The American singer and songwriter Taylor Swift is one of pop music’s greatest success stories. In a career that’s still young, Swift has released ten studio albums, earned six Grammy Awards and won countless other accolades. She is also one of the most culturally relevant artists of our time.
The 24-year-old’s musical journey started when she was just a little girl. As a preteen, she won a local talent competition and took up singing lessons. She grew up competing in horse shows and taking part in the Berks Youth Theatre Academy productions of “Grease,” “Annie” and “Bye Bye Birdie.”
At age 14, she moved to Nashville, where she started writing songs and was discovered by Scott Borchetta at a showcase at the Bluebird Café. Borchetta was preparing to form his independent record label, Big Machine Records. The label quickly signed the young talent, who became one of its youngest ever signings.
Swift’s debut album, Fearless, was a hit, but it was the follow-up album, Speak Now, that really cemented her as a superstar. The album, her first to be entirely self-written, dominated country charts and made Swift the youngest-ever artist to win an Album of the Year award at the Grammys.
It’s hard to tell where country meets pop on this song. On the surface, the track is a down-tempo, ballad-y love story. But it also takes on a slinky, R&B groove and has the kind of melody that’s impossible to not sing along to. It’s a perfect example of how Taylor’s melodies can turn even the most humdrum of pop songs into something special.
Normally, depleted-sounding would not be the highest compliment we could give a song, but it’s exactly what this one sounds like. It’s not a pleading, tearful lament for another chance, but a lyrical summation of a relationship that was always going wrong for all the wrong reasons. Swift’s voice is ragged and worn here, but the song still feels so real.
A rerecording of her fifth album, this song was originally a bonus vault track. It was re-released as a single due to enthusiastic fan response, becoming one of the most successful hits of her career. It’s the rare song that evokes genuine emotion from listeners and manages to capture the heartbreak of breakups without being overly melodramatic or cliched.
It’s easy to get lost in the many love ballads on Taylor Swift’s albums, but this one is a standout. It explores more nuanced relationship issues than her previous works and opens up new sonic horizons for the multi-platinum superstar. It’s a gorgeous and moving work that’s not to be missed.
