By: Cooper Winkler
Taylor Swift is arguably one of the most influential artists of our generation; amassing more than 108,125,000 monthly listeners on Spotify (making her the most streamed artist), winning twelve Grammys, and being the first woman to have four albums in the Top 10 at the same time. It was no surprise that when Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) fans went wild.
Swift first announced that she would be rerecording her first six albums in 2019 after her former record label, Big Machine Records, was purchased by Scooter Braun. As a background, Braun has had a mainly negative relationship with Swift, possibly due in part to Braun’s association with Kanye West.
1989 was Swift’s fifth studio album and helped segue her into pop music. While the re-released album has generally had positive reviews, some have conflicting opinions on the changes made to certain songs. “Style,” one of Swift’s most popular songs underwent several changes in its production, which has many questioning if it’s as good as the original. In my opinion, “Style” is still one of the best songs on the album, but I do dislike the changes made to “New Romantics.” “New Romantics” was originally released on 1989 Deluxe Edition, which is shocking considering that it is one of the most beloved songs on the album. I found that when listening to “New Romantics,” I struggled to hear Swift’s voice over the instruments.
In contrast, most agree that some songs have greatly improved. One such song is “Out of the Woods,” which is much more vibrant and easily conveys Swift’s emotions through the song. Interestingly, “I Know Places” is finally getting the recognition it deserves with the re-release and it now seems much louder and has an anthem-like feel that it previously lacked. Personally, I believe the best change made to the album occurred at the beginning of “Welcome To New York,” the first song on the album. Now, “Welcome To New York” has an electric feel that was absent in the prior versions.
Additionally, Swift released six vault tracks, which were allegedly meant to appear on the original 1989 prior to being cut. So far, Swift has released four re-releases, each with their own amazing vault tracks. Still, I believe that the 1989 TV vault was the best. Swift’s most popular vault track from this album is “Is It Over Now?” On many levels, “Is It Over Now?” is truly one of the most perfect ways to wrap up the album and gives listeners an insight into how Swift was feeling at the time of the 1989 release. When referencing the double standards she faced at the time, she sings that “At least I had the decency to keep my nights out of sight.” During the 1989 era, Swift was often portrayed as a “speed-dater” and faced constant criticism of her dating life. As she compares that treatment in the press to a figure assumed to be Harry Styles, whom she was dating at the time, it is remarkable that he faced none of the same accusations as she did despite their similar circumstances.
Throughout the vault tracks, Swift drops new references to her life during the 1989 era, like in “Is It Over Now?” when she sings, “Red blood, white snow / Blue dress on a boat.” The first line is a reference to the alleged snowmobile accident that Swift and Styles experienced. The second line addresses the infamous photo of Swift wearing a blue dress on a boat in the Virgin Islands, which supposedly followed her breakup with Styles.
Throughout 1989 TV, Swift manages to perfectly encapsulate the nostalgia in the original 1989 album while also bringing fresh nuances within the vault tracks and different production values. Now, Taylor only has two more studio albums to re-record; Taylor Swift, her first album, and Reputation.
Sources: Photos from Taylor Swift
Edited by: Betty Greswell '27, Katarina Radulovic '24, and Ms. Brilliant
Fair Use Disclaimer
The images and contents in this article are under Fair Use: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Comments