Taylor Swift, one of the most awarded artists of all time, has released ten studio albums throughout her career. In 2019, Scooter Braun bought and sold Taylors masters, which means she had no rights to her first six albums. Instead of just giving up, she decided to re-record those albums and call them “Taylor’s Version”. She has rerecorded Fearless, Red, and Speak Now. On October 27th, 2023 Taylor released her most current rerecording 1989 Taylors Version.
Originally this album came out in 2014 and was her groundbreaking transition from country to pop. Not only did this album win Album of the Year at the Grammys, but it was also the most-awarded pop album of all time.
I have been a huge Taylor Swift fan for as long as I can remember but 1989 was the album when I really started to appreciate the music. This album has always meant a lot to me, so I have been anticipating this rerecord since she announced Fearless Taylor’s Version.
Originally Max Martin was the main producer on the album, and he did a wonderful job creating the perfect pop sound. But for the re-record, Jack Antonoff produced most of the album. Jack has been Taylor’s main producer since her album, Reputation, and has since become one of my favorite producers. I was so excited to see what he was going to do with the album.
I truly believe this album is the perfect pop album and one of the most fun. I’m not going to review all of the original songs but here are some of my favorites-
Blank Space, Style, and Wildest Dreams- These are some of the main singles of 1989 A lot of the songs on the album are very well known, but in my opinion, these singles are some of her best, Swifties usually appreciate singles but they are not usually favorites, but this album is different for me because I feel like I’ll never get sick of these songs because they are so good.
I Wish You Would, New Romantics, and Out Of The Woods- These three songs are some of my favorites from the album. I grouped them together because they give off a similar feeling. They are perfect pop songs with amazing lyrics. I was so excited to hear this song with her voice now that is more mature.
Wonderland and How You Get The Girl- Both of these songs are pretty underrated, but I love these songs. They are a perfect addition to the album.
Clean– This was my most anticipated song to hear rerecorded. Lyrically this is her best song on the album. The message in this song is so beautiful and the metaphor is perfectly executed If you are a fan of Taylor, you most likely know that the 1989 “era” wasn’t necessarily the happiest time of her life We didn’t really know during that time, but after the album was released the public learned of Swift’s personal struggles. This song has always been beautiful but to hear it now, with her grown up was so magical. It was definitely a full-circle moment for me.
You Are In Love- This song is very underrated but it is one of my favorites. I believe this is one of her best love songs ever. The lyricism is just so perfect to describe the feeling of love. I was so excited to hear this rerecorded.
On top of just rerecording the albums she also has new album covers. Specifically for 1989, it is very different from the “stolen version” cover. Originally it was a Polaroid picture with seagulls, which play a big part in the album. In the stolen version the seagulls are on her shirt. For Taylor’s Version, they are flying around her. Fans have noticed how happy she looks on the new cover and have made speculations that the seagulls around her signify freedom and happiness. Her fans know she struggled during this era so it was exciting to see her happy.
On top of the original songs from the albums, she also adds a few more songs to each album that she calls “From the Vault” which basically means they are songs she wrote for that album but they didn’t make the cut the first time. For this album, she will have her original 16 songs plus the following 5 vault songs.
“Sl*t!”- I thought that this would be one of her more pop-sounding and upbeat songs. It was definitely way different than I thought it would be, but I love it. Taylor said that she had to pick Sl*t and Blank Space to make the final cut of the album when it first came out because they were both similar topics. She said she was using the way the media looked at her dating life to create these songs. I’m very happy we get to hear it now.
Say Don’t Go- This song definitely fits the overall vibe of the album. It has a pop touch but still a unique sound. This isn’t my favorite vault track but it is still really good.
Now That We Don’t Talk- This one took me by surprise the most. When I heard it I was blown away by the lyrics and immediately wanted to know everything about who it was about. The imagery her lyrics created in this song was perfect. Her voice sounds so good in this song. This song was one of her shortest songs ever so I was interested to hear it. Overall it is a great song!
Suburban Legends- When she announced the song titles for the vault tracks I didn’t really know what this song was going to be about. I predicted it would be my least favorite vault song but I ended up really liking it. This bridge is really interesting with how it repeats but still has lyric changes. The sound of the song is definitely giving MIdnights, especially the end. I was really excited that this song surprised me for the better!
Is It Over Now?- As soon as I heard the beginning of this song I also thought it sounded like Midnights with the sound effects and I didn’t know what to expect. I really love this song. The vocals and production are perfect and I can’t wait to keep listening to it.
Before I listened I predicted that my favorite vault song would be “Is It Over Now” or “Now That We Don’t Talk” but after I listened I really liked all of them.
It was insane to listen to this album again, It brought back so many memories and nostalgia. Listening to it again was a lot the fathom that it sounded so different yet the same at first, but it was amazing to hear her growth. I am so happy that the album that made such a big impact on my life is now home. Let us know your thoughts on the album and what your favorite vault track is!
