Week_6_2/20/16_Bad Blood Indeed

                Taylor Swift and Ryan Adams may be singing the same words, but their styles are drastically different, and this changes their overall message. Swift’s powerful message and voice come through throughout her entire song, strong and unrelenting. Her message does not apologize for coming through, and her lyrics are simply delivered in an “I don’t care” kind of way. This, paired with her use of multiplying her voice really bring forward the importance of how she is interpreting the end of the relationship. This in comparison with Adams softer, acoustic version of the song really bring to point the difference in interpretation. Adams starts off with a broken voice, his lyrics being delivered as if he is simply listing his grievances, in a cathartic way.

                Taylor Swift’s edition of Bad Blood is clearly not to be interpreted as apologetic in any sense of the word. Swift starts the song off right away with no background music, enforcing the importance, not of the music, but of her own message. She is powerfully taking about the cuts she was delivered, and this is given in a revengeful type of way, where she is demonstrating her anger at being mistreated. This is drastically different than Ryan Adams’s version, which is much more tame. Her delivery, too, is accented by heavy drums, only further enforcing the message.

                Ryan Adams’s version of Bad Blood is soft and completely in tune with his background music – guitar. This is really important in contrast to Swift’s use of silence in the beginning of her rendition of the song. Adams really starts out making it “prettier” in the context of sound. His voice, too, is wholly different than Swift’s as well. Listening to Adams sing gives an impression of a downtrodden soul attempting to work his way through a bad break-up. This can be demonstrated by his use of the lyrics “You say sorry just for show,” wherein he drifts away, almost in lamentation (2:16). This is important to note in contrast with Swift’s delivery of those same lyrics.