SS #3: Taylor Swift

Introducing the Saturday Scoop: The Saturday Scoop is a weekly post posted here on Leopard Kitty Girl Books. Each week, I pick a new topic to write about and just rant and rave about that particular topic. 

This Week's Topic: Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift.  What comes to mind when you think of the curly-haired country pop singer?  No doubt you think of some of her songs: ranging from full-out country ("Mean") to full-out pop ("I Knew You Were Trouble").

Well, if you know me well enough, you would know that she is one of my role models and that I look up to her.  She's brilliant, fearless, an amazing songwriter, and has awesome fashion sense.  It's hard not to like her, wouldn't you agree? She's America's sweetheart, in simple words.

When she was 16 years old, her first album was released.  The songs were all completely country, and she sang with a southern accent.  Most of them were about break-ups she had with guys, or general experiences she'd had.  Her next album, Fearless,  was released when she was 18, and the songs were still country, and many of her hits still are popular today-- "Fearless" and "Fifteen" and "White Horse"...  Her next album, Speak Now, was released when she was 20, and the songs had taken a slightly different direction.  Some of them were still country ("Mean" for example) but the majority of them sounded more pop ("Sparks Fly", "Enchanted").  So when her newest album, Red, was released a couple weeks ago (She's 22 now), people weren't really sure what to expect.  It turns out that almost all of them are pop, and some even seem to be Indie.

For some people, they either like the new songs or they don't.  A lot of people are saying that she can't call herself a country singer anymore and refuse to listen to her new songs.  But some are open to both. Since I admire Taylor Swift, I like both kinds of her songs.  Some of her new pop songs are brilliant.  I'm a huge fan of "I Knew You Were Trouble"(reportedly about One Direction's Harry Styles...drama!!) but then, it's the songs like "Mean" that always make me feel really happy for some reason.

Even her style has slightly changed.  Most people imagine her in flowing, floral skirts and dresses, but now she's wearing tight black body cons and aggressive red lipstick, and her flowing blond locks have been cut in blunt bangs and has been straightened completely.

So that's the latest on her. But what about her music?  Now that I've obsessively listened to the album in the past weeks, I know every song by heart and could tell you the order of the songs in the album.  So I'm going to do what I'm going to call an "album review". :p I'll do a short review of each song. (Most of the reviews will be positive. :D)

State of Grace: The lyrics are beautiful, but hard to comprehend.  I've looked at the lyrics several times and gotten nothing out of them.  The message hidden in the lyrics is "I Love you doesn't count after goodbye", which I'm not really sure what to think of.  It has a very cool song and sounds a little Indie.

Red: At first, I couldn't seem to like this song, but now that I've listened to it many times, I like it.  I like the similes in it, and I think Taylor Swift would make a good writer because she has a really awesome way of expressing her emotions through her music.  The hidden message is "SAG" or at least I think that's what it is, it's a little confusing. Haha

Treacherous: This is one of my favorite songs on the album, because it has a great tune throughout the entire song.  A lot of songs have great choruses but tuneless otherwise, but every line in this song has a great tune and it's really relaxing to listen to.  Hidden message: "Won't Stop till it's over". (??) I don't really understand any of the hidden messages...

I Knew You Were Trouble: My second-favorite song on the album (I'll tell you what the first one is later).  It's definitely her most pop song so far, but the tune is so catchy that I can't help but be pretty obsessed with it.  The lyrics aren't beautiful like some of her other songs, but it's amazing and I Love it. Hidden message: "When You saw me dancing".  This song is supposedly about Harry Styles, who were apparently found making out backstage at some music awards thing. (DRAMA!)

All Too Well: Wow.  I have no words.  This song is beautiful.  That's the only word I can think of for it. The lyrics are sensational and phenomenal. I don't know how many adjectives for beautiful there are, but I would list all of them if I had the space.  Also, this song is a little more country than her other songs on this album.  Country sound, country storyline.  Hidden message: "MAPLE LATES". Don't really understand that one.

22: What I love so much about this song is it's Taylor Swift having fun.  And it's not about a guy like a lot of her other songs.  She's just having fun with her friends, and even though it's not a typical T-Swift or the least bit country, it just always makes me smile because it's so.... HAPPY. :) Hidden message: Ashley Danna Claire Selena, who I am guessing are her girlfriends.  (Selena Gomez probably...)

