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Taylor Swift's "1989"

S

sundog925

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Dec 19, 2011
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971

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Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,957
46,411
In a coffee shop.
Oooops.

I saw the word 'Taylor' (I ignored the additional proper noun 'Swift') and a year, (1989), I assumed that this was gong to be a fascinating thread about port wine (as I do rather like Taylor's port, a most excellent beverage), and opened it with a happy anticipation of joining in such a discussion.

Unfortunately, it is about someone about whom I have never heard…...
 
D.T.

D.T.

macrumors G4
Sep 15, 2011
11,050
12,460
Vilano Beach, FL
Scepticalscribe said:
Oooops.

I saw the word 'Taylor' (I ignored the additional proper noun 'Swift') and a year, (1989), I assumed that this was gong to be a fascinating thread about port wine (as I do rather like Taylor's port, a most excellent beverage), and opened it with a happy anticipation of joining in such a discussion.

Unfortunately, it is about someone about whom I have never heard…...
Click to expand...

Funny mistake, but you’ve really never heard of Taylor Swift?

I’m not a fan, and follow mostly Indie/underground music (including really obscure stuff), but she’s kind of hard to miss, she has so much exposure through so many channels: music/news/entertainment sites, Rolling Stone magazine, iTunes, internet and terrestrial radio, TV - she’s won a number of Grammy’s and CMAs, been in several movies.

[edit]

It just occurred to me, if that’s the case, you’re in a pretty enviable position :D
 
Last edited:
Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,957
46,411
In a coffee shop.
D.T. said:
Funny mistake, but you’ve really never heard of Taylor Swift?

I’m not a fan, and follow mostly Indie/underground music (including really obscure stuff), but she’s kind of hard to miss, she has so much exposure through so many channels: music/news/entertainment sites, Rolling Stone magazine, iTunes, internet and terrestrial radio, TV - she’s won a number of Grammy’s and CMAs, been in several movies.

[edit]

It just occurred to me, if that’s the case, you’re in a pretty enviable position :D
Click to expand...

No, truly, seriously, I have never, ever heard of Taylor Swift; and I am cheerfully and utterly oblivious to (and remain deeply uninterested in) much of what passes for popular mainstream culture, (and sport) especially (because I am not from the US and so remain ignorant of much of mainstream cultural references) much of that which comes from the US.
 
SandboxGeneral

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Scepticalscribe said:
No, truly, seriously, I have never, ever heard of Taylor Swift; and I am cheerfully and utterly oblivious to (and remain deeply uninterested in) much of what passes for popular mainstream culture, (and sport) especially (because I am not from the US and so remain ignorant of much of mainstream cultural references) much of that which comes from the US.
Click to expand...

Don't feel too bad, not that you really do over this topic, but I barely know who she is and I live in the US, obviously. ;)
 
Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,957
46,411
In a coffee shop.
SandboxGeneral said:
Don't feel too bad, not that you really do over this topic, but I barely know who she is and I live in the US, obviously. ;)
Click to expand...

Actually, as you have probably realised, I don't feel bad, at all. Or, rather, I don't feel bad about not knowing who she is, and what she is about.

Rather, I do, however, feel bad that this is not a thread dedicated to the discussion of rich, luscious, aged Taylor port wines……- which is what I had thought it was when I first took a tentative peek at it -

Seriously, the 20 year old Taylor's is simply superb, sheer velvet, while the 10 year old shows terrific signs of depth and mellowness of flavour…..
 
D.T.

D.T.

macrumors G4
Sep 15, 2011
11,050
12,460
Vilano Beach, FL
Scepticalscribe said:
Actually, as you have probably realised, I don't feel bad, at all.
Click to expand...

I’m glad as that wasn’t my intent in the least :) I was just surprised that anyone had managed to _avoid_ her, especially anyone that spends a decent amount of time online.

I also didn’t factor in your geography (which I admit, I wasn’t aware of).

If I “had my rathers”, I’d rather have not heard of her, or Justin Beiber, or the 100s of other acts that I can’t seem to avoid. :D
 
Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,957
46,411
In a coffee shop.
D.T. said:
I’m glad as that wasn’t my intent in the least :) I was just surprised that anyone had managed to _avoid_ her, especially anyone that spends a decent amount of time online.

I also didn’t factor in your geography (which I admit, I wasn’t aware of).

If I “had my rathers”, I’d rather have not heard of her, or Justin Beiber, or the 100s of other acts that I can’t seem to avoid. :D
Click to expand...

No, I am from Old Europe…….and utterly unaffected by much of what passes for mainstream culture in the US, as my cultural preferences & references are very much Old Europe, too....

Being online a fair bit does not really address gaps in one's knowledge, (unless one seeks to do so), as the threads I frequent tend to reflect my interests (politics, history, books, music, coffee…..and sometimes photography…)

Mind you, it does not hurt to have a nodding acquaintance with some of it, this I will readily concede, if only to be able to make conversation (or understand) references, once in a while…….
 
SandboxGeneral

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Scepticalscribe said:
No, I am from Old Europe…….and utterly unaffected by much of what passes for mainstream culture in the US, as my cultural preferences & references are very much Old Europe, too....

Being online a fair bit does not really address gaps in one's knowledge, (unless one seeks to do so), as the threads I frequent tend to reflect my interests (politics, history, books, music, coffee…..and sometimes photography…)

Mind you, it does not hurt to have a nodding acquaintance with some of it, this I will readily concede, if only to be able to make conversation (or understand) references, once in a while…….
Click to expand...

Funny thing was that I was never going to even look at this thread, let alone make a reply in it until I saw your username scroll by in the Forum Spy that you replied to it. I saw that and instantly wondered what she would have to say about this Taylor Swift person!
 
