By Jesus Figueroa
Life, love, and rhythm play a big part in Taylor Swift’s newest album “Red,” which was released in stores and iTunes on Oct. 22.
The 22-year-old country pop star continues to impress her loyal fans with an upbeat album, which brings out another side of Swift.
The album starts off with pop heavy “State of Grace,” which flatters Swift’s voice. The beat is fast and had strong graceful steady vocals.
The title song “Red,” tells the story of a romance so passionate it can only be described with the color red.
Using colors to describe the feelings of different situations gives this song consistency and rhythm. The use of colors helps this song catch the audience. The songs vary in speed, showing Swift’s range.
She leads every song with consistent strong vocals. Each song tells a story, and the tempo of her voice fits to emphasize the mood for the track.
Powerful electric guitar riffs drive the majority of the tracks. Some tracks have a softer tone with an acoustic-sounding guitar.
‘Red’ also consists of two duets with Ed Sheeran and Gary Lightbody.
The most memorable of the duets is between Swift and Lightbody, who compose an uplifting strong song.
The duet between Swift and Lightbody titled “The Last Time” shows a nice combination of vocals. Two talents join forces to put out a marvelous song filled with emotion.
The first single off this album “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” was released before the album, giving a slight hint to the more of a pop sound of Swift.
Swift shows her maturing talent with spectacular lyrics and progressing vocals.
Song after song describes failed relationships, heartbreak and unforgettable feelings.
Life experiences that have accumulated to bring Swift to this point in her career are proudly displayed.
“Red” does not match up to previous albums by Swift. Previous albums have more of a comfortable feel that have propelled her to winning multiple awards.
Different and unique, “Red” becomes an album that brings Swift into collaboration with artists who are star in their own respect.
The experimentation into new genres of music continues to propel Swift forward, reaching a broader audience with the talent to go into many different genres.
Swift has revealed that this album is about the crazy, semi-toxic relationships she has gone through over the past two years.