Reviews (page 8 of 11)
Tricky listen. Disclosure: I had to separate my current displeasure with swifties and how she weaponizes feminism against other women when it's convenient for her. I also had to take a moment to set aside previous biases and act like it wasn't her to listen to this. Plus I had to remind myself. I'm not the target audience. I did listen to both the 2014 version and the "Taylor's version" At the core of it she has a "sound" in this album and a vibe that she's going for and nails it. This was her first "pop" sounding album and she seems to understand it well. The re-recording seems to change some stuff but I can't tell if they were significantly different. The lyrics are definitely evoking that "movie romance" and I can see the appeal. Overall solid album but the some of the songs did kind of blend together for me. "Shake it off" was a stand out, "New Romantics" kinda had a similar vibe to "Safe and Sound" by Capital Cities. Was it a good listen? Yes. Would I seek it out? probably not
T Swift is good
I can see why people like her album. Upbeat and a good singing voice. Not for me personally.
Favorite Tracks: Style Out of the Woods This Love Clean
I like: Style Wildest Dreams Clean
Not bad, I was just pretty unimpressed. I guess it's just not my thing 🤷
This album doesn't do much for me, and I don't really connect with many songs. I realize that I am not the target audience, so I don't begrudge it for that. Even on the level of just appreciating pop music for what it is, there aren't a ton of songs that I would personally add to my playlists. It feels like music generated by an AI for a Netflix rom-com about a girl moving to the big city. Song going on my "1001 Songs" Playlist: Shake It Off. There are a couple of the hits that I don't mind, and I may regard them more highly if it weren't for overexposure to them. Shake It Off is the one that most makes me want to sing along, and it's a fun song.
Waarom zijn out of the woods, shake it off en bad blood zo VERVELEND Verder best oke, heel erg pop
2014 radio muziek, vond het prima om te luisteren maar niks sprong er uit. Sommige teksten wel echt tenenkrommend maar ach. 3 sterren lijkt mij hier prima
As an homage to 80s synth-pop, this is pretty good Shake It Off and Bad Blood can both die in a fire though, why they were chosen as singles is a mystery to me Favourite tracks: Welcome to New York, Blank Space, Style, Wildest Dreams, This Love
Never listened to a Swift album before. It was better than expected, but overall still not my thing. I respect it though. 2.75/5
It's like bubblegum for your ears. Sweet to listen too but tiring after a while. Fave track Blank Space.
Hmmm, it's very polished pop. I can admire the talent, and any individual song has something I can appreciate going on, but a whole album of it becomes a chore. If this came out 10 years earlier, before I retreated into a hermetic media bubble, I suspect I'd absolutely detest it for being overplayed. Fave track - "Shake It Off" I was familiar with from people singing it at karaoke, and it's quite a bop, sure. And let's say "I Know Places" from the songs I wasn't previously familiar with...
Conflicting feelings on this one, some songs were really catchy but some were really formulaic and unmemorable. It's tough for me to get really into an album where every song is about boys, even if there were some bangers.
Better than I expected. Still over-processed. But well-produced.
Glad to listen to this, and I think the production and songwriting is top notch. It's really noticeable that this is a vehicle for a few big bangers though, and the drop off from the singles to the filler is really large.
It's good for what it is, although it does sound a little dated. Although I have not listened to many of her other albums, I would be surprised of people thought this was her best. Some of the songs make me feel like I am in a department store.
This album is difficult for me to rate because I'm so familiar with it. It's between a 3 and a 4 but I did think it was a good album and maybe I would seek it out again if the songs weren't already so drilled into my mind and exhausted.
I am struggling with how to rate this one. I know the Ryan Adams remake really well, and not this original work… I agree this record is produced super well. It’s like listening to glitter. 2 tracks in I can already say I don’t really like her voice - like her vocal delivery is grating to me Adding to that I HATE the Lorre-style pronoun citation of some words haha makes me want to puke But I do understand why people like this. Def well put together. I believe I read that she wrote these songs ‘unplugged’ haha just her and a guitar in a room - I feel like I might have liked that record better Out Of The Woods is a legit track in every way None of the weird Lorde pronunciation, heart-strings story, the ‘sparkles’ are even dialled back a bit from ex: Welcome To New York The DRA version is great also, prob because the fundamentals are so solid. All You Had To Do Was Stay is a great contrast haha - well written song but poorly executed IMHO In that case the DRA version is better by some margin Haha I don’t think I’ve ever heard the real version of Shake It Off haha this is a bit ridiculous IIt’s well done for sure, but it def feels like a rip off (Miley, Pharrell, prob others) - perfect ‘period correct’ pop music though I think I’m coming to the conclusion that the thing I dislike about this record is actually Max Martin & Shellback If I picture that Tay Tay made this herself I feel a bit impressed actually, but I know it’s hit-maker mass market sausage I think this has to be a 3 - I’ve been challenging myself all morning to take a stand and either go with a 2 or a 4 but I can’t - it’s much more enjoyable than a 2. Even though it’s not ‘my thing’ enough to be a 4, it is very well done and my level of enjoyment of the DRA remake shows how good the actual songs are.
This is so american i can not
HL: “Clean”, “Your Wildest Dreams”, “Blank Space” alright
Better than I expected. I’m not into that style of music but must admit that it was an enjoyable listen.
Durchgängig gefälliges Pop-Album mit wenigen High-, aber eben auch keinen Low-Lights.
Pop. Alegre.
Welcome to New York // Blank Space // Style // Shake It Off // Wildest Dreams //
I’m not a Swiftie, but I can admit that Taylor has some catchy songs. I didn’t care for most of this album, but there are a few songs I’ll definitely listen to again. Solid 3 because even though a lot of this isn’t my taste, it’s at least fun and catchy.
Catchy no doubt just feels cookie cutter
I wasn't all that impressed by Taylor Swift whenever I'd hear one of her songs on the radio. She seemed like just another generic pop singer. But, to be honest, after hearing a full album, I do have to recognise her ability to write catchy songs, and she can definitely sing. Musically it's a bit middle of the road though, not bad, not great. 6,5 out of 10
-1 for welcome to ny
This is a little poppy for me. I can appreciate the catchiness of the tunes and the production. I really do not relate to a lot of the lyrics. I have not spent anytime with Taylor to this point and based on this, I don't really expect too. I am going to check out the Ryan Adams version for comparison.
Fun
The hits are nostalgic for me from college but the other songs on the album are just okay.
A noteworthy album for a few reasons. Partly for being such a successful break from Swift's previous country albums. Partly for arguing for pop music as a serious form of artistic expression. And partly for attempting (unsuccessfully) to challenge the rise of streaming music platforms. To me, this album ticks all of the right boxes for a good pop album, but it's unlikely to be one I'll revisit.
I really like some of her lyrics, but am not a big fan of the simpler music
I really don't get the hate for Taylor Swift. Her songs are well written and she's a great performer. I didn't enjoy all of these songs, but the high points (Style, Out of The Woods, Shake It Off) really are great. Towards the end I found it all starting to sound a bit repetitive, but I did enjoy the last song with Imogen Heap.
Taylor freakin' Swift. Where to start? I feel like a lot of people find this album easier to bash because of the reputation (and demographic) of the artist's fanbase, while at the same time know that this isn't exactly groundbreaking stuff. I was like 7 when this came out, so I'm gonna score it the "nostalgia point". I see all this hype around Swift, and I think "maybe I'll like her, this sounds interesting", and then I'll pull up the album and the tracks are like "Bad Blood" [radio pop you hear at the dentist's]. 3/5, maybe 3.5/5
OK, so I'm not a "Swifty", I'm definitely not one of her fans, but there again, I don't hate her music, it's all just very bland and repetitive. Taylor was a singer first, and then learnt how to play guitar and piano, which is perfectly fine and natural as a growing artiste, and it's a credit to her that she didn't fall into the music factory image of a scantily clad pouting girl bopping about to her songs with the baps having out and a thread of material yanked up her front bonnet. So where am I going with the review of this album 1989.... Well it is ram packed with some of her best singles, and the ones on the album are better than the radio edit versions played on the radio, and the girl can definitely sing.... so that's all positive... but the music is manufactured, the lyrics repetitive, and all very commercially marketed for that teenage schoolgirl pop music market. Talor has evolved from this album, but sadly for me, her music, although listenable, will always sound manufactured for a market, and not a creation of an artistes musical direction.
