So who watched the August 18th, 5pm Yahoo worldwide livestream? (raises hand) - I certainly did and not to toot my own horn (it wasn't a particularly difficult puzzle), but I totally figured out and called Taylor on the hints she dropped on her Instagram.
"That's what people say, that's what people say," Taylor sings in her new single, Shake It Off, as released on the 18th of August 2014 via a Yahoo worldwide livestream. The song is the first single of her upcoming fifth album, aptly titled 1989 for not only her birth year, but also because she was heavily influenced by the pop music genre of that decade.
Upon the first listen, it is immediately evident that the song is infectiously catchy and screams "pop" from every crevice of the song and music video. The song is carried by a heavily synth-chorus and a repeating horn melody, which seems to be an emerging trend with recent music after the success of Macklemore's Thrift Shop with its signature looping cornet track. With a couple listens, it will undoubtedly make you bob your head along with the so-called "sick beat" (a term now apparently part of Taylor's vernacular) and even mouth the lyrics silently (*raises* hand, guilty as charged). At its core, the single is about shaking off haters who are always "gonna hate hate hate hate hate" regardless of what music she chooses to release: scrutinizing how she acts, dresses, and just about every facet of her life. It follows in the footsteps of Taylor's previous song, Mean, which shunned her worst critics.
There are some genuine moments in the song that showcase Taylor's quirky personality; she lets out a feminine giggle after singing "I go on too many dates" as if coyly acknowledging she is in the RED (ha, I amuse myself with my puns). But these occasions are too few and far in between in the 3 minutes and 39 seconds - like what is with the mid-song rap? O___O"
But even amidst all the excitement that Taylor Swift, my #bae, has released new music and is about to drop another album (I have yet to be disappointed) in fall 2014, I just can't help but feel a tinge of sadness that Taylor Swift is now officially a pop star.
Ugh. Siiiiiiiiigh.
From dangerously flirting with the boundaries of country and pop with her iconic, critically acclaimed album, RED, her next album 1989 is, as she self-proclaims, her "first documented pop album." So it's in stone - Taylor Swift has officially crossed over to pop and is embracing her pop stardom. I have to respect her choice - it is never easy to commit to change, especially when she has made millions trademarking her 'brand' of country-pop music that so many other singers have attempted to recreate, but have yet to succeed.
However for me, this change is so lamentably bittersweet and wistful. Regardless if you are her worst hater/critic or perhaps her most dedicated fan, it is irrefutable that Taylor Swift has always been musically interesting and somewhat of an anomaly in the age of declining music sales. Her music transcends and is a bizarre, yet wonderful mixture: from being a picture of innocence to almost hypocritical musings and sometimes as bitter as an old man's ailing complaints.
What has made Taylor so unique and fascinating (to me at least) is that she is the music industry's best storyteller, hands down. Her songs pull you into the web she so intricately weaves: lulling you into delicate plots, unraveling deep, hidden emotions, and just helplessly entranced by the music.
Yet, Shake It Off is just so... generic.
The song is oddly hypocritical. It asks you to embrace your best self, to be the best person you can be, 'shaking off' restrictions and asks you to go for it regardless of the consequences or potential backlash. It more or less follows the theme of most of Swift's music to this day about embracing your individuality and highlighting what makes each person unique. But once again, Shake It Off is so far from unique and quite non-descript in delivery.
I've always been an avid fan of Taylor (and my friends can attest to this) and I still am, but it was because her music always felt special to me like each song or lyric reached out to me personally. There is something inherently charming about her a little country, a little pop-y musical style and occasional off-key singing in this modern age of contemporary pop, where Katy Perrys, Rihannas, and similar artists are rampant and almost superfluous. Her music was never really radio-friendly in the conventional sense and at its heart, her music was real, it was raw. It was her, laid bare. #REAL, up in here.
She is arguably the world's current greatest pop star and celebrity: tall, slender, beautiful, and successful. But when she pulls out her guitar and Taylor Swift-branded picks, she just feels like a friend you call up on a Sunday evening to head down to the beach for some warm cocoa, huddled around a campfire.
So I do feel a sense of loss, a sense of regret that the country-pop star is now half of that: she is in fact, less, she is 'just' a pop starlet. I cannot deny I am indeed excited for her upcoming new release and eagerly anticipate it, but I fear it will be far from personal, far from what I have grown to appreciate and love.
October 27th, 1989. Already pre-ordered.
"After all, there's no sale like a pre-sale!" ... said no one ever.
... except Taylor.
I have to say though - I love the album cover of 1989. It's hipster and echoes the album title 1989. The washed, faded polaroid image takes me back to 1989. It probably was a great year. I wasn't born yet :)
--- thanks for reading
