Single Review: Taylor Swift, “Mine”

Superstar Taylor Swift is off to a rousing start with “Mine,” the first single off her upcoming third album Speak Now which is set to hit stores on October 25th. The song is already positioning itself to make a big splash on the singles charts and has nabbed the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot Digital Songs chart by selling 297 thousand copies in less than a week. With two very successful multi-platinum albums under her belt, music fans wonder just how long the 20-year-old can sustain her momentum and if she will demonstrate growth and maturity through her songs without alienating her very youthful fan base. Growing up in the spotlight can be a very dubious process that many artists don’t weather so well. So, the pressure is on for Swift and her new project.

For “Mine,” Taylor doesn’t detour from her signature pop-flavored country sound that appeals to the younger crowd. The tune has an infectious, catchy beat much in the same vein as her previous singles like “Fearless.” Meanwhile, the lyrics take a step in an older direction as Swift weaves a tale depicting a college-aged girl afraid of the ever-apparent risks of love in her relationship with her boyfriend. Despite her worries, the relationship continues as she finds herself with a drawer of her own at his place and shared bills to pay - mature tidbits not found in previous Taylor songs. Some interesting lyrical word play is at work as well in “Mine” with lines such as "you made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter." It seems as if Taylor is headed in the right direction here at least lyrically as she progresses into her twenties while the production is still stuck in the past.

All in all, “Mine” is an intriguing, addictive morsel of music to tide the Taylor Nation over until the rest of Speak Now makes its way into stores. For more information on Swift’s upcoming album, check out SpeakNow13.com.

Nikita Palmer for Citadel Digital © 2010