Dissenters of Taylor Swift have cited many reasons to criticize her body of work, whether it’s that her songwriting seems to always be the work of a 16-year-old high schooler, or that she exploits her romantic heartbreak on purpose as her only source for musical inspiration, or simply that she has never, ever, been a very good singer.
However, Swift’s strength has always been in her honest and insightful songwriting, and the same can be said for her fourth album, “Red.”
Swift admittedly made it easier to criticize her lyricism with her first single, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” This catchy, albeit simple pop confection was concocted by Swedish hit-makers Max Martin and Shellback, producers behind some of contemporary pop’s greatest hits, from Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” to Pink’s “Raise Your Glass.”
It comes as no surprise that the song is Swift’s first number one entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is fun, playful and empowering, as Swift takes charge of her emotional well-being. Even if the song’s verses seem regressive, listeners can chronicle Swift’s transformation from a vulnerable pawn in her own love life to an assertive woman who is still learning about love and how to deal with it.
With the help of Martin and Shellback, Swift also slightly deviates from country and explores some dubstep inspiration in “I Knew You Were Trouble.” A driving drumbeat, simple piano chords, some heavy but not overbearing synths, coupled with Swift’s quick lyrical pacing, make for an undeniably catchy pop hook. In fact, the song works surprisingly better than other songs by artists (Britney Spears’ “Hold It Against Me” comes to mind) who have played with this genre.
The rest of the album showcases Swift’s progression from the opening track “State of Grace,” where she coos that “Love is a ruthless game / Unless you play it good and right.” With a driving percussion, harmonic “oohs” and “aahs” she argues that love is a game worth fighting for.
Swift often sings in similes, and the title track is no exception, where she sings about how loving someone is like “driving a new Maserati down a dead end street” or like the fading autumn colors of fall leaves that once seemed so bright. Some might argue that these types of lyrics seem childish, but Swift manages to develop her thoughts well enough to make it sound poetic.
This album’s overarching theme finds Swift slowly learning from mistakes she should’ve learned the first time, as many of the songs seem to reflect how she entered relationships against her better judgement. Many of her tracks are poignant but never self-pitying.
Swift tells a story in which she directs her words directly to her old love, such as in “All Too Well” and “I Almost Do,” during which she remembers how her relationship crumbled yet still yearns to try again. Some might argue that Swift is retreading familiar territory, but it is clear that Swift is maturing and wants her audience to experience these growing pains with her.
Admittedly, some songs seem to harp on this point, and the last half of the album is not as strong as the first. Swift for the first time has recorded collaborations with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol and British singer Ed Sheeran in “The Last Time” and “Everything Has Changed,” respectively. Both male singers in these slow ballads complement Swift’s voice and have some welcome strings that add some emotional heft, but the subject matter becomes a little monotonous as the album progresses.
It’s easy to critique someone who perpetually wears her heart on her sleeve, or in Swift’s case, on her guitar strings. However, as her countless hits and accolades can attest, when she performs songs as raw and real as these ones, the result can be red hot.
Email Palumbo at mpalumbo@media.ucla.edu