If you watched the 2013 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, you were treated to the debut live performance of Taylor Swift’s newest single “22″. Unlike her other hit singles, it had yet to be featured live on TV for the masses. It was done in a very unique way and demanded not only a full stage, but also the use of the “backstage” areas and going through the crowd.
While I won’t go into detail about everything in the performance, I will say Taylor was one of the best performances of the night. She literally had so much going on that you shouldn’t have even thought about being bored. She was also the only performer there to use the two wings off of the main stage for dancers and screens. Who said Taylor Swift couldn’t host stadium shows? She certainly was able to feel the MGM Grands performance area to the brim.
She started in the backstage area, rode on a bike on some guys back from the entrance to the arena to the stage. Then in the middle she had some breakdown with the Jabbawockeez dancers, and then to end it all, she showers the crowd with red balloons. The balloon move was truly a way of Taylor saying this is my stage, bitches.
Now watch the performance below and tell me what you think in the comments. After that go buy the single, or better yet, the whole Red album if you haven’t already.
A week ago today I sat in the arena waiting for Taylor Swift to come out and perform. Before her show they play music with music I assume Taylor picks or what would be on her iPod if we could see it. This song came on and for some reason I was instantly entranced. I couldn’t figure out what the song was, but I knew the version I was hearing was actually a cover. Unfortunately, my Shazam app was not working to do all of the audience noise. The show started and I moved on with life and forgot about it.
A few days later it popped in my head, so in thirty minutes of searching, I knew it was a Coldplay song, which I should have known. I also was led to a cover by Sara Bareilles which I didn’t care for and knew it wasn’t the song I was looking for. Finally with some luck I came across Chelsea Lankes’ version. I knew once it started I had found it. Digging up deep I saw Chelsea Lankes is from Nashville, so I knew I had the right song I wanted. I assume Lankes is a friend of Taylor or someone from Nashville that Taylor really adores and wanted the world to hear her music.
“Yellow” by Coldplay will be 14-years-old in June, so why do I care about a cover of the song from a new comer? Because I really enjoy the way the cover is arranged and the way Chelsea Lankes voice goes with the music. The music is this synthy electronic vibe that seems so modern. It’s not hard, its soft, and then Chelsea Lankes voice just flows with it so perfectly. It really can put you in a trance if you’re not careful.
While I haven’t listened to the rest of Chelsea Lankes’ EP Ringing Bell, I can say I hope it sounds more like this. I look forward to listening to the EP in the near future. You can definitely except a review of it right here.
Listen to “Yellow” down below and tell me what you think of the cover in the comment section.Chelsea’s contacts are below the video.
Yesterday in Louisville at the KFC Yums! Center, Taylor Swift gave an amazing performance for her Red Tour. I was able to film two songs completely, “Red” and “I Knew You Were Trouble”.
The live version of “I Knew You Were Trouble” has a lot more dubstep and begins with an awesome fiddle solo by her red-haired fiddle player.
Saturday sketches are happening again on my You Tube channel. The first of these sketches was released February 23. It is based on a fake-vlogging trip to an art gallery.
Last night on The Grammy’s, Taylor Swift opened up the part performing her hit song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”. I personally would have preferred her to perform her more recent and even bigger hit “I Knew You Were Trouble”. Imagine how awkward that would have been considering John Mayer was there with his new girl, Katy Perry.
Anyway, Taylor apparently has decided to be more cut-throat, as much as she can be, with her recent break-up. Who knew WANEGBT could be personalized each time Taylor and her current boyfriend becomes her ex. During the performance on the part where she says “He called me up and was like, I still love you”, she did what the “guy” was saying in a British accent. Her response was changed to “Sorry, I’m busy performing at The Grammy’s”.
This is sorta an appetizer for the song about Harry Styles that we are sure to hear in about a year and a half when Taylor’s next album comes out. If last night is any indication, she is quite bitter about this latest break-up from the fave 1D band-mate. I thought the dig at Harry was quite humourous coming from sweet little Taylor Swift.
I thought overall Taylor’s performance was pretty great. I thought the design seemed to be an Alice and Wonderland and circus themed design. The little guy on the tricycle with the flame thrower was awesome and so was the guy that looked like a puppet. It was a great, energizing was to launch the 55th Grammy’s Award Show.
