by Leanna Tabora, staff reporter
Swift introduces 1989 with “Welcome To New York” a New York upbeat pop anthem. She continues the album with different sound of late-80’s pop, with “Blank Space”, “Style”, and “Out of the Woods.”
- “Welcome To New York”– Swift introduces the album with this synth-pop New York City anthem, co-written with Ryan Tedder. The song makes sense to be the album opener, since it’s a metaphor comparing her life-changing move to New York, to her genre change to full on pop. “Searching for a sound it hadn’t heard before/And it said/Welcome to New York.” This song is a welcome to her new genre, and also her welcome to New York City. The entire metaphor of this song is a wonderful way to open up 1989, but it’s a step down from the rest of the songs on the album. Overall, Swift did not completely fail to introduce her beginning to synth-pop. Grade: 4/10
- “Blank Space”– This next track shows a completely different and edgy side of Swift, when she mocks the criticism she receives from the media and her cynics for being a “serial dater”. “Blank Space” has a hip-hop influenced drum machine beat, co-written and recorded by Max Martin and Shellback. The song is full of complete clever and irony, including lyrics such as “Got a long list of ex lovers/They’ll tell you I’m insane” and “So hey, let’s be friends/I’m dying to see how this one ends.” She aces up her game by taking down the “Taylor Swift only cares about dating” rumors, and once again shows the world that she is living without a care of what anyone thinks about her. Grade: 9/10
- “Style”– This Miami-Vice inspired song is completely hard to forget. It speaks about an unhealthy relationship, that goes “round and round,” as Swift says in the song. “I should just tell you to leave cause I/Know exactly where this leads but I/ Watch us go round and round each time.” Swift also compares visual fashion trends to feelings that never go out of style, with lyrics such as, “Long hair, slicked back, white t-shirt” and “Good girl faith and a tight little skirt.” This funky guitar and warm synths song with damp vocals fits the album perfectly and is guaranteed to be stuck in the listener’s head after listening to it for the first time. Just “take me home,” Taylor! Grade: 10/10
- “Out of the Woods”– Swift released this track 2 weeks per album release, and classifies it as what she feels best represents 1989. She isn’t wrong. This chanting, heavy-synthed ballad co-written with Jack Antonoff tells the story of the fragility and breakable nature of relationships. Just like “Welcome To New York”, this is a complete metaphor. Swift compares the danger of the woods to people to the danger of negativity towards relationships. When she sings, “Are we out of the woods?/Are we in the clear yet,” Swift is questioning if the negativity towards that certain relationship has ended. This track is definitely pleasantly pop, and takes her innocent and sweet level of storytelling relationships to a full on mature level that Swift should take on with her music forever more. Grade: 8/10
Stay tuned for part ⅗ of the review.
