​By Caroline O’Connor

The concept is simple, to any male, brave enough to attempt to date country star Taylor Swift, and then hurt her, expect a bashing in her next chart topping single. Whether it is a song titled with the name of the male culprit or her lyrics that mimic the tabloids’ stories, Taylor tells her fans exactly how it all played out. With the release of her new album, Speak Now on Oct. 25, Swift took over iPods and iTunes charts with her diary like lyrics, proving that the typical “good girl” had done it again. Many may argue that her fairy tale lyrics are empty or filled with repetition but, the truth is that her down to earth honesty and powerful voice is what keeps loyal fans craving more.

Doubling the sales of her previous album Fearless, with 2 million copies sold, the album has 14 hit songs. The song “Better than Revenge” shows Taylor’s strong side, “She’s not a saint and she’s not what you think/ She’s an actress,” the lyric sends messages to actress Camilla Belle who allegedly stole her boyfriend Joe Jonas. Another message goes out to “bad boy” John Mayer in “Dear John”, she voices regret in singing, “Dear John,/I see it all now it was wrong/Don’t you think nineteen’s too young?/ To be played by your dark twisted games.”

Known for her romance theme, Swift brings songs like “Enchanted”, “Back to December”, “Mine” and “Speak Now”, all equally as powerful. But switching things up a bit Taylor Swift reflects her younger years in “Never Grow Up” a tribute to the times of peace and simplicity, singing “Oh darlin’ don’t you ever grow up/ Don’t you ever grow up/ it could stay this simple/ I won’t let nobody hurt you, won’t let nobody break your heart.” Next up is “Innocent” which was performed at the VMAs on Sep. 12 in response to the previous Kanye West incident. The serious tone continues in “Mean”, an up-tempo song about a person’s rudeness, supposedly directed at her critics.

Her country roots show in this album especially on slower numbers like “Haunted” and “Long Live,” but she has learned to challenge all aspects of her musical talents, which are heard in, “The Story of Us” and “Sparks Fly”. It’s easy to feel the passion in her voice in all of her work , whether she is singing about the power of life in “Long Live” or a final romantic goodbye in “Last Kiss”.

Speak Now isn’t perfect though, and that’s what makes it all the more honest and enjoyable. A few songs seem to drag towards the end, but the album has a feel of comfort that draws listeners in with each song. Swift commented by saying “’These songs are made up of words I didn’t say when the moment was right in front of me. These songs are open letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person.” So TSwift fans, don’t be afraid to grab a box of tissues and curl up to listen to these heartwarming tear jerkers, cause this beautiful blonde’s new album will be on repeat all night long.