This is the song to which I would like you to listen actively this weekend. You may have already heard this song many times. Listen actively, preferably in headphones, and post a comment below about something you heard or found that is notable. It may be something you had not noticed before without close listening. It may be something that you find unique, fun, or even bothersome about the song. Limit your response to a sentence or two.
*"The first act of music is listening" is an adaptation of a quote that Mr. Erickson uses in his Freshman Studio Art rotation where he posits, "The first act of art is seeing." I've always loved this suggestion. It may sound simple, but, when it comes to the making of, speaking of, writing of, or dealing with visual art, the first act that takes place is seeing. First we see, then we process, then we act. If we learn to see in new ways, to see from another perspective, to consider seeing through alternative lenses, we are then able to interact with and through the visual component of the world in different ways. Musically, we first interact with the sound world through what we hear. This is common sense, I suppose. But I do know from my experience, that changes in the way I listen (sometimes impacted by advice from another, new musical concept awareness, non-musical/contextual factors) cause me to approach my thinking about and making of music in very different ways. That music making may then further transform the listening/thinking process, and the cycle continues. As you develop your personal construct of music theory (to me, any 'theory' of music can only personal to you, the way you hear, and how you desire to create), be aware and conscious of the ways in which you are listening--active, passive, looking for details, analytically, emotionally, or simply to have an experience. I look forward to the evolution of how you theorize about the ways in which your relationship with music can help you to be/interact with music in ways that are meaningful to you.
I've never listened to the full song before, but I thought that the drums cutting out at the beginning of the second verse was a nice touch. That being said I found it a little bothersome when the song dropped the drums two more times to lead into choruses, as it seemed to be more like a cop out when there might have been a different, better way to transition.
ReplyDeleteI noticed how at the beginning of the song, it was just one voice and the accompaniment, then towards the end of the second verse, Taylor began to harmonize with herself. The harmony was quiet at first but then as the song continued to progress, more harmonies were added in and made louder, while the accompaniment was softer in comparison.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening closely to this song, I never realized how many layers/different things are going on, which includes clapping, a wooden clicking sound, and an underlying synth sound. All these different factors definitely make the song more catchy and give a clear reason why it is such a popular track.
ReplyDeleteYou can see that T-Swizzle clearly tailored this song for listeners wanting to just dance and have a good time. Her pronunciation/diction is casual and fun (breathy, dropping some consonants). Once she got to the word: "cruisin'", a harder beat dropped behind the vocals and her staccato "shake it off" kept the feel upbeat. As Taylor has done in previous songs (*Ahem* We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together), she took a sassy talking break with just a beat behind her. As a tactic, this is a clever way to get more people singing along with your song.I also thought her use of background singers was a good choice and provided good emphasis to the environment she was trying to create.
ReplyDeleteImmediately, I noticed a horn section (sax or tuba), which I never would've expected to hear in a pop hit like this. It seemed to be genuine and not synthesized. It went on for pretty much the whole song, and it was a nice touch. I also enjoyed towards the end of the song, the different layers of vocals she kept adding, which she used to showcase her singing ability a little more, as she is almost cheering most of the song.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the song, the vibrant horn sounds made the song feel like an anthem. The song possessed that marching beat and felt like a release of Taylor Swift's history. The song lyrics come off in an exasperated manner as if it was a great effort to get them out of her mouth. However, the song builds greatly in this carefree manner. That casual manner made my brain less tense while listening to the song. The break where a new tone of voice comes in with the "hey, hey, hey" feels like a commercial interrupting a game, but then once the break ends Taylor hits a great vocal run that brings the listener back into that casual anthem feel. Also, it was very hard not to dance while the song played.
ReplyDeleteEven after listening to "Shake it Off" countless times, I didn't notice the major role trumpets, saxophones, and symbols had throughout the course of the song. The saxophone begins the piece with staccato notes that accompany Taylor Swift's voice, and then the silent space is occupied by a repetitive ensemble of symbols and drums once the chorus starts. Towards the end of the song, she closes with saying "shake it off" one last time, and this is immediately followed by a chorus of trumpets and echoed voices, which emphasize her carefree message.
ReplyDeleteThe horn in the beginning sounded like it was being played on a synth or something electronic. I like that there were a lot of percussion instruments being used and yet no heavy drumming. The harmonies she added of herself are pretty simple and easy to follow, complimenting the right moments. When she's almost speaking-singing she has a background of her voice actually just talking which made it seem more like she was having a conversation when really she was singing.
ReplyDeletePersonally I never really liked this song, the high pitched singing and monotonous sounding music never really appealed to me. But after listening intensely specifically to the lyrics I found that this song is really just an anthem for "Blocking out the haters". The upbeat drums and horns make the song something to dance to. The way everything is "put together" in this song really makes everyone want to Shake it off.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Swift sends out a really good message to her fans in this song to not listen to what others say and to just "shake it off". This song and her latest album "1989" showed that she has made the full transition from country to pop particularly in this song with the synth horn, upbeat drums, and instrumentation. Her musical genius gained another number 1 hit with this song among at least two others from the same album. Well written, great song, great artist.
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