила? В смысле тогда = десять лет назад я слушал пару её песен, для общего развития. Мне показалось, что ну попса как попса. Красиво, но безвкусно. Попробуем ещё разок. Звук современный и хрустяще-прохладный, мелодии четкие, синты яркие. Всё перекручено так чтобы максимально кайфануть. И я кайфанул под начало альбома, скрывать не буду. Но вот к концу... что-то ухо замылилось. И ощущение, что слушаешь _продукт_ а не реального исполнителя. Что всё сделано специально для потребителя чтобы потребить. Простые мелодии, простой ритм, крайне чёткий звук. Но это ширпотреб

Kind of like a pop Enya. Some enjoyable, others lost in the clouds.

A lot of very catchy well crafted but slightly generic pop songs.

Not my usual bag but a very enjoyable collection of songs you can't help but sing along too. Fair play to Taylor, she's inspired a generation

Not really my style but I didn’t hate it. Millions upon millions can’t all be wrong

Fun Swiftie album

Very frog coded album, no I will not elaborate

I won’t lie, it's hype and better than I remembered. Really it's a 3.5/5 for me, but we can't give half stars. Fave track: New Romantics.

Perfect Pop.

Pop, dance, mid/fast, female, party, emotional, synths, much better than expected, not annoying, good beats/rhythms. The Intro of Clean reminds me sooo much on Kettcar - Landungsbrücken raus... someone has good scouts :D

Nicht schlecht.

Has a ton of hit songs in it. If you like those songs, you’ll probably like this album. To me, the hit songs are catchy but overall the songs are pretty middle of the road and aren’t really pushing future music in any sort of direction. Overall though, Taylor does get extra points for her empowerment of young girls and women and for taking back her own catalogue of music (that was a pretty punk/FU thing to do). Speaking of which, the link goes to the original album version but make sure you keep clicking through to Taylor’s Version.

Easy to see why its popular. First half of the tracks seem solid and catchy. but back half of the album seems to ramble on

Earworms for sure, but I'm not the target audience. It doesn't land any more than a hundred other random pop albums of its kind.

IMO, sound is over produced.

shhh, don't tell anyone, 7/10

I'm just not a swiftie

I guess there's a reason she's so popular. Cringed when this came up, but found myself tapping my toes and bobbing my head. Wouldn't go out of my way to listen to it, but won't dive for the knob if Shake It Off comes on either.

This album made her huge. I get it, I think.

I'll start by saying it's really cool how much control Taylor has over her own music, and by all accounts she works very hard to make it. I like the electro-pop direction/sound a lot, and don't think it's unfair to compare this to prime 80s Madonna or Cyndi Lauper except Swift wrote much more of the material. Her voice is appealing (nobody does an 'mmm' quite like Taytay), if lacking range, and I don't think it's technically possible for production to be more polished thanks to Miller, Antonoff, Shellback, et al and Taylor's reportedly high standards. That extreme polish is honestly one of the biggest demerits to me, not just for this album, but this type of pop music in general; at what point does the artist no longer really matter? I know Taylor hand picked this team to work with, and they really are talented artists in their own right, but there is something about manufactured, air-brushed, reconstituted from concentrate recordings that I find hard to swallow. Some of the magic of music is just lost when you make it this way. That said, "Shake It Off" is a straight bop (though I could do without that pseudo-rap breakdown), I appreciate the shade thrown on "Blank Space," and "I Know Places" has a welcome darker tone from most of the rest of the album plus what I assume is an homage to/imitation of Regina Spektor that didn't go unnoticed. A lot of the rest of the tracks are either generic to my ear, or would benefit from a more mature storyteller. Perhaps my younger self would identify more with the overarching theme of young love lost, but it just doesn't resonate with me. In all, not bad, but not for me.

3.07 per track. Pretty good pop to be honest.

Really gave this one a chance, due to how many swifties I seem to have as friends. It's ok. Catchy in parts, but I just can't connect with any of it, really feels like it just isn't written for me, which is fine. Not all music is. Arguably the most catchy song, Shake It Off, is inexplicably ruined by a terrible bridge towards the end which is a shame. Less poppy ones are amongst the better ones. 2.5*

Not my favorite era. Too poppy. I had a lot of big radio hits on it, but I'm not sure what all was so phenomenal about it that it had to be on the list. Probably just cause it out To Pimp a Butterfly.

