Are you a musician who has created a great deal of music in a certain genre but wants to try something new? Many musicians think that they have to stick with one style of music for their entire careers, but that is definitely not true! In fact, one of the most influential musicians of all time, Taylor Swift, found enormous success when she changed her musical style from country to pop.
Here are three ways that you can reinvent your musical sound and be successful, exemplified by Taylor Swift.
1. Start out mixing your old genre and new genre.
Taylor Swift actually started transitioning to the pop genre in 2008 with her crossover songs “You Belong With Me” and “Love Story.” A crossover song mixes two genres, and Taylor Swift created these songs because she wanted to try the pop genre but didn’t completely want to leave the country genre yet.
Eventually, Taylor made a full transition to pop when she released her album 1989, but it was smart of her to make the transition slow so that her fans wouldn’t be caught completely off-guard.
Check out Taylor’s crossover hit “You Belong With Me,” which appealed to both country and pop audiences.
2. Use new instruments and new sounds.
When Taylor Swift was just a country singer, she essentially only used acoustic instruments and went for very natural sounds. When she made her big transition to pop, however, she used a whole new set of instruments.
For example, Taylor’s hit electropop song “Blank Space” uses synthesizers, programmed drums, processed backup vocals, and pulsating bass. All of these new sounds contributed to Taylor’s new pop vibe and helped her reinvent her musical identity.
3. Collaborate with artists in your desired genre.
Another huge thing that helped Taylor Swift change her sound from country to pop was her collaborations with artists in more contemporary genres. One notable example is when Taylor collaborated with Kendrick Lamar for the song “Bad Blood.” Collaboration is always a great idea in general, and artists who wish to reinvent their sound should definitely work with artists who have the sound that they’re working towards.
Check out the music video for “Bad Blood.” Also take note of all of the other pop stars who appeared in this video, such as Hayley Williams, Hailee Steinfeld, and Selena Gomez!
With her new album 1989, Taylor Swift completely moved from the country scene to the pop scene. She is now more successful than ever, and she reminds aspiring musicians that there is nothing wrong with completely reinventing your sound.
Interested in getting your YouTube video discovered by masses of targeted fans? Click this link: www.promolta.com
David Yaghutiel is a Bay Area native who enjoys traveling, theatre, playing the ukulele, and learning as much about the world as he possibly can. He also occasionally daylights as a senior at UCLA.
Leave a Comment