Joe1240
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Taylor Swift-The Best in Pop & Country Music!
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Post by Joe1240 on Oct 26, 2010 8:33:32 GMT -5
Taylor Swift: By-The-Numbers by Gary Trust | octubre 26, 2010 9:05 EDT Taylor Swift Upon the release of Taylor Swift's third studio album, "Speak Now," Chart Beat looks at the numerous records that the star country singer/songwriter/producer has already set since her arrival just more than four years ago. Swift first graced a Billboard tally when her debut single, "Tim McGraw," debuted at the anchor position (No. 60) on the Country Songs chart dated July 1, 2006. HER 'SONG'S: Swift is the only female artist to collect five top 10s from a debut album in the 56-year history of Country Songs. Here is a look at the Country Songs chart performance of the five singles from "Taylor Swift": Peak Position, Title, Peak Year No. 6, "Tim McGraw," 2007 No. 2, "Teardrops on My Guitar," 2007 No. 1 (six weeks), "Our Song," 2007-08 No. 3, "Picture to Burn," 2008 No. 1 (two weeks), "Should've Said No," 2007-08 With the six-week reign of "Our Song," Swift joined just four other women who have claimed such lengthy stays on top: Kitty Wells ("It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels," six weeks, 1952); Connie Smith ("Once a Day," eight, 1964); Faith Hill ("Breathe," six, 2000); and, Carrie Underwood ("Jesus, Take the Wheel," six, 2006). MORE TO THE 'STORY': Swift followed the unprecedented success of her first album's singles on Country Songs with an additional five top 10s from her second studio set, "Fearless." In the chart's archives, only two other acts have banked top 10s from each of their first two releases: Brooks & Dunn notched five top 10s each from "Brand New Man" and "Hard Workin' Man" (1991-94) and Dixie Chicks hatched five top 10s from their major label debut "Wide Open Spaces" and six from "Fly" (1998-2002). Here is a look at how the five songs promoted to radio from "Fearless" fared on Country Songs: Peak Position, Title, Peak Year No. 1 (two weeks), "Love Story," 2008 No. 2, "White Horse," 2009 No. 1 (two weeks), "You Belong With Me," 2009 No. 7, "Fifteen," 2009 No. 10, "Fearless," 2010 UP WHERE SHE 'BELONG'S: After becoming the first country artist to win a Moonman at the MTV Video Music Awards last year (Johnny Cash's "Hurt" was honored for Jean-Yves Escoffier's cinematography in 2003), Swift likewise broke barriers on Billboard's Radio Songs survey. On the Oct. 3, 2009, chart, "You Belong With Me" rose 2-1 to become the first country crossover No. 1 since the radio airplay list adopted Nielsen BDS-monitored data in 1990. Previously among country singles, Shania Twain's "You're Still the One" (1998), Faith Hill's "Breathe" (2000) and Swift's own "Love Story" (March 2009) had each peaked as high as No. 2 on Radio Songs. 'FEARLESS' PEERLESS: With 11 weeks logged at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart between November 2008 and March 2009, "Fearless" boasts the longest command for an album by a female artist in the 2000s. In the Billboard 200's 54-year history, the set is one of just seven albums by women to rule for 11 weeks or more: Weeks At No. 1, Artist, Title, Peak Year 20, Whitney Houston, "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, 1992 15, Carole King, "Tapestry," 1971 14, Whitney Houston, " Whitney Houston," 1986 13, Judy Garland, "Judy at Carnegie Hall," 1961 12, Alanis Morissette, "Jagged Little Pill," 1995 11, Taylor Swift, "Fearless," 2008 11, Mariah Carey, "Mariah Carey," 1991 SWIFT STARTS: When the title cut from "Speak Now" debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 two weeks ago, Swift rewrote the mark for most top 10 launches in the chart's 52-year ledger. The song became Swift's sixth title to arrive in the Hot 100's top tier, eclipsing Mariah Carey's career sum, tallied between 1995 and 1998. Previously ahead of the release of "Speak Now," focus track "Mine" premiered at No. 3 in August. Last week, Swift padded her lead with the No. 6 bow of "Back to December." The debut made Swift the first artist ever to begin in the Hot 100's top 10 in consecutive weeks. Here is a recap of the acts with the most top 10 Hot 100 entrances: 7, Taylor Swift 5, Mariah Carey 4, the Beatles 4, Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana 4, Eminem 4, Janet Jackson 4, Kanye West Swift is likely to add an eighth such strong start when the Hot 100 is refreshed Thursday (Oct. 28), as "Mean," the final preview track from "Speak Now," is expected to open in the top 10. The following week, Swift will add more accolades to her already impressive Billboard chart history with the arrival of "Speak Now" on the Billboard 200 and Country Albums. Additional reporting by Silvio Pietroluongo, Wade Jessen and Keith Caulfield. www.billboard.com/features/taylor-swift-by-the-numbers-1004123916.story#/features/taylor-swift-by-the-numbers-1004123916.story
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Joe1240
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Taylor Swift-The Best in Pop & Country Music!
