If there’s anything Taylor Swift isn’t gonna do, it’s go out of style. Nine years after the release of her record breaking album 1989, the singer is back with her version, and it’s just as much of a blockbuster in 2023 as it was in 2014. Filled to the brim with timeless hits, catchy dance tunes, and classic breakup anthems to scream in your car, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) transports us back to the good old days of 2010s pop music (when the genre peaked, of course). Deftly mixing heavy-synth hits like “Welcome To New York” with bittersweet ballads like “This Love,” 1989 has always been considered some of Swift’s best work. Now, Taylor’s Version is a refreshed narration of the ups and downs of Swift’s 2013 superstardom.
Throughout the re-recording process, Swift and her producers have amplified the sound of her older music, re-layering vocals and sharpening the instrumentation. My personal favorite example of this on 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is “All You Had To Do Was Stay,” in which Swift sings a high pitched “stay!” in between lyrics. While sometimes tinny and grating in the original version of the album, as her voice has matured over nine years, she now sings the note smoothly, perfectly complimenting the harder vocals of the song. Similarly, the elevated synth in “You Are In Love” evokes some kind of magic that transports the listener to the snowglobe the lovers dance in during the bridge. Inevitably, this altered production sometimes misfires, with certain spots sounding sloppy in their production. For instance, the slightly altered intro of “Style” now feels a bit awkward. Regardless, the album still captures the glittery pop paradise it achieved in 2014.
The vault tracks are, in my opinion, the best of all the re-recorded albums so far. From the ruthless lyrics (“You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor / You search in every model’s bed for something greater, baby”) to the tongue-in-cheek ones (“I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock / Or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht / With important men who think important thoughts”), the songs perfectly combine Swift’s confessional style with her expert wordplay. It’s a testament to her songwriting ability that the songs she wrote in her early 20s are still as sharp and poignant as the ones she writes now in her early 30s.
However, the vault tracks might have benefited from production more cohesive with the main album. To a casual listener, the tracks blend together in a soup of dreamy synth pop that has Jack Antonoff written all over it. Sonically, “Suburban Legends” is an exact replica of “Mastermind” on Midnights. The tracks had such potential to follow the explosive pop perfection of the main album, with scream-worthy choruses like the one in “Say Don’t Go.” Instead, they stick out like a sore thumb in the sparkly soundscape of the original album, doomed to a deepcut burial in the indie-pop graveyard of Swift’s discography. It’s really a shame, considering the lyrical depth of each individual track.
Of course, this lyrical depth may be the reason they were left in the vault. In contrast with the glamor of the original album, the tracks reveal the darker side of Swift’s early 20s. Lyrics like “I think about jumping / Off a very tall something / Just to see you come running” and “If they call me a slut / You know it might be worth it for once” are brutal confessions that wouldn’t exactly have aligned with the shiny popstar image Swift projected during the 1989 era. Back then, they may have been too revealing for Swift’s untouchable persona. Now, they are thrilling insights into her life. Whether these songs are about Harry Styles or Dianna Agron (hint: it’s not the two-month long PR stunt), every fan wants to know why Swift was “standing in a 1950s gymnasium” and whose “mega yacht” she was apparently forced to be on. I’d also personally like to know why Harry Styles hasn’t had his driver’s license revoked yet, considering Swift’s mention of his questionable driving skills.
These days, it seems like all of Swift’s releases are destined to break records, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) being no exception. As a longtime Swiftie, it’s incredibly fun seeing these songs chart just as well (if not better) nine years after their original release, and it’s even more fun feeling like I can experience these albums for the first time again. With two more re-recordings on the way, it’s safe to say that Taylor Swift is truly lightning on her feet when it comes to the music industry. I’m not sure if my eight year-old self could have predicted that I’d be listening to another version of 1989 just as emphatically all these years later, but that’s just the power of Taylor Swift.
