30. Taylor Swift by Taylor Swift (CD)

TAYLOR SWIFT by Taylor Swift (Big Machine Records, 2006)

GENRE: Country

HONORS: Academy of Country Music Awards Album of the Year Nomination

REVIEW:

In this debut album, Taylor Swift stands out as one of the few young artists with a writing credit on each of her songs.  By writing or co-writing all of her songs, the album has a deeply personal touch to it, with Taylor using songwriting as an outlet for her feelings.  Songs like “Tim McGraw” and “I’m Only Me When I’m With You” focus on young love and friendships.  However, many songs cover some heavier topics that affect tweens and teens, such as insecurity, heartbreak, and loneliness.  One of the album’s most popular singles, “Should’ve Said No,” puts a humorous twist on the feelings of rejection that accompany losing one’s first love, but “Cold as You” honestly expresses the pain of heartbreak with lyrics like “Oh what a shame, what a rainy ending given to a perfect day/Every smile you fake is so condescending/Counting all the scars you made.”  With the majority of the album written during Taylor’s freshman year in high school, it reflects the experiences of many tweens as they grow into teens.

OPINION:

After reading a quote from Taylor Swift stating that this album is her diary from her early teens, I knew that I wanted to listen to it and review it for this project.  Expecting it to be mostly songs about experiencing first love and heartbreak, I was struck by the wealth of emotions that the songs reflect.  While there are certainly love songs, the strength of the album comes from the honest portrayal of some of the darker moments of adolescence.  The song “Tied Together with a Smile” particularly affected me on an emotional level, addressing the insecurities that many young girls feel.  The chorus consists of the following lyrics: “Hold on baby, you’re losing it/The water’s high, you’re jumping into it/And letting go and no one knows/That you cry but you don’t tell anyone/That you might not be the golden one/And you’re tied together with a smile/But you’re coming undone.”  By including songs such as this one, the album provides tweens with a peer to look up to and it helps them understand that they are not alone, giving them hope that things will get better.  With this blend of upbeat and emotional songs, the album will be like a diary for many of the tween girls that relate to the music.

IDEAS:

This album would be great for a library display of young musicians.  Also, some of the songs could be wonderful to include on a resource list for promoting self-esteem in tween girls.