When Taylor Swift said ‘Speak now,’ she meant it. She’s spoken out about real-world issues and her life in interviews, online, and especially in her songs. The re-recordings of her albums are incredibly significant as it shows her victory in the great war against Scooter Braun. Now, she has complete ownership over her albums, which means that the profit from her songs belongs to her and her team, and is completely untouchable by Scooter Braun.
So far, she’s come out with three re-recorded albums, which in chronological order are Fearless TV, Red TV, and Speak Now TV. Now it’s 1989’s turn.
1989 was first released on October 27th, 2014. It was a major hit, setting 1.287 million copies in its first week and 3.66 million in 2014. It continued to impress, staying as No.1 on the Billboard charts for 11 weeks, spending its first week in the top 10, and staying in the top 200 for over 300 weeks.
1989 was a turning point in Swift’s career. 1989 made history in the music industry, getting nominated for ten Grammys and winning three of them: Album Of The Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video (for ‘Bad Blood’). It not only made history in the music industry as a whole but also for Taylor Swift herself. The album helped her connect more with her fans as well as turn to a different direction when it comes to music making.
Swift has been known for writing and singing country songs in her earliest albums – Taylor Swift and Fearless – though she’s started implementing other genres such as pop and rock more recently. With her albums Speak Now, Red, and 1989 is when her