I like Taylor Swift. Gasp. I know, it’s unbelievable. I’ve liked “T. Swift” since fourth grade when the only songs on my blue iPod Nano were “Our Song” and “Teardrops On My Guitar” from her first album, Taylor Swift. I remained a die-hard fan through Fearless and Speak Now. However, when Red came out Swift started to change. Her dynamic shifted and she became a wanna-be pop star under a country label. I began to lose interest, as did many other fans, and that enthusiasm dwindled even more over the two year wait for her next album.

So when 1989 finally did debut last Monday I was impartial to hearing it. I had heard the first two released on the album, and was simply unimpressed. Despite my first impression, I gave the rest of the album a listen.

Her first song on 1989 “Welcome To New York” definitely puts me in the empire state of mind. The techno beat is an appropriate kick-off to the album, showcasing the ‘80s throwback theme eloquently as it bursts with a funky keyboard background.

The guitar in the intro of “Style” is crazy good. To put it simply, the album isn’t called 1989 for nothing; it truly slingshots her fans into the ‘80s, more specifically the year she was born, 1989.

The random high notes in the word  “stay” make me loathe “All You Had To Do Was Stay.” I’m not sure what Swift was trying to accomplish but the song is tacky and the synthesized “stay” along with her voice make for a confusing clash.

In all honesty “Shake It Off” is the worst song of the album. The widespread best-seller is childish and frankly gives an immature sound. Catchy as it may be, the lyrics lack depth. The endless repetition of the lyrics “shake it off” is too annoying to  appreciate the rest of the song. Sadly, I’m sure we won’t hear the end of this track until her next album.

“Wildest Dreams” is dreamy, indie and dark. This tune should triumph over the mediocre “Shake It Off”, as the lyrics are energized with a wonderstruck tempo that sops with drama. The lullaby compares to that of Lana Del Rey and the breathing and drum pounding are like a heartbeat. Bravo, Taylor.

I felt like I was listening to a plane trying to land in “I Know Places”. Flying, tap the runway, flying, touch the runway, fly again, land again. Finally when I thought the song had landed on a neutral ground, it took off again. The song’s all over the place with overlapping lyrics, screams, chopping one-syllable words into four.

The song “Clean” goes out to the crazed “old Taylor Swift” lovers. She’s not totally gone, so calm down. It’s layered and dripping with instruments yet her vocals are still as pure as in acoustical Taylor Swift.

Tara Hawkins's take on 1989

Pion-ear: Taylor Swift's 1989

Like Miley Cyrus’s conversion from Disney to trashy, many of Swift’s country supporters felt disappointed to see this singer’s new style. But the change was inevitable. The country genre would have suffocated young Taylor. I applaud her on this move in her career and proving she’s capable of a wide variety of genres. Swift was not sticking out her tongue, twerking or chopping off her hair like Cyrus, although she did drop the innocent curls for sophisticated bangs and a styled, shoulder-length bob. Instead, she changed her style, she became more hip.

Maybe what shocked people was the heartbroken, vengeful teen turning into a modern female performer. Her previous songs like “All Too Well,” “Love Story,” and “Sparks Fly” were raw with emotion and despite the complete 360 spin on Swift’s style, her music has kept one aspect of continuity: the effortless lyrics. The diction in her songs has always been catchy and relatable. Everyone can admit they know all the lyrics to at least one of her songs. Swift has the ability to create songs with easy, flowing lines that the listener can breezily sing along to and listeners can expect to continue hearing such songs.