TV Obsessive
Welcome to What’s the Buzz, where members of our staff provide you with recommendations on a weekly basis. This week, Natalie Parks is excited about “You All Over Me” from Taylor Swift, Katie Bienvenue recommends you check out ALT on the streaming app DUST, Hal Kitchen is listening to Unlocked 1.5 from Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats, Nick Luciano is stoked about the premiere of Invincible on Amazon Prime, Julia Mason checks out “Shattered Faith” by Vlure, and Hawk Ripjaw gives Shin Godzilla a watch in preparation for the forthcoming Godzilla vs. Kong.
Taylor Swift, “You All Over Me (feat. Maren Morris) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
Natalie: As part of the re-recording of her 2008 multi-platinum album Fearless, Taylor Swift is releasing six songs from “the vault” of pieces she wrote and recorded that were cut from the original album. After the surprise issue of “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)”, which was released the night of the re-recording announcement, many fans have been anxiously awaiting the “new” music to come.
“You All Over Me (feat. Maren Morris) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” dropped on March 26th at 12 am EDT, is the first of these releases. Though the opening orchestrations and harmonica riff of “You All Over Me (feat. Maren Morris) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” are reminiscent of folklore’s “betty”, the rest of the song is a much more traditional country piece than the pop-folk style Swift has broken in over the last year.
There are moments in the ballad where one can almost imagine 19 year-old Swift’s country twang, but instead we hear the 31 year-old’s healthy, developed, deeply emotional voice instead. It’s a perfect pairing; as with “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)”, we get a glimpse into her personal and professional development. The words mean a little more because she’s lived a little more. Her voice is comfortable; relaxed; soothing. The lyrics are succinct and sweet, perhaps a little young, but carrying the gravity and truth underneath that even her oldest songs like “Tim McGraw” and “Fifteen” delivered; i.e., what set her apart from the pack in the first place.
Swift’s remarkable phrasing skill makes the lyrics stick with you—her distinctive use of extended metaphor and ability to find the magnificent in the mundane takes me right back to 2012 when I first discovered Speak Now and was amazed with her capacity for describing indescribable feelings. It’s simple, beautiful country. “You All Over Me (feat Maren Morris) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” belongs on Fearless, and carries the weight and aural sophistication of Swift’s contemporary work—perhaps showing us that Swift has always had the talent of a mature country star she has become.