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Post by Joe1240 on Oct 26, 2010 8:44:27 GMT -5
Taylor Swift Doesn't Need Speak Now To 'Top' Fearless 'I really, really pushed myself in making this album,' Swift tells MTV News about her latest release. By Jocelyn Vena (@jocelyn1212) , with reporting by Jim Cantiello (@jambajim) Taylor Swift released Fearless way back in the fall of 2008, hitting the top of the charts and seemingly taking home every prize in town. Now she's back with her third album, Speak Now, but the singer says she's not going to worry about whether her latest will measure up to the enormous success of her sophomore LP. "Well, being a natural over-thinker and over-analyzer of life in general, I've kind of thought about all of that and, of course, the questions are always, 'How are you possibly going to top Fearless?' And, you know, the only thing that I can possibly do in life is live life, take it as it comes at me," she explained to MTV News. "Try to process it the best way I can and make music that I'm proud of." With two years having passed since the album's original release, we asked Taylor what she thinks of Fearless now. "I look back on Fearless and I'm proud of it. I mean, that album is a beautiful collection of memories from when I was 16, 17 and 18," she said. "And I appreciate everything I was able to do with that album and everything that was awarded to that album. I'm never going to have the unfair mind-set that I'm competing with my past work because it's just not fair to do that to yourself." As for Speak Now, Swift said she wrote many of the songs in the heat of the moment, as responses to specific experiences. But that doesn't mean she didn't suffer writer's block every once in a while. "I've experienced everything you can possibly experience while writing this album," she said. "I really, really pushed myself in making this album, so not everything flows out perfectly. Sometimes you have to really search your mind." www.mtv.com/news/articles/1650772/20101025/swift__taylor.jhtml
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Kyla
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Post by Kyla on Oct 26, 2010 8:52:05 GMT -5
Yay! Its run has been so bi-polar. Looks like it will actually get to #1 now. It just needs to hold strong a couple more days. Eta: Scratch that. Hold strong AND hold off ZBB. That song came out of nowhere! Or else I haven't payed very close attention to the chart lately...
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Ivy Leegue™
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Successful And Blessed
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Post by Ivy Leegue™ on Oct 26, 2010 9:26:24 GMT -5
OB, I'm glad to hear that you love this album. It's probably my favorite release this year (but I haven't bought many this year). After having listened to the whole thing, I remain in awe. Ol' Girl is a serial dater though. She might want to think of taking a break from guys for a bit and look for inspiration elsewhere, LOL. Then again, I guess that's what makes Taylor...Taylor. There are vocal moments that made me drop my jaw. Didn't know she could hit some of those notes, tbqh. Now, I want to see her replicate these songs live. Last Kiss, btw, is my favorite. Song made me tear up and I hated myself for it afterwards. :'(
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Haley
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Post by Haley on Oct 26, 2010 10:22:50 GMT -5
The album is flawless, I love each and every song. It's definitely her best effort and for me, it was pretty hard to top Fearless but she did it. I honestly can't pick a favorite... ...Last Kiss... It's between that and Enchanted. I can't choose..but I'm leaning more towards Enchanted. Both are epic, either way. Oh and I wouldn't be surprised if this sold more than 700k for the first week.
