Swift takes fan base on melodious, magical ride through time with ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)

Taylor Swift has made fans’ “Wildest Dreams” come true with 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Swift, who has taken the world by storm in the past year with her Eras Tour and corresponding movie, made it a goal to re-record her first six albums to gain complete ownership over her discography. This brand new installment to the Taylor’s Version canon gifted listeners with another “Welcome To New York” and managed to transport fans to 2014, the time of “Shake It Off.”

Back in 2005, Swift signed with Big Machine Records. However, when that contract expired in 2018, the singer switched labels to Republic Records. However, this wasn’t a ‘swift’ transition as her former celebrity manager, Scooter Braun, acquired the “masters” of her previous albums. Braun, the owner of Big Machine, then sold the masters for a reported $300 million in 2019. In order to gain ownership of her music once again, Swift chose to re-record these albums, with Taylor’s Version after it, to indicate she is the sole owner of the music. She kicked off this project with the release of Fearless (Taylor’s Version), her sophomore album, which includes songs such as “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me.” The albums include all the original songs off the album, plus previously unreleased “From The Vault” tracks.

The latest re-release proves a very special album to fans; not only is it named after the year she was born, but this album marked her full transition from country to pop singer. Beloved by fans, the release includes many of her most well-known songs, such as “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” Several of the songs are rumored to be about her ex-boyfriend, Harry Styles, who was at the time a prominent member of the band One Direction. The band has since split, but Styles has his own rabid fan base. The 2014 version of 1989 includes 16 songs and the deluxe version contains three bonus tracks. On 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Swift re-released all 19 songs, plus five vault tracks. The deluxe version of the album includes a new incarnation of the “Bad Blood” remix, featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar. She also re-recorded the song “Sweeter than Fiction,” the first song Swift had written with Jack Antonoff, who is now a frequent co-writer and her close friend. It was featured on the soundtrack for the 2013 movie One Chance. The new version can only be found on 1989 (Taylor’s Version) tangerine vinyl, which is exclusively found at Target.

 Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on August 9, 2023, during her Eras Tour show in Los Angeles. During that concert, Swift wore several blue outfits, a nod to the blue color scheme of 1989. However, this was not the first promotion of these updated 1989 tracks. Swift released “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” on September 17, 2021, after the original song went viral, and "This Love (Taylor’s Version)” was released on May 6, 2022.

The most obvious difference between the original 19 songs and this new version is the growth and maturity of Swift’s voice. She has grown as a singer between 2014 and 2023 and proves it through these re-recordings. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) provides a fresh new sound for old fans.  Additionally, there are five vault tracks: “Slut!,” “Say Don’t Go,”  “Now That We Don’t Talk,” “Suburban Legends,” and “Is It Over Now?”. Swift built anticipation for the new vault tracks by partnering with Google Search to make puzzles for fans to solve. Once all the puzzles had been solved, she released the “From the Vault” song titles. 

“Slut!” is a fun bop detailing being so in love, you don’t care what other people think. “Say Don’t Go” is similar to the track “All You Had to Do Was Stay.” Both are deceptively upbeat songs with lugubrious lyrics. “Say Don’t Go” paints the picture of feeling like a relationship is falling apart. Swift’s one request is for her partner to “say ‘don’t go’,” to beg her to stay.  “Now That We Don’t Talk,” like “Story of Us” from Speak Now, details an ex-boyfriend Swift no longer speaks with, to her dismay. In the song, Swift laments that “this is how it has to be.”  “Suburban Legends” tells the story of lovers who had a powerful connection and “mismatched star signs,” but it just wasn’t meant to be. Lastly, “Is It Over Now” presents a poignant song and fan favorite vault track that explores heartbreak, betrayal, and the confusing feelings at the end of a relationship. The bridge of the song even became a popular TikTok dance. 

Swift’s latest makes an iconic nod to the pop magic of 80s musical style. It is an overall upbeat album, despite the fact that some songs like “All You Had to Do Was Stay,” have sadder lyrics. The most prominent instruments are the drums and the synthesizers. The instrumentals stay true to the original album, with minor, barely noticeable differences. 

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is a delight for fans as they can digest the new, fresh renditions of all 19 songs, plus 5 vault tracks. What stands out is the fact Swift’s vocals are stronger and clearer, making the album easier to listen to. This new version of Swift’s classic pop album is sure to tickle listeners pink.

Grade: A

TL;DR: 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift’s latest album re-release stays true to its 2014 original, but adds on 5 new songs, delighting fans.

By Chloe Lusvardi

iPublished November 27 2023

Oshkosh West Index Volume 120 Issue II