Scepticalscribe

Scepticalscribe

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Jul 29, 2008
63,957
46,411
In a coffee shop.
SandboxGeneral said:
Funny thing was that I was never going to even look at this thread, let alone make a reply in it until I saw your username scroll by in the Forum Spy that you replied to it. I saw that and instantly wondered what she would have to say about this Taylor Swift person!
Click to expand...

Now, I am laughing, and I opened the thread, and decided to reply simply and solely as a misunderstanding, as I had assumed that we were about to discuss Taylor's port wine…….(a personal favourite of mine, as I am sure you understand by now….) and I thought that my misunderstanding was actually rather funny…...
 
SandboxGeneral

SandboxGeneral

Moderator emeritus
Sep 8, 2010
26,482
10,051
Detroit
Scepticalscribe said:
Now, I am laughing, and I opened the thread, and decided to reply simply and solely as a misunderstanding, as I had assumed that we were about to discuss Taylor's port wine…….(a personal favourite of mine, as I am sure you understand by now….) and I thought that my misunderstanding was actually rather funny…...
Click to expand...

I'd much rather discuss the Taylor Port Wine myself too!
 
Carlanga

Carlanga

macrumors 604
Nov 5, 2009
7,132
1,409
localoid said:
Well then, here's something to listen to: "Shake It Off", the lead single from the album...

YouTube: video
Click to expand...

If that is her debut single then meh, I think the worse debut single for her yet. POP needs a hook, this one barely has what I would call a hook. At least the drum stick sound is repetitive enough :rolleyes: Needs more 'shake it off' hooks at the beginning middle etc except the ending. lol
 
markyr17

markyr17

macrumors 65816
Apr 8, 2010
1,186
92
Carlanga said:
If that is her debut single then meh, I think the worse debut single for her yet. POP needs a hook, this one barely has what I would call a hook. At least the drum stick sound is repetitive enough :rolleyes: Needs more 'shake it off' hooks at the beginning middle etc except the ending. lol
Click to expand...

Agreed. This song was nothing special to me. Most of her other songs are actually pretty catchy, but this song is blah.
 
localoid

localoid

macrumors 68020
Feb 20, 2007
2,447
1,739
America's Third World
Carlanga said:
If that is her debut single then meh, I think the worse debut single for her yet. POP needs a hook, this one barely has what I would call a hook. At least the drum stick sound is repetitive enough :rolleyes: Needs more 'shake it off' hooks at the beginning middle etc except the ending. lol
Click to expand...

The record companies follow the latest, track-proven trend, producing POP tunes that are safe and familiar, that use predictable chord progressions. Innovate? God no. They might lose money doing that!!! The lyrical hook seem to grow safer and more bland... until you hardly notice them at all.

Personally, I don't find "Shake It Up" to be all that bad, but it's not exactly breaking new ground.

In the video below, Brett Domino points out the three key elements that almost guarantee that a pop song will be a hit in 2014:

1) a wonky horn sample over a funky beat
2) a sexy, provocative, easily repeatable (maybe nonsensical) vocal hook and
3) a handful of generic verse lyrics that reiterate the provocative theme of the hook​

 
Carlanga

Carlanga

macrumors 604
Nov 5, 2009
7,132
1,409
localoid said:
The record companies follow the latest, track-proven trend, producing POP tunes that are safe and familiar, that use predictable chord progressions. Innovate? God no. They might lose money doing that!!! The lyrical hook seem to grow safer and more bland... until you hardly notice them at all.

Personally, I don't find "Shake It Up" to be all that bad, but it's not exactly breaking new ground.

In the video below, Brett Domino points out the three key elements that almost guarantee that a pop song will be a hit in 2014:

1) a wonky horn sample over a funky beat
2) a sexy, provocative, easily repeatable (maybe nonsensical) vocal hook and
3) a handful of generic verse lyrics that reiterate the provocative theme of the hook​

YouTube: video
Click to expand...

Yes, basically what I said… Again not enough hook (shake it off) in the beginning and middle part of the song. Basic POP arrangement. The hook in those parts are almost lost in between the reiterations.
 
MacNut

MacNut

macrumors Core
Jan 4, 2002
22,995
9,973
CT
It is sad when pop music today is so bad that it makes Milli Vanilli sound good.
 
rdowns

rdowns

macrumors Penryn
Jul 11, 2003
27,397
12,521
Buying her new album is #5 on my to-do list, right after catching my junk in a zipper.
 
L

Limey77

macrumors regular
Apr 22, 2010
120
989
Scepticalscribe said:
Actually, as you have probably realised, I don't feel bad, at all. Or, rather, I don't feel bad about not knowing who she is, and what she is about.

Rather, I do, however, feel bad that this is not a thread dedicated to the discussion of rich, luscious, aged Taylor port wines……- which is what I had thought it was when I first took a tentative peek at it -

Seriously, the 20 year old Taylor's is simply superb, sheer velvet, while the 10 year old shows terrific signs of depth and mellowness of flavour…..
Click to expand...

I have as yet unopened bottles of both Taylors and Does 1977, a very, very good vintage. I did however drink my 1980 Taylors, which was delicious and was lucky enough to try a 58 Quinta do Noval while I was researching the book I helped write about wine. Truly delicious and something very special!
 
Mr. McMac

Mr. McMac

Suspended
Dec 21, 2009
2,968
363
Far away from liberals
Today's music does nothing for me, especially the pop and rap crap that's popular today. BTW, I've heard her name before, but I couldn't pick out one of her songs on the radio if my life depended on it.
 
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