1989

Product Information

Harvey, Lydia (December 3, 2014). "Taylor Swift prances around in lingerie during Victoria's Secret Fashion Show". Tampa Bay Times. Archived from the original on February 6, 2019 . Retrieved February 6, 2019. a b c d e Horton, Matthew (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift – 1989". NME. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014 . Retrieved February 4, 2019. Some of them I wrote on piano, some of them I wrote on guitar. Some of them I would think of some synth line in my head and sing it into my phone and send it to my co-writers and say, ‘do you think this would sound cool?’ […] Or singing a drum beat over top of it, and I would send it to them and say, ‘I don’t have the right keyboard to make this sound in my house. I just have a piano and a guitar, but let me play it for you on piano and let you know what I think the bassline should be, and we can start there.’ Or it would be a first line of a first verse, or it would be, sort of, an image that I wanted to create a feeling around. We would just start with this image I had, or a story. Winograd, Jeremy (October 21, 2015). "Review: Ryan Adams, 1989". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019 . Retrieved May 6, 2019. Legaspi, Althea (September 17, 2021). "Taylor Swift Surprise-Releases 'Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)' for Avid TikTokers". Rolling Stone . Retrieved August 10, 2023.

Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2018". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018 . Retrieved December 5, 2018.a b "American album certifications – Taylor Swift – 1989". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved December 7, 2020. The 50 Best Albums of 2014". Complex. December 18, 2014. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014 . Retrieved December 22, 2014. The 10 Best Albums of 2014". Billboard. December 11, 2014. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014 . Retrieved December 24, 2014. To an extent, I disagree with there being no middle of the road on Taylor Swift's latest release. As someone who listened to her past two efforts, Speak Now and Red, extensively and religiously due to their relatable themes, catchy tunes, and smart crossing of country and pop while being relevant in both genres, I can't help but feel disappointed in this release. It isn't the new direction I have a problem with, as I am heavily fond of 80s music and actually quite like what she's doing, but I feel that there are two things that are at the forefront here that contribute to the averageness of the album as a whole.

Snapes, Laura (August 24, 2019). "Taylor Swift: 'I was literally about to break' ". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019 . Retrieved November 13, 2020. Ireland's Top 50 Biggest Female Artist Albums". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019 . Retrieved March 6, 2019. The first thing is simply how a lot of the songs seem to blend together not only after the first listen but after ongoing listens as well. There are no standouts here in the same catchy vein as some of her best songs, such as "You Belong with Me" and "Mean." This album is more about being a cohesive whole than either of Taylor's last two albums, which were about producing material that transcended genres and said something about her and her life. The diverse offerings of Speak Now and Red were one of the things that made them appealing, as almost anyone could find a song on the album they could like. This album strives more toward a certain sound at expense of discernible, catchy synths on each song. The catchy hooks are there, like on "Shake It Off" and "Wildest Dreams" for example, but it feels like the musical hooks themselves are repetitive, with the lyrical material being different even if most of them involve her interpersonal relationships, her usual subject. Caulfield, Keith (October 25, 2020). "Taylor Swift's Folklore Becomes First Million-Selling Album of 2020 in U.S." Billboard. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020 . Retrieved October 25, 2020. a b c d e Wood, Mikael (October 27, 2014). "Taylor Swift Smooths Out the Wrinkles on Sleek 1989". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014 . Retrieved February 4, 2019.by Taylor Swift". Sanity. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016 . Retrieved December 7, 2016. Frankenberg, Eric (August 21, 2018). "Taylor Swift Breaks Her Own Record for Highest-Grossing U.S. Tour by a Woman". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 22, 2018 . Retrieved October 5, 2020. This moment is a reflection of the woods we’ve wander through and all this love between us still glowing in the darkest dark.