All good songs but too poppy for me, I prefer Ryan Adams cover of the album.
Pleasant but not really my thing
very pop and not my style but deece
idk I guess I just don't get it, her lyrics are.. good? her songwriting is pretty cool, production is super normal and uninteresting, bad blood is an atrocious song, but some good soundscapes and melodies. Just feels super middle of the road to me I don't understand what the fuss is
Ok never listened to TS album. Its all very proficient and expertly produced and snappy but its all a bit sanitized. 3
I grieve for the artist Taylor Swift would have been if she didn’t get so successful so young and nail down such a focus group-formula so early. I don’t think this is Taylor Swift’s level best. I think she’s being artistically lazy. Maybe I’m wrong and this is the best she can do. Or maybe this is what she consciously aspires to. Can’t argue with her success.
Album was ok she is not my favorite artist but was way better than any of the rap.
Poppy. Not my favorite type of music but overall, fairly enjoyable.
One of my daughter's favourite artists, but not someone I knew well before this - other than the hits. A good album, but too poppy for my taste. Better than a lot of the nonsense around now though!
2,5/5, but isn't annoying enough for a 2
No są tu jej 2 hity, ale z tego co pamiętam to nie jestem 11 letnią dziewczynką.
This is one talented lady. Not my style, and in fact, this was the first and only time I have ever listened to a Taylor Swift album, or even deliberately listened just a song. That said, I get it. I don't need to like it to see (hear?) the appeal. And then to re-record her entire catalog, that whole story was pretty wild. She's a boss. I'm no Swiftie, but she's got my respect all the same.
Really enjoyable listen. The singles from this are top notch and the rest were alright too. Blank space is one of the greatest pop songs of all time and yes, I know that’s a big statement to make.
I thought that Taylor Swift was C&W, but I had to check that the opening track "Welcome Yo New York" wasn't Lady Gaga; the entire album was pop music and could have been by any female artist, Not bad, but nothing blew me away either.
This is the catchiest collection of bad songs I think I’ve ever heard.
exactly as expected. it reminds me of a less good MGMT blank space
I haven't listened to this in a while. My daughter was a Swift fan. I had heard Fearless and Speak Now, but didn't think much of her. It wasn't really country that spoke to me and I, still to this day, find her songwriting to be trite and ego-centric. However, this album, specifically Ryan Adam's version of it, got me to rethink Swift. Like I said, her lyrics still don't really speak to me, but I've come to enjoy her pop confectionery and even embrace her ability to make self-centeredness seem okay. I really came on board with those albums that folks from The National helped with, but this was the point where it becomes unsuprising that I have four of her records on vinyl now. This is the other one I really want and will buy her version when it shows up.
Some strong anthemic moments on this album, but the overall sound tended to get a tad monotonous. Still, a pleasant listen.
3.5
Good pop
Do you seriously think this is a must-listen? For what reason?
not her best album but also not her worst album
I appreciate TS being able to make fun of herself in Shake It Off, and sort of in Blank Space. There are a few good songs, but mostly just kind of boilerplate narcissistic pop.
pretty good. very easy to listen to, really strong melodies that are instantly catchy. lyrics aren't anything special and the synth elements feel dated to me (obviously would've been shithot in 2014). back of the album feels like it drags
meh...
Not a Swiftie but still a good artist.
Welcome to New York - first listen: 1.3/3 Blank Space - fl: 1.9/3 [FAV.] Style - fl: 2.0/3 Out of The Woods - fl: 0.9/3 All You Had To Do Was Stay - fl: 1.5/3 [STINKY.] Shake It Off - fl: 0.6/3 I Wish You Would - fl: 1.6/3 Bad Blood - fl: 1.4/3 [BEST.] Wildest Dreams - fl: 2.9/3 How You Get The Girl - fl: 1.0/3 This Love - fl: 1.5/3 I Know Places - fl: 1.6/3 Clean - fl: 1.6/3 Final Verdict: Wildest Dreams is a masterpiece I'll take it to the grave idc. Lame start but strong finish. Overall an inconsistent album.
This album is pretty good. Some great songs with catchy beats and well written lyrics... Also, there is Bad Blood, which is terrible. Taylor is a smart lady. Adding Max Martin as co-producer made this album, and her, unstoppable. Don't scoff at this album just because it is newer pop music. There is at least something here for everyone. 3.5/5
Shake it Off and Bad Blood are as bad as Style and Wildest Dreams are good. Very uneven for sure but I can understand its inclusion in such a list. There are better pop albums to represent the 2010s, but it's hard to ignore its impact overall.
Idk man, I know she's wildly popular for good reason, but I find that her singing lacks interesting vocal melodies. Sounds...generic?
I liked it more than I thought I would. There are some catchy songs.
I like this better than "evermore" and her indie folk stuff but I still don't LIKE it. "Shake It Off" is a standout track though. I definitely prefer T Swift the more fun and carefree she gets. Conversely, the low stakes melodrama of "Wildest Dreams" gave me a significant impulse to skip the track. And the breathy double-tracked stereo-panned vocals on "This Love" made me feel like she was giving me an incredibly awkward and somewhat unwelcome ear massage. I wish she would do something that would truly surprise me. Like really let her inner freak out somehow. Or maybe just take some of the studio polish off. This is so slick I can't get a grip on it.
Bit disappointing, if I'm honest. Knew a few of the songs (Shake It Off, Blank Space, and Bad Blood), but had never listened to the album in full. The singles are catchy pop, the rest of the album is... not catchy pop. First track is pretty painful, the synth sounds amazingly dated, vocals are mega over produced and the song is so repetitive and boting, and once you got past Bad Blood it really fades away. Makes a 3 on the strength of the singles, which are really catchy and great pop, but not brilliant.
Tavallaan ihan ok toimivaa isoa ja tuotettua poppia, mutta kuitenkin samalla liian poppia! Jos tällänen tosipoppi tippuu niin mikäs siinä mutta minä ehkä kuuntelen madonnaa mielummin. Tavallaanhan nää on jo nyt ihan kunnon korvamatoja, mutta hieman kunnanhimoisemmalla soundipolitiikalla kun näillä retroilla kasarisynapreseteillä tää vois nousta tosi korkeelle. 3/5
Hitit tuntuu freesimmiltä nyt kuin ilmestyessään. Varmaan nostalgia-arvoa osa. Levynä vähän liian pitkä ollakseen aika menevää ja puhdasta poppia alusta loppuun, mutta on tää 3/5.
No onhan se ihan sinänsä toimivaa poppista. Ei oo oikein mun maailmasta tekstit ja biisit muutenkin aika yksinkertaisia, mut kaipa se nyt ihan mitat täyttävä tuote on. 3/5.
The more I hear pop albums the more I’m reminded of the quote from the meeseeks in Rick and morty - “We’re not supposed to live this long! It feels weird!” I think it’s inherently difficult to write an exceptional pop album. The genre is more suited to the EP. The singles on this were great but I thought it was about to end like 4 times.
