Taylor Swift's formula for charm makes her accessible to much of America. She's got a Rust Belt background that plays well with the country music audience, a girl next door vibe that pulls in all the young-uns, and a sense of humor that just warms your heart, doesn't it?
However, one thing is sticking out to me: Between the hit track "You Belong with Me" and her newest single "Mine," I think Taylor might be harboring a subconscious possessive bent.
When I hear that title, I hear a kid snatching a toy from another kid and yelling "Mine!" Give the song a listen after the jump.
I didn't see it until now. It's probably because Kanye's jackass outburst at last year's VMA ceremony overshadowed her state of mind. Here's the thing, though: What if Taylor feels on the inside what Kanye is feeling on his outside?
I just blew your minds, didn't I?
Seriously, though: Listen to the song. When the verses start, we're treated to three chords out of Nashville. It sound swell up until the chorus, which throws in that olf country music cliché--the duet--that tries to add in harmony where it doesn't need it.
That's the problem with this single: It sounds a bit same-y. It's not just interchangeable with other Taylor Swift tracks, but with anything that's coming out of Nashville. If you told me this was a Sugarland track, hell, I'd believe you.
Between this track's Internet leak and its humdrum character, you can't really say that "Mine" belongs to Taylor Swift at all, can you? And that's a shame, because the songwriting isn't too bad in this one. Really: A line in the chorus ("You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter") gets my kudos--you don't often get that kind of writing in the Top 40.
If Taylor wins a VMA for "Fitfteen" this year and her possessive streak comes out, don't say I didn't warn you.
