I wonder when Taylor Swift will run out of ways to say the same thing. Actually, she might have already. Swift's new album, Speak Now, revisits a lot of the same themes from her two previous albums-heartbreak, importance of childhood, newfound love, etc.-but she has still managed to produce an album that's quick, clever and contains very intimate, albeit simple, narratives. Since the release of her first album in 2006, Swift has taken the world by storm, coming in a flurry of songs with a cutesy, semi-country twang and easy sing-along narratives that reveal much more about her ex-love interests than they would like. Although initially beginning her career as a country music artist, Swift has garnered mass appeal, winning VMAs and Grammys. But what makes her music so appealing?

Speak Now is relentless; it's song after song of pop confections with dashes of country and rock. This is why Swift can produce songs that essentially say the same thing and sound similar-why her songs will always draw people in. No matter what she does, she commits to it 100 percent. I have never doubted Swift in any of her songs, not for a second, and Speak Now is no different. The exultant choruses, bursts of electric guitars and painstakingly honest and revealing lyrics all contribute to the nearly overwhelming nature of this album. Each song is well crafted; whatever flaws you may find in her album-redundancy, tendency to squeeze too many syllables into one measure, pitchy voice-are overshadowed by her infectious passion and commitment to every single word and note.

An example of Swift's tireless commitment is the opening song, "Mine." It's a pretty cliché narrative of two jaded lovers who somehow move past all obstacles. Swift, however, makes it interesting and just plain fun. She belts every word, pushing the song higher and higher, up to a point when even the bridge doesn't feel like a break from the rest of the song. Another example is "The Story of Us." The song opens with a quick drumbeat that carries the tension within a failed relationship. It sounds consistently upbeat, which intensifies Swift's earnest pleas to an ex and is a prime example of how she is able to bring you in with something that sounds sunny. However, this song is also an example of Swift's redundancy, since its content is very similar to another song on her album, "Last Kiss."

Swift really shines on this album when she takes a break from the fast-paced songs and switches to a slower and more intimate pace. "Never Grow Up" is a perfect example of this. The song is the most organic on the album and it's simple-just Swift and a guitar. Although reminiscent of "The Best Day" from her previous album, Fearless, this song is just too timid and sweet to brush off as a regurgitation of material. Another slower song that is notable is "Dear John," a song rumored to be about the relationship she had with John Mayer. Listening to the song, you can feel Swift's pain and the slow ache the supposed relationship caused, especially as a guitar interjects here and there with resonant vibrato notes. It's painstakingly honest, but with Mayer as a factor, the song becomes that much more painfully beautiful to listen to.

However, Swift takes a misstep with "Better Than Revenge," a downright malicious song that seems to be in contest with the message of the rest of her album. Swift often likes to stand up for the underdog and even has a song about bullying on this album titled "Mean." In "Better Than Revenge," a song that sounds like something Avril Lavigne would record (a good thing, right?), Swift basically calls a girl a stuck-up, boyfriend-stealing slut (rumored to be a reference to Camilla Belle, for whom Swift's ex, Joe Jonas, left her) and uses the song as a means of revenge. And while the subject of the song may be a stuck-up, boyfriend-stealing slut, there seems to be a bit of hypocrisy in the song. The attitude of the song does not seem congruent with her usual songs, because while she has written songs about those that have hurt her, she has never blatantly insulted them. This song felt extremely malicious and immature, and it made we wonder where the line is for Swift's tell-all songwriting.

Furthermore, Swift has some downright cheesy songs. "Haunted" is an overly dramatic, semi-rock opera gone wrong. I would say this is the one song in which Swift's tireless efforts to belt out the lyrics are too much. And "Enchanted" gets lost in the album because it is too generic and too closely mirrors, "Sparks Fly," another song on the album.

Although Swift's album is fun and enjoyable, I can't help but wonder when she'll have to leave the starry-eyed persona and move onto something more mature. In Speak Now, it seems as if some of her songs have regressed; they are more juvenile lyrically and instrumentally. It'd be interesting to see her take on more of the folk/country sound that appears in "Mean." Until that day, Speak Now will suffice with its teenage charm, honest but simple lyrics and infectious, catchy melodies.