Ok Taylor. We have really come a long as way from country superstar. Blank Space is a hit but her lyricism is so....textureless? Its like if you took Hailey Williams, put her at like 90% output, and make her sing lyrics written by a toddler. Style I can get behind. I'm not super impressed with Out Of The Woods, though I am such a fan of Jack Antonoff normally. Shake It Off kicks so much ass as a club banger, burn the house down tune. Bad Blood is a song that I want to dislike but it's fine and enjoyable, though jesus her lyrics are so damn bland. Wildest Dreams I think is the first track on the album where there is this distinctive texture that is definitively Taylor, and it feels like her voice as a performer stands up to the task of carrying a pop song on its shoulders. I Know Places sounds like a rejected Linkin Park song. Man, I am conflicted about this album. When it is good its great and when its not good it sucks hard.
I hardly ever listen to pop music of this era these days, but this project has allowed me to break out of my comfort zone a little bit. This came out when I was in 4th grade so I have a little bit of nostalgia for the radio hits. Apart from the singles, the rest of the album was actually pretty alright too, definitely worth checking out again sometime. There were certainly a couple bad moments but overall my expectations were shattered. I'd be open to checking out more pop albums that came out during my childhood sometime. Got a little bit bored near the end and didn't finish the last 2 or 3 tracks, but overall I'd give this a 6/10.
Only knew shake it off but this has got a bunch of great pop songs on it An enjoyable listen
Just a good modern pop album but not much more than that, I prefer some of her later work
Better than expected. Well produced, nice vibes. Can't identify with the all the teen heartbreak themes though
I think this is the first time I’m hearing her music. Probably heard it in the background before, as popular as she is, but this is the first time I’ve paid any attention. Well produced, and I can see the appeal, but not really up my alley.
Svenskproducerad 10-tals-pop, soundet som dominerat poptopplistorna i vad som känns som hela mitt vuxna liv. Väldigt snäll, lättillgänglig pop, mest om kärlek och hjärtesorg. Ljudbilden gör dock att det temat inte riktigt berör på djupet. Många låtar jag skulle älska att skriksjunga till på dansgolvet, men inte tillräckligt med skav eller mörker för att jag ska fastna på riktigt. Ibland är det lite cringe textmässigt, som i stora delar av 'Wildest Dreams', eller hela "they are the hunters, we are the foxes"-grejen i 'I Know Places', som annars är helt okej. Tyvärr några låtar som jag helt enkelt inte tycker är så bra. Här finns främst 'Bad Blood' och 'How You Get The Girl'. 'Clean' är en fin avslutning! Gillar också 'Style', 'I Wish You Would', och såklart 'Shake It Off'. Och, när allt är sagt och gjort är ändå 'Blank Space' en rejäl banger. Har velat mellan en tvåa och en trea, men känner mig schysst för tillfället. Bästa låt: Blank Space.
not her best album
I enjoyed that more than I thought I would, given how far away from the target market I am. And enjoyed listening to the Ryan Adams cover of the whole album. That is pretty unusual
Correct mais pas trop mon style
Welcome To New York- 4 Blank Spaces- 1 (Mind Parasite) Style- 1 (No) Out Of The Woods- 3 All You Had To Do Was Stay- 5 Shake It Off- 4 (+3 for those saxophones 🤤) I Wish You Would- 6 Bad Blood- 2 Wildest Dreams- 5 How You Get The Girl- 5 This Love- 5 I Know Places- 6 Clean- 7
Good, not great.
Sad girl music for sad girls. Several earworms and certainly 5 stars for the people it’s intended for.
Starts strong but much of the same
Highlights: Hard to pick. It's consistent. There are some especially annoying ones to avoid like "Out of the Woods" and "Welcome to New York." Some specific notes apart from the obvious: 1. What's driving this more than the 808s and synths is that it is *festooned* with vocal tracks -- not as harmony, but as in Swift has a platoon of Swift hype-men at all times. 2. Although she's in the '00s-Present school of "loud = good" vocal performance, she's more effective at emoting than Katy Perry, granted Perry is working against anti-anxiety meds. 3. Despite there being a definite cookie cutter songwriting, every bridge completely dumps all the energy out of the song. You make all these hooks and do all this production and can't write a single decent bridge? What's up with that? But the obvious: Swift is extremely okay. There is nothing surprising here. The problem is all the people still trying to prove her excellence. She gets credit for being young. She gets credit for writing her own songs (partially). She gets credit for being marginally smarter than other pop songs by providing enough detail that the lyrics are effectively the script for the music video. She knows how to lean on a little wordplay to confuse confusion with profundity. None of this is meaningful.
Sounds great production and vocal wise. I think it's very well made pop music but I don't find it very interesting.
Alright. Some jams
Decent. Prefer Ryan Adams version
A cromulent pop album that dies in the final 1/3.
im really confused
Perfected Pop Anthems. Undoubtedly well constructed pop songs that get stuck in your head. A little too perfect.
6/10
I'd long lost any interest in pop music by the time this came out, but it was hard to escape. I was working in a university call centre with a bunch of "early 20s uni call centre" types - girls who liked going dancing on weekends, gay guys, dorky chicks - so shit like this was constantly on the radio in the room. This was where "change a word, get a third" was in full swing; I remember reading all about it and how it didn't seem to affect her popularity, even though apparently her authenticity was what had made her unique. I'm guessing what most of her fanbase *really* likes about T-Swift is that she sings about the trials and tribulations (and fantasies!) of "homely" girls. We're all princesses deep down!! We'll conveniently ignore that Taytay is one of the most attractive women on the planet, and that to get famous her rich parents paid her way into a whole heap of modelling and recording work haha. She's super-hot and super-well connected - just like you! In any case this was acceptable enough as pop music? Shake it Off is catchy, the rest didn't really grab me in any way. Modern pop with its retro-but-not-retro synth sound bugs me in a way I can't put my finger on. And it's pretty generic - if I didn't know I was listening to Taylor Swift I wouldn't be able to tell you if this was Lorde or any of those other chicks doing this exact same sound at the time. Guess that's the deal T-Swizzle made when she got Max Martin to write the songs - she went generic and had to hope her established status would carry it into the stratosphere. And it did, so she's got that working for her, but honestly? This is just bog 2010s pop music. It isn't bad, it just doesn't leap out in any way. I dunno, 3/5?
Decent Pop album
Good
Ryan Adams’ versie blijft beter, maar toch een goed plaatje ondanks de kauwgomballen mix!
Ryan Adams heeft dit complete album naar zijn hand gezet en alle nummer van een totaal ander arrangement voorzien. Daardoor hoor ik nu in dit origineel ook veel beter dat het goede liedjes zijn - iets wat Ryan dus duidelijk ook was opgevallen. Toch zal ik deze zoetige pop productie - in tegenstelling tot Ryans versie - niet snel nog eens aanzetten.
Energiek. Ik kon dit goed hebben, al is het mierzoet.
мне такое не нравится просто
one of the best pop artists of my generation. fun and easy to listen to.
I might have gone in with too high expectations, but it wasn't as good as I expected. I think there are a good amount of really good songs on this album, but they're diluted with overly poppy songs that don't fit super well. Favorite songs on the album were: Welcome to New York, I Wish You Would, and I Know Places
Took all of my willpower to give this a shot. I'm not a fan of this type of pop music to say the least, but since Taylor writes her own songs I figure she's at least a step ahead of her competition. The hits you've heard because they've been playing in every grocery store and on every other commercial for the last 8 years. The filler was better than I expected and when she falls back on her strengths (earnest lyrics, straightforward melodies) the songs are good.
An album following the Big Swedish Pop Tunes (tm) formula. Listen to the highly processed vocals. Each song employs a melange of trendy and modern sounds. Lyrics engineered to engage listeners in the target demographic.
Encore des âneries américaines étalées sur quarante-huit minutes. Même l'entourage proche de cette chanteuse m'a avoué en "off" avoir honte de cet album, et on les comprend.
Taylor Swift est affreusement banale, tout comme sa musique, ce qui en fait donc une artiste plebiscitée par Robert et les amies décérébrées de robpassemoiunebière.
I enjoyed this more than expected
Alright, but there are definitely better Taylor Swift albums out there.