I'm a millenial woman. I've never listened to a Taylor Swift album because I've never needed to - I knew all the words to half of these songs purely by osmosis. The Max Martin huge arena pop production here combined with her nursery rhyme hook sing along lyrics has obviously been a winning combination - these are surgically precise ear worms and 10 years later she's a damn billionaire. For me, "Welcome to New York", "Bad Blood", and "Shake It Off" are some of the most annoying songs I've ever heard. On the other hand "Style", "Wildest Dreams" and "Clean" give it to me. The rest are decent, straightforward pop jams. Everything is 3:30 and perfect for shouting along to in the car (or the sold out stadium). I listened to the original version first and then followed it up with Taylor's version. They mostly sound the same. Oh, but there's nearly a whole album of extra songs "from the vault" tacked on at the end. None really stood out to me, although it was fun to read "Slut!" on the tracklist. I've chosen to live in an alternate universe where the supreme pop album of the 2010s is E•Mo•Tion.

What I'd expect from Swift. Very well done, obviously high quality both in music and lyrics. Just definitely not for me.

Just fine

so full disclosure, i opted to listen to 1989 (taylor's version) - not sure if that is in standing with the spirit of this project or not, but as i understand it, i think taylor swift fans consider the "taylor's versions" canonical now over the original releases. and so i think it's fair to listen to the artist's "preferred" version over the original. and i'm not familiar enough with the original to really know a difference one way or another. all that aside, this is just a good pop album. taylor swift is not usually my kind of music but it is undeniable that she has a knack for writing a great hook. this whole album is just hooky as hell, from front to back. clearly this music resonates with a significant portion of the population, it doesn't quite with me, but i appreciate the artistry here. there's a reason she is the most famous person in the world.

Hits even i have heard of

Taylor Swift is everywhere, aargh! This album is synthy ubiquitous pop; can’t avoid it, but can’t deny the syrupy sweetness of Shake It Off and Bad Blood. The rest of the album is mostly meh, filled with quotable one liners about break-ups, ex’s, etc. that were well designed to be quotable one liners. The first few songs are pretty solid, with Blank Space probably the most notable, before the absolutely horrible Out of the Woods. The mega singles follow, and then the back half of the album is so so. Overall better than your average pop album, but this doesn’t rank as a classic.

There are undeniably a few 4 star songs on this album, catchy, fun ear worms like 'Blank Space' that send up Swift's own reputation with fun, anthemic charm. But midway thru the album, the anthemic, sing-along poppiness starts to wear thin. It's obvious she's more than capable of writing great songs, but it's also obvious she's not willing to really bear her heart, get personal, or SAY anything at all really...so it all just kind of blurs into a lyrically simple mish mash of ghosts and wine-stained dresses and tears and glitter. Her music is safe, ensuring she offends no one. But it's also boring.

Not really my type of music but the success of it merits a 3 IMO.

The haters gonna hate, hate, hate… 😂 If I like it? No. If I understand how she is one of the best-selling artists of all time? Maybe. And, yes, I listened to Taylor’s version. [0124/1001]

Liked it more than I expected. She has a great voice.

Not a fan. 3/5

Fellas, if you're in a pinch and need to give "your favorite Taylor Swift song" to somebody on Hinge who swears they're the only person who asks this, just pick a song on this album. It'll make her happy, and you've definitely heard the song before, even if you didn't know it was by her

I feel ashamed to say this but its a really good cheeezie pop album.

Extrem gut produzierte Pop-Liedchen

Pop con sintetizadores. Muy comercial. Ni fu ni fa.

