Long gone are the days of rambling breakup songs and princess dresses. Country-star turned pop sensation Taylor Swift begins a new chapter in her career with her album
1989. The versatile vocals and detailed lyrics she is known for haven't changed, but her tunes definitely have. Swift's debut pop album has a wide range of songs to suit every musical taste. With sophisticated lyrics and contemporary sounds, this album is Swift's best yet.
The name "Taylor Swift" instantly calls to mind the young country singer, famous for songs like "You Belong With Me," and "We Are Never Getting Back Together." But Swift's album 1989 is a far cry from these acoustic love songs. With synthesized beats, processed sounds, thumping bass, the occasional guitar, and of course her passionate vocals, the singer creates wider, more mixed appeal on 1989.
     Swift shows a wide vocal range, covering every sub-genre from electro to indie-pop in a variety of Billboard Top 100 tracks. Her voice takes a smooth, seductive tone similar to that of pop queen Lana del Rey in songs like “Wildest Dreams,” “I Know Places” and “Out of the Woods,” accompanied by a thumping bass and piano melodies as well as channeling an Ariana Grande-like peppy, playful tone such as in, “Shake it Off,” “Welcome to New York,” “How You Get the Girl,” and “New Romantics.” As opposed to her one-track vocals in her previous country hits, this album showcases a wide array that allows everyone to enjoy her music whether you enjoy more passionate, emotional tracks or synthy, electro pop ones.
     Swift’s talent as a lyricist has always been clear, but it is emphasized in 1989. Dealing with more mature matter than her past albums, 1989 follows Swift’s journey to independence and maturity as well as, yes— her relationships. The track “Clean” boasts poetic lyrics such as, “Rain came pouring down when I was drowning/That's when I could finally breathe/And that morning, gone was any trace of you/I think I am finally clean.” The descriptions of the toxic relationship in this song are meaningful while still rhythmically enticing.  “I can make the bad guys good for a weekend,” sings Swift on the track “Blank Space,” demonstrating her concise lyrics that still convey strong meanings.
     1989 went platinum in its first week, with over 1.287 million copies sold, and for good reasons, too. Her first solely pop release features an impressively smooth transition into more sophisticated, meaningful lyrics, wide vocal capacity, and an impressive selection of songs for every kind of music-lover. Taylor Swift’s performance on this album is new, fresh, improved and didn’t fail to please. Still not convinced? Go listen for yourself — Swift certainly never goes out of style.