After listening to two versions of the same song, I noticed the messages of these two versions of Bad Blood seem completely different. The difference is the background music and the tone the artists sing in. It is astounding that manipulating such simple things can completely change the message of the song. Both convey their message effectively. In the original Taylor Swift version, the message seems to be that she is angry. Her tone is more aggressive and vengeful. In Ryan Adams version, his tone is sad and the whole song is very calm compared to the Taylor Swift version. The point in the song where the difference in tone really stood out to me was when each artist sang, “Oh, it's so sad to think about the good times, you and I.” When Taylor Swift sings this line, she sounds aggressive and even sarcastic because she says “sad,” but you can tell in the tone of her voice that is not what she means. When Ryan Adams sings this line, he clearly sounds extremely sad and as though he was reflecting on his past with someone. Another line that stood out because of the prominent differences is, “Now we got problems, and I don't think we can solve them.” This is because when Taylor Swift sings it, she point out the fact that they have problems, but you can tell she doesn’t want to solve these problems, but she want to get revenge instead. She sings so aggressively and in a way that is so different from Ryan Adams. Because he sings this line so sadly, I understand he wants to solve whatever problems he has with the person he is singing about. He says this line in a way that makes is seem like his problems with someone are hopeless and beyond fixing. The songs have completely different messages, Taylor Swift’s being about woman power and being fierce. Ryan Adams is about a relationship ending, being upset and wishing it could be fixed, even though it is beyond repair.
Martin, Max. (Producer) Bad Blood [Music Video] Available May 17, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcIy9NiNbmo
Adams, Ryan. (Producer) Bad Blood [Audio Video] Available September 17, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V-8VP5dnrQ
I like how you pointed out how just one word can make a difference in how the audience perceives a song's message - in this case, the way both artists say "sad." I hadn't thought about the way this word sounds in both songs, but now that you point it out, I do think it's significant in understanding the intentions behind both songs.
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