The appearance of new.

I have two young daughters, so it follows that Taylor Swift is on a constant loop in my home. I marvel at how Taylor has been able to simulate freshness with every successive album. I think this is one of the most difficult aspects in marketing: the appearance of new.

Reputation, Taylor’s newest effort, scratches beneath the sweet outer shell to expose a bitter center. It’s the same Taylor, only a shade darker. The love-torn romantic is now coming at you with grit and attitude.

My daughters told me Taylor wiped her Instagram account clean upon the release of the album. Out with the old, in with the new.

There is no doubt there is a marketing mastermind at work here, shedding her 1989 persona and embracing a new persona. She’s courageously committed to—with a single focus—something different. It’s difficult to step out of those comfortable clothes to try something new. But if you don’t, you might become a one hit wonder.