I guess it is reasonable that I should listen to this album at least once in my life. The album starts out poppy and enjoyable, effervescent. But by the third song, Style, I was starting to feel like maybe I'd had enough sugar. By the time I got to "Shake It Off" which is objectively catchy I was already over the whole album. I need to clear my palette to see if I could enjoy the rest of the album if I take it in small doses. OK back from lunch. No, still not loving it. It's solid; I can't deny this is top flight pop. Maybe I'm just too old to vibe along with the bitter "you're gonna be sorry for what you did" and deep self-centeredness that lies beneath the candy shell of this perfected, hooky, pretty music. Best thing you can do for yourself is forgive and forget. Indeed I wish I had figured that out sooner. Also, everything isn't always about you. Even if you are Taylor Swift.
Bunch of classics on this one. Very pleasant to listen to, but not really my thing.
Typical 2010 pop (duh) Some nice songs (/classics) but in general too pop-y for me
Honestly not a great album but some of the bops do bop and I like that. Wouldn’t say it’s bad tho
Very catchy. I can recognise so many of these tunes. Guess they were playing everywhere. But as forgettable after you stop listening to them.
Not bad, better than I thought it would be. Some good songs on this album.
Pas mon style habituel, mais la production est parfaite pour le genre. Un beau renouveau qui en a surpris plusieurs. Je pense que ce qui m'a le plus surpris à la lecture sur cet album est de découvrir que les hits ont été produits par Max Martin, producteur Suédois qui est à l'origine de tellement de gros hits de la pop des années 2000. Un bon choix pour surprendre tout le monde.
An very good pop album, upbeat catchy lyrics were enjoyable. Took me by surprise.
Taylor Swift is one of those singers that I seem to know by osmosis. I'd never listened to this album, yet knew most of the songs. It's a fine contemporary pop album. 3.5
Yes, massive, also a couple of super catchy tunes, but also a bit too obvious and worn out. I don't think I'm the target audience for this kind of music
This album must have moved seemlessly from this to kidzbop.
Pas mon style habituel, mais la production est parfaite pour le genre. Un beau renouveau qui en a surpris plusieurs.
Bubbly, catchy pop songs. Pleasant enough to listen to. Top notch for contemporary pop, but it mostly left me a little cold. Fave Songs: Bad Blood, I Know Places, This Love, Wildest Dreams, I Wish You Would, Shake It Off
Some well written pop songs. A whole album of it is too much though, and some of the weaker tracks can get cringeworthy
Classic metal album. Bits of pink and speed in it as well
Decent modern pop
It is impossible to deny the talent of Taylor Swift. It is equally difficult to deny how good the entirety of this album is.
Pop moderno y elegante. Buena voz. Canciones sencillas y con estilo. Bien elaboradas
Hmm going into this thought this was a 1 star. However the production on the album in genuinely good and the singles are at least as good as some of 80s pop or rock I've given 3 stars to. Still massively not a fan as she's so manufactured and bland both in personality and musical content but can see why some like her. See a lot of reviews here criticizing all lyrics being about the same thing but same can be said for a lot of albums. Overall 2.8 Technically good but overall soulless
Annoyingly good. Close to a 4.
Shake It Off & Blank Space are 2 of the all time great pop songs. The rest is pretty decent.
Starts of surprisingly well. Good production, catchy tunes. But after a while, the songs start to look like each other and I start losing interest. Preferred it over Evermore.
Solid pop songs, but contains filler.
As over-produced, factory-made pop goes, this wasn't bad. Enjoyed the album tracks over the singles, probably due to the overplay of the latter.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
What I expected. Pure heavily produced pop music.
Ooh.
Pretty good pop album, maybe a track or two too long
Better than Elvis Costello
I had one of her more recent folkish album before this one on the list and I must admit that I prefered 1989. It's full of hits, there's a certain diversity between the songs nad its quite catchy. A pretty good modern pop album that deserves its praises.
Great pop folk, a lot of hits. No wonder she sold millions and have such core hard fans
Well done and nicely produced pop album. I appreciate this material much more than his recent folk album. It's not my type, but it's good. A bit generic though, absolutely nothing stands out from the rest of current pop music. 3 stars will do it.
Positiivinen yllätys! En tuntenut artistilta entuudestaan muuta kuin radiohitit, mutta tätähän pysty kuuntelemaan suhteellisen kivutta ja välillä musiikki vei mennessään.
nice album. listened to a lot of this songs when it released and it gives me vibes. not my style but still a good album. 6
Surprisingly enjoyable to start with but does become very samey and whiney as it progresses.
A decent pop album with some major hits. The album has its main theme of love affairs and feelings T Swift has about them. And then there’s just generic pop hits thrown in the middle. As an album it’s ok. This does better with just the few good single pieces. 5.8/10
Household party music lol
I am just not a Swifty. "Blank Space" is sort-of catchy, but I find it hard to see where the talent is in this album. Could be I am an old man and this is for young teens ?!?! Could be. C-
3, a guilty pleasure
I still just don't get the appeal of her Definitely belongs just due to popularity
It's just a really great pop album. Quality.
Préfère version Ryan Adams
I like Swift, and watching the kind of weaponized transition interesting Uber Pop was fascinating at the time. Shake It Off and Bad Blood are still bangers. At the end of the day a little mainstream for me and the veneer of production is so seamlessly slick that it doesn’t leave much to hold onto.
Pewnie 3+
very mainstream pop. okay.
Absolutely state of the art pop, but so over-engineered that the songwriting (quite strong) gets buried. Just too much going on. Bunch of truly great songs – “Welcome to New York,” “Shake It Off,” “Clean” – that would be better without all the window dressing or at least with a whole lot less. That Ryan Adams redid the whole record speaks to its strengths and shows the weakness of the production. 3.75 but rounding down.
Her voice is great and the songwriting is really really solid, but the super-clean production makes it sound really sterile. Honestly, a lot of the trap beats sound kind of dated already which I didn't expect. Still, it doesn't have very low lows and I have to admit the singles are pretty phenomenal. "Shake It Off" and "Bad Blood" make it pretty easy to look past some of the Disney musical-sounding singing on the parts of the album which I found a little grating.
As a slice of 2010s pop, this is pretty much the blue riband. Some very catchy, dancy numbers, but it didn't really excite all that much
Catchy
There's a lot to like here. Taylor can turn a phrase, fashion a hook, and be relatable. Intelligent lyrics rub shoulders with throwaway radio-friendly disco.
Aaaaaaaaaah finalmente un po' di poppaccio! È di un'orecchiabilità incommensurabile, per cui appena lo senti inizi subito a divertirti un mondo. (Il problema di sta musica per me è che al terzo ascolto smaga come un pacchetto di zucchero.)
18th February 2022 Listened while grounded on the runway trying to fly to Stockholm during storm Eunice. Full on pop-era. Taylor announces herself before shaking it off. 3.5 if I could.
Jag fattar typ grejen med Taylor, lyssnade på ett par fler låtar och allt är ju ganska bra - men inte min genre bara
I’m not a huge Taylor Swift fan, but I can appreciate her music and this was a good album. That’s it. It was good and I appreciate her personal solid storytelling (without going overboard) style.
This is the sound of Lyft rides to me. Well made pop songs. Doesn't really move me, but I can't say it's bad.