Ik moet eerlijk zeggen dat ik hier een beetje naar uitkeek. Kleermaker Gezwind is één van de grootste artiesten van het moment, maar ik ga dit als stoere, semi-oude snob natuurlijk niet draaien tenzij het algoritme een Walther P5 tegen m'n voortanden zet. Ik ken wel wat hits aangezien we hier in het dorp tegenwoordig ook gewoon radio, televisie en internet hebben, maar ik heb nooit een album van haar aangezet. Wat me meteen opvalt is dat ze op dit album nummers heeft met meer dan een miljard Spotify streams, die ik niet ken. Dat vind ik best verbazingwekkend. Ik ben blijkbaar echt het contact met de jeugd verloren. Eigenlijk ken ik van dit album alleen Shake It Off en Bad Blood (m'n favoriet). Na vandaag moet ik concluderen dat ik het prima popmuziek vind, maar ik word niet weggeblazen. Een paar tracks klinken alsof ze hyperbewust geschreven zijn voor de aftiteling van een film (bijv. Wildest Dreams). Ik lees vaak wat een geweldige artiest ze is, maar dit album is zo overgeproduceerd dat je dat eigenlijk niet echt kunt horen. Qua zang is het inwisselbaar met Becky Hill of Ellie Goulding bijvoorbeeld. Als ze dit echt zelf schrijft heeft ze wel gevoel voor catchy shit. Qua cijfer een beetje lastig. Dit is heel goed te hebben en soms best leuk. Op de popschaal zou ik Toy-Box - FanTastic een 5 geven. Dit is wel iets minder goed. Een drie voelt laag, een vier voelt hoog. Even een nachtje over slapen.

Favorite track: Out of the Woods

Not too bad, enjoyed songs like Style and This Love. It’s a shame that in today’s Pop world, that you waste the last minute of every 3.5 minute song with constantly repeated lines. But, she’s got a great voice…

Ok - not a big fan of pop music queens in general but I think I understand why she is so popular

6/10 Starts very strong but the second half isnt quite as exciting. Also the lyrics are meh Highlights: Blank Space Shake it Out Out of the Woods

3/5

These songs are not as annoying as some other of her songs. TPAB > 1989

The songs I had heard before were the best ones on this, but there were a few more that were still good that I didn't know. Not totally consistent sound over the album, which was not bad as it keeps it fresh. Easy listen with some real catchy songs. 6/10

Right, going in open-minded. Gonna focus on all the positives, let's do it OK, thought the opener is fun but a little dull I've heard Blank Space before. It's a great song! Oh yeah, I've heard Style before as well. Yeah, really fun chorus! Great bridge as well! Out of the Woods isn't for me. To me it sounds like a spoof of a pop song. Like something they'd play at the end of an episode of Smack the Pony. not mad about All You Had to Do Was Stay. The thing is, I'd love all the songs I'm not enjoying if I was a pop song. Which is to say they're all great pop songs! But it's not what I'd choose to listen to so even great examples of it are boring for me. Shake it Off is great. Probably gonna be my favourite on the album. I've obviously heard it plenty of times before but focusing on it here, the drum groove is brilliant! The open high hats make the song if you ask me. Builds really well, chorus is really fun. The 'rap' bit will never not sound ridiculous but who cares, it's a great song. I've heard that the snares on I Wish You Would are inspired by She Drives Me Crazy, the Fine Young Cannibals song. I love that song. I can hear the resemblance here. Especially in the last few seconds. Don't think anyone would've been able to notice it if it wasn't revealed though. Still, it's a nice song. Feels like a bit of a filler to me. Heard Bad Blood before as well, of course. Again only now noticing the great drum groove. Simple but really effective. Never loved this song. Liked it a bit more on this listen but not one of my favourites. Oh, I've heard Wildest Dreams before as well! Christ she's everywhere. It's nice. I don't know that the strings work with the bass. Don't think those things mix so well. Good song though! How You Get the Girl: Oooooh OK did not like that. Sounded like a country artist doing a cover of a 00s song by a manufactured band of 16-year-olds. Thought This Love was boring. Oh no, album. Please don't totally shrivel away. I Know Places: Well I sincerely hated the verse and then the chorus came in and totally saved it. Still didn't enjoy it but could've been a lot worse without the decent chorus. God, it's the 'I, I, I, I'... felt abusive. Clean was really boring. I really tried. It's not for me. But I can appreciate it.

I don't like the dance era of Taylor, but sue does still have very good music. Just not my Swift Style. The harmonies are on point

Very popular.

Not my piece of cake

Daughter loves her. And this was not bad at all!

Decent album

I liked the re-recording. It's poppy and Taylor's big genre jump.

Catchy songs. Enjoyable listen. I doubt I'd listen again because it's not my taste.

