Taylor Swift Says "Konnichiwa!" to Country Radio
Getting 116 radio stations to put your song on right when it's released is quite an achievement. Because she's just as gifted as a businesswoman as she is a songwriter, Taylor Swift was smart enough to send out a quick thank you to all those stations who added "Mine" to their playlists. (It kind of makes me wonder why some stations didn't add it, you know?) In an impromptu video greeting, Swift offers a heartfelt "Konnichiwa!" then goes on to say hi to her friends at country radio and gives her effusive thanks. She does it from the side of a stage in Toyko where she was part of the Summer Sonic Festival. Right before she heads out to sing, she says, "I'm about to play for 45,000 people in Japan! Wish me luck! Thank you for the first week. I love you."
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Bob Papanos says:
116 out of 126 reporting country stations in the US. What did happen to the other 10? And the song was abruptly released 12 days early with no warning, so it had 4 days and maybe 8 hours to get counted for the charts and all other measures of popularity — not the full seven days. #1 on iTunes within 5 hours… Pretty amazing machine behind her music.
rosyz says:
Good for her.
bobbalynn says:
her voice is terrible.i,m sorry
Amanda says:
All of her songs are amazing!
D Trotter says:
Pretty strong live performance by Swift at the Summer Sonic Festival, based on the YouTube videos. Always nice when you can hear her over the screams, and there tends to be less singalongs and screaming in front of foreign language crowds.
Robin says:
She’s taken alot of business lessons from Garth. Definitely not a stupid girl. Good for her. I’ve heard the song on the radio several times now. Lyrically she’s grown a step (expected because she’s only 2 years older), although she does not seem to have worked on her vocal quality. And, musically, the song sounds like most of her other songs. Maybe what she needs help with is not lyrics but the music - she should have probably had a co-writer help in that area.
So, I don’t hate it - it’s not shreiky like some of her songs (”Should’ve Said No”). But, I am hoping it’s not the “gem” from her album and she has better to offer. Will wait and see. I’m still routing for her.
trink says:
DTrotter I agree with you the video I saw of Love Story was amazing. With 45 thousand fans there it’s a wonder how you coud hear anything.
Sarah says:
I agree. “Mine” sounds very much like some other songs of hers but given the age of many of her fans I doubt they mind as the youngins seem to thrive on anything repetitive. It’s been my experience that the uber fan (and most importantly the young uber fan) is beyond objectivity. They’re going to love anything Taylor puts out there, even if she sang the phone book. Where Taylor seems to shine is in her music videos. I don’t really get her music but have to admit that the videos are always well done. Only time will tell what else her new CD has to offer. Taylor’s music was unique in the beginning but I think it’s time to change it up a little. Unique has become ordinary and predictable. But I’m just one of those people that likes obscure cuts from CD’s that are totally different from what you might usually expect from an artist. I’m always pulling for Taylor because I see beyond the hype and just know there so much more to her than what she’s giving us. I think she’s holding herself back, artistically. It’s frustrating for me because I’m a fan of her talent, just not her songs.
Peacock Queen says:
I haven’t heard it yet. I don’t know why but the radio stations in my area do not seem to be playing it.
D Trotter says:
“If the rest of Swift’s highly anticipated new album is as strong as its finely crafted lead single, it’s a sure bet her career juggernaut will continue. MINE possesses a vibrant energy that perfectly complements her impassioned vocals …. the song demonstrates she’s successfully making the transition from teen ingenue … to a young woman exploring the complexities of adult relationships.
“Swift is master at creating memorable lines … there’s a lyrical substance wrapped in the buoyant melody that shows she has the goods to go the distance and continue to broaden her audience.”
—- BILLBOARD singles reviews, 8/13/2010
James says:
“It’s not a bad effort by any stretch; it just manages to sound a great deal like her earlier work without bringing anything especially interesting of its own to the table.
Sonically speaking, most of what’s here is diminished returns: the hooks aren’t quite as tight, the production has less personality, and the vocals are the most grating they’ve ever been in a Swift studio recording. It sounds like a rough outtake meant to be slapped onto future reissues of Fearless, not a smash-in-waiting meant to lay the foundation for a strong new era of Taylor-Nation-alism.”
Dan Milliken
Country Universe
*
“Redundancy is a problem that weighs down “Mine.” Now on the precipice of the release of her third studio album, titled Speak Now, Swift has delivered a lead single that sounds like a rerun, not a season opener.”
Jim Malec
American Twang
D Trotter says:
Opening sentence of the aforementioned Mr Malec’s review:
“It should come as no surprise that Taylor Swift’s newest single is a strikingly well-constructed slice of pop storytelling … you’d have to be in denial to expect anything less.”