I Almost Do: Pretty sad song, makes me feel sad.  I guess that's good though? But it has great lyrics and a great tune.  Hidden message: I wrote this instead of calling.  Awww. Cute.  Well I think that whichever guy this one's about feels pretty good right now. Or sad. Or depressed. I don't know which.

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together: This song's the #1 hit.  I love it.  Although, I feel like it's one of those songs that if you listen to so many times, you get an extreme headache and start to get a little sick of it.  I still love it, but I wince every time it comes on because I know it'll get stuck in my head and drive me crazy.  It was released a while ago.  Maybe if it had been released like her other songs, I would still head over heels love it.  Hidden Message: When I Stopped Caring what you thought.  Rumors say this song's about Jake Gyllenhaal. (If that's how you spell his name? )

Stay Stay Stay: Well. This is my favorite song on the album.  It's so cheerful and makes me laugh and want to cry at the same time.  Why? At first it made me laugh and go crazy with my friends whenever it came on, but when I decoded the hidden message, I want to cry now.  The message: "Daydreaming about real love".  Wha....???? I thought it was about a real guy and that she finally loved someone! And now she's just daydreaming about this adorable guy she's singing about? Now that made me really sad. But it's still an AMAZING, PHENOMENAL, AWESOME song and my favorite song of hers ever written! That will never, ever change.  My new obsession.  My forever obsession. :)

The Last Time: At first I was wary of this song because it has a guy singing half of it, and what i love about Taylor is that she's very independent.  And I didn't even like the song at first.  But now it's pretty good, I have to say.  The lyrics are kinda confusing except for the chorus.  I'm not overly enthusiastic about this song, but it's pretty good and i like it. HIdden message: LAON YOU BREAK. What the? I don't know what it means, unless I decoded it wrong.

Holy Ground: Love this song! From the beginning it was one of those sings I skipped to get to.  I've noticed that i love Taylor's songs that are cheerful and happy.  Some of the lyrics aren't totally rejoiceful, but the sound and feel of it is happy and makes me feel happy too.  Hidden message: "When you came to the show nsd" don't know what that means except for the first part?

Sad Beautiful Tragic: Every time this song comes on, I just can't do it.  It's a depressing ballad that I can't listen to without feeling utterly depressed myself.  So I usually end up skipping this song or else I'm sad for the rest of the day.  I have to say the lyrics are pretty, though.  Hidden message: "While you were on a train". That line is depressing in itself.

The Lucky One: Awesome! It has a cool, different tune than the other songs, and it's one of those songs that you want to tap your foot to sing along uncontrollably to.  I like the name of the song, though.  The lyrics, again, are confuzzling! I just don't get it.  I don't know if it's happy or sad, sarcastic maybe? I don't know!! Hidden message: "Wouldn't you like to know?" Sounds sarcastic to me... Also she has the word "Hell" in this song which is not typical for her. :p

Everything Has Changed: Ed Sheeran.  Well I fell in love with Ed Sheeran after listened to this song and listened to all his other songs.  Too bad I can't go on tour because the tickets are waaay too expensive.  I love this song :D and I haven't met anyone who didn't like this song.  Hidden message: HYANNS. I don't get it!!!!

Starlight: Like "The Lucky One", this song is cool and different.  The name also totally fits the tune.  I love the word starlight and the tone of the song is definitely starlight-y. If that even makes sense.  Hidden message: FOR ETHEL. Who's Ethel?

Begin Again: For a while I didn't realize why this song was so popular.  It's not my favorite song on the album, but now I really like it after listening to it a few more times. I like how the album ends with Begin Again, and it's about falling in love again, and that amazing feeling you get when you start to really like someone. :) Hidden message: I wear heels now.  I guess that ties in with the lyric "you didn't like it when i wore high heels"? Also, a lot of people criticize taylor Swift when she wears heels because she's already almost six feet tall, so that makes her even taller, but I think it's awesome she embraces her height.

All in all, AWESOME impressive album!!! I love it and can't stop listening to it!  Five of five stars!

Quick Note about my posts and blogging:  I have been thinking that my blog will get pretty boring if I Just do SS posts and the occasional book review.  Anyone know of some cool weekend memes I could participate in? I would love some suggestions.  

Have a nice weekend!