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Post by fullonrainstorm on Oct 26, 2010 10:43:31 GMT -5
Adam Young's heard the album.Wonder what he thought about Enchanted :
owlcity The new @taylorswift13 record is unbelievably dreamy.
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Ace
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Post by Ace on Oct 26, 2010 11:11:39 GMT -5
This is such a solid, well-written, well-produced, album. It flows so well. I think my fav is Enchanted, but I'll have to listen more. Perfect amount of growth and maturation without marginalizing her fan base.
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👑 Eloquent ™
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Post by 👑 Eloquent ™ on Oct 26, 2010 11:29:33 GMT -5
Taylor Swift 'Speak Now'No time for teardrops, country star spits venom Spin Rating 7 of 10Before you've even heard Taylor Swift's new album, it's hard to resist imagining that the 20-year-old Queen of Tween is secretly addressing these songs to Kanye West, her onetime awards-show tormentor. But it's even harder to get past that idea after you hear Speak Now, which peaks with a remarkable seven minutes of epic pop-country poetry called "Dear John." On the surface, Swift is taking an old flame to task with the talky, high-def detail that's turned her into the patron saint of exurban romantic ennui. But then she admits, "I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said run as fast as you can," quoting nearly verbatim a line from West's single "Runaway." And after that she invokes her ex's "dark, twisted games" -- surely a reference to the title of the rapper's latest, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It's trickier to find the Kanye content in bubblier tunes "Sparks Fly" and "Long Live." But note also that those are the album's dullest, most forgettable moments, while Swift taps into something nervy and intense when she goes nasty. Rhyming "actress" with "what she does on the mattress" in "Better Than Revenge," Swift channels the rage of someone with far more substantial grievances. Let's have a toast for the ladies who stick it to the douchebags. www.spin.com/reviews/taylor-swift-speak-now-big-machine
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nano
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Post by nano on Oct 26, 2010 11:30:41 GMT -5
Good, solid album. Absolutely LOVE Last Kiss and Enchanted. Best two songs of her career so far. However, overall, I think I still prefer Fearless as a whole.
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Post by heartbreaklullaby on Oct 26, 2010 11:31:56 GMT -5
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👑 Eloquent ™
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Post by 👑 Eloquent ™ on Oct 26, 2010 11:36:20 GMT -5
SPEAK OUT: Early word from retail is that Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Big Machine) is “huge” and “exploding,” with some initial projections in the 800-900k range—downright stunning for this day and age. On top of that, half of the iTunes Top 20 tracks are from the album. So how high can Speak Now go in week one? Won’t be long till we find out. (10/26a)
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Post by passionformusic on Oct 26, 2010 11:46:23 GMT -5
Some more reviews coming in:
Taylor Swift - Speak Now Taylor Swift Answers All Critics About.com Rating 5 Star Rating Be the first to write a review
By Bill Lamb, About.com Guide
Few top level artists have responded to critics with the ferocity and fearlessness that Taylor Swift expresses on her third studio album Speak Now. Her songwriting skills have taken another significant step forward in sheer power. Her music is more diverse stylistically than ever, and her singing is credible and up to par. Taylor Swift has stated that each song is styled as a confession to a particular person, and that intimacy reads as a rare glimpse into the true life of a young pop star at the top of her game. This album is a powerful artistic triumph.
Settling Scores
Taylor Swift wrote all of the songs on Speak Now with no co-songwriters. She says, "It didn't really happen on purpose, it just sort of happened. Like, I'd get my best ideas at 3:00 AM in Arkansas, and I didn't have a co-writer around and I would just finish it." Frequently, the barriers and filters come down in the wee hours of the morning. On the songs here that amount to settling scores, it is obvious that Taylor Swift was not interested in holding back. She mentions no full names in the songs, but many fans and gossip experts have pieced together the likley subjects from what we do know about the life of the songwriter.
