Most fans probably know more than they want to about Taylor Swift’s many heartbreaks and past relationships.

The country artist has made a career out of putting her exes on blast to the sound of catchy guitar riffs. But on her new album, “Red,” Swift changes it up a bit. The country star is stepping out of the country box and giving different genres some love.

Swift has been one of America’s sweethearts since her girlish curls and her guitar burst onto the music scene. Listeners ate up her sappy love songs and skyrocketed her early hits, like “Teardrops on my Guitar,” into heavy radio rotation. It wasn’t until her second album, “Fearless,” that she received international fame, Grammy awards and even a hater in Kanye West.

Fast forward a couple of years and Taylor still has that wide-eyed, I’m-so-shocked-that-I’m-successful look on her face, and has publicly shown that she’s open to new sounds. During her tour for the album “Speak Now,” Swift performed duets with a variety of artists ranging from Jason Mraz and Andy Grammer to T.I. and Nicki Minaj. It must have been the tip of the iceberg that made Swift want to try something new on her latest album.

We’ve heard pop mixed into her music before, but not quite as much as the album’s lead single, “We Are Never Getting Back Together.” In the upbeat track, Swift abandons her country vibe for a more bubblegum, “Call Me Maybe”-type vibe. Although the track may be super catchy and fun, Swift might have gone a step too far. She won Grammys for the way her sweet, simple voice mixed with the sound of her strumming a guitar and her slightly cheesy, emotionally handwritten lyrics. So it’s a mystery as to why she neglects her strong points in songs like this and “22.”

But in “I Knew You Were Trouble,” Swift takes a crack at electronic music and doesn’t completely fail. The upbeat track starts with Swift singing with her signature acoustic guitar accompaniment. She then builds up to a chorus that incorporates elements of dubstep and pop. The result has a nice groove and is a blend of her country sound with something outside her usual range. She’s not giving Ellie Goulding a run for her money, though. Swift lacks a little control over her vocals during the electronic heavy portions of the song.

Swift’s greatest moments in “Red” are when she simply sticks to the sound that made her so famous in the first place. In “The Moment I Knew,” Swift seems to follow the same formula for which she’s known. It starts with a slow, acoustic verse about a former beau and then goes into a guitar- and piano-laden chorus in which she talks about how heartbroken she is. It’s a little cliche, but the result has just the right amount of sap and excellently shows off Swift’s voice.

It gets even better when she teams up with Ed Sheeran in “Everything Has Changed.” The song’s simple guitar backing makes it sound like the two artists are just having a jam session, and both of their voices blend together seamlessly. More importantly, Swift shines. Of course she is singing about past love again, but she’s also not trying to be cute or stray from her roots, and is just singing her heart out.

I’m really happy for Taylor, and I’m gonna finish this review, but first I have to say that this isn’t her best album of all time. It’s doubtful that Taylor’s new electro pop swag will make as big of an effect as her previous work, but at least “Red” is trying something new.

Published on October 29, 2012 at 6:54 pm

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