Blog Post for 11/13

Bad Blood
Originally posted: Tuesday, September 29, 2015
In Taylor Swift's Bad Blood song, her tone of voice and volume when singing are far more aggressive than the cover version by Ryan Adams.  Adams take a far more relaxed approach on Bad Blood.  Rhetorically analyzing these two songs that have the exact same lyrics is interesting because they really do give off completely different vibes.
Delving deeper into the differences, listeners hear in the line "it's so sad to, think about the good times, you and I..." in Adam's version and feel reminiscent and maybe even sorrowful.  However, when you hear that exact same line by Taylor Swift, she sounds aggressive, angry and vengeful.  In this case, the message from the songs are completely different.  Adam's Bad Blood video's message is reflective of the relationship these two had and how he is filled with sadness as it seems like it's coming to an end, "did you think we'd be fine?"  The message is conveyed effectively because you can hear in his tone the emotional distress he feels post this relationship.  The slower pace of the song and the gentle guitar strums effectively convey the message of hurting as well.
In contrast, Taylor Swift's Bad Blood line ""it's so sad to, think about the good times, you and I..." sounds angry and ready to move on. As the music builds and the song drops, Swift does not sound like the damsel in distress, she sounds confident.  She sounds angry but like she's over it and moving on.  Therefore, Swift effectively conveys her message of confidence and female strength through her voice. 
Not only did the tone of voice by the singer matter, but the way the music went along with the lyrics was critical in interpreting the message.  While the lyrics remained the same, Swift and Adam's song had completely different messages that were conveyed effectively.  Swifts being, confidence and female strength when a relationship ends.  While Adam's message was more along the lines of the typical sorrowful breakup and how he doesn't want it to end.    

Continuation:

A few weeks ago, Taylor Swift acoustically covered one of her own songs on the piano.  Out of the Woods has been reborn. The cover song, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHN0ca6lf1c), was performed live at the GRAMMY Museum at the end of October.  Personally, I like this version a lot better.  While the lyrics are exactly the same, the soul and heartfelt emotions can be heard in her voice.  You hear the vulnerability she is feeling.  You can feel the anxiety that she's trying to convey but simultaneously the relief that this relationship has ended.  The slower pace of the piano feels more real, more fragile. The line, "Oh I remember" is the telling line in this song of why Taylor sounds more vulnerability. The shakiness of her voice settles with the audience as sadness. The message sent in the piano cover is more sensitive and sorrow.  Similarly to Ryan Adams cover of bad blood, The message is conveyed effectively in this piano version because you can hear in her tone the emotional distress she is feeling. 

Interestingly enough, Taylor Swift sings Out of the Woods on 1989 with less sorrow.  In contrast, in the original Out of the Woods, Taylor says "Oh I remember" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRCrffoCWOY) with regret and passion behind her voice.  This strength and assurance sends the message of moving forward.  In addition to Taylor's tone, the faster paced, more upbeat sounds vibes with the strength in her voice.  It is likely that Swift released this version first because 1989 was supposed to be about moving on and independence and that is what this version supports.  

Out of the Woods has strong lyrics but the meaning changes completely depending on how you perform it. While both versions have been incredibly successful, if you listen carefully, the messages dramatically changes.