"Dear John" adapts the bluesy style of John Mayer in a song most feel is addressed to him. It is a powerful explication of a relationship best summed up in the song's final line, "Don't you think I was too young? You should have known." On "Better Than Revenge" Taylor Swift dives headfirst into a power pop rush to strike down the other woman who, "Took him faster than you can say sabotage." For those who wish bullies a final comeuppance there is "Mean" which takes on one perpetrator, but the words are truly universal in scope.
Compassion and Sentimentality
Lest you think Speak Now amounts to an album-length screed against those Taylor Swift thinks have done her wrong, there are also songs of impressive compassion here. She responds to the notorious Kanye West confrontation with words of comfort and identification that he is still an "Innocent." The song "Never Grow Up" bathes in a sentimentality that avoids being cloying. In "Back To December," a song many believe speaks about her relationship with actor Taylor Lautner, Taylor Swift apologizes among words of respect and joy for the best parts of their romance. Speak Now closes with perhaps the most powerful song here "Long Live" where she exclaims, "Long live all the mountains we moved, I had the time of my life with you."
Top Tracks on 'Speak Now'
1. "Back to December" 2. "Speak Now" 3. "Better Than Revenge" 4. "Innocent" 5. "Long Live"
Taylor Swift, the Artist
The primary conclusion after listening to Speak Now is that the album amounts to an impressively honest and open portrait of Taylor Swift as one of the most promising young artists in popular music. The collection of songs and performances deserves a five star rating due to the immediacy of the songs perfectly matching the experiences and concerns of a celebrity musician on the cusp of moving from starry-eyed teen to an adult with varying experiences of joy and pain. She finds her way into varied musical styles from power pop to banjo fueled country that keep the album from dragging or alienating any specific group of fans. Speak Now is a landmark album. Is it Taylor Swift at her most powerful and compelling? Or is this simply the beginning? Only time will answer that question.
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Post by passionformusic on Oct 26, 2010 11:47:33 GMT -5
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Post by passionformusic on Oct 26, 2010 11:50:46 GMT -5
Reviewer which expected to hate it, but ended up being really positive.
Taylor Swift - Speak Now Review Posted by Michael James on 10.25.2010
Some analysts say that this may be the last album to ever sell 1 million copies in its first week. Does the album live up to its potentially historic legacy?
I must be a musical optimist. That may not be exactly the correct word, but it’s the best I can do at the moment to describe my recent glass half full takes on some disposable pop releases that I am normally predisposed to hate. In the past month or so, I wrote largely positive reviews of albums by Katy Perry and Bruno Mars. I also inexplicably found myself enjoying the debut by The Pretty Reckless, the band fronted by Jenny Humphrey, even before she started exposing herself to audiences. As a result, I’ve found myself straying further from my musical comfort zones in hopes of finding something to bash. I was pretty certain that Taylor Swift’s third full length Speak Now would get the job done, particularly in light of her, umm, unique vocal performances at The Grammys and the VMAs. But alas, the best laid plans…
1. Mine 2. Sparks Fly 3. Back to December 4. Speak Now 5. Dear John 6. Mean 7. The Story of Us 8. Never Grow Up 9. Enchanted 10. Better than Revenge 11. Innocent 12. Haunted 13. Last Kiss 14. Long Live
While Swift could desperately use an editor, by and large, Speak Now is a solid album. As you may have heard, Swift writes mostly about her past relationships, with both famous people and normal folks. Most of her big name relationships get exposed here-- there’s a song about Taylor Lautner. And John Mayer. And yes, there’s a song about her non-romantic, but nonetheless complicated, relationship with Kanye. But while most of the advance press for Speak Now has concerned her subject matter, the most notable aspect of the album should be Swift’s formidable songwriting talents.
