Taylor Swift's Live Steam: Everything You Need to Know

Donning a white crop top and matching skirt, Taylor Swift announced her new album ‘1989’ complete with a retro Polaroid picture serving as the cover art. It will be released October 27th and fans can anticipate a deluxe edition.

The deluxe will incorporate original audio recordings of select songs, taking listeners through the evolution of her creative process. Hard copy CDs will include a pack of 13 Polaroid pictures in an envelope. CD packages will contain various and differing collections of snaps.

‘1989’ which she called her “favorite” album she’s made so far, will be her first official pop album. No country, straight up pop sugar. The album’s debut single, “Shake It Off” is indicative of her move towards that sound. It’s also a shot across the bow at her critics.

The lyrics acknowledge the stones cast by the media in the last two years. She’s heard them and she’s moving forward. It is something like this that separates Swift from a lot of artists, who remain impervious to any criticism, choosing instead (at least publicly) to turn a blind eye to it.

Mark Ramanek directed the music video for “Shake It Off” which includes performances by professional dancers from an assortment of genres and a group of handpicked fans. In the video Swift, who is known to dance her heart out during awards shows, exhibits her quirky dance stylings amidst a flurry of pros.

Swift, ever the media mogul, hosted the live stream without any interviewer serving as a liaison between her and the fans. She went head to heart with her audience, no barriers. She’s just your everyday pop star sitting on the couch, hanging out with her many admirers.

She also brought her online fans in on the action as she integrated Instagram, Facebook and Twitter into the announcement by fielding questions from fans on social media. In another bid to get closer to her fans she announced the Swift-Stakes which will give away 1,000 tickets and 500 meet and greet passes.

Swift said her desire was to create an album she hoped fans would enjoy and it showed in her genuine exhuberance at seeing people’s reaction to it. As an artist known for being the accessible girl next door and a mega international celebrity, she has found that unprecedented balance.

‘1989’ titled for her birth year, officially sets Swift on a course away from the lights of Nashville, a move she had already begun with ‘Red’. At the end of her albums, she’s still chatting about average day life and she indicated ‘1989’ will be no exception. She’s risen to the top as a relatable force in music who is everything but ordinary and come October, fans will be listening.

[Featured Image by Big Machine Records]

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