1989 (Taylors Version)

1989 (Taylor’s Version) - Taylor Swift

by Samira Yunusova

1989 (Taylor’s Version) has been a long awaited release, and brings freshness to an album many associate with their childhood, listening to its songs on the radio. The original 1989, released in 2014, marks a pivotal moment in Swift’s career. Previously considered a country singer, she made the sharp, complete transition into pop— and she did so on a level of success never seen before, breaking charts. Taylor’s Version now is a testament to Taylor’s younger self; being as she was only 24 when 1989 released and 33 now.

Taylor’s matured voice gives the production a fullness that suits the album beautifully. The sound is vibrant, it’s crisp, it’s fresh. Jack Antonoff produced every vault track and he did so well. The album definitely has some leftover sounds from Midnights, but it still feels new. 

As always, there were many claiming their favorite songs were now ruined; something was a millisecond off. However, overall, the rerecords stay faithful to the originals. The additional five songs especially feel much more vulnerable than the punchy, poppy songs of the original 1989. However, even with that claim, Taylor’s Version makes it apparent that 1989 is not the mindless commercial album many attribute it to be. It touches on heartbreak, joy, anxiety, and optimism. Although some songs’ “immaturity” didn’t age them well; take Bad Blood, for example, which is as stripped down as ever; ultimately, the songs feel like Taylor giving her past self a hug. 

Compared to an album like folklore, Swift seems to be treating herself with kindness and understanding; “Now that we don’t talk/I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock/or that I like to be on a mega yacht” in Now That We Don’t Talk gives her power in her relationships that haven’t worked out; she is acknowledging it is not her loss, which, is it ever? Slut!, which many predicted to be a commentary on the media’s misogyny, was instead a warm love song. “And did you think I didn't see you?/There were flashin' lights/At least I had the decency/To keep my nights out of sight” from Is It Over Now? offers a deeper insight into Swift and Styles’s failed relationship, (especially with its suspected connections to Out of the Woods, also about Styles,) something that many argue was due to the pressure of the media. The entire album is a delightful romp through that 2010s era that many look back on fondly. It may not be very cohesive; the themes vary wildly, but that is what gives 1989 the charm it fits so well. 

Overall, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is everything Taylor is; fun, complicated, talented, beautiful, and is a love letter to Taylor Swift’s artistic rebirth.