Taylor Swift caused a furore as a country singer, but as the albums follow, she seems to feel more at home in pop music. That could already be heard on the successful Speak Now (2010), but on Red she seems to have left the country behind for good. The deluxe edition of Speak Now contained no less than twenty-two songs and the American nightingale seemed to have more than enough inspiration for her
… fourth studio album as well. Red contains no less than sixteen songs, all written by Swift himself. The album was an instant hit and sold more than 1.2 million copies in the week of its release in America alone. That is not surprising, because the songs are tight and catchy. Album opener State Of Grace shows Taylor's rough side, especially through the heavy drums. Songs like Treacherous and Sad Beautiful Tragic show a vulnerable Swift. The country may have disappeared, but the quality has remained. Red has become a versatile and credible pop record. Without a doubt her best work to date. (BvdV)more