Taylor Swift took a big swing when he was released 1989 in October 2014.
When the singer dipped her toe into the world of pop on her 2012 record, redwith songs like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Know You Were Trouble,” not until 1989 he embraced a new sound and abandoned his country roots.
Switching genres risks alienating longtime fans, but Swift has navigated the transition so well that it’s hard to remember she’s not a pop star.
Back in time with us as we explore Swift’s official pop debut and how it helped cement her place as one of the greatest musicians and entertainers of all time.
What happened:
Swift’s debut album, released in 2006, was a country album. Singles like “Tim McGraw,” “Our Song” and “Pictures to Burn” hit country radio, and Swift even sang with a slight twang on the record. However, the Swift’s crossover appeal was evident from the start; the second single in Taylor Swiftballad “Teardrops on My Guitar,” charted on pop radio.
Swift adopted a slightly different sound on her sophomore album, 2008 not afraidwhich is billed as country pop. With confessional lyricism that perfectly encapsulated the teenage girl’s experience, not afraid making Swift a household name. The record’s lead single, “Love Story,” peaked at No. 4 on the chart Billboard Hot 100, while “You Belong With Me” peaked at No. not afraid Swift also won her first Album of the Year award at the 2010 Grammys.
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Swift continued to experiment with the genre in 2010 Speak Nowwhich is considered pop country and pop rock, and 2012 which redwhich is a mix of pop, country and rock. Collaborate with legendary pop producers Max Martin and Shellback in some red tracks – “We Are No, Never Getting Back Together,” “I Know You’re In Trouble” and “22” – marked the biggest sonic deviation in Swift’s career at the time.
After some critics took issue with it redLack of cohesion – AV Club called it “unfocused” – Swift went all pop for her next record, 1989. He traded in banjos, fiddles and guitars for drum machines and synthesizers; he collaborated with Jack Antonoff for the first time in “Out of the Woods” and “I Wish You Would,” Both sounded nothing like what they’d released before; he collaborated with Martin and Shellback and worked with longtime collaborators Nathan Chapman just one song, “I Know Places.”
“We made the most sonically cohesive album I’ve ever made,” Swift said when announcing her “first documented, official pop album” during a livestream in August 2014. very, and how before.
The songwriter did research while making the record, and learned from “reading” the culture of the late ’80s that it was a time of fearless self-expression.
“This idea that you can be what you want, wear what you want, love who you want — that idea is so inspiring to me,” Swift said. “So, infinite possibilities is a theme for me.”
Fans got their first taste 1989 while the lead single, “Shake It Off,” was released in August 2014. The album came out in October, making Swift’s pop star transformation complete.
Why It’s a Big Deal:
1989 represented a moment of reinvention for Swift. He moved to New York City, cut his hair short and found a new voice. After years of being criticized for writing songs about her exes, Swift stopped dating, and her large group of actresses, singers and models became the talk of the town.
“I looked at this album when I started again,” Swift said Billboard in October 2014.
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At 1989 The era also felt like Swift’s true coming-of-age, when he learned to fully trust his own artistic instincts.
“This album was made entirely and only on my terms, no one else’s opinion, no one else’s agenda,” he said. Billboard. “I thought I’d make a pop album, so I did it. I thought it was honest and unapologetic, so I did it. I thought I’d move to New York – I had no reason, not for love or business – so I did it.
The message – and the music – resonated with fans. Swift isn’t just keeping longtime listeners safe with her dangerous genre shifts, she’s gaining new ones. 1989 became her most commercially successful album. The first five singles – “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Bad Blood,” “Style” and “Wildest Dreams” – charted in the top 10 Billboard Hot 100, and his first three No. 1 hits.
1989which won Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammys, forever changed the trajectory of Swift’s career and cemented her pop star status.
What people say:
1989 it was generally praised by critics upon its release. Time called the song “and more slender than the existing one red” and called the album’s sound “perfectly crafted.” Ing New York Times‘ review, titled “A Farewell to Twang,” noted that Swift had “set herself up” and was unlike any other pop icon of the time.
The album was not without its detractors – Forbes called it a “greedy pop record” that sounded “fake” despite Swift’s “authentic” persona – but Swift generally proved the haters wrong. Forbes asked if Swift’s “next viable option” might be after 1989speculating that going back to his roots would seem like a “regress” while continuing with pop would be “unsustainable” for him. However, as everything us know, Swift continues to dominate the pop landscape while experimenting with other genres as well.
What happened next:
Swift is staying the pop star course for 2017 Self-esteem and 2019 lover. He continues to work with Martin, Shellback and Antonoff Self-esteem and collaborated with Antonoff on almost everything lover truck. 1989 this is not a fluke or a one-off; it was the beginning of a long and prosperous career in pop.
Swift proved her ability to reinvent herself in 2020, when she released two albums, folk tales and Foreverless than five months. Both records have elements of indie folk and alternative rock that Swift hasn’t explored before and stand in stark contrast to her 1989, Self-esteem and lover. folk tales marked Swift’s first time working with The National Aaron Dessnerwhich then contributes to Foreverwhich is expanded 3 o’clock edition of midnightand Department of Tortured Poets.
When the Swift 2022 record, midnightmarking his return to pop, he continues to switch between genres in 2024 Tortured Poets Departmentwhich features synth pop tracks like “Fortnight” and folk rock songs like “But Daddy I Love Him.”
By deviating from the voice before him with 1989Swift set the precedent that she could, and would, change the flow when she felt compelled to. His fans loyally follow him into various sonic territories as his thoughtful lyrics remain the centerpiece.
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Where they stand now:
During 1989 era, it seemed like Swift could not be more famous, influential or revered – and yet, she has. they Tour of Eraswhich began in March 2023, has broken records including most tickets sold in one day and the biggest tour of all time. Each performance is more than three hours long, and Swift takes the stage rain or shine.
The name of the tour is a satisfying nod to Swift’s ability to continue to develop, leaving behind a clearly delineated era in her wake. Her fans visit her own life chapter as Swift sings, reminding her of who she is Self-esteem or Speak Now or not afraid released.
Swift has also made history by becoming the first artist to have a chart-topping album Billboard chart. In fact, all four albums were re-recorded until now to request the rights to the master – 2021 Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor Version) and 2023 Say It Now (Taylor Version) and 1989 (Taylor Version) – reach number 1.
When announcing 1989 (Taylor Version) in August 2023 via Instagram, Swift noted that the OG album had “changed (her) life in countless ways.”
