AboutAGirl
oh, be nice
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Taylor Swift Official Website
I actually wrote this for my blog over in the blog section, but I realized it looked like one of those "official thread" threads and I know we don't have one for Taylor. So I took the risk. *shrug*
Not sure if we even have any other Swifties on board, which I think is a a bit of a shame considering Taylor is a stone-cold organic guitar-based artist who writes genuine autobiographical music. Not only does she write her own music, but it's also fun to note that Taylor Swift in fact is (and always has been), signed to an independent record label. They're basically her Sub Pop re: Nirvana, she carries them on her back after having become successful.
So here's the low down on The Swizz and her major releases thus far.
Taylor Swift (2006)
Taylor's debut is vibrant, young, and hungry. It's her most upbeat album with a bright summery feel, but it's also the one that rocks the least, opting more towards country instrumentations than pounding rock-styled ones. Only 16 at the time, the album is sincerely niave, but punching choruses and universal romance carry it to glory (including five platinum singles). While it's clear how Taylor's sound fits in with the rockified stylings of modern country, self-titled is the only full-length of hers to really utilize country music tropes. You can find abundant banjos, songs about pickup trucks, and good old country wisdom here, the rest of her music falls closer to folk-rock and pop-rock in style.
Fearless (2008)
Here comes the meteoric breakthrough. Taylor exchanges her youthful abandon and sunny flare for more of a controlled burn, and it pays off. The country becomes a bit toned down and instead we have the classic loud/soft dichotomy, alternating between smooth, cultured acoustic pop/rock and electrified verse/chorus anthemia. The love theme remains but the lyrics become much smarter, with the almost chillingly vivid 'Sugar Mountain'-reminiscent childhood rumination called The Best Day and the flawlessly-articulated first date fantasy of the Fearless title-track. And the choruses? So much bigger this time around.
Fearless: Platinum Edition (2009)
The album was rereleased with an EP attached. Like the EP accompanying her debut album, it retains the style of its predecessor, but unlike Beautiful Eyes, the tracks here are truly excellent. Untouchable attains a transcendental mood with its eerie picking and strained moans, and the sparce piano rendition of the former electric rocker Forever & Always chills me to the core.
Speak Now (2010)
A decent way to describe the difference between Fearless and Speak Now is to compare them to Nevermind and In Utero. The two albums use the exact same formula, and yet the latter record is deeply imbued with newfound maturity and growth. Fearless has more classics, but Speak Now features many of the most impressive and intriguing songs in Taylor's catalog. While Fearless leans more towards a folk style, Speak Now leans more towards rock, with more electric instrumentations and unquestionably some of Taylor's hardest rocking songs to date. Taylor almost seems to present a "take on all comers" mentality as she immaculately gives her best Evanescance impression on Haunted and her best Paramore in Better Than Revenge. Innocent takes the dewey eyed theme of eternal youth from her debut album and inverts it into a dark message about returning to youth after the world has had its way with you.
Speak Now World Tour Live (2011)
I saw this tour and it was one of the most incredible nights of my life. Unfortunately, I am a little disappointed with the sound quality on the CD, it could stand to be a lot crisper. But it's still a good set. In the most impressive and worthwhile segment, culled from various nights where each show featured different songs, Taylor takes the mic all by her lonesome to pay tribute to some of her own favorite artists.
I don't believe T-Swizzle will be touring this summer but this fall her next album is scheduled to come out! I can't wait to see what style it takes on.
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With the exception of MJ edging past her the year of his death, Taylor has been the top-selling artist 2008, 2009 & 2010! I guess you can't compete with Adele, especially without a new album. But 2012 should be a good year for Taylor once she gets the album out. People say organic music is on the outs, and yet the biggest sellers are still irrevocably organic acts.
