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."
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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.
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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".
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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.