Total Album Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Taylor Swift is known for her catchy and relatable tunes, such as “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”  With the release of “Red,” her fourth album, that expectation hasn’t changed. Meaningful lyrics are sprinkled into each of the songs whether they are upbeat or slow. There is also a balanced ratio of upbeat to slow songs.

Swift collaborates with Gary Lightbody and the popular British singer Ed Sheeran on the album. Her voice meshes well with the guest artists.  However, the track with Sheeran is one of three extras for the deluxe album, exclusive to Target. The songs “22,” “Red,” and “Begin Again” (deluxe only) are likely to be Swift classics, due to their fun and friendly vibe.

The only downfalls of the CD are the songs “Treacherous” and “Sad Beautiful Tragic,” which seem to drag on, even though the lyrics were touching and clearly well written. Swift traded in her normal country sound for more of a pop sound with this album. The only song with a real country vibe is “State of Grace,” although it doesn’t seem to match the rest of the album.

“I Knew You Were Trouble” stands out because of its dub-step beat. “The Lucky One” is different as well, in that instead of talking about her love life, Swift refers to her life as a celebrity. Once again, it looks like Swift has another hit album on her hands.

Here are my ratings for the tracks:

1. “State of Grace”- 3 stars

2. “Red”- 4 stars

3. “Treacherous”- 3.5 stars

4. “I Knew You Were Trouble” – 4.5 stars

5. “All Too Well”- 4 stars

6. “22”- 4 stars

7. “I Almost Do”- 3.5 stars

8. “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”- 4 stars

9. “Stay Stay Stay”- 4 stars

10. “The Last Time” ft. Gary Lightbody- 4 stars

11. “Holy Ground”- 4 stars

12. “Sad Beautiful Tragic”- 3.5 stars

13. “The Lucky One”-  4 stars

14. “Everything Has Changed” ft. Ed Sheeran-  4 stars

15. “Starlight”- 4 stars

16. “Begin Again”- 4 stars

Lauren Fabiszak is an In-Depth Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.