HOLLYWOOD—When you think of musician Taylor Swift what is the first thing that comes to mind? Stuck? Well I think of genre bender, pop culture genius. This woman knows the perfect way to reinvent herself time and time again to keep the masses talking about her.
Last week, Swift pulled a Beyonce as some would call it, by releasing the video for her newest single and releasing news about her upcoming album “1989.” Beyonce did things a bit more controversial by dropping an album with no announcement whatsoever. In Swift’s case, her fan-base continues to grow. I have never been a fan of country music; it’s a genre that isn’t my cup of tea, however, Swift changed that a few years back with her cheesy, but catchy tune “You Belong to Me.”
It was what I considered the cross-over between pop and country, which hadn’t really taken place in the music arena. Yet, this young woman came on the scene and began to explode year after year with music that left people wanting more. After taking the top prize for Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammy Awards, Swift followed up with “Red” which unleashed another pop friendly song to the masses, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
Yep, while you either loved or hated the song, it was impossible to deny the buzz that surrounded the song which had everyone singing its chorus. The ballad “I Knew You Were Trouble” pushed the icon back into the country roots, but still maintained its pop appeal. The singer has parlayed her music success into comic genius in her videos, but has also used that to transition in the movie arena also with her latest role in “The Giver.”
To be honest, I wasn’t expecting the superstar to unleash new music to the public until 2015, but her latest hit “Shake It Off,” has little country influence at all. It’s a direct pop hit; what’s scary is that it’s perhaps the cheesiest of all the songs Swift has released, but it’s so damn catchy you can’t escape it.
The video is full of pop culture references and shows once again that Taylor is a goofball at heart. Can we expect her album to be completely pop, I would say no, I’m certain a few of her songs will have a level of country embedded into them, but this ability to reinvent herself time and time again, is a sign that any true artist should consider.
She hasn’t even turned 25 yet, but Swift is already on a roll with album after album breaking records on the Billboard charts. We should expect the same for “1989” as fans and those who are not the biggest fans may be interested to discover what unique ‘sound’ Swift will deliver this time around. For someone who literally hates country music, Swift has transformed me to considering that country music has more to offer than what so many perceive it to be. Some would say whatever Taylor Swift touches is golden. I’m starting to agree with that theory.
By LaDale Anderson
