First Look: Red by Taylor Swift

Disputably this fall's biggest album, Red from Taylor Swift, makes it's debut next Monday, but we've got the first look at this hot new album. Does it pale in comparison to Fearless and Speak Now, or surpass them? Read on to find out!

1. State of Grace - The album gets off one on of the best possible notes it can. Of the numerous singles released prior to the album's release, this one might be my favorite. It's got an epic feel to it that'll have her fans singing along in stadiums and for good reason. It's just such a good song, from the instrumentation to the lyrics (Swift's strongest suit) and the vocal delivery (pretty good here!). Great first song.

2. Red - This song flows pretty well from the first track. It is a little more pop (mostly the "Re-e-e-ed" refrain during the chorus) but that's okay. The lyrics here are good, but the best parts are the colors that Swift only uses in the chorus. If she had continued that trend throughout the verses, this song might have benefitted. Still, it's pretty good.

3. Treacherous - This is another song that shows Swift's growth as an artist in the country realm. It's got a very country feel to it that builds to something a little more. It's kinda alt-rock mixed with country and it's interesting. This track in particular is a change of pace from the first two tracks. If you can stick with the song through the build to the end, you'll be pleased with it as a whole.

4. I Knew You Were Trouble. - Probably the biggest departure from Swift's normal sound on this entire album, but I love it. The vocal delivery is just fine, and the lyrics are great, but of course the most interesting part of the song is the dubstep element, which works extremely well here. It shouldn't, but it does. While some may complain that it doesn't fit into Swift's style, I'm not one to believe in pigeonholing an artist, and no one is going to argue that other twenty-something artists are underusing dubstep. It's a favorite for me.

5. All Too Well - A song that gets to show off Swift's lyricism, here's another track with country influences in an otherwise alt-rock setting. It's a sound that Swift is pulling off very well on this album. I think a lot of people complained that Swift was going severely pop music with this album, but tracks like this just show that she's switching up her sound and it's working out in her favor.

6. 22 - Swift's attempt to write a song NOT about an ex-boyfriend and it's...half successful. She's still singing to some guy, so it doesn't work entirely well, but as far as the song itself, it's another experiment  like I Knew You Were Trouble. This one is extremely poppy, but the relatable lyrics for the just barely legal crowd will make this one an anthem for sure. The lyricism present in the previous song is pretty much gone here with very innocent lyrics, and she still manages to make a song about being 22 without mentioning drugs, sex, and alcohol (take note, pop stars of today!).

7. I Almost Do - The country Swift you remember is back in this track. It's strictly country, no hint of any other genre.  It's the first real ballad on the album and it's good, my only complaint being that the lyrics aren't as strong here as in other songs ("Every I don't, I almost do." Um.), but it's a good song anyway.

8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Do we really need to go over this one? The pop sound makes more sense when it's accompanied by other poppy tracks here. It works for me, so...that's that.

9. Stay Stay Stay - Still carrying the light air of the previous track, but with a completely different message: this time Swift is begging her man to stick by her side. The clap-along chorus is cute enough, and the entire song is for that matter. It's light and airy, and it reminds me of some of Swift's younger songs. It's got an Ingrid Michaelson feel to it, and that's good to me.

10. The Last Time - Fans might be caught off guard at first when the song opens up with a male voice. That's Gary Lightbody, lead singer of Snow Patrol, and that makes this the album's first duet. It's an interesting song. It's a little darker and you can hear some of the influences from Lightbody's band. The build to the end is highly rewarding. This is another deviance from the country genre, and it still works well.

11. Holy Ground - A jump back into upbeat. This song was produced by Jeff Bhasker who produced fun.'s album Some Nights, and that might explain why I'm digging this sound. Additionally, it's a Swift solo write, and those songs tend to have a special something to them. This one has a little electronic sound to it, and it's pretty funky. If anything, this one is a surefire toe-tapper.

12. Sad Beautiful Tragic - Going with the pattern of the album, we're slowing things down with this one. It's the most mellow song on the album. It's mostly just a strumming guitar and Swift's haunting vocals. It's the most simplistic song on the album and that's a welcome change of pace after earlier pop-heavy songs.

13. The Lucky One - Alright, this one is just kinda boring for me. It's rather plain and not in a good way. The lyrics are just alright. This one is filler for me.

14. Everything Has Changed - This is the much hyped duet between Taylor and Ed Sheeran and of course it does not disappoint. As an Ed fan, I can certainly pick up on his influence here. The "know you better" repeat reminds me of songs like "Give Me Love" from his album, +. The kick drop beat at the chorus is very...him. So, yeah, I really like it. And any exposure for Ed is fine by me.

15. Starlight - Yeah I like this one. It's got a good feel to it. It's apparently about the Kennedys (she's dating one of them, so why not write a song about their family?). It's got a really cool feel to it, despite being about the 40s and sounding very 90s. There's something about it, I don't mind it at all.

16. Begin Again - Probably my least favorite of the singles released before the album's release, but not bad at all. My only qualm is that I'm not sure I understand why this song is the last track on the album. Maybe because it's "begin again" shows "moving on" which Taylor said (very early in the process) was the theme of this album. It's a mellow note to end the album, but then again, T. Swift has been partial to these kinds of songs ending albums (Long Live, anyone?).

So the final conclusion? Well, I can't say right now where this album ranks compared to her others, mostly because it is a big departure in sound, but Taylor is right in place with these changes. The album works very well as a mix of many different genres. I think fans will eat this right up because there is enough to appease everyone here.

Favorite songs: State of Grace, I Knew You Were Trouble., All Too Well, Everything Has Changed

What do you think? Liking this new T. Swift? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below!

Evan