Taylor Swift first hit the music charts in 2006 with her self-titled debut album, Taylor Swift. At that time, she was an acoustic guitar-playing, curly haired, country girl who sang of “pickup truck you never let me drive” (Picture to Burn), and “for I said amen, asking god if he could play it again” (Our Song). In 2014, the artist has been reborn into a “good girl faith and a tight little skirt” clad, 1980’s, polaroid picture using, seagull obsessed modern pop star.

The 80’s theme Taylor Swift is now embodying may not necessarily be a good thing. This decade was relatively a poor decade for music. Sugary electronic, spandex, and hair metal is not something that should be celebrated or revisited. Yet, Swift attempts to be cool and innovative by bringing back the 80s. There are some positive and negatives about this “new Taylor Swift” that is reflective in her new album, 1989.

The album’s title, 1989, is a familiar tune. The use of years or numbers for naming albums was popularized in the last ten years by some outstanding albums, 19, and 21 by Adele, 808s and Heartbreak by Kanye West, and Beyonce’s 4. The album is a refreshing change from the girl-next-door country style Swift usually gives, but is not strong enough to be compared to these albums. Not to mention, 1989 is completely blown out of the water by classics such as The Beatles: 1 (a greatest hits collection), U2: 7, and Led Zeppelin, 4.

Open up the CD and you’ll see seagulls printed on the disk and a poor-quality polaroid picture of Swift; a warning of how painfully hard she is trying to be edgy. The sheet is a mix of pastel pinks, blues, and yellows, and the song titles appear as neon lights. I do give her serious credit for the dedication she has put in to blending her art with the music.

It seems as though Swift worked harder on producing a new image than focusing on the music. The lyrics of every song, while catchy, are cliche and unmoving. I’ll admit I was completely on the Taylor Swift bandwagon. Yet after listening to it all the way through, I couldn’t help but notice that all the songs sounded the same (not an uncommon problem for artists), and the choruses for many of the songs were just a phrase repeated numerous times (Welcome to New York, Out of the Woods, Shake it off, Bad Blood).

While Shake it off is catchy in an annoying way, Blank Space is a great song and should put everyone in a good mood. The music video of Blank Space is well directed and well designed. The elegant, victorian, and somewhat silly style is something she should be focused on doing more of. Swift has a talent for putting her most uplifting song at the end of her album. “Clean”, featuring Imogen Heap was my favorite song of the album, leaving the listener with a good taste in their mouth.

As far as Swift as a figure in the spotlight and how she is promoting this album, I am a fan. She is a new kind of role model for her fanbase by not taking herself too seriously (as seen by her dancing at any awards ceremony), and being relatable. In the forward of her album she states, “These songs were once about my life. They are now about yours.”

For what Taylor is doing, she is doing it well. This album is not a great stride in pop music history, but it is a big stride for modern pop culture. It is nice to see a star with “the good girl” reputation have popularity, especially with young girls. While I am not a huge fan, the album is fun to listen to and has more redeeming values than other top 40 artists such as Nikki Minaj and Big Sean.

I encourage people to follow the career of Taylor Swift as she progresses into her twenties. Whether good or not, 1989 has people and critics talking, and I will be waiting in anticipation to see her next career move.

What Famous Music Critics have to say about 1989:

The Rolling Stone: 4/5 Stars

Billboard: 4/5 stars

Us Weekly: 3.5/4 stars

New York Daily News: 3/5 stars

What Monte Vista Students have to say about 1989:

Like it: 74%

Dislike it: 11%

Haven’t listened to it: 16%