PART ONE: THE MODERN DAY LITERARY GREATS

Alex Turner: front man of the Arctic Monkeys, one half of The Last Shadow Puppets and movie soundtrack writer for 'Submarine'.

Taylor Swift: singer, songwriter and record holder of the highest grossing tour ever with 'The Eras Tour'.

Two very different lyricists, styles of music, live productions and personas: but equally talented in their fields.

As someone who is a fan of literature, I have writing styles that I naturally gravitate towards, and those whose stories I love, but wish the telling was slightly different. Alice In Wonderland, for example, is a beautful mash-up of craziness in the most perfect way possible, yet at times I felt it needed more structure. Bella Mackie's writing style I find the right balance of satirical, engaging and tense. Both of these authors have a consistent approach through their works: Swift and Turner have evolved over theirs.

Looking at the Arctic Monkeys in isolation from Turner's other works, I feel there has been a clear journey followed:

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not - a playful, raw and authentic album of 'lad-hood'. Rough around the edges, this album is honest and revealing.

Favourite Worst Nightmare - starts branching into more complex compositions and lyrical evolution begins with examples such as 'Old Yellow Bricks' using intertextuality to the Wizard of Oz.

Humbug - an abstract piece that sees Turner explore his lyrical techniques in tracks such as 'Potion Approaching' and 'Pretty Visitors', which famously houses the line 'what came first, the chicken or the dickhead?' - a true stroke of genius.

Suck It And See - this is where I think Turner reached the peak of his lyricism. Some of my favourite lyrics are found within this album, in tracks such as 'Piledriver Waltz' (also used in the soundtrack for 'Submarine') and 'That's Where You're Wrong'. The album is full of heartfelt analogies and literary devices used in a way to evoke emotion that is as raw as the lyrics in the first album.

AM - a more mature version of the band sees the production techniques, crispness and faultless lyrics reach another peak. A timeless album with a mix of indie/rock at its finest, it is clear why AM is the most well known of their albums.

Tranquility Base Hotel And Casino - contriversially, I like this album. A lot. A more mellow, jazzy album, TBH&C is a testament to how it is ok for music to evolve along with age and experience. Full of intertextuality, abstract analogies and soul, this album is an easy-listening mature version of Arctic Monkeys.

The Car - I would be surprised (even if a little heartbroken) if there is another album following The Car. It feels like the perfect way to end the journey, driving off into the distance. Turner explores new vocal ranges, more abstract lyricism, and what feels like a nod to the end of the band in this album, during tracks such as 'Perfect Sense' as below - not just a song, but a poem.

Perfect Sense:

Richard of York: The Executive Branch

Having some fun with the warm-up act

If that's what it takes to say, "good night"

Then that's what it takes

A four-figure sum on a hotel notepad

A revelation or your money back

That's what it takes to say, "good night"

Sometimes, I wrap my head around it all

And it makes perfect sense

Keep reminding me that it ain't a race

When my invincible streak turns onto the final straight

If that's what it takes to say, "good night"

Then that's what it takes

Source: Musixmatch

Taylor Swift on the other hand, has explored many literary techniques, while being exceptionally talented in the art of revenge songs. This is a common theme throughout all her albums, where her storytelling abilities come into play on many occasions: both as an author and an autobiographer. We will explore 'Betty' at a later date from a fiction perspective, but from an autobiographical standpoint an honourable mention has to immediately go to 'All Too Well' (10 minute version). Swift has the ability to captivate an audience and take them on an emotional rollercoaster of a journey: even watching videos from 'The Era's Tour', you could have heard a pin drop in the areas, demonstrating how one woman has mastered the art of captivating storytelling.

Moving on to storytelling, next week, we will be exploring two characters: Arabella (Turner) and Betty (Swift), to delve deeper into how the writers create their worlds.