Associate Teaching Professor of Music at Elon University Clay Stevenson spoke with "Index Journal" about Swift reuniting with Swedish hit maker Max Martin on her new album "The Life of a Showgirl."
Clay Stevenson, associate teaching professor of music at Elon University, was recently interviewed by “Index Journal” in Greenwood, South Carolina, about singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s new album “The Life of a Showgirl.”
The album, out Oct. 3, sees Swift reuniting with Swedish producer Max Martin, who produced her albums “Red” and “Reputation,” along with several songs from her album “1989.”
“In the new Taylor Swift era, fans weren’t expected to follow a story, but rather go on a ride,” said Stevenson, who is a songwriter, composer, audio engineer and producer specializing in pop, pop/rock and electronic music. “Martin was critical in this evolution with the creation and production of many of those hits.”
Martin has been behind some of the biggest pop hits of the last 30 years, including “…Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears, The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” and Katy Perry’s “Roar.”
“He cranks out hit after hit with seemingly little concern for the authenticity of the music,” said Stevenson. “American producers may think a Max Martin song is corny when they first hear it, but they’ll find themselves singing it when they turn it off.”