1989 by Taylor Swift (2014) Taylor Swift’s 25-year-old voice is remarkable for its saccharine, airy, and youthful appeal. While her range and tone are only mediocre (requiring a lot of reverb) and while she definitely lacks power, her elocution and diction are superb. She handles consonants with crispness and rhythmic exactitude. And the sweet croaks and glottal stops (e.g., the first eight seconds of “How You Get the Girl”) are executed with the precision of a well trained percussionist. Tonal lifts, bends, slides, and delicate slurs are richly ornamental, but they never obscure the pronunciation, even when she lays down multiple dubs (which is very frequent—listen especially to “This Love”). Every single word can be understood. Her voice is clearly the reason for her monstrous popularity. But musically, the melodies are unimaginative and the synthesizing is overwhelming. It’s expensive without being expansive. Lyrics are self-centered and non-referential, without intelligence, depth, or even controversy. This is quite an accomplishment for the most financially successful female singer/songwriter of all time. Low level vocabulary and the near absence of poetic figures further diminish the quality of the songs. And her themes reflect ideals that lack maturity. One can justifiably lament the sad effect these lyrics had on her primary audience, adolescent girls and women who are stuck in adolescence. She could benefit by listening to the lyrics of a Judy Collins, Joan Baez, or Joni Mitchell. After hearing this entire album, the serious listener feels like he/she (mostly she) has just spent 12 hours in a candy store with a credit card. 3/5
Meh
It's nice
This really is the perfect example of an pop album. Didn’t think I would like it, but it was not that bad actually. Some really catchy songs and some are to poppy for me. Favourite songs: - Style - Wildest dreams - Blank space
Enjoyed some tracks, hated others. First track very blah, blank space was great. Then the quality level of songs starts dropping . Shake it off was ok but not great and bad blood is an objectively bad song. After that things started to get a bit more interesting. Better songs although less catchy than some of the singles. Will probably give it another go in a few weeks to see if I feel the same.
T Swift? Seriously? Ffs It's catchy but it's nothing special.
superstar for a reason3
A bit one dimensional lyrics wise. I love shake it off, and am very familiar with the rest as my ex wife loved this album. The best of Taylor Swift's albums.
Positiivinen yllätys!
Allerwelts-Popmusik, kann mich nicht wirklich begeistern.
Liked some of these songs
I don't have anything against Taylor Swift, but not a lot for her either. Some catchy bubble gum pop tunes, but nothing special. 3 stars because I'm feeling generous.
She became really recognizable for the bubblegum dance-pop of the Max Martin creations: Bad Blood, Shake It Off and Blank Space. (6/10) FT: see above
wasn't as good as I remembered but it has some good tracks
it's fine. the mix/master is a complete mess and makes the album exhausting to listen to. decent pop.
We’ve listened to a lot of the pop divas this year, because that’s what my daughter’s been gravitating to of late. (Don’t worry, she also likes Twisted Sister.) I knew a bunch of songs off this album and like a fair few of them just fine. But yeah, when you compare this to some of her contemporaries, Swift really truly sounds like a teenager who can’t sing or write as well as the older, cooler, meaner girls who have already been through some stone cold shit. I understand why certain people of a certain age worship her. I need to listen to some of the more recent stuff, but I don’t know - I still suspect there are more interesting and talented pop stars to hitch my old ass cart to when I need a ride to Top 40 Town.
Much better than I was expecting but also a bit samey in the second half
Some of her decent early hits there Teenagey to me. but not shite like.
Great singer of the '90
Not my thing but I can still appreciate it.
Pretty catchy, but the clever lyrics can't cover up the repetitive themes. Tay Tay breaks up with more people *per song* than I have in my life time. Maybe the haters in Shake It Off have a point?
6/10 I didn’t dislike this entirely, but listening to a whole album of Taylor Swift made me realize what actually bothers me about her songwriting, which is the fact that the lyrics are like 80% cliche phrases and that I feel like I can predict what she’s going to say next
Took me right back to middle school and felt a little classic, I liked some of the ones I wasn't familiar with like Wonderland. But it's definitely too much in album format. 5/10 for me
virkelig velproduceret pop
Den helt gode pop, vild produktion, vilde ørehængere
really... of all recorded music... this doesn't suck but its not an all time 1001
I'm not really a modern-pop fan. It's not necessarily terrible, it just too often bores me. But I want to know everything :) so this was more than welcomed. It doesn't take long to really ... figure it out. More clichés than a Bon Jovi album, no adventurous or even unexpected musical turns, and is TSwift really a great - or good - singer? She *might* be - she does have a very nice/pleasant voice, but something that I notice at least in this collection is that she's not an *adventurous* singer at all (not necessarily in range, but in rhythm and taking many chances) but boy is she - and this album - produced within an inch of its life. It really is the equivalent of pixy sticks - remember those? A paper straw literally filled with flavoured sugar. You never get full, as you're sucking it down it's admittedly enjoyable, but like when you're getting the last of the sugar... almost immediately after the next song starts...I can't really remember much about the previous one. I will note two standouts: "Shake It Off" is one that's known even by me and dammit, it's good. TS gives something extra in this one - something about the rhythm of the lyrics and the way she delivers the lines, and just the absolute catchiness of it - it's a great pop song - period. "This Love" immediately stuck out to me as the best song on the album because it's really the only one that doesn't sound like many of the others - a really nice mellow feel based around a simple guitar pattern. I'd like more of these - I feel like 3 songs in this vein would have boosted my overall enjoyment of the album. With zero evidence :D I feel like this album people will either love it or slam it because it's the *most simple* of pop. I feel like both can be true at the same time. Maybe that's a good thing. As a music producer myself, I've found myself listening to each song a few times trying to figure out how some of the uber-smooth vocal techniques are done, it's quite enjoyable on that level and for me just edges it into 3 star territory. But the simplicity of the 4 chords songs just runs a little thin after a while - I could do a few songs - say, an EP - of this just gets a little long to go through the full album. One positive is that even though I know she's the biggest star on the planet I'm actually unfamiliar with most of her music and I'm curious to hear where she's gone after this. 5/10 3 stars
Great pop
This is better than some of the albums on this list. Some of the songs get caught in your head.
Good pop record, not my cup of tea exactly. Might be a case of a few too many songs on the album, trim it down to half the songs maybe.
Pop candy. Blank Space is such a killer tune, and Shake It Off is a modern classic. She has such a knack for songwriting and melody. This prompted a deep dive into 2 of her other albums, Fearless, and Red. Time for this 40 year old man to reconsider any foolishly-held notions about modern artists.
its pop, it was foot tappy, it was ok (this is anonymous isn't it?)
1 liked song - Shake it Off
I only listen to this all the time whenever my daughter is in the room. I can tell you that I hate this album because it's on all the time when my daughter is in the room. If there isn't a speaker nearby I still listen to this when my daughter is in the room, BECAUSE SHE'S SINGING it! Even still with all of these catchy ear worms, prancing and dancing and being silly like teenage girls can sometimes be, I'd still hang out with my daughter even if it meant listening to 1989.
Catchy, but not my style, nor Subject matter I could relate to.
This was an unexpected selection. I listened to most of it and I can appreciate what makes it good and why she's a star but aesthetically it's not for me
Para ser un album hecho con 24 años es un discazo. Cualquiera de los temas menos conocidos puede ser un hit. Se distingue muchisimo la produccion de Max Martin y Greg Kurstin porque todo parece fabricado para ser un exito. No soy fanatico de los discos de pop sobreproducidos y sobreingeniereados pero éste es lo suficientemente bueno para marcar la diferencia. Creo que lo que mas me gusta es que no es un album POP epico alla Lady Gaga o Maddonna donde todo es gigante e intenso, es un muy buen (late) coming out of age. Notas adicionales: -Shake it Off no está ni entre los 3 mejores del disco aunque entiendo por qué lo pondrian como single del disco. -Hay temas (Welcome to New York, por ej) que si la ponés a Carly Rae Jepsen mantienen el valor de produccion. -Fascinante la base synthwavey de Style -La tapa me parece timeless y va directo a /r/albumartporn -QUE TEMAZO THIS LOVE -Dice Kanye que de nada.