Even where Swift indulges in some of overwhelming lyrical Hallmarkiness, her technical songwriting abilities help to salvage the work. Case in point is the “stay young little girl” advice column/song “Never Grow Up”. I was extremely tempted to skip ahead after multiple lines which advise a 14 year old to let her mom drive her all the way to the door of the movie theater. Yet Swift uses a circular song structure that delivers a sweet payoff, as she captures the loneliness that comes with leaving the nest.
While Swift is most often identified as a country starlet, the country influences are buried fairly deep on Speak Now. In fact, the only track which is immediately identifiable as a country track is “Mean,” which uses a stripped down banjo instrumental for a tried and true tale of “small town girl makes it big and talks smack to the abusive big fish she left behind.”
Instead, Swift shows unexpected versatility as she experiments with a variety of styles. The wedding interruption fantasy “Speak Now” finds Swift trying on a quirky delivery reminiscent of Ingrid Michaelson. On the opposite end of the spectrum, “Better Than Revenge” is a pop-rocker, in the Kelly Clarkson/ Pink sense of the word. The song is extremely catchy down to the requisite “Woah-oh”s on the chorus. That said, Swift’s attempt at snarled threats of revenge is akin to a poodle dressed up in a leather jacket. (I think I stole that analogy from Simon Cowell). “Haunted” which features an epic orchestral rock arrangement is much more convincing.
Experimentation aside, Swift’s style is best suited to the earnest and/or victimized subject matter. Two of the tracks directed towards her famous former flames showcase these polar opposite mindsets. “Back to December” is an open apology letter to actor Taylor Lautner regarding the end of their relationship. Swift seems palpably saddened by the way she handled things and her lyrical focus on specific details like discarded bouquets makes the song relatable.
On the other hand, “Dear John” is a thorough evisceration of playboy John Mayer. More mournful than spiteful, the track details Mayer’s penchant for endless mind games and manipulation and probably does more to damage Mayer’s romantic good standing then his self-inflicted interview wounds. As naïve as it is to say, the thought of an experienced lothario like Mayer defiling Swift makes me feel dirty. But nonetheless, Swift gets the last laugh as she delivers the poetic kiss off “All the girls that you run dry/Have tired lifeless eyes/ ‘cause you burned them out/ But I took your matches/Before fire could catch me/So don’t look now/ I’m shining like fireworks/over your sad empty town.”
While that lyric would have been the perfect end to the song, “Dear John” runs on for another two minutes, weighing in at a hefty running time of 6:44. This is the perfect example of Speak Now’s biggest flaw. With 14 tracks and a running time of more than an hour, the album is hard to listen to in one shot. Now in our ITunes, single sales era, this may not be a big problem. But five separate tracks of five minutes are more screams self-indulgence, particularly since we are not exactly dealing with the musical or lyrical complexity of Bob Dylan’s “Hurricane”, or “November Rain.” Instead, songs like “Enchanted” meander aimlessly and repetitively.
However, some overextended running times, or instances where Swift seems intent on cramming extra words into a lyric at the expense of the melody, are quickly forgotten in the light of Swift’s lyrical gifts. While the Kanye-baiting “Innocent” may be cloying and pretentious but the slight turn of phrase on the chorus, “your string of lights is still bright to me” is an example of the unpretentious, yet evocative lyricism that gets me every time.
So yet again, my hopes of finding a musical punching bag have fallen short. Instead, I must begrudgingly extend my respect and praise to Taylor Swift. Speak Now isn’t perfect, but it’s much closer than I expected.
