"22" serves as mission statement of sorts: "We're happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time / It's miserable and magical." The misery and magic is represented song and song again, from the wide-eyed, pedal steel optimism of "Begin Again" to the cautionary tale of sudden celebrity on "The Lucky One."Īnd along with magic and misery comes sex. Never before has Swift given a voice to such an array of emotions and circumstances in one set of songs. On the precipice of adulthood, Swift conveys all the excitement, confusion and heartache that comes with navigating post-adolescent life. Red represents a turning point in not only Swift's life and career, but in the lives of the fans who grew up with her. More importantly, Swift uses this variety of sounds to express her biggest transition of all - the one from adolescence into womanhood. Red just expands the range of sounds she's capable of embracing. That's not to say Red completely strays from the country sounds of works past: Songs like "Stay Stay Stay" and "I Almost Do" are very much the sonic bread and butter of Swift's repertoire. Given the fickle nature of Billboard trends and teenage fans, these aesthetic choices were all legitimate risks, even if they were very much of the zeitgeist. With the help of top-tier collaborators, most notably super-producer Max Martin, Red agily dabbles in dubstep, dance-pop and even Brit-rock. Sonically, it traverses Swift's country roots and enters proper pop territory, a sphere she would eventually dominate with her colossal album 1989 two years later. Red is, in many ways, a transition album. Turning The Tables The 150 Greatest Albums Made By Women Fearless may have established her as a capable teenage singer-songwriter, but Red is the album that solidified her confidence, sexuality and identity as a bonafide force to be reckoned with. Positioned as a loveable underdog - albeit the kind who gets her heart broken by the likes of John Mayer and Jake Gyllenhaal, and whose award victories get disrupted by Kanye West - Red saw Swift seize the moment and embrace her dark horse status. Given the commercial and critical acclaim, it was hard to imagine how she'd sustain her momentum. At 22, she had achieved massive country-crossover success with the release of her previous two albums, Fearless and Speak Now, which alone had spawned ten Top 40 hits and earned her six Grammys, including one for album of the year for Fearless. When Red was released in 2012, Taylor Swift was unequivocally America's sweetheart. This essay is one in a series celebrating deserving artists or albums not included on NPR Music's list of 150 Greatest Albums By Women. Red showcases Taylor Swift's transition from adolescence into womanhood.
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