I hate Taylor Swift. Every time I heard that obnoxious yet ubiquitous tune “Our Song,” I would try to get away from it, even if it meant jumping out of a moving car. Okay, not really, but I’ve considered it.
Thus, I surprised even myself when I sat down to listen to this album and found myself enjoying it. You see, Taylor plays to her audience exceptionally well. In “Love Story,” she delivers the romantic fairy tale every girl dreams about; in “White Horse,” the sad realization that not every dream works out; and in “You Belong with Me,” the passionate cry for love. This album sounds much more pop, however with only a slight fiddle accompaniment it still qualifies as country. Furthermore, most of the beats sound like they came straight out of a Colbie Caillat or Jason Mraz collection. Nevertheless, the album features a wide range of sassy, poppy tunes that will have females rushing to their local Wal-Mart to pick up this accomplished album.
Swift lacks the vocal chops of Carrie Underwood, or the fiery passion of Miranda Lambert, but she makes up for that by appealing to both the country and pop fans. While I am only a lowly Flat Hat music critic, my advice for Swift would be to think outside of the box on the next album. Songs about ruined relationships or crushes can only go so far before they become stale. This album lacks artistic growth, but it succeeds in entertainment value.