If you’re like me, most of your music ends up in an endless .mp3 “shuffle.” In order to preserve your valuable disk space, here’s what’s IPod-worthy off Speak Now:
“Mine”; “Back to December”; “Speak Now”; “Dear John”; “Better Than Revenge”; “Haunted”; “Last Kiss”
The 411: Speak Now certainly won't appeal to much of the 411 readership. But with the holidays around the corner, you will inevitably find yourself shopping for music fans with softer musical preferences. I hope my mom doesn't read this, because she's most likely getting Speak Now for Christmas. Swift is a gifted songwriter and incorporates enough different musical styles to avoid sounding stale. I would rate the album higher, but the album is a few tracks too long and some of the lyrics aimed squarely at the tween girl set are thankfully lost on me. Final Score: 7.5 [ Good ]
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Post by passionformusic on Oct 26, 2010 11:51:27 GMT -5
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Mark
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Post by Mark on Oct 26, 2010 11:52:47 GMT -5
SPEAK OUT: Early word from retail is that Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Big Machine) is “huge” and “exploding,” with some initial projections in the 800-900k range—downright stunning for this day and age. On top of that, half of the iTunes Top 20 tracks are from the album. So how high can Speak Now go in week one? Won’t be long till we find out. (10/26a) I knew their initial estimate/prediction/whatever would go way higher. 650-700k seemed low. I have a feeling that with the word of mouth, great reviews, and intense promo that she'll do all week, we will only see that number go higher.
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Haley
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Post by Haley on Oct 26, 2010 11:54:16 GMT -5
SPEAK OUT: Early word from retail is that Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Big Machine) is “huge” and “exploding,” with some initial projections in the 800-900k range—downright stunning for this day and age. On top of that, half of the iTunes Top 20 tracks are from the album. So how high can Speak Now go in week one? Won’t be long till we find out. (10/26a) Amazing.
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Post by passionformusic on Oct 26, 2010 11:54:28 GMT -5
www.tampabay.com/features/music/review-taylor-swift-resumes-her-heart-smashing-on-speak-now/1130281Review: Taylor Swift resumes her heart smashing on 'Speak Now' By Sean Daly, Times Music Critic In Print: Tuesday, October 26, 2010 Doe eyes and diary entries notwithstanding, Taylor Swift eats boys for breakfast. And I mean that as a compliment. As the guy-devouring Goldilocks releases her new album Speak Now — and slays a bevy of bold-faced dudes in the process — the 20-year-old has become not just a pop powerhouse but a blond beacon of newfangled feminism, too. Swift justice, you have to love it. Her vengeful schtick may eventually grow into self-parody, but for now we can't get enough of her moxie. Swift is the bestselling artist of 2008 and 2009. She'll be tough to beat in 2010, too. Speak Now, Swift's third and arguably best album, could sell 2 million copies in its first week, a music-biz anomaly. When's the last time students called for a school holiday to celebrate a record's drop day? Check out a newsstand, and Swift's beaming face glows on every other magazine cover, smirking next to an exclamatory headline about the annoyances in her life: Joe Jonas, Taylor Lautner, Kanye West, John Mayer. Naming names is a great sales tool, but if the vaguely country pop songs themselves aren't any good, what's the point? But therein lies Swift's ultimate weapon. Yes, she's pretty, savvy, smart — but she's also an incredibly crafty songwriter, balancing gravitas with relentless radio hooks. Her showmanship always wins out over her broken heart. Her voice isn't a dazzler, but it has a solemn middle range and a sweetly passionate high plead. She can deliver at will. The 14-track Speak Now hits way more than it misses. There are fast, feisty cuts to offset the inevitable slow stuff. Better Than Revenge, rumored to be about Camilla Belle (who supposedly stole Jonas away), borders on the downright metallic, a hair-flying beat-down. Swift delivers the song with a wink and a cackle, issuing the chorus with the kick of a high heel: "There is nothing I do better than revenge." The Story of Us, maybe about Lautner (there's only so much US Weekly I can take), is darkly upbeat, a breakup song that chugs aplenty. Also chummy is the country kissoff Mean, a chin-up ditty for those getting bullied, berated. For all Swift's humor and fire, though, the album's two strongest songs are absolute heart smashers. They're the most complex, mature ballads she's written; at more than six minutes each, they're also the most epic. Last Kiss has a spare piano line and reverbing guitars, a moody foggy landscape perfect for a tragic love story: "And I hope the sun shines / And it's a beautiful day / And something reminds you / You wish you had stayed." Even better is Dear John, which is not unlike a sprawling, crescendoing powder keg from the likes of the Black Crowes or Counting Crows. As guitars crunch, Swift takes her time eviscerating a much older lover who took her heart — and perhaps something else. "Well maybe it's me and my blind optimism to blame / Maybe it's you and your sick need to give love then take it away." Dear John — which, if the gossip is true, is about sensitive guitar man Mayer — is nothing less than You're So Vain for the 21st century. Swift's curls go a little flat here and there. Innocent, about Kanye West's infamous buttinski routine at the MTV VMAs, is a self-indulgent drone. And the album's singles — Mine and Back to December — are blah, been-there also-rans compared to the rest of the album. But that's no crime: When you're the biggest pop star on the planet, you don't want to change things too much. As Swift grows up, so will her music. And I get the feeling she'll tire of dartboard songwriting long before we do. In the meantime, we can all enjoy her fine new record — well, except for Mayer, who should probably stay indoors for a few weeks. Taylor Swift, Speak Now (Big Machine) GRADE: B+
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Post by passionformusic on Oct 26, 2010 12:01:29 GMT -5
And then there is hate, to evens things out...
