On October 27, exactly 9 years since Taylor Swift released her album “1989,” she released her re-recording of the album, “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” Taylor Swift is dominating the music industry, having just released her other re-recording of “Speak Now” in July and just finishing the first leg of her “Eras Tour” in the U.S.
Swift is choosing to re-record her first six albums so that she can own the music she worked so hard to make throughout her life. Dedicated fans have been eagerly awaiting this drop since she announced it during the last performance of her first U.S. “Eras Tour.”
The year 1989 is significant to Swift because it is her birth year, and this album may be significant to many people in Gen Z because it may have been the first of Swift’s music we ever heard and recognized as her own. After hearing this long-awaited re-recording, I can confidently say it exceeded my expectations.
Many of her less popular songs off the album like “Out of the Woods,” “I Wish You Would,” “I Know Places,” and “You Are in Love” all improved to be infinitely better. Between the new vocals and better musical build-up, they sound more appealing to the listener.
On the other hand, some of the most popular songs off this album definitely experienced a glow-down. The most mainstream, popular songs off the album like “Style,” “Shake It Off,” “Bad Blood” and “New Romantics” all sound eerily like the original but not quite the same, giving them the uncanny valley vibe. Aspects of the songs like the guitar in “Style” and the speaking in “Shake It Off” are off-putting to hear after hearing the original version for so long. However, after a couple listens, the changes start to grow on you.
Nonetheless, the production of all the songs sounds more refined and definitely reflects Swift’s signature style. This is especially true for her five vault songs. These are songs written in the original 1989 era but were never released with the album.
“Slut!” was unexpectedly ethereal and romantic. It reminded me of some of Swift’s more sensual songs like “False God” or “Dress.” It makes sense Swift didn’t release this song in the original album because at that time, Swift felt the need to make her songs appropriate for the masses. She strived for audience validation rather than her own satisfaction. She explains this “good girl” mentality in her documentary “Miss Americana” which is still available on Netflix.
A song that was sorely needed and fit perfectly with the track list was “Say Don’t Go.” It has the signature pop music sound of this album while highlighting typical aspects of Swift’s songwriting style, focusing on themes like pining and emotional longing.
What is so refreshing about the vault songs is that they are unique from the original track list, but they reflect styles and themes from her later albums. “Now That We Don’t Talk” and “Suburban Legends” have many similarities to the background sound effects and beats of her most recent “Midnights” album. These songs fit really well with the 1989 era, with striking lyrics that were telling of her age when she wrote the songs, lyrics like “I call my mom, she said that it was for the best,” and “ I had the fantasy that maybe our mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school.”
“Is It Over Now?” also has a very similar sound to the “Midnights” album, but it stands out from all the other vault songs because of its emotionally charged lyrics and catchy tune. The track has a unique vibe, and you can’t help but pay attention to the storytelling happening here. Much like “Slut!” though, it is clear as to why she did not release this in the original album because of her mention of suicidal ideation. But it is easy to say the addition of the song only adds to the richness of Swift’s discography. There is an artful build throughout the song, and she was able to use her ample experience as a musician now to produce the best version of this song, 9 years after its conception.
In typical Taylor fashion, Swift dropped a delayed deluxe track of “Bad Blood” featuring Kendrick Lamar, a collaboration fans had been dying to hear for 9 years now. While I feel rap collaborations, like the one between Swift and Ice Spice on “Karma,” are strange to say the least, many fans have voiced their joy to finally hear this one. Hearing an official recording of the iconic line “you forgive, you forget but you never let it go,” truly was magical for listeners everywhere.
Overall, “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was a nostalgic journey to our childhood tunes, and Swift did a great job of reclaiming her music while still taking creative liberties to try and improve from the original release. I would even dare to say that “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” may be one of her strongest re-releases yet.