Opening of next paragraph:
“Swift is her generation’s greatest communicator … along the way introducing a cast of characters that are vibrant and endowed with palpable
D Trotter says:
(Continued from above)
“… desires fears and problems.”
So Mr Malec’s concerns aren’t that Swift doesn’t have the goods as a songwriter; quite to the contrary, he’s in full recognition of her talents, but he is concerned that (on the first single, anyway), she’s playing it safe instead of challenging herself.
I need to hear the whole album before any summary judgment, but I don’t disagree that I, too, would like to hear Taylor living up to stated philosophy that she wants to “constantly surprise people”.
Is “Mine” a good song? Like Mr. Males said, yes, definitely.
Does it signal a new direction. No.
But it’s still better than 98% of the singles out there right now.
James says:
The point would be “redundancy” which was pointed out by someone else. Yes, the kiddies love anything repetitive.
Robin says:
Trotter - I hope to love her second single and the rest of her album, but you and these critics would have to be deaf to believe it musically doesn’t sound like everything else she’s already done.
The lyrics are in the same vein as they’ve always been, but it is “out of high school” so that’s great. But, this isn’t a “special” song and sounds so much like the others. She’s got to do more.
D Trotter says:
Robin — I would be interested to know:
Which of Taylor’s songs are “the others” that “Mine” sounds so much like?
Is it a groundbreaking new direction? No.
Does it sound exactly like other songs she’s done? Can’t think of one.
(Does that me tone deaf?)
Robin says:
I didn’t say “tone deaf”. I said you’d have to be deaf not to hear the “musical” difference. It is absolutely not ground breaking. How is that statement justified? It’s just not ground breaking. The beginning of it almost musically mirrors “Love Story”. Her beginning vocal rhythm sounds like “Today Was a Fairtale”. And, actually, lyrically it follows “Fearless”. These are just examples, but does specifically answer the question without being vague.
D Troitter says:
Robin - Sorry, I misread, You didn’t imply I was tone deaf. (Just deaf, ha-ha.)
But you misread me, too. I said “Mine” WASN’T a ground- breaking new direction — what do I need to “justify”?
Have to say though, your examples aren’t convincing.
The lyrical similarities between “Mine” and “Fearless” particularly elude me.
“Fearless” is about charging optimistically, “fearlessly” straight ahead into the exciting promise of a new relationship; “Mine” is about the struggle to overcome a romantic pessimism caused by previous failed relationships.
And I don’t think anyone has ever mistaken “Love Story” for “Mine”, or “Mine” for “Today Was a Fairytale”. There are significant differences. They have different chord progressions, rhyme schemes, song constructions. “Love Story” had a key modulation at the climax. The songs tempi are similar (mid tempo number of beats) but are hardly exactly the same. “Fairytale” is sprightly, “Love Story” almost stately.
Like almost any artist,Taylor has a unique and recognizable sound and style. Miranda Lambert’s “sound” is less varied than Taylor’s, but it is also more typical of the kind you enjoy.
Peacock Queen says:
Gotta disagree with you D.T. Not on Taylor, but on Miranda. Have you heard “Revolution”? There are a lot of different musical directions on that album, at least I think so. I love “Revolution.” There isn’t one song on there that I don’t love, and that rarely happens for me on any album.
James says:
Same theme - same vein - repetitive - redundant. Nothing new. No real growth.
Sometimes you’d expect that kind of thing from an older artist set in their ways and their lifestyle. But a 20 year old…you would expect that progress. If there is progression, it’s too subtle in nature. I would prefer some boldness…some risk taking to show that growth, not the familiar subject matter. Even for a soon to be 21 year old there is more to life than the opposite sex.
Peacock Queen - I’ll agree about Miranda. She’s a perfect example of an artist who moves forward and takes risks. She has from the beginning and even though she didn’t start like gangbusters, her determination and willingness to just evolve is paying off today.
D Trotter says:
Hi PQ,
As soon as REVOLUTION was released, I bought it and posted on CMT that it was, in my opinion, one terrific album, with a great song in “The House That Built Me.”
So I agree with you; it also has more versatility and stronger song compositions than her previous efforts.
On Miranda’s prior albums I would find myself playing the hits, then some of the change-of-pace songs, like “Me and Charlie Talking”, but I rarely could play them all the way through because of how much the songs all blended together.
And how STRIDENT they were! I still find it amusing that the same people who criticize Swift as immature, for songs like “Picture to Burn”, rave about Miranda’s boy-rants like “Kerosene”.
Again, you accept them because you’re comfortable with Miranda’s more traditional sound. But don’t tell me that she doesn’t have her own sound, or that many of songs are not quite similar. It’s true of any artist.
Same with Taylor. A lot of Country fans may want her to sound more twangy or something, but she has her own style, and her fans love it.
