Never shy about injecting pop sensibilities into her music, it was not until the release of lead “Red” single “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” that Taylor Swift seemed to be flirting with a complete departure from the country realm.
An undeniable pop tune co-written and produced by pop powerhouse Max Martin, the tune was exhibit A for those country purists who claimed Swift’s music no longer belonged in their genre of choice.
But despite releasing that–and the dub-step infused “I Knew You Were Trouble”–Swift remained committed to country. Her “Red” album spawned country radio singles in “Begin Again” and “Red” and contended for the Best Country Album prize at the Grammys. She also continued to appear at prominent country awards shows and feature genre superstars like Luke Bryan and Hunter Hayes at her concerts.
The final string connecting Swift to country has officially been broken.
While announcing her new album “1989” during a Yahoo! Live Stream Monday, Swift confirmed that the album will be her first official “pop” album. It remains unclear if Swift continue to pursue any country radio airplay, but Swift is no longer allowing ambiguity to define the essence of her sound. She is now a pop artist.
Shortly after that declaration, the Country Music Association Tweeted a biting, pitch-perfect farewell to the superstar.
“Good luck on your new venture @taylorswift13! We’ve LOVED watching you grow! #TaylorSwiftYahoo,” read the Tweet, which has since been deleted.
Swift has not yet responded.
