Flashback to the year history was made: 1989, or more specifically, 2014. This was the year Taylor Swift released her revolutionary fifth album, cementing herself as the pop legend we all know her as today. “1989” marked Swift’s bold initiative to convert from her country origins to embrace mainstream pop.
Swift’s artistic charisma is not necessarily in the sound of her music itself but in the stories it tells. She has this ability to write about her personal experiences and have billions around the globe connect emotionally with them. That’s the reason why an album such as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) remains relevant, even though it’s been nine years since its release.
Although it is a magical, alluring pop mastery of an album, 1989’s distinction isn’t necessarily from the sound but from the mystique narrative Swift manages to craft herself into.
As a whole, the album tells the story of a girl in her early 20s falling in love and trying to navigate life while simultaneously emerging from years of media ridicule, specifically around her dating life. It follows the classic narrative of a girl moving to a big city, with a life-altering shift from Nashville to New York running through the album like an invisible string. This record is about a girl who is making a castle out of all the bricks they threw at her, turning her life into art along the way.
To give a little background, Swift is currently in the process of re-recording her first six albums in an effort to own her work after her ex-record label Big Machine sold off her masters to music manager Scooter Braun.
The re-released version of 1989 (Taylor’s version) features more mature vocals from Swift, plus five additional never-before-heard “From the Vault” songs that didn’t make the initial cut for the album when it was originally released. Delving into these tracks, listeners are able to see the overall picture of the album, with all the plot holes being inevitably answered.
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“S***!”
To many fans’ surprise, this title gives an impression that doesn’t exactly coincide with the overall essence of the track. With such an audacious name, it’s actually a song that is a total heartsick, love-lorn piece of poetic art. In its entirety, it’s a love song. Swift writes, “And if they call me a s***/ You know it might be worth it for once.” She is speaking of a love so magnetic that it might just have been worth it to be called such names by the media. Swift is fully leaning into her longtime reputation as a “serial dater”, accepting the title as long as it means she found the one.
“Say Don’t Go”
Swift delves into the complexities of a relationship, where one could surmise she feels uncertain and vulnerable. The song starts with a gloomy, slow beat but soon turns into an upbeat ballad when it reaches the chorus. The depressing lyrics of being trickled into love and then left to fend for yourself are woven throughout the track. Swift writes, “Why’d you have to lead me on? / Why’d you have to twist the knife? / Walk away and leave me bleedin’, bleedin’?” The song is a reflection on a relationship that ended suddenly, leaving the narrator to figure out what happened on her own.
“Now That We Don’t Talk”
This upbeat track explores how Swift is curious about a past love but remains uninformed since that person is no longer in her life. She is struggling to forget them as a whole and wants the past version of them back in her life. With lyrics such as “You grew your hair long / And from the outside it looks like you’re trying lives on / I miss the old ways,” Swift is reminiscing on a past relationship, wondering why it didn’t last but never being able to receive an answer because it’s now over.
“Suburban Legends”
This track has an upbeat sound yet a sorrowful message hidden within, which just so happens to be a common juxtaposition found consistently throughout this record. Swift is reflecting on love so magnificently that it has ruined her sense of well-being. The lyrics include lines such as “And you kissed me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever” and “I broke my own heart ‘cause you were too polite to do it.” This song is a perfect example of what could have been. What could have happened if it were taken into account how good they had it when it was occurring?
“Is It Over Now?”
Throughout this angelic-sounding song, Swift explores a relationship that never reached its full potential. She is singing directly to the other, asking the inevitable question of when it all ended. Furthermore, she explains how she tried to move on yet couldn’t get this other person’s face out of her mind, and she believes he is in the same condition. She brilliantly expresses how he is also looking for her in other people. Swift sings, “Let’s fast-forward to three hundred awkward blind dates later / If she’s got blue eyes, I will surmise that you’ll probably date her.”
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The 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vaults fill the plot holes that have been left out of the picture since 2014, telling a fully rounded story arc of the original 1989 in the process.
Though it is very doubtful that the original 1989 will be discarded in the haze of the music industry, this re-record serves as a good reminder of the record’s impenetrable merit.
Swift’s timeless nature makes this record a must-listen for everyone who is in the mood for a little fun. It’s filled with everything a good pop album needs: the ability to make you want to dance around your bedroom with a hairbrush for hours on end. This album exceeds any type of rating, but if it’s a necessity, I confidently give 1989 (Taylor’s Version) a 100/10.