Swift fans will tell you that they feel about BOTH of Swift’s albums the way you do about REVOLUTION. They love every single song and find enormous variety in her albums. She employs a multitude of lyrical and musical devices which make her hits into timeless classics, and her unreleased album tracks into a garden of constant surprises.
Go listen to “Mary’s Song”, “Breathe”, “The Best Day”, “A Place In This World”, and “The Way I Loved You”, THEN come back an tell me they all have the same sound or themes.
And although you’ll probably dislike songs like “You’re Not Sorry” and “Tell Me Why” (because, like “Should Have Said No”, they have Swift directly confronting a boy who done her wrong), the way those songs sound like AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION, USING NATURAL, EVERYDAY LANGUAGE are completely UNIQUE TO SWIFT, unlike any other artist in Country or Pop. Name ANYTHING that sound like them.
This is not some immature artist, challenged for ideas. This is an originator.
Robin says:
Trotter – you are right – I did misread you too. I saw “ground breaking” and I fell in the floor and hit my head. So, no need to justify.
The lyrical connection is probably the weakest of my three points, but I still say they are very SIMILAR. “Mine” is about making someone “Fearless” – “You made a REBEL of a careless man’s careful daughter”
Also, I didn’t say that anyone would mistake one song for another, but the similarities are so much there that it is noticeable by most critics (even beyond my particularly critical of Swift ears) with the music and the rhythm. I think Miranda’s sound is a lot more varied than Taylor’s. Have you heard her guest appearance on Dierks Bentley’s new album with Dierks and Jamey Johnson? It is called ‘Bad Angel” and it is the gem of Bentley’s album. Not a chance Taylor could pull something like that off. Another thing that Lambert could pull off that I don’t think Swift could is a duet with Underwood. Not that she has the range, but she does have the ability to “change” from song to song and while putting her unique touch on it, doesn’t stand out as a thorny patch. Her vocal ability helps that a great deal. It is very difficult to be versatile when talking/sing song is what you do.
And, I strongly disagree that Miranda’s strongest album is her current. “Crazy Ex Girlfriend” has a wide array of fantastic material. Although her latest two albums are stronger than her first, her first was still a good effort. I don’t have a problem with the subject of Swifts music like Kerosene/Should’ve Said No, but to the shreaky annoyingness of the presentation of it. The constant theme is also more prevalent in Swift’s work. One of the greatest lines in country music history lies in the words of “Crazy Ex Girlfriend” – “to a hammer everything looked like a nail”. And, Miranda uses music as part of the presentation and not just the lyrics. For Swift, the music just seems thrown in there for good measure.
But, I really am hoping that this was just a poor choice for a lead off single. I think “perhaps” some of the issue she may be having with “country radio” is the single choices. Perhaps mainstream country fans are not introduced to a biggest variety of her music. I hear stuff on the radio in stores that I’ve never heard from her before. Why no release to country radio? I will still go under the assumption that there’s more to this package than I’ve heard yet.
Robin says:
That square in the first line was supposed to be a smiley face.
hotelmotel says:
About the “redundancy” critique of Swift. It has some merit but it could be added that more than a few of country’s greatest singers often went back to the same theme, over and over and over, and didn’t necessarily improve or “show growth” (whatever that means) as time went by.
I’m not a big Swift fan and I do agree that Swift ought to be careful about boring her audience with a rehash of previous material. At the same time, giving her audience what they expect (perhaps a rehash of previous material?) might well be a reasonable career decision.
So far country radio seems to be loving this song. We’ll see how it does in the next few weeks.
Redmaz says:
Maybe Pop Country radio is loving this song, but Roots Country radio is not.
“country or pop” D Trotter. For someone that will never understand why some people feel it is so essential to label everything, you certainly do it yourself. Contradiction and disrespect for music leads to your lack of credibility.
D Trotter says:
Ah, Mr. Label-Head! It’s just SO thrilling to be talking about ALL the wonderful different kinds of labels with you, Red.
So, tell us, because you never answered my question from our last lovely chat:
Are you paid by to promote Americana Music?
Yes? No? Not sure? Don’t want to talk labels?
How about this one? Do all Roots Country fans have the same arrogant and elitist attitude toward mainstream music as ou do, or are just special?
D Trotter says:
Don’t answer Red — we all KNOW you’re special!
Country Girl says:
taylor has been manufactured and sometimes she sounds like a cat with it’s tail caught in the door, or she falls flat. Her songs are juvenile and repetitive so put her on Disney. She is so over- promoted and I’m done with CMT. Can’t even watch a show without her little add popping up. With all the talent and people that can “actually” sing it makes me wonder about the hype around her. And yes, I agree she is redundant.
TommyD3498 says:
Well you talk about how all these country woman where your guidance well who about singing some real country songs and make that happen!!! And quit worrying about the pop songs!!!!!!!!!!