Taylor Swift- Red Album Review

Album- Red

Artist- Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift has already become one of the most celebrated and successful artists of all time, and yet her career has so many steps to take. Here I take a look at her highly anticipated fourth studio album that was a one week million seller in America, seeing whether she has bested her last studio album and whether she is really worth all the hype.

Track 1- State of Grace

The first track on the album is a greater opener because it has an epic, stadium like sound to it. This is most prominently produced by the incessant drum beats throughout the track which give a powerful kick to the song and presents a different musical style for Swift. Its also nice in that, based on the lyrics, this could have been a slow number, but with the rock style production a different, interesting layer is added to Ms Swift’s work.

4/5

Track 2- Red

The plunky guitar intro of this song signals that this is Swift at her country best, showing fans of her music that she is evolving but is always going to be the artist she was before as well. Lyrically the song isn’t as good as some of Swift’s other work. Although the love and colour concept is interesting it feels bland in the way it is addressed. But the power within the chorus production wise gives an essence of force to the song, and the little electro background of the recurring “R r r red” red refrain gives a nice modern twist to the track.

3.5/5

Track 3- Treacherous

A soft down tempo song co penned and produced by Dan Wilson, this is a great song in that it is simple but really intricate and nice. It also contains one of my favourite lyrics “like all we are is skin and bone, trained to get along”. This song perfectly highlights how through her song writing Swift is able to capture the human spirit and bottle it up into great songs. And it also gives a sense of her having lived life, despite being only 22 years young.

4/5

Track 4- I Knew You Were Trouble

The first of the Max Martin collabs on the album presents a great change of pace to the album and a great, different sound for swift. A pop song with just a light dusting of dubstep, Swift gets a little more feisty on this track, and the booming chorus drop makes for a great intensity to the track. Great for anyone who has been scorned in life and knew they would be, and production wise a brilliant song as Martin knows exactly when to add power to Swifts lyrics and voice.

4.5/5

Track 5- All Too Well

This slow burner of a number with its incessant drum beat is typical, confessional Swift at her best, being lyrically sharp and smart. However, in interviews Swift has said the song could have been like 10 minutes long. Even in this over 5 minute state it is still a little too long, and so by the end you may get little bored of it.

3.5/5

Track 6- 22

The poppiest track on the album is a fun filled celebration of life and is a very up tempo, dance around in your room moment on the record. The only issue of this track is that you might feel excluded if you’re not 22, but if you’re not bothered then just embrace the pop fun and goodness of this track in which Swift tangibly conveys a great sense of joy through her vocals as well as a simple but great pop chorus.

4.5/5

Track 7- I Almost Do

The poppy nature of the last track is perfectly contrasted with the slow country balladry of this track in which Swift speaks about thinking of a former love. It’s very much recognisable as your typical Taylor Swift, but is great in that, through all the aspects of the song, she gives a voice to the many girls around the world who have contemplated speaking to an ex and stirring up old feelings and have almost done it. And she also layers the track with a true sense of vulnerability, with the production not being too overpowering.

4/5

Track 8- We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

This was the first single off the album and was seen by many as Swift’s full transition into pop, although it did well in the country market. No matter what genre this is, this is just a great track. This has to be because the hook is so simple and straightforward that it gets stuck in your head so easily, and you have to sing along to it. The small touches are also great to, like the talking to a friend moment just before the end and the clever lyrics such as “with some indie record that’s much cooler than mine”. It unashamedly cheesy, awesome pop at its best.

5/5

Track 9- Stay Stay Stay

Another light and fun track, but this time a lot more country, this track is a little bit bland in the wake of We Are Never. And it is perhaps the weakest track on the album in that it is not as lyrically astute as some of Swifts other work. But the chorus is quite catchy through its fast paced simple nature.

3/5

Track 10- The Last Time (featuring Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol)

This song is awesome, but maybe not in the way it should be. This is because while the pairing of their voices is great, and the song is definitely given more depth as a duet, Lightbody seems to have a more commanding, vulnerable presence within the song, and so this isn’t good considering it is meant to be a Swift song. Still, if one ignores this, this is definitely a lush track that is uniquely more vulnerable than any of Swifts previous work.

4/5

Track 11- Holy Ground

A fast paced, slightly rock edged song, this is a good song in that it gives a nice change of pace to the album. The contrast of the full throttle verses and the slow, simple chorus gives a great flavour to the track, and the continual background vocals of “oh way” is a nice touch. Not the greatest track, but it’s good to see that production wise Swift is pushing herself.

3/5

Track 12- Sad Beautiful Tragic

This is the saddest, most delicate track on the record. The gentle piano and guitar instrumentation throughout the track compliments Swifts delicate vocals well. And  it is great that in three simple words Swift conjures up an immediate impression of her former relationship for her listener. The lamenting sounds before the final verse gives a great sense of melodrama to the song, and its different from Swifts other down tempo music in that it isn’t easily ear marked as a country ballad.

3.5/5

Track 13- The Lucky One

A little more mid tempo than the last track, this is a retrospective track from the point of view of a star that has to suffer through great attention placed upon them. It gives the listener insight into Swifts opinion into media and the culture of celebrity, providing a nice change from her usual romantic state.  The only issue with this track is that the repeated refrain may get annoying combined with a sense of the songs final minute not having that dramatic power we expect of Swift

3/5

Track 14- Everything Has Changed (featuring Ed Sheeran)

This collaboration seems like an obvious one as these artists share the same sensibilities. And it’s a sweet ballad that does give the sense of these two artists being in a relationship, even though they are not. The combining of their voices also elevates the track, as this could have been a boring track with only Swifts voice. However unlike the Lightbody duet, Swift has much more of a vocal presence, which makes the song more firmly hers. The final verse also packs a punch vocally, and the delicacy of the final pre chorus emphasises the message of everything changing.

3.5/5

Track 15- Starlight

A more up tempo track than the previous songs, this track offers a nice change of pace. It is also conceptually intriguing in that it wasn’t inspired by a Swift relationship but by an old photo of a couple. With a powerful chorus and a lyrical innocence, this is the fist bumping number of the album and an instant Taylor Swift classic.

4/5

Track 16- Begin Again

The closing track on the album is a slow burning ballad that is very simplistic in every aspect, and because of this the message of finding love again is very much brought to the fore of the track. It’s a nice end to the album in that it gives a sense of hope to the listener and shows that whilst Swift has been burnt she still believes in love. And it’s a signifier of why we love Swift: she is confessional and emotional, imbuing her songs with a sense of them being part of her diary.

4.5/5

Final Review  

Whilst not as cohesive as her other work, like many other listeners of this album I find myself commending Swift for pushing her musical boundaries and producing some great songs in the process, whilst remaining true to her roots. And even though there is an essence of a life lived and maturity on this record, there is also a sense of lightness and freshness, reminding us the Swift is still only 22 years young with a lot more growing up to do.