- Con "Welcome to New York" y "Out of the woods" me quedó claro que a Taylor Swift le gusta repetir palabras, repetir palabras, repetir palabras. - Siento que esto va más para una teenager que escribe en un diario íntimo rosa que para mi, pero un par de temas están buenos. - Ok, "Shake it Off" está bueno. Me dieron ganas de bailar y yo no bailo. - Bad Blood para mi está cantada mal a propósito: medio tribuneeeeera... que alarga las palaaaaaaabras.... para que la gente caaaaanteeeeeee. - "You are in love" es insufrible. Me da a momento emotivo de cumpleaños de 15. - Bottom line, a pesar de todo lo que dije, ¡me gustó! tiene buenas canciones y algunas son super pegadizas: 3/5 betzes - Comentario aparte: Taylor Swift es re intensa ¿no?
I was sorta familiar with this from the Ryan Adams cover version. His version is better. :) But Taylor’s is very good. It’s a very good pop album. It’s not a masterpiece. Her voice is good but not spectacular, the songwriting is occasionally spectacular but sometimes a bit cringy. Sorry Swifties, but let’s be honest - you’ve gotta be judicious with the 5 star reviews.
Some catch singles, nothing stand out
Very good record over all, I’m not really a fan of this style but it’s worthy of a listen. She’s a better songwriter than I thought
poppy but really solid
A very solid pop album, a couple of very strong tracks on here. Easy to enjoy.
An impressive pop album
Good pop album
I’m a Swiftie but this is only my 4th favourite Tay Tay album.
Listenable! Not quite my bag but I didn't feel compelled to turn it off. I wonder if this was the album where so much of what I hear in pop today started.
Better than I expected it to be, but it felt very empty and without substance. It is truly a pop album, in the sense that it is designed to get radio airplay and promote the artist as a Pop Star instead of as a musician.
fun
It's a great pop album, with a few absolute pop bangers (mostly the Max Martin/Shellback songs). However, there are quite a few less interesting tracks too (i.e. filler), and the album really tails off after Bad Blood. And as much as I do tend to love the Max Martin/Shellback stuff, they come up with some really awful bridges. Blank Space, Shake It Off, Bad Blood - all really weak bridges that just kill the momentum in otherwise excellent pop songs.
Styleeee
Hard to make it through the whole LP
Perfectly mid pop. Nothing exceptional and even the bits that get close just miss. Lord knows how this is the most famous pop star in the world. And methinks she doth protest way too much about “haters”. The more you try to convince us you don’t care, the more you clearly do.
Yes, this is insipid pop crap in my estimation, but it is so much better than the first TS album I endured (Ever...something). Were I into pop, I'm sure this would hit differently. But it still holds no appeal for me.
I appreciate Taylor Swift but it’s just not my kind of music. 2
For me, the definition of lowest common denominator pop. Also something something private jet something something billionaire whatever. I think generally the songs can be catchy but her posturing as a true songwriter/poet does not sit well based on the content of her lyrics.
There is too much of what feels like filler to me, and the brighter spots aren't bright enough to make me want to listen again. 2.5/5: Coin flip between a 2 and a 3.
not for me but undoubtedly a classic
Some great melodies, let down by mediocre vocals and amateur lyrics
Look, she’s not my bag.
Ein Album Taylor Swift und ich habe erstmal für ein halbes Jahr genug von den ewig gleichen 4-Chord-Songs. Shake it ist wirklich gut, der Rest wie gesagt immer gleich.
Hey yall, Taylor swift here. Due to a packaging error we cant sell 3000 Le Creuset cookware sets so I'm giving them away to my loyal fans for free.
An album of complete filler with the odd bop thrown in.
Trying to have an open mind, welcome to New York not a good start, I had to stop listening this music just is not for me. Nostalgic though
I admit it... I'm something of a cave dweller... this was the first time I'd ever heard anything by Taylor Swift (even the singles (half the album???) were new to me)... so, that is to say, I'm reviewing this from a place of true non-nostalgic neutrality... The verdict: Eh. Right off, I thought the opening synth on 'Welcome to New York' had potential, but it never got off the runway. And that's how I would describe my general feeling with this. Like I was indefinitely taxiing. Waiting in vain for some transcendental experience that never materialized. Nice guitar riff to open 'Style'... never takes off. Nice opening synth on 'Wildest Dreams'... never takes off. Etc. Etc. Etc. That's not to say this hasn't any value. Far from it. I live with a gay bear who, when he's doing things like yardwork and such, draws enormous amounts of energy from this music (or music like this, at any rate... most ultra-produced modern music sounds the same to me, honestly). At any rate, it definitely exudes plenty of catchy, clubby vibes that get the blood pumping. Plus, it's a fairly easy listen if you don't listen too closely nor expect too much. Alas, I DO expect too much. And so, I think I'm settling around a 2 with this one. I just listened to Lorde's 'Melodrama' again (the closest comparable we've had on this list thus far) because I gave that a 5, and the variance was curious. I think the difference is that 'Melodrama' feels darker, more authentic, and much more tangible to me. By comparison, '1989' feels, frankly, downright vapid. Guess I'm just a black jellybean kinda guy...
p938. 2014. 2 stars Shiny and plastic millennium pop with zero passion. Just because something sells well doesn't mean it is good.
to me, this album is functionally identical to melodrama. idk if it's bad or if it's just not for me, but either way i really just don't fuck w/ it. although having said that, melodrama did at least have a few interesting instrumentals? this one is playing it woefully safe throughout. for what it's worth, "shake it off" and "blank space" are pretty good. but i did think the latter was by lorde until now, which i guess really isn't helping me separate the two albums in my mind. oh well....
Everything sounds the same
2.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/taylor-swift/1989/ Can’t even say I really hate this, as it has its moments (always had a soft spot for Blank Space). But every song just goes on for about one chorus too long, and many of the lyrics are just poor (or, more nicely put, not for me). Also crazy how some songs are just outright copying Robyn, Lana or Haim.
She's pretty impressive Taylor, a shape shifting career, songwriter and what seems to be an extraordinary live performer. Like the other 10 billion homo sapiens walking the planet I know and love Shake it Off, a great ear worm pop song. Listening to a whole album a couple of times, nothing else really stands out, so outside of the pop cultural phenomenon that she is, its just another album of pop songs. Nothing to listen to before you cark it.
Wasn’t really sure what to expect from this one, I’ve dipped into a bunch of the 2010s pop girlies before but never really gave Swift a good solid go. It’s really hitting on (and arguably key in popularising) that synthpop sound that was absolutely everywhere in the 2010s, but the version of it here feels kind of sloppy and amateurish in a lot of ways. There’s this really unpleasant, tinny sounding drum machine backing almost every song in this album, and most of the tracks outside of the big singles kind of blended together for me. Ultimately inoffensive, but not something that I’m really tempted to revisit.
God men temmelig frontloaded! Kan bedre lide Red. (Undskyld Claus).
Shallow, overproduced and plain. Only reason this does not get a one is because it is too inoffensive to be that hated.
Non volevo cadere nello stereotipo della persona che dice che taylor swift fa cacare, anche perché probabilmente non è vero (?) e comunque ha avuto un successo incredibile. Però questo album è letteralmente white girl music ma nemmeno delle migliori. Sono convinta che altri album possano essere più interessanti
I listened to this with as open a mind as possible. My response: meh. This would get a 1 if Blank Space and Clean weren’t on this album. The rest is either pleasantly produced but forgettable or so cheesy it made me nauseous (Bad Blood). Maybe I’ve just heard these songs too much but I’m not sure I will be listening to this again out of choice.
Overall Rating - 2.12/5 (4.23/10). This is the definition of Bubblegum Pop. Partially because it makes me want to stuff bubblegum into my ears to block it out. It's undeniably catchy, and undeniably devoid of anything I can recognize as thought or memorability. So much Autotune.
Some records are deserving of critical re-assessment when the pop culture zeitgeist dies down. I am not so sure this is one of them. I don't need to hear "Shake it Off" or "Bad Blood" ever again. I gave it a chance- I can admit that "Style" is a pretty great track, with a lot going on in the mix. Very Carly Rae Jepsen. It's not a bad album- it's a standard pop record with filler making up a good portion of the tracklist. Thanks for spoiling the run of 4 and 5s, Taylor.
