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Recommended Album Of The MonthTaylor Swift - RedWords by Sophie Leahy“Love is a ruthless game,” Taylor Swift declares on ‘State Of Grace’, the bubbly,electro-pop opening track from her fourth studio album, Red. With the releaseof every new album comes the inevitable chatter and speculation aroundher target. Which mysterious lothario has crossed the country songstressthis time?Taylor’s recipe for success is simple. She connects toher listeners with her story-like lyrics, marries them with akiller hook and tops it off with a catchy chorus. That maybe the formula for every good pop song, but young Swiftis unique in her ability to pull it off flawlessly, time andtime again. Her secret ingredient is her endless streamof celebrity romances, which have thus far ended inheartbreak. No matter which former beau she refers to,Taylor delivers her message in the most effective manner.Taylor’s swift rise to fame was remarkable in that shewas a country gal. A genre as old as time itself, it is rarefor its artists to find crossover success amongst a chartdominated by pop and dance. Not only has Taylor reachedthis level, she has surpassed many of her contemporaries.She has sold over 26 million albums, had 70 million songdownloads, and with Red become the first woman to havetwo first week million-selling albums.Her particular brand of country-pop evidently has widereachingappeal. A prodigious hard worker, she hasreleased an album every two years since her self-titleddebut in 2006. With each new collection, she has veereda little more towards pop, but never forgets her countryroots. In Red, ‘I Almost Do’ is an acoustic track with acountry-folk feel, and ‘Treacherous’ is a gorgeous countryballad, complete with meaningful guitar strums andhandclaps. ‘Begin Again’ is another inspiring, warm balladthat reminds everyone of why and how young Swift foundher initial success.With the sparkly pop of lead single ‘We Are Never EverGetting Back Together’, alongside the bombastic soundsof ‘22’ and diversion into dubstep in ‘I Knew You WereTrouble’, Taylor demonstrates her deft ability to move intoother genres and sounds.But at its roots, Red is simply the story of a young countrygirl looking for love.jetstar.com9