When I first heard “Shake it Off,” I’ll be honest, it made nervous for the release of Taylor Swift’s new pop album titled 1989. The first single was catchy, yet so far removed from her old country princess image, which I and so much of her fan base had grown accustomed to, that the idea of an album comprised of more pop songs that use the word “hella” was not appetizing. Yet the album is not full of more mainstream pop songs. The album is characteristic of 80’s synth beats, with an almost Lana Del Ray vibe in “Wildest Dreams”, separating it from most of the music on “KIIS FM,” or any music played on main stream radio stations for that matter. Taylor had experimented with pop-like background beats and fewer heartbreak ballads in her last album Red, (“I Knew You Were Trouble”), but this new album takes it all the way. When Taylor Swift does something, she goes all out. If the lyrics seem less complicated and more crafted for a pop song, that’s because they are, but don’t let that fool you. In the opening track of the album, “Welcome to New York,” she passionately conveys her love for the newest adventure in her life–moving to New York City (and no, this is not a code name for a boy who broke her heart; she fell in love with a city this time), in non-complicated verses that get the message across plainly and simply, yet ingeniously. While Taylor Swift says: “kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats/ everybody here wanted something more/ searching for a sound we hadn’t heard before,” another mainstream pop-artist might have said: “I love New York it’s so cool/ everybody here is so cool too.”

But what really encompasses the theme in this album is the song “Blank Space.” In this song that is quickly rising to the top of the charts, Taylor has put herself in a completely vulnerable spot. It may seem like another unassuming love song, but it’s not. Taylor is describing herself in this song in the way that many critics have described her: “Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane/ but I’ve got a blank space baby, and I’ll write your name.” This is the genius of Taylor Swift in its full-fledged greatness. Taylor was bold to write a pop album, bold to write a sarcastic ballad exposing her flaws, and bold to be completely vulnerable. This is why Taylor continues to rise in fame, and why her album has sold more copies in the first week than any artist since 2002. Get it, yet?

For more info visit her official site: Taylor Swift

Guest writer Katie Porter is currently a senior at Claremont High School.