Yawn.
for what this trying to be it is very good. i dont find taylor to be a particularly adept singer or instrumentalist but the songs are well written and well produced. the problem for me is im not a fan of this type of production. i think if you took these same songs and put them in another genre i think they could be infinitely more interesting.
Listened to with my Apple EarPods. This is an album I'm semi-familiar with, as I'm sure many are if they existed during the early 10s--this album has radio hit after hit on it. At one point, this was an album that I could point to as one I liked, the "I don't listen to Taylor Swift really, but 1989 was great." I no longer hold that opinion. This album really feels like the musical equivalent of the blazing lights and rapid fire sound effects declaring "You are a special winner" from a slot machine or a rotten mobile game, designed to manipulate the brain. I listen to it, and I don't really connect with it closely, but it sounds quite nice. I want to automatically shuffle to something to distract my mind while listening, as the music seems to get better the more it centers in the subconscious rather than focused intent, in which it seems to be worse. I sound harsh, and there are some tracks ("Welcome to New York", "Blank Space") that I enjoy and a lot of moments throughout that sound nice to my ears, usually from a way Taylor Swift sings a certain melody. But really sitting and focusing with this, I felt so bored at the choruses that had the same feel throughout, the lower volume shout overdubbed into climax moments over and over, the plasticity of the instrumentation ("I Know Places" can only aspire to the bounce of the 90s/00s RnB it pulls from), and the kitschy, vague lyricism that feels devoid of real personality, only hinting at earnest expression (the first verse of "Shake it Off" feels like one of the only real peeks at this, but it too becomes this nothingness as it continues). It's an album that isn't especially grating, or irritating, and is in fact mostly pleasant sounding throughout. But it feels so manufactured, glossy, and fake to me that I can't really connect to it at all. I couldn't claim I would roll my eyes in disgust if it came on in the background somewhere, in fact, I'd probably enjoy it. But the deeper I actually just sat there with the album listening, the less I liked was I was hearing.
Inte min grej. Gillar Shake it off och Blank Space är helt ok men måste erkänna att det mesta låter samma. Väldigt oförargligt och lite menlöst. Jag tror i och för sig att hennes hardcore fans pekar mot låttexterna och de lyssnade jag inte mycket på. Jag tycker bara att det är tråkigt. Det finns roligare och bättre kvinnliga artister att lyssna på!
Should she have albums on this list? Yes seeing as she is a cultural behemoth. Do I like her albums or music? Not particularly, but again, it's not really made for me. I think because of all I've heard about her I was expecting to have my mind blown. But it isn't. For the life of me I can't really see what makes her stand out from others. Oh well. Fair play to her. I'll never listen to this again. Best Tracks: Blank Space; Style; Shake It Off;
During the pandemic, to fill time me and a friend would listen to an album we’d never heard before either we chose ourselves or the other recommended. One of this was Folklore, which really threw me at how interesting it was. Evermore was another one when it came out. And I started to give her stuff a chance as I came across it and did enjoy it (New Romantics and Wildest Dreams from this one) But whether it’s fatigue or just following the crowd who seem to have got tired of her, I’m listening to this like I always expected to and not really enjoying (like I thought I’d find it in the first place). 2 stars - with one being for the memories.
No thank you
welcome to new york hassi. check nöd ganz. blank space biiitz en banger. de beat findi etz au nöd soo cool aber d melodie isch funny. und ok nai wenn d gitarre inecjunt checkis nüme wnl. die trap snare ohgott. harmonies a schluss vode brigde sind cool. aber ich hass d four chord struktur etz scho. fuck. this sick beat bi shake it off und denn de rap. scho chli cringe. mit i wish i would chani musikalisch bitz meh afange aber s isch halt au afoch genau so wie lowest common denominator pop tönt sit 15 johr. ok definierends album aber ohgott isches nöd muetig.
I mean, it's listenable. Not my cup of tea. At all.
This is your god? I have never listened to Taylor Swift willingly. Unwillingly, plenty, she’s like a cancer, spreads everywhere and makes her presence felt. Her fanbase are infamous, I’ve had to study her at university on a gothic literature module; no that doesn’t make much sense does it? That’s the level of fame, or infamy, this woman has achieved. I admit to my bias against her accordingly; she has made plenty of music I would consider damaging to music trends, and is one of the few musicians whose discographies I would burn out of the fabric of reality to shunt the music trends are held in the gravity of their releases. I may go so far to say I hate Taylor Swift on a bad day, of course as an artist, not an individual. Hell as a Ravens fan during the reign of the Chiefs her little romance making news for no good reason is another sin against her. I knew I would not like this album, and I did not, but in truth I do not believe Swift could ever make a song I truly enjoy with such a rep list on her head going into this. To give points where points are due, and I must admit they are due, she’s a talented artist who sees together some catchy motifs. I am not a fan of modern pop particularly, but if you are that way inclined, this album is a hit parade. I’m surprised so many of Swift’s heavy hitting songs come from this album. I listened to it on YouTube, meaning an ad interspliced songs here and there, and there were times I was tapping where the “skip” button should be assuming a new song starting was an ad’s background music, which speaks both to how I perceived a lot of this album as generic pop, and also how this album has been influential enough to bend the landscape and the idea of the “norm” to fit its image. If you like pop, I’m sure this is your modern foundation. I have lampooned several albums with longer runtimes for not doing much with it; I am begrudgingly impressed that an album with so many tracks managed to not bore somebody expecting to find pop dull. I have been told this is Swift’s best album, and that the annual release cycle she is in means the quality has been dropping. I can believe that, and I can’t ignore the album’s quality purely for my own tastes. You avoided being the first album to receive 1 star, 1989, and I was so ready to give it to you. Take your 2 stars and find a listener who can enjoy your properly, because I am not them.
simply not an enjoyer of the lyrics of one taylor swift
Perhaps it suffers from overexposure and its outsized influence in the following decade but I really didn't like this despite me sticking up for Taylor. It feels vapid and not in enough of a knowing or particularly instinctive way. Like a calculated reverse engineering of recession pop that shows all of its work and thus loses its immediacy. "Style" is a banger though. I like the instrumental of "Welcome to New York" but talk about lyrics that show the weaknesses of Taylor Swift. I think "Bad Blood" is sorta the head empty bubblegum song that gets the balance right.
3 sterne
So it goes like this: A lot of people like T. Swift's music, but say they do not like her as a person. They say she's fake, full of herself and so forth. I'm the exact opposite, I guess. She seems to me to be a pretty swell person, someone who can make fun of themself and honestly be down to earth... but I am not too much a fan of her music. I honestly think she'd do well to try and step outside the box a bit and do something bolder, less pop-driven, rabid fan base be damned, and I suppose this album was something of an attempt to do that, the move away from country. But why did it have to be such sugary pop? I will fully admit to watching the "Shake it Off" video a few times when it came out, because I think this song was a great example of what I said in the beginning -- it was clearly evident she doesn't take herself too seriously. But honestly, it's probably the high point of the album for me. Everything else is so syrupy... I really wanted to give this a 2.5, a little charity given the apparent significance of stepping outside her country roots. However, that would have rounded up to a 3, and I simply can't give this album 3 stars, as it'll never find my playlist again. I wish she'd stepped even further outside the box. Maybe in the future she will. But the pop stuff -- I honestly think (or hope) she's better than that.
Partially known. I like the hits but the rest was just ok.