A solid 2/5, but the singles, which are undeniably well crafted and catchy, drag it up a star. The album tracks are dull and forgettable though.

It's Taylor Swift, I am indifferent to her music, I wouldn't go mad but I can say that she can sing well and knows how to appeal to her audience

It was fine. Very well-produced and crafted. Just kind of bland. There's no edge, no unique viewpoint, it's like, "safe music."

Pure pop perfection

Some classic pop songs that stick with you, and great storytelling in the lyrics which means you never get bored. I wouldn't listen to the whole album again, though: for me, pop is best in small doses.

I don't live in a cave so am aware of Taylor Swift, but hadn't listened to any albums of hers. I found this to be perfectly decent pop music with a nice bland message and seemed well produced and packaged. I've no idea why she is as lauded as she is, but it wasn't bad.

It's unspectacular pop. I listened to Taylor's version.

I listened to "Taylor's Version", and from the two or three songs that I do know from this album I must say that I agree with the criticism of the re-recording - everything somehow seems more "flat" than I am used to hearing (even when I am used to hearing those few songs over speakers in big box stores). It makes me think I would enjoy the original recording more (and I suppose that is technically the album included in the 1001 albums list), and maybe I will try that one out at some point. As it is, I like several of the songs at the start of this album... essentially I like the songs that could be Carly Rae Jepsen recordings, and overall I would much rather listen to any of her albums than this. This one especially lost me toward the end, when the instrumentation reverted back to what I would consider more "stereotypical" Swiftian singer-songwriter-country-pop, and I find all of that a bit bland, especially as a person who does not pay much attention to lyrics. I had no idea "Style" was a Taylor Swift song before this listen, so that should tell you how familiar I am with both her oeuvre, and mainstream pop music of the 2010s in general. Anyway, it's fine, just mostly not for me.

I was looking forward to hearing my first Taylor Swift album to see what the hype is all about. I can see why young women/girls would love it. It's not really for me, but there is some catchy stuff here. I'm less impressed by the instrumentation. It was nice to hear the saxophone on one song and I could make out some acoustic guitar, but it's mostly dominated by loud I assume computer generated sounds. For a modern pop album, it's a bit above average.

Obviously aware of Taylor Swift and this album. Not completely my thing but guess there’s a vibe and I don’t dislike it. Not library quality though. 3/5.

As good as modern pop is going to get for me. Years of listening to the Ryan Adams version helps a lot. 3.75

I’ll give her pop props for bringing it. Not my thing, but I get it. It was good to ride the stationary bike to.

Overall not a hard album to listen to. No doubt that Tyalor Swift is incredibly talented and has a great voice. It's not my typical genre but I can respect the talent. I'm giving it 3.5 stars. For people who are into pop I'm sure it's at least a 4.5.

My first foray into Taylor Swift! Will this turn me into a swiftie? I’ll let you know in 48 min! I listened to this while walking around Baltimore which gave a good vibe for it. I obviously knew some songs going in but it was more than I thought. Funny thing is I thought some of the non-singles or radio hits were some of the better ones. Especially liked Clean to end it off that had some smooth synth to it. That all being said I’m giving this a solid 3. Classic pop album that’s just a little too overproduced for my liking and made some of the songs sound the same. Definitely not bad in any way but I don’t really see myself coming back to it. Wonder how many (or any) more Taylor albums are on here.

Huge talent. Enjoyed some tunes.

Not a fan. Never listened to her before this. I listened to Taylor’s version. For pop she’s good, I’m not a pop fan so it’s just okay. First track “Welcome to New York” I did like because it was used in one of my favorite movies, which I didn’t know it was her.

Too much pop.

3.5 Welcome to NY, Blank Space, Shake it Off, and Bad Blood, iconic songs that define an era. Really good songs. Other than that the rest of the album sounds like generic Taylor Swift songs.

Oh my goodness. Im not a taylor fan, and I think i regretted this whole album listening exercise one song in. But it grew on me. Its littered with hooks and Im into it. I hate so much about it, but i cant deny that theres a lot to like about it too. Her lyrics are sometimes infuriating but the production and melodies make it kinda work. Im never listening to this again unless someone else plays it and then i will bob my head and mutter the lyrics under my breath