How Taylor Swift Transformed with “Blank Space”

Taylor Swift knows a thing or two about swerving when her listeners and detractors least expect it, but nothing could prepare anyone for her total abandonment of country music on her 2014 album 1989. Sure, she had teased some Max Martin-assisted pop hits on her previous album Red, but 1989 was a total 180 from the country starlet's past, trading her teardrop-soaked guitar for sassier synths instead.

On this week's episode of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs, hosts Rob Sheffield and Brittany Spanos discuss the crown jewel of the 1989 album, "Blank Space".  While lead single "Shake It Off" was an empowering kiss-off to the haters, its follow up was an unexpected satirization of Swift's public image at the time as a "maneater" for her romances with famous men and ensuing songs about their times spent together.

Swift fits back against sexist criticism of her writing "too many break-up songs" and her dating habits with this ferociously catchy track that highlights her sense of humor and wit, all while helping break free a bit more from her "girl next door" image. Later in this episode our hosts are joined by their colleague and Rolling Stone Music Now host Brian Hiatt to dig into just how big of a risk her pop pivot had been, as well as explore what makes this song so great and how it shifted Swift's sound and lyricism for the better.

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