Did you watch the Grammy’s last night? What were your thoughts on Taylor’s performance and the other artists performances? Let me know all of that down below in the comment section.
This song is probably up there with one of my favourites at the moment. I heard this song late-summer and decided to find out who it was, which was easy with the Shazam app. I was led to Ed Sheeran who recently released and album that I really enjoy. Then a week or two after I started to listen to him, Taylor Swift started promoting his album. Turns out she had done a song with him on her new album Red. Ed Sheeran will also be opening for her The Red Tour this year. So, I can’t wait to see him when I see Taylor.
The A Team is obviously about a girl who does drugs and has a drug addiction problem and then who becomes a prostitute. She clearly has a rough life and then she decides that she is ready to just die. You wouldn’t think a song that seemed so happy music-wise could be so dark and intriguing, but it is what it is. I’ve read stuff where the above is what Sheeran himself said the song was about, so it’s a pretty easy song to get the message. He said the song is called The A Team cause the girl does crack and heroin which are considered class A drugs.
While diving in deeper for myself I also wonder if it has to do with the girls eventual death. The A Team would lead me to believe she becomes an angel. However, there is a part in the song where Sheeran sings that “it’s too cold for angels to fly”, which could mean that she doesn’t get to become an angel. I also could see it meaning that she’s an angel, but the cold world doesn’t allow her to fly and be all that she could become. You really could take it anyway.
The song has been playing on mix radio and adult contemporary radio here in the US. Now that is has jumped into the top 40, I hope to start hearing it on more Top 40 radio stations. I’m sure touring with Taylor Swift in 2013 and this songs semi-success will help make him even more popular here in the US.
I believe many people in the world of country music was afraid that Red was going to be released as a full on “pop” album, but I have to say that after listening to the album, the majority of the tracks don’t sound too different from the songs on Speak Now. I know that isn’t relief to some hardcore country music fans, but hey, she’s not leaving her roots entirely and will continue to live in the country pop realm of country music.
The only exception to this album is “I Knew You Were Trouble” which, yes, is nowhere near country music, but closer to a dance track. It’s also a big “fuck you” to John Mayer, so I may have enjoyed it a little too much. What you will find on this fourth album by Taylor is a mix of that new country sound like Speak Now, rock, and singer-songwriter. Some of the tracks have been compared to U2 and Coldplay, but I honestly don’t see any comparisons, but would gladly accept anyone who could explain why this has been said about some of these tracks.
You will also find a Taylor that has grown as an artist vocally. Her voice shines better than ever, and if you think it is auto tune, I will tell you to go to one of her concerts or listen to the acoustic version of “State of Grace” found on the deluxe version of the album. I think this album will grab anyone left that is on the line of liking Taylor and bring them aboard the S.S. Swift.
Red in general is a very sad album about heartbreak. There are little glimmers of happiness, daydreams, and love that has been. Not all the songs are down tempo songs of tragic love that Taylor seems to always go through; there are some up tempo songs about her tragic love life. Overall, I do think that this is Taylor Swift’s best album of her career, and I am sure she will question it and will continue to be as humble as ever, as she always has been.
Rating: 5/5
The Track-By-Track Review:
1) State of Grace: Definitely a song that has that big arena song sound. Has more of a rocking sound than most of Taylor’s songs. I think the main line of thought is how you have to fight for love to last, but it is worth it in the end. It also has the minor theme of being caught off guard by someone who you never saw coming or someone you didn’t see falling in love with at first. Rated it the way I did because I think it is a good song that isn’t typical Taylor, but good.
Rating: 4/5
2) Red: The title track and theme of this album. This song is the sound that we are used to hearing from Swift. The song is about how quickly Taylor is to fall in love and that even if the relationship ends suddenly; it is still as passionate for her as a longer relationship is for other people.
Rating: 4/5
3) Treacherous: Like, “Red” this track is similar to Taylor’s Speak Now sound. The song is about dating someone who is clearly bad for her, but hey, this starlet loves chasing after the bad boy even though she knows it isn’t going to be a healthy relationship. I rated it so low because I think it slows down the front half of the album from the two first tracks. Also, I feel like it is about John Mayer, and he’s an ass.
