Say goodbye to long locks and hello to cherry lips as Taylor Swift conquers her fourth album, 1989, with an entirely new attitude. From her first hit single “Teardrops on My Guitar” to her latest single, “Blank Space” Taylor has evolved into a mature and experienced songwriter.

According to Rolling Stone, the 1989 album is a “drastic departure” from Taylor’s high school fantasies and  her “tear-stained guitar,”  as she reinvents both her music and herself. Swift ditches her acoustic sound, now incorporating 80’s beats and riffs and more synthesized vocals. Taylor also includes diversified song topics, incorporating songs such as “Welcome to New York” and “Shake it Off,” which focus on her new start in New York City and her confidence in being herself, rather than her usual ballads about heartbreak.

After four successful country albums, Swift finally released 1989 as her first pop album. Despite its pop genre, Swift still manages to achieve a unique sound that defines her songs from other pop music. Her songs reach a poetic level  with lyrics such as, “You’re still all over me like a wine-stained dress I can’t wear anymore” from her song “Clean.” Taylor perfectly blends her creative song lyrics with pop beats to create music style that is unprecedented in the pop genre.

Junior Skye Fenton commented on Taylor’s pop album saying, “It’s a great album, but it’s the worst one she has done.” Skye praised Taylor for her catchy songs, but criticized the new pop sound for having “no soul.” Similarly, senior Molly McCormack said she prefers Taylor’s older albums because they have a more “authentic sound” than her new “pop techno” music. Molly’s favorite Taylor song is “Forever and Always” because of the piano and Taylor’s more natural vocals.

Regardless of the varying opinions of Swift, it is evident that Taylor wants to redefine herself beyond the music world. Senior Maiti Lynch described 1989 as more “sophisticated” as Taylor verges away from her “whimsical and juvenile self” and “figures out who she wants to be.” Jackie Coscia, also a senior, commented on Taylor Swift’s change for the better saying, “She did the opposite of Miley.” Jackie commended Taylor for being confident enough to redefine herself in such a critical society and noticed her change by saying, “She finally experienced love and heartbreak, so now she’s [learning] to ‘shake it off’.”

Whether you prefer guitar-strumming Taylor or twerking Taylor, everyone can agree that Taylor’s tunes are timeless classics. Swift has made tremendous change in her music from being the “[girl] on the bleachers” to being the girl who just “shake[s] it off.” At 25, Taylor has already exceeded expectations with four hit albums, and there are no limits to what Swift can achieve. Not only have Taylor’s songs changed based on the events in her life, but they have also changed depending on her fan base. Our generation grew up with Taylor warning us about heartbreak in her song “Fifteen,” telling us stories of falling in love in “Enchanted” and bringing us to tears with her song “White Horse.”

Some of us are die hard T-Swift fans, others listen to her as our guilty pleasure, but no one can deny Taylor Swift’s great achievements and brilliant songs.