Berks County native Taylor Swift has sold so many records in the past four years and become such a cultural phenomenon that it has been easy for reviewers to herald this week's release of her third album, "Speak Now" as more of the same — another triumph.
And that it is. More of the same, that is, not a triumph.
"Speak Now" is a pleasant album, though one that sounds better upon first listen than it really is. And it no doubt will make her legion of young fans happy — for a while.
But the truth is, it's nowhere near as good as Swift's last disc, 2008's "Fearless," and not even as good as her 2006 self-titled debut. And except for "Never Grow Up," by far the highlight, none of these songs has the staying power of the "Fearless" hit "Love Story."
Despite all of the voices — including Swift's — loudly saying "Speak Now" represents a leap of maturity, far too many of its 14 tunes tread the same ground, lyrically and musically, as Swift's previous hits.
Taylor Swift has reportedly criticised John Mayer in a song from her new album.
Earlier this year, it was reported that Mayer had told a friend that he had "hooked up" with Swift in January.
People reports that the song 'Dear John' is a ballad which includes lyrics about an older man who "messed with" a young girl with his "dark, twisted games".
Swift said of the song: "A lot of times when people's relationships end, they write an e-mail to that person and say everything that they wish they would have said. A lot of times they don't push send.