Rating: 2/5
4) I Knew You Were Trouble: I know most people who want country Taylor is going to hate this song. This song however is going to do amazingly well on the Top 40 charts I do believe. Many hate to see Taylor work with the Swedish Max Martin producer. Martin is better known for working with Katy Perry and Britney Spears. This song is probably one of my faves on the album. It is the farthest thing from country that Taylor has attempted. I mean the song is so catchy, has dubstep(not heavy), and I know it pisses off John Mayer better than “Treacherous” will. For all of these reasons and probably more, I rate this song the highest I can.
Rating: 5/5
5) All Too Well: This is another great song on the album. Even if Taylor won’t tell us that it’s about Jake Gyllenhaal, she leaves plenty of lyrical hints. I feel like this song makes her seem as well-spoken as she is during interviews. It is also much more mature than the other song about this relationship, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”. The way she comes across in this song is about the same as “Back To December”(Taylor Lautner), she really loved him. This time unlike with Lautner, she was the one who got broken up with. The music, the lyrics lends this track to a higher rating.
Rating: 5/5
6) 22: This is the second song on the album to be produced by Max Martin. Again, I like it. It is fun and makes you wanna dance. I feel like it doesn’t step too far out of the Taylor-sound, but isn’t clearly just her sound. I think this song expresses what Taylor is always saying. She lives the most normal life that she can and no matter what everything will be okay with her life if she is still able to have fun. I feel like this song means more to me cause I just turned 22.
Rating: 4/5
7) I Almost Do: This is probably one of the prettier songs on the album. It is about how her and a guy have broken up, and he keeps trying to talk to her afterward, but she can’t speak to him and say goodbye to him all over again. The basis of this is she does wanna call him, but she knows she isn’t over him enough to allow herself to talk to him and not get hurt cause she wants him to ask her to be a couple again.
Rating: 3/5
8) We Are Never Getting Back Together: I don’t really need to explain this song to anyone, now do I? This is Taylor immature break-up song with Jake and while the clues are a bit vaguer, they are still there, and say that it is about Jake. This is Max Martin produced which is the only reason I can imagine country radio has shunned it in a way. The song sounds country pop, so not sure their problem. Who says a Swedish producer can’t do country?
Rating: 3/5
9) Stay Stay Stay: This is a song that when you first listen to it, you will think this is a crap song. I love Taylor and thought this. The chorus is just so… So, simple? After a second or third listen you will love it though. It is a funny song that is on the happier side of this otherwise sad album. It is about her dating someone who even though they fight, they both know that they aren’t going to be going anywhere anytime soon.
Rating: 3/5
10) The Last Time feat. Gary Light: This is probably one of the sadder songs on the album. It features Gary Light of Snow Patrol, who is known for their sadder songs. It sounds very much like one of Snow Patrol’s songs as well. The song is about a relationship that is falling apart and both people in it are being selfish and asking the other to try again to save the relationship or they both are willing to let the flame die.
Rating: 5/5
11) Holy Ground: I could be wrong, but I feel like this song is about even though they have broken up, they will always have the fun and memorable memories that they created and shared together. The Holy Ground in this song is those memories.
Rating: 3/5
12) Sad Beautiful Tragic: This song sounds to me like it is a relationship that didn’t even get off to a great start. It never even had a chance to be something good. This is a slow song, but it is yet again beautiful even if lyrically it is very sad.
Rating: 4/5
13) The Lucky One: This song has quickly grown into one of my favourites. It is about someone who grows up wanting to be famous, then they get it and its great, and then it starts going bad. This person decides to get out of the fame. Then the song goes to Taylor arriving into the fame life and how she has heard the story of this person. The song is really about how people view being lucky depending on where they are in the world. This song definitely has deep roots in how being famous can be great, but you have to give up things for it. It’s not enough to deter myself from wanting to be famous, acting or whatever. I wish I knew who this was about. Many have their theories, and after watching ABC’s All-Access Nashville Special, I am wondering if it is about LeAnn Rimes. Taylor has been compared to her from the start of her career. The only thing that ruins this is she talks about coming to Los Angeles, not Nashville.
Rating: 4/5
14) Everything Has Changed feat. Ed Sheeran: This song features Sheeran, who is amazing with his own music. He will be opening up for Taylor on the Red Tour and you should check out his album + before you go. Great album! Now to the song, it is about two people meeting for the first time, and how it is so new they just wanna keep learning things about each other. The excitement of dating someone at first and how you feel a change in your life. This song sound very Sheeran(he did produce it), but his music is similar in sound to Taylor’s.
