Red

Bibliographic Information: Swift, T. (2012). Red [CD]. Big Machine Records.

Plot Summary: In her fourth album titled Red, Taylor Swift yet again captures the pain, joy, and celebration of her favorite topic: love. Tracks like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” and “The Last Time,” sing of love gone wrong, while “22” celebrates the freedom of youth.  

Critical Evaluation: The Red album by Taylor Swift has taken on a more pop-country feel.  Her songs are able to cross genres, thus appeal to a wider audience.  The album has earned 11 Billboard Music Awards Nominations including Top Artist and Top Country Album.  Some reviewers have mixed feelings about Swift’s new album claiming it is too much “pop” and not enough “country” (Amazon, n.d.).

Reader’s Annotation: Enjoy Taylor’s new album, Red, including chart-toppers like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, “ and “I Knew You Were Trouble.”

Information about the author: Taylor Swift moved to Nashville, Tennessee from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania when she was fourteen-years old to pursue a country music singing career.  In 2006 she released her first album Taylor Swift, and in 2008 she received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist (Wikipedia, n.d.).

    Since then, Swift has released three more albums, won “seven Grammy Awards, eleven American Music Awards, seven Country Music Association Awards, six Academy of Country Music Awards, and four Billboard Music awards” (Wikipedia, 2013). She is wildly popular among not only young adults, much music fans of all ages.  

Genre: Country

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking ideas (one or two):

1. Preview a few songs.

Reading level/Interest age: 12+

Challenge Issues: N/A

Why I included this CD: Taylor Swift is a very successful singer/songwriter.  Taylor writes about issues many young adults can relate to, especially that of love and heartbreak.  

References:

Amazon. (n.d.). Red- customer reviews. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Red-Taylor-Swift/dp/B008XNZMOU

Wikipedia. (2013, May 13). Taylor Swift. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taylor_Swift#Awards_and_nominations