Review of Taylor Swift's latest album, "Speak Now" Tuesday, October 26, 2010 BY PRESTON JONES The Record MCCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS
Taylor Swift, "Speak Now" * 1/2
Three albums into her wildly popular, multiplatinum and globally successful career, Taylor Swift is still settling scores.
Either the 20-year-old singer-songwriter is terrifically thin-skinned or she can't bring herself to write about anything aside from her romantic travails, but the "woman scorned" shtick is becoming quite tired.
With every new Swift song, a breathless round of speculation — Who incurred her wrath? Will she name names? How many fellas have really wronged her? — obscures the truth about her.
While she has an admitted knack for melody and, very infrequently, a finely wrought turn of phrase suggesting depth beyond boy-hating, Swift has been turning out variations on the same theme (teenage love soured by melodrama) that first catapulted her to fame. "Speak Now," her latest studio effort, is no different; there's even a track titled "Better Than Revenge," for crying out loud, with the telling line "She should keep in mind/There is nothing I do better than revenge."
The latest single, "Dear John," has already set tabloid tongues wagging, as it's a song supposedly about her brief dalliance with Mr. Sexual Napalm himself, John Mayer. At nearly seven minutes, it's a spectacularly self-indulgent piece of pop catharsis (an interesting side note: Swift has all but abandoned the country touches that marked her work as nominally Nashville in character) whose most clever flourish — vaguely bluesy guitar licks aping Mayer's penchant for same — isn't lyrical.
Although there's a slight voyeuristic thrill, as though eavesdropping on a particularly fraught exchange between two high-profile people, it's short-lived. If this were the first broadside Swift had authored about an ex-lover, it would carry far more weight than it does. Instead of a devastating assault on a failed romance, "Dear John" is literally the latest in a long string of thinly veiled airings of grudges.
So it goes throughout "Speak Now," a bloated, nearly 70-minute affair: stylish, irresistibly melodic songs that say nothing of any importance to anyone other than Swift. It's not difficult to see the appeal to her fan base — these are tunes, all penned by Swift with no co-writers, built to be sung en masse in arenas — yet, the rush to anoint her as a songwriter of substance remains baffling.
Take the bluegrassy "Mean," where Swift lays into an unnamed detractor with a litany of nyah-nyah invective: "All you are is mean/And a liar/And pathetic/And alone in life/And mean." It induces giggles, not chills, and yet, it speaks to the core problem with Swift's catalog to date.
Although she hasn't come of age in a conventional manner — most teenagers aren't opening up for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill before they can legally drive — Swift simply hasn't lived enough to move beyond herself and her own life as source material. Unloading on record probably helps clear her head, but it does nothing to advance her career as an artist.
Selling millions of copies and packing arenas full of worshipful fans is rarely sustained over the long term; people grow up and move on, becoming acquainted with musicians who have something genuinely insightful to say. If Taylor Swift continues along her present path, she's going to find that out the hard way.