Rating: 5/5
15) Starlight: This song in the album’s liner notes says clearly it is for Ethel Kennedy. I assumed right without knowing, that this is about how Ethel and Robert “Bobby” F. Kennedy met during the summer of 1945. I guess Taylor most likely heard this story this past summer while she was dating Connor Kennedy. I think it is very sweet of Taylor to do this and at the time of writing it, I am sure she felt like she was living Ethel’s story. I figure even if they have broken up, Ethel will hold this song close and dear to her heart for the remainder of her life.
Rating: 4/5
16) Begin Again: A classic Taylor sounding song, which is doing well on both the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart and the US Country Songs Chart. It is about how a heart-broken Taylor is still hurt by her last relationship for the past eight months, but then she meets a guy that is so much better to her and enjoys her instead of just himself. I think it is a great song, and a great final song on the regular version of the album. It gives hope that Taylor’s next album can be happy as her new love begins again.
Rating: 5/5
Deluxe Tracks:
1) The Moment I Knew: This song is a power ballad about how Taylor realizes a guy she is dating isn’t good for her and has proven he isn’t into this relationship. While musically, this song is amazing, I can see why it is on the deluxe version. It is really a Debbie Downer of a song on an album that is on the verge of being too sad.
Rating: 4/5
2) Come Back… Be Here: I don’t think this song is about Taylor breaking up with anyone at all. I kinda feel like it is more about how her and those that she dates busy lives interfere with her relationships, which I guess eventually leads to their break-ups. It is definitely about a long distance relationship.
Rating: 3/5
3) Girl At Home: This song is clearly some guy that is trying to get with Taylor, but she knows he has a girlfriend back home. She doesn’t hide how much she doesn’t like guys like this and how she would never help a guy cheat. The weakest of the three bonus tracks.
MTV releases a VMA promo with Kevin Hart and Taylor Swift(you can watch it below). It starts off with her strumming a guitar and kinda singing her new song “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”. Now originally I felt like the song was about Joh Mayer, but that doesn’t make too much sense to me considering her last song pretty much laid out that he hurt her badly, so they didn’t keep breaking up. It’s not Taylor Lautner because she says in “Back To December” that she would take him back. We know it isn’t the Jonas brother because he’s married now and she has already written three songs about that relationship. So, is it Jake? I wouldn’t have said the song was about Jake at first. I really can’t imagine Mr. Gyllenhaal breaking up and then getting back together like a little high school girl in a relationship, but I also can’t say he wouldn’t. Then in the VMA promo Kevin Hart holds up a picture of his head pasted over a pic of Taylor and Jake walking hand in hand. This leads me to believe the song is in fact about Jake and she told without really telling. That is my take on this latest lesson of Swiftology.
John Mayer is trying to make a come back after a few years of being hardly seen or spoken too. You might remember his interview in Playboy and Rolling Stone that made people lose a taste for him. Now he si back with a new album and is doing interviews again. In the next issue of Rolling Stone John does an interview and discusses how Taylor Swift’s song “Dear John”, which is about him, wasn’t necessary. John says that he didn’t deserve it. I say he probably did deserve because he’s an asshole. Besides, anyone who dates Taylor Swift shouldn’t need a warning that if you break up with her or break her heart, that you will most likely get a song on her next album. She’s like a singer/songwriting succubus.
In the article linked below, John didn’t wanna go into details on what a line in the song where Taylor speaks of only being 19 and isn’t that a little young to be messed with. I figure he only just now brought this up from an album released in 2010 to somehow get his name back out in the spotlight. Bringing up old news like this makes him some what relevant again. He shouldn’t feel too bad about the song that has “humiliated” him, because the song is 6-7 minutes long and has his sound and his the one song on the Speak Now album that I always skip. It’s not like she made a number one hit based on their relationship. If you wanna hear “Dear John” click the link below and read their article and the song is below that.
Rumour has it Taylor Swift and Tim Tebow are in fact dating. Here in this video I give some song ideas for Taylor Swift once her and Tebow break-up. Enjoy and share! P.S. Love you, Taylor!
