“Shake It Off” – Taylor Swift
The only sin that Taylor Swift committed with “Shake It Off” was releasing it mid-August when it clearly had all the makings of a runaway summer hit. The unfairly jaunty horns back up Swift’s incessantly cheery delivery as if the entire project were conceived within a pop music factory made of sugar, rainbows and unicorn farts. Even Swift’s cheerleader-affected rapping attempt comes across as charmingly endearing when it could have gone wrong in so many ways. If “Shake It Off” is the harbinger of Taylor Swift shedding her country roots for a wider pop music audience, then I am fully prepared to welcome our new Swift-ian overlord. – Ryan