I understand why she is on her; however, this is classic white girl music (we know that genre is awful)
I remember many of these songs being beat into the ground when I was younger. I hated them. I hate this album now that I've heard it. I hate pop music too.
if you like bubble gum pop, synth-heavy music.....here you go. I just don't get the appeal. 2.5 stars
The IKEA (cheapest series) of music. Can't say much about it, but everybody (else) seems to like it. Most songs are just so bland and musically predictable... always the same chord transitions, always the same tricks in the arrangements, it's that ubiquitous Jack Antonoff sauce I suppose. Not that its so bad sounding, necessarily. But to me, this just "exists" and all songs are imminently forgettable. I have never understood why she is that popular, but neither do I understand why people drink Heineken. Maybe the old marketing idea is true: to sell lots of something, it needs to be flavourless, so that marketing can do its thing without any limitations. I was going to be generous and give it a 3 but on a second listen, I think it really is worth only a 2. It's unpretentious, hyper-commercial and uncreative pop. If this list was "1001 businesspeople you need to know before you die", she'd probably take top spot. She has managed to create an ecosystem around her (which may be as important as the music to her fans) and she's clever... why would you sell one £12 CD if you can sell the same music on four different coloured vinyls (which true fans will of course all buy) for £35 a pop? Genius. This album or Taylor in general does belong on the list though, if only because Taylor Swift, however you look at it, is a phenomenon. Whatever she touches turns into gold. And I might be all wrong. And it doesn't matter of course. Taylor undeniably gives a lot of pleasure to her huge fan-base and I can see that a lot of people relate very strongly to her music. Isn't that the essence? And she achieved one thing - make me write one of my longest album comments. Well done, Taylor.
This is a high 2 / low 3. Not because it's a middling album, but because it combines some really great bits with some utter trash. The good - girl knows a good hook when she hears one. There's some decent sound design choices. I can see why some of the lyrical choices appeal to her audience - she portrays a character quite well and gives the feeling of an insight into her life quite well. You can see why she became a superstar from this. The bad - its SO SAMEY. Almost every song is the standard I IV VI V progression. Those interesting sound design choices get repeated, as do melodies and vocal rhythms. Her lyrics are often NOT GOOD. Some rhymes are VERY forced - see 'Woods' and 'Girl' in Out Of The Woods. As an adult, some songs come across less as 'wow, she's a daring exciting woman' and more as 'No, I think you're probably just an arsehole'. And yet I can't fully hate it, because it does have some charm, and it is incredibly well produced and mixed. I'll go with a strong 2.
The songs are well made but it's not my kind of thing. It's a bit too sweet for me.
Okkkkkkk
There are a couple of songs here I really like (Welcome To New York, Style, Out Of The Woods), but there are too many moments throughout that feel... tryhard, I guess? Silly? She was 25 when she made this; I know 25 is pretty young, but there are albums on this list from even younger folks that feel much more mature. She can write a catchy tune, I'll give her that! But her lyrics, good god. There's no excusing the "My ex-man brought his new girlfriend..." bridge in Shake It Off; that shit's cringy and lowkey misogynistic.
Is this supposed to be "inspired" by 80s synth-pop? In what way? I don't hear the style, the risk or the attitude here. Let's be real - most 80s pop was neon nonsense. But it was unashamed of that. I'm not getting "unapologetically garish" from this album. I'm not getting art pop. I'm not getting glam. You can't just slap some synth on it and call yourself "New Romantic". Sorry, you're still giving 2010s pop. And I'm not into it. Nicest thing I can say about Swift is that I appreciate her dedication to self-determination. She steers her own ship. Good for her. This is still a pass.
Hmmm. Clearly she is good at what she does and has found a market for her formulaic, and often rather bland, pop songs. Not my cup of tea but I get that she’s popular to a lot of people who see something in this.
Clearly a talented songwriter, performer and musician, but I would suggest she is better at being a billionaire and playing the corporate pop music game. The music itself is actually really average. I recognised a lot of the tracks on here either as they are played everywhere or possibly as they are so generic. Each song sounds like it is a track from an animated film soundtrack. Her stardom baffles me but it must have massive appeal and I guess is pretty wholesome. Oddly I liked the first and last tracks the most which seem to be polar opposites.
She certainly has got a poetic talent for lyrics. However, for me I just cannot fathom why she’s quite so big; the songwriting itself and the music is just so bland. Nothing jumps out to me as hits, and that includes the hits. I clearly am just not wired for this sort of thing.
don't really get it
Old man yells at cloud: "what happened to pop music??" But seriously: Taylor is a talented vocalist but the lyrics and backing tracks are garbage. Also, why is every chorus shouted at me, louder is not better
No one can doubt that this album was influential to the pop scene when it came out (good god, at least 5 of these songs were EVERYWHERE on the radio, and 3 of them continue to be), but pop is just not my genre. It was a good little throwback, but also a reminder of why I stopped listening to the radio as much.
1989 is reportedly Len Houmous’ body count. 2.1 6/21 Shake It Off
fav song: welcome to new york radio pop, mall-core, glossy 40/100
Irritating 1980s styled throwback pop for an undiscriminating audience.
I am very much not a Taylor fan, but this is at least her best work - its got a bit of pep to it.
There's exactly one Taylor Swift song I like and it's not on this album. But I mean, it's not *bad*, I just don't like it.
There's worse pop music out there, but there's certainly a lot better too. There's just no edge to any of this; nothing to grab your attention, just a few catchy choruses.
I honestly think she is shite. She has some good songs but absolute fucking droll
Solidified her transition from country to pop. This was not my style at all and personally I didn’t enjoy it very much, but it’s good at what it aimed to be: a commercially successful pop album.
I associate half of this album with high school because of the seven singles released for it over two years. The lyrics aren't much of anything, and the contrast in the themes along with the abrupt transitions in the album really drives home that this is just a collection of singles. At least I still like the production, I think. Favourite track: Style
4/10 I'm not even trying to be a hater but I genuinely don't think you need to hear this album before you die. There's nothing special about the production or the songwriting, and if we're gonna include an album on this list because it has a lot of bops this album doesn't even have enough of them.
Seems like she rips off a new style with her team of writers every new track, I now have bad blood with her
I don’t understand the Swifties. Not for me. I’d be happy never hearing Shake it Off ever again. I’ve never purposely listened to a TS album. Not surprised by how many tracks I recognised - she’s inescapable at the gym, on radio, in tv shows… I desperately want to give this a 1 star before listening, but the production saves it from being the worst of the worst. 2/5
Lounge music
some surprisingly good and some ultraboring songs
Gotta laugh at all the reviewers giving this album 5 and chanting ‘haters gunna hate’ about anyone who doesn't share their tastes. That one chant sums up everything about Swift’s music - complete lack of originality and repetition. But I don't mind her otherwise as she obviously has the business and musical smarts for the pop machine. Good luck to her
Avoided this one for a long time. Hoped it would feel more than just vapid with a sense of musicality. Seems all that was scrubbed out in the slick production. Having never actively listened to the songs, they're all just so empty. Some songs are very good pop songs. But lots of it feels empty, soulless and indicative of the problems with pop music. That plus the fact she seems to be a cow don't make her endearing.
Yeah this makes you the biggest popstar in the world. I guess that says something about the average person. 2/5
idk
Ratings: 5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background Not a fan of the style or the production. Shake it Off is a genuinely good track but I don't see myself returning to this. I'm not exactly the target demo for it either.
Pop music from the current world’s biggest pop star. I don’t care for it but I understand why it made the list.
This is the sound of complacency with American techofascism
deeeeeeefinitely not for me but rounding up to 2 stars only cos it reminds me of my younger sister who played this album over and over when it came out
aight.
Exceptionally bland. Rarely noticed when one song ended and the next started.
After the first song I thought I would hate it but ended up merely indifferent
街中のスピーカーから流れてくる分には悪くないと思うけど、腰を据えて聞きたくはない。
I really went into this with an open mind, but I've just never been particularly keen on Taylor Swift's style of pop. There's a few good spots here and there (the opening verse to Style in particular) but a lot of this just didn't land for me. Shake It Off is pretty cringe - especially the semi-spoken word bit - Bad Blood is just so dull. Never quite sure if Swift is trying for an 80s pop pastiche, but failing to actually commit to the bit.