Taylor Swift '08: The Hype, Anticipation & Appreciation Begins Right Here

hahaha

Sorry to be a predictable caricature, particularly in a genre pretty much geared towards a style of vocal production that I'm already prejudiced against, but she's a poor-man's Carrie Underwood; all strangulated tone pushed out from the neck rather than supported from the core, mixed in with atrocious diction, all of which pulls her off pitch to a stunning degree and in a manner that really doesn't do her songs any justice.

it's ok to be predictable when you're right!

I think the most remarkable example of this is "Mary's Song". It really should be cringeworthy and instead it's brilliant.

OTM.

That said, for all of the soaring anthemic choruses and wordy story-telling, my surprise favourite on the new album is the quiet unassuming Hey Stephen. "All those other girls, yeah, they're beautiful, but would they write a song for you," followed by that spontaneous vibrant chuckle is her most winning moment for me.

I underrated Taylor Swift for a while - the middle stretch of the album seemed kind of limp, especially in comparison to Fearless which never loses momentum (Except maybe for You're Not Sorry). That said, "The Outside" "Stay Beautiful" and "A Place in This World" are actually quite charming.

"breathe" is my current obsession off of the album

the nbc special last night was like the greatest thing i've ever seen

I finally got this album, and somehow I'd managed to avoid hearing "You Belong With Me" until now; surely this is a massive single by now? Because good grief it's awesome. There are so many hooks, and she gets me in the details: for instance, the bit where she trills a little like Beyoncé ("I know you better than that"), or the way she talks the line "she's cheer captain" on the lead-in to the second chorus. Absolute gold.

lol i clicked on this thread just now with the explicit hope of seeing perry hate on her vocals, was not disappointed

Ummmm me too

OK. I am on board with Taylor Swift. She's great. Forever and Always is my favorite.

"Forever & Always" is a favourite of mine too. "Were you just kidding..." is a great bait 'n' switch moment.

yeah probably the best album made by a teenage girl in at least the last 20 years? any serious suggestions for something better?

i was going to say 30 but then kate bush would win.

I don't mean this at all in a negative way, but "Forever and Always" would fit well on a Death Cab For Cutie album. At least the verses; the chorus soars more than Death Cab would be able to pull off, I think.

I've only heard "Love Story", which is dreadful, leaden, hackneyed tat. I kind of want to like her though. She seems to be carrying the flame for sappy MOR, one of pop music's most eternally vital of genres.

Love Story is one of the worst songs on the record, with one of the more grating key changes you'll ever hear. The rest of the record is far, far better. She's really talented.

http://www.rap-up.com/2009/08/09/timbaland-wants-to-work-with-taylor-swift/

Timbaland has worked with everyone from Jay-Z to Madonna, but there’s one person he’s yet to check off his list.

The super-producer is eyeing a collaboration with Taylor Swift. “I think the main person I want to get is Taylor Swift,” he told RadarOnline.com. “I love her voice. I just think me and her can do something amazing.”

Timbo reached out to the country singer, but was unsuccessful in his attempt. “Her people said that she was busy. She wanted to do it, but you know, there’s all these people you gotta go through and her people said she was busy… but I’ll make it happen.”

Fans can expect a fusion of hip-hop and country if and when the unlikely pair come together. “It would have a country swing, but just a little bit of me. I know how to do that real good.”

Taylor is no stranger to hip-hop. She recently recorded a rap with T-Pain for the 2009 CMT Music Awards. Timbaland has also dabbled in country music, recording with Keith Urban.

remembering how good bubba sparxxx's deliverance was, also remembering kiley dean

ok, two o'clock in the morning watching Taylor Swift videos with my sister on youtube it all clicked and I'll tell you this much, seventeen year old girls are better at explaining this stuff than u guys

Don't fight it, feel it.

"You Belong With Me" is my jam of this year (or last year or whatever). With hooks like that, who needs explanation?

also has anyone on this thread even pointed out how she manages to wind up wearing evening wear in every video? because this is key imo.

she also brought to my attention the awesomeness that is "Our Song" which I had never heard before

to be fair 90% of the explanation was bringing up the lyrics and us singing along the first time and the second time just watching the videos

"You Belong With Me" is my jam of this year (or last year or whatever). With hooks like that, who needs explanation?

― afternoon "delight" (Euler), Sunday, August 16, 2009 8:07 AM (1 hour ago)

yeah a few 11 year old girls performed this at my summer camp's talent show and i sung along in the audience like a complete dork <3

"Our Song" is amazing, yeah.

