Label: Big Machine Records
Release Date: August 18th, 2014
WOAH! STOP THE PRESSES! New Taylor Swift single and the announcement of her new album, 1989. (I started this review the day all of this was announced, so this is slightly outdated now. ;)) Anyway, given that I have many, many, many thoughts about Shake It Off and T. Swift's new musical direction, I figured I would write a review for the song.
I'm gonna be honest; it's not my favorite. I love Taylor, but I'm also not the biggest fan of her musical shift. I was hesitant about the Red album at first, but then when I figured out that most of the songs weren't like the pop singles she was putting out, I felt a lot better. In fact, I now love Red (though Speak Now is still my favorite album) because she really matured both lyrically and for the most part vocally. She had a different sound, but for the most part, it was mature. That's not to say her other works aren't because for the most part, they are. But she really grew up a lot in Red. I don't mind her new shift and her new sound but some of my favorite songs are the ones that sound most like her older music. Yes, there are plenty of the new ones with a different sound that I like, but in Red, for example, Treacherous and All Too Well were among my favorites.
Which brings me to Shake It Off. Lyrically, it's okay. I like the feel-good, positive-ness of it. I love the message of the song. It's very simplistic in comparison to some of the other songs she's written, but it's not horrible. But it sounds like most pop songs (that's not necessarily bad. It just doesn't particularly stick out). It's still pretty "Taylor," but it also feels and sounds like there's just something missing. The melody doesn't particularly stick in my mind, and I've had a hard time remembering it at times. Also, the "hella"? I cringe...
The video also isn't my favorite, but it's not horrible. The twerking made me look away. I get that it's sort of a parody but ugh no. Also, as a dancer, I cringed a lot, but I guess that's what the song is about. That's it's okay to be the one people cringe about. Just be yourself and shake it off!
Overall, Shake It Off is okay. It's far from Taylor's best, but it's not the worst song I've heard. I'm interested in seeing the direction her music is taking, but I'm hoping 1989 isn't just filled with Shake It Off-esque songs. I know she's full pop now, but I'm hoping she'll still keep SOME elements. I suppose all I can do now is wait and see. I WILL still be pre-ordering the album though! :D
Watch the video:
Oooh, interesting review! I'd like to see more of these in the future of different songs! :)
ReplyDeleteSHAKE IT OFF IS MY JAM. It's definitely not my favourite Taylor Swift song but it's just so infectiously catchy and upbeat. I actually hated it though when I first heard it but then I listened to it a billion more times and now I can't get enough of it.
And I'm actually surprisingly fine with Taylor's shift. I kinda saw it coming even at the Speak Now era and while I love the country music she put out circa Taylor Swift & Fearless eras, I think with the last two albums really cemented the fact that Taylor's a great songwriter and musician no matter what type of genre she decides to explore. And ooh, I think Speak Now is the favourite album of many people! I really did like it as well but I think my favourite would have to be Red. It's not as cohesive as Speak Now but there were so many great songs on that album that really showcased Taylor's talent! I really liked Treacherous and All Too Well as well and State of Grace!
And it is very "Taylor". But I also feel at the same time, it's a far departure from what she did. It's like so different from what she used to do but also so... her. And oyyy, the speaking/rapping part totally made me cringe at first but now I think I've taken it into stride along with the video. Like it's all very goofy and Taylor's obviously not taking herself too seriously so it's easy to just laugh along with her.
I'm trying to add more of these in! Let me know if there's anything in particular you'd like me to review. I'll be reviewing 1989 when it comes out. :)
DeleteYeah! I think it'll grow on me like Red did. I'm sure I'll end up loving it more, but I'm excited to hear the rest of the album first.
Oh yeah, I definitely saw it coming. I'm glad she's doing what she enjoys, and that's what really matters, but I guess it's more of a matter of personal musical preference, you know? What I love is that at the least, all her songs are written from the bottom of her heart. I definitely agree; I love Red (now), but I still think Speak Now was her strongest, material wise. I just love her songwriting in Red. You can really see how she grew as a songwriter in between Speak Now and Red, and you also get a sense of the shift in her life. They have very different tones.
For sure! I agree! It's still very her, but it's different. I guess it just shows how much she has changed, yet at the end of the day, she's still the same Taylor we loved years ago. Yeah! Be sure to let me know what you think of 1989 when it comes out! :DDD