Taylor Swift, "Speak Now" * 1/2 --------------------------------------------- Why do i get the feeling, black man wrote this? :)
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Hefty Hanna
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Oct 26, 2010 12:03:01 GMT -5
Incredible projections. Downloading her album on amazon for $3.99 right now. What a deal! Taylor the poster, you can stop harassing me now. Thank you.
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franklin
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Post by franklin on Oct 26, 2010 12:09:15 GMT -5
Incredible projections. Downloading her album on amazon for $3.99 right now. What a deal! thats insane that they made it only 3.99, she really didn't need to. More artists really should take this approach
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Mark
3x Platinum Member
Joined: March 2005
Posts: 3,029
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Post by Mark on Oct 26, 2010 12:10:08 GMT -5
Everytime I listen to "If This Was A Movie" I always hear "Come back come back come back to me Eli" instead of "Come back come back come back to me like"
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Hefty Hanna
Diamond Member
a prettier jesus
Joined: August 2007
Posts: 20,469
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Post by Hefty Hanna on Oct 26, 2010 12:10:25 GMT -5
Incredible projections. Downloading her album on amazon for $3.99 right now. What a deal! thats insane that they made it only 3.99, she really didn't need to. More artists really should take this approach I love when new albums are $3.99 on Amazon the first week. I snapped up Rihanna's Rated R for a dollar around Black Friday!!!
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Taylor.
Moderator
Joined: January 2007
Posts: 18,869
Staff
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Post by Taylor. on Oct 26, 2010 12:22:12 GMT -5
Taylor the poster, you can stop harassing me now. Thank you. I would hardly count a few threatening private messages as harassment . But I'm glad it worked.
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KMJ1
2x Platinum Member
Joined: March 2009
Posts: 2,037
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Post by KMJ1 on Oct 26, 2010 13:14:28 GMT -5
if this album goes anywhere near 1 million or even 700k+ Mimi has NO shot next week at #1
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Me. I Am l!nk!nfan815...
Diamond Member
All Lives Can’t Matter Until Black Lives Matter
Joined: February 2008
Posts: 18,421
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Post by Me. I Am l!nk!nfan815... on Oct 26, 2010 13:20:08 GMT -5
if this album goes anywhere near 1 million or even 700k+ Mimi has NO shot next week at #1 Mimi's album wasn't going to be #1 regardless. It's a Xmas album, her peak will come later.
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applechic
Charting
Joined: August 2010
Posts: 399
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Post by applechic on Oct 26, 2010 13:53:26 GMT -5
Why do i get the feeling, black man wrote this? :) LOL why would you say that? It's funny that after Fearless, people said she can't keep this up because her fans will outgrow her and move on. Now that Speak Now is set to be massive, they're still saying the same crap. Haters are gonna hate.
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Stephen
Gold Member
Captain of Carrie's Shade Patrol
Joined: January 2011
Posts: 786
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Post by Stephen on Oct 26, 2010 14:16:52 GMT -5
SPEAK OUT: Early word from retail is that Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Big Machine) is “huge” and “exploding,” with some initial projections in the 800-900k range—downright stunning for this day and age. On top of that, half of the iTunes Top 20 tracks are from the album. So how high can Speak Now go in week one? Won’t be long till we find out. (10/26a) :shaking+crying: So proud of her, tbh.
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Illusions
7x Platinum Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 7,664
Pronouns: he/him
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Post by Illusions on Oct 26, 2010 14:19:07 GMT -5
SPEAK OUT: Early word from retail is that Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Big Machine) is “huge” and “exploding,” with some initial projections in the 800-900k range—downright stunning for this day and age. On top of that, half of the iTunes Top 20 tracks are from the album. So how high can Speak Now go in week one? Won’t be long till we find out. (10/26a) :o So happy for her! She deserves all the success she's going to get with this album.
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Post by dbt on Oct 26, 2010 14:38:02 GMT -5
I don't get why they would sell Speak Now for $3.99 when they could easily sell it for double or triple that. What's the point? Just to move units and increase the number of albums sold?
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