The transformation is complete. Country music star Taylor Swift is, with her fifth studio album 1989, now a fully fledged pop sensation.
Though she entered this territory on 2012's Red with We Are Never Getting Back Together and I Knew You Were Trouble, this is a more complete pop offering.
The album's heavily electronic instrumentation is a million miles from the artist of even a few years ago, but acoustic demos included with the deluxe edition show the songs are still the old Taylor Swift at heart -- especially the Blank Space pair of tracks.
Lead single Shake it Off is an anthem to resilience, bubbly, fun pop that belies its implied world of haters and troubles. It could do without the spoken word and cheerleader chanting, but they do suit the mood of the song.
The highlight of the album is Out of the Woods, a spooky, dark Florence-style number that sees Swift stray furthest from the beaten track.
Elsewhere, the pop is lighter, but infectious, with a few nods to the 80s (as per the name of the album) and today's new wave of synth-pop artists, including our Lorde.
Haters gonna hate, maybe, but thanks to 1989, this is Taylor Swift's year.