This woman is a gift from the gods.

yeah probably the best album made by a teenage girl in at least the last 20 years? any serious suggestions for something better?

The first M2M record?

yeah probably the best album made by a teenage girl in at least the last 20 years? any serious suggestions for something better?

If I'm not mistaken, Ashlee was still 19 when Autobiography came out, but only just, and depending on the day of the week, Fearless might overtake it. But then again Ashlee's albums have gotten progressively less detail-oriented and interesting lyrically, esp. by the third album.

i'm glad "you belong with me" got a chart run, great tune. not many things make me wish i still had a car, but that's a totally windows-down summer cruising song.

I can't stop listening to "You Belong With Me." Single of the summer, single of the fucking year.

where does it rank in your decade top 10, kshighway?

Shit dude, I don't know! I haven't even thought of doing a best-of-the-decade list for singles, but I should! That would be much harder for me to pull off than a list of albums, though. A lot of trying to remember what came out this decade. I watched MTV and listened to the radio obsessively before I started listening to indie rock and reading about music online, and although there have been times when I have stopped listening to chart music for a span of time here and there, I always come back to it. Partially to keep in touch with pop culture, partially because that shit can be pretty amazing.

That being said: How the FUCK was Crazy Town's Butterfly a #1 single in 2001? And fucking Savage Garden in 2000! (Not so surprised about that one, actually.) There is some awful shlock on these Billboard Hot 100 lists. Some great songs too, though.

Never made it to #1, but Petey Pablo's "Raise Up" will always be #1 in my heart. Love the 2000s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-26bRZEedZg

Also, Euler upthread is so so so OTM:

There are so many hooks, and she gets me in the details: for instance, the bit where she trills a little like Beyoncé ("I know you better than that"), or the way she talks the line "she's cheer captain" on the lead-in to the second chorus.

Both the melody and her delivery on the "better than that" line SLAY me.

that shit really can get pretty amazing!

I sense some sarcasm there mister.

me? never

I think you need to listen to WANNA BE A BALLER, which should've come out in 2000 so I could put it on some list:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_089EURkNo

(Revisiting all these old songs I used to love is thrilling. This thread isn't the place for discussing all of them, though.)

I've decided my list of the best singles of the decade would inevitably include mostly mainstream rap songs. Holy shit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9KqFs-pzS4

Looking so innocent, I might believe you if I didn't know.

Still think I'm a sock puppet?

If it'd make y'all feel better, I used to post equally sincere (to y'all, probably naive) shit back in late 2007 under the name "three handclaps":

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/FullTextSearchControllerServlet?terms=three+handclaps&offset=0&searchtype=id&startdate=&enddate=&artefact=threads&idtype=displayname&sortorder=Relevance&boardid=0

Nah, just quoting "You're Not Sorry", great album track!

Among others:

the role of music criticism as a buyer's guide
Taking A Break: Music Burnout / Overload (lol @ overload at age 20)
Quirky Personal Mix Tape Rules
Are Music Blogs Worth Reading Anymore? Which Ones? Why?
2007: How many new records did you hear?

And, of course, a WILCO poll:

Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: Favorite Track

Hahhaa, ah!

why is all of this on the Taylor Swift thread?

I'm not sure. But back on topic: "You Belong With Me" is presently #1 on the US country chart and #2 on the Hot 100. So it's a genuine hit in the US. #52 in the UK, #42 in Ireland. And it's peaked so far at #5 in New Zealand! I mention it just because I wasn't sure if it had broken out. I heard "Love Story" all the time on the radio, both pop and country, back in the USA but I've not heard "You Belong With Me" at all. It looks like it was only released as a single in the US in April, though.

dled her first album yesterday and I can't get enough of the singles that never got airplay over here

Apologies for the veering off into off-topicness yesterday!

In any case, this is definitely a hit over here in the wonderful Boston area of the USA. Our pop station, Kiss 108 FM, plays it all the time, and as such I've had many opportunities to crank the volume and rock out while driving around over the past few weeks.

I tuned into Mix 106 on the way out the door this morning with the specific intention of hearing this song and it was the first song they played.

that is a semi magical story

Fearless: Platinum Edition out this week, apparently, w/ 6 new tracks. Leaked today.

http://ajshadowcat08.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/fearless_platinum.jpg

New song:
Jump Then Fall
Untouchable
Forever & Always (Piano Version)
Come In With the Rain
SuperStar
The Other Side of the Door

Come in With the Rain has been floating around since the first album came out but otherwise, things to be excited about, I think. We'll see.

^__^