NEW YORK—When Taylor Swift released the Grammy-winning, banjo-tinged “Mean” in 2010, haters fired shots at the then-20-year-old singer-songwriter.
Four years later, Swift says she’s grown and was able to write her new single, ‘Shake It Off,’ about others dissing her from a new perspective.
“We are all getting our hearts broken, being built up, being let down, feeling disappointed, feeling joy, feeling all these emotions, but what I’ve noticed is that, even when it’s the same kind of emotion that I’m feeling, I process it and feel it differently now than I used to,” she said in an interview. “I think that’s a factor of growing up, but I’m pretty proud of the way it’s gone.”
Taylor Swift. AP FILE PHOTO
All signs point to growth as Swift releases her fifth album, “1989.” She’s left behind her country roots to go full-blown pop, she’s moved to New York City, and she hasn’t thought about dating in nearly two years.
“It’s a beautiful thing to be in love. If you’re in a good relationship, that’s wonderful—but, you are factoring someone else’s feelings, schedule, opinions and priorities into your own feelings, schedule, thoughts, opinions and priorities. And, in the last year and a half, that just hasn’t been something that I’ve been interested in,” she quipped.
Swift, 24, began dabbling in pop when she released “Red” in 2012, which featured the pop smashes, “We Are Never Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble.”
Pop anthems
Max Martin, who coproduced those songs with Shellback, is the executive producer behind “1989,” and has created a slew of pop anthems, from Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” to Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.”
“I found myself wanting so badly to explore this new territory but, I felt absolutely terrified to go too far in that direction, because I thought people would be angry,” Swift said about going pop. “The country community wasn’t surprised that I made a pop album, but I think they were surprised when I was honest about it!”
It’s a bold move for Swift, who moved to Nashville as a teen to pursue her singing career. Her first single was called “Tim McGraw.”
Swift says she’s not sure she will record country music again—not because she doesn’t want to, but because it’s too early to tell.
“1989” is pure pop fun, featuring hook-heavy jams, from anthemic moments like “Shake It Off” and “Bad Blood,” to calmer grooves like “Clean,” featuring Imogen Heap. It’s also a sound that resonates with Swift’s fans, if a recent secret session at her apartment in New York City was any indication.
“Bad Blood” sounds like typical Swift, but most of the radio-friendly “1989” showcases a different tone in her songwriting. “Blank Space” was initially started as a joke: Swift said she had seen all of the tabloid stories about her and decided to write a song as if she was actually the media-created character.
Sensationalized version
“They’ve drawn up this fictitious, sensationalized version of my life . . . and I couldn’t help but think about how interesting, albeit untrue, this character was. She’s very interesting, unpredictable and kind of reckless, impulsive and emotional, needy and clingy, but somehow alluring,” she said.
Another song, “I Wish You Would,” marks another growth area: Swift says she’s now friends with an ex.
“That’s a new concept for me actually, writing songs about things that have happened in romantic relationships and being able to run them past the person that they’re about,” she said.
Bleachers frontman and fun guitarist Jack Antonoff, who co-wrote and produced songs on “1989,” calls Swift’s new sound “innovative.”
“She’s never complicated the process of writing and recording,” said Antonoff, who dates Lena Dunham, one of Swift’s best friends. “I think the reason why she connects with so many people is she’s not someone you want to be, she’s someone you want to be friends with.” AP