Transition to Pop
Swift’s status as the queen of pop that we know her as today is also heavily impacted by the gradual shift of her music style from country to pop. As a 14-year-old girl starting out in Nashville, Swift has her roots in country music. Her first few albums (Taylor Swift, Fearless and Speak Now) were indisputably categorized as country; her fourth album, Red, though still nominated for Best Country Album at the Grammy’s, saw signs of her transition to pop music. Her latest and fifth album, 1989, is described by herself as the “first documented pop album.” Some have argued that Swift’s transition to pop represents her appealing to the mainstream, a savvy business move.
Despite the minor concern that her country fans would desert her, Swift’s venture into pop would most likely expand her global following while retaining her loyal fans. After all, the connection she has built with her fans supersede the loss of the country sound in her music. On top of that, many critics and fellow country artists, including Lady Antebellum, agree that her transition is not only a valid creative endeavor, but 1989 also has legitimately critical merit.
Despite the minor concern that her country fans would desert her, Swift’s venture into pop would most likely expand her global following while retaining her loyal fans. After all, the connection she has built with her fans supersede the loss of the country sound in her music. On top of that, many critics and fellow country artists, including Lady Antebellum, agree that her transition is not only a valid creative endeavor, but 1989 also has legitimately critical merit.
Despite the major transition in terms of musical style, Swift continues to appeal to the same demographic as before, which leads some to claim that her lyrics are stuck at 14, never straying away from describing the sweet and sour moments of being in romantic relationships. By appealing to similar demographics as before, Swift shows an understanding of maintaining a somewhat consistent persona and image in public, which shields her from potential backlash caused by the transformation.
