What to Watch For: Taylor Swift, Pretty Lights
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| Album cover for "WANGBT" taken from Swift's new Urban Outfitters campaign |
Taylor Swift
After hearing "We are Never Getting Back Together", the country princess' first new release since 2010's Speak Now, I felt like what is left of my innocence had shattered. It seemed as if Taylor had sold her soul to the purveyors of pop music. Fortunately, it seems now that this is not the case after all. Having released three other singles ("Ronan", "Begin Again", and "Red") since her return to the scene on August 16, it is evident that her sultry songwriting skills will still be very much alive on her upcoming album Red. Taylor's heartfelt and nostalgic lyrics can be heard on all three tracks, most notably "Ronan", which is inspired by a young boy who passed away from cancer. It's good to see that the Taylor we all know and love will be pouring her heart out for us once again on her next big release. Despite a minor blemish in the complexion of her sound, expect high praise for Red, which is set to release on October 22.
Pretty Lights
First off, let's get something straight: Pretty Lights is in fact ONE person (I'm getting real sick of the constant "they" reference).
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| Red Rocks [CO]: The Madison Square Garden of dubstep |
The Colorado producer's (real name Derek Smith) unique sound is always popping up all over the web in remixes and sporadic singles, but Smith recently confirmed that he will be releasing a new album in the coming future. He commented on his Facebook page, "I made a huge switch in my production techniques, and a marked evolution in my sound, all while still staying true to the PL style that I've developed. It has zero samples in it, as everything was self composed and recorded with several different bands..." While I'm not exactly sure what to make of this, I'm confident that PL's new album will be fresh and innovative. Having established a solid position in the EDM world with 6 albums and 3 EP's, there is no doubt that PL is beyond experimentation and is competent in his work. One of the tracks from the upcoming album entitled "So Bright" unintentionally leaked on Tuesday, and while Smith may not be too pleased with this, I think [the track] still maintains the sophisticated and soulful sound that is associated with Pretty Lights. The untitled album should be quite an interesting listening experience , and may bring Smith into a pretty new light within the music sphere.
Download "So Bright": http://www.prettylightsmusic.com/#/downloads
Download "So Bright": http://www.prettylightsmusic.com/#/downloads
Well you can look at "We are Never Getting Back Together" as a blemish but for others it is the first real pop song your Diva has produced. The design of her lyrics, a mix of spoken word and song blend a refreshing kick to the tired pop drivel that Americans accept as music. I care nothing of her torrid affairs or lack of commitment to any real relationships that are crammed down my throat at the checkout line but I do know that this new song has me listening more for her potential to break out with a good change. Imagine if she had a band like Metric behind her and that voice was hers singing "Breathing Underwater". The thought intrigues me!
ReplyDeleteBeing that this was the first single off Red, I was a little concerned that she was starting to sell out and ditch her innocent, longing country girl persona for a new sound that fits today's cookie-cutter "pop drivel" as you cleverly put it. Of course, when the album was finally released I sighed with relief and praised Taylor's ability to make music for the masses while maintaining her trademark sound that long-time fans of hers grew up on. I even discovered that I enjoyed some of her new avenues such as "I Knew You Were Trouble" (who knew that a country girl could seamlessly flirt with the likes of dubstep and create something worth listening to?). And I guess that it's only natural for her to start searching for a more sophisticated sound (you got me thinking with the Metric reference!). I think it would have to be a bit more polished than "We are Never Getting Back Together", but I see where you're going. Thanks for the feedback!
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