“Time for some Taylor Swift Songs!”

Most of us, if not all of us, have heard one of Taylor Swift’s songs. Whether on Youtube, the radio, in stores, or your friend’s iPod, Taylor Swift is one of the dominating forces in media today with fans around the world. Her creative videos, intense and edgy music presence have won the hearts of many. However, for those who were early Swift fans, they can probably remember her music and videos sounding and looking quite different. So today, we’ll show and compare her old and new music videos to show how the music artist we love has evolved through the years.

Take a Listen!

1. Our Song (2006) vs. Blank Space (2014)

These two songs highlight how different Taylor’s music style was back then. In “Our Song,” Taylor plays the role of a cheerful teenage girl with sparkly makeup and a fluffy dress. The song itself has an innocent, 90s feel to it with a lot of warm guitar chords that give the song a country feel. However, Taylor goes through a complete metamorphosis in “Blank Space” where she appears in a close-fitting, lace dress complete with dark smoky eyes and bright red lips. The music itself is more electronic heavily percussive and it talks about painful love while “Our Song” drips with cute, teenage romance.

2. Never Grow Up (2010) vs. Bad Blood (2014)

Yet another great comparison that shows how much Taylor’s music has changed is “Never Grow Up” and “Bad Blood.” The first song sounds like a sweet and sad lullaby with a delicate chorus of guitars in the background and soft, breathy harmonies. You could almost shed a tear to the nostalgic and gently-sang lyrics. On the other hand “Bad Blood” is more likely to get your adrenaline flowing from the angry words and catchy, drum beat. In contrast to the natural guitar and sweet lyrics in “Never Grow Up”, the persistent electronic music and rap verses set “Bad Blood” as a polar opposite.

3. We Are Never Getting Back Together (2012) vs. Style (2014)

Both of these songs still retain their percussive guitar personality but the tone is completely different. “We Are Never Getting Back Together” has a cheerfully defiant aura and you get the feeling of euphoria at some points. The beat is bubbly and peppy and the guitar soundtrack sounds real and happy. In the music video, Taylor playfully dances in pajamas across the set, accompanied by an animal-costumed band. But “Style” has a noticeably more contemplative and serious mood. The guitar sounds more electric and sounds more uncertain, swinging between major and minor while the percussion is subdued. The video is filled with clips of fractured images and troubled weather patterns like lightning and rain which give the set a somber atmosphere.

4. Red (2012) vs. Shake it Off (2014)

The two songs are actually pretty similar in sound since they’re both heavily electronic but “Red” still retains Taylor’s signature guitar sound. Though they do sound similar, the songs’ emotions and content differ completely. “Red” is about losing someone you love and the emotions that follow while “Shake it Off” is about rolling with the punches and not letting the negativity of others affect you. Accordingly, “Red” has a sad and wistful sound while “Shake it Off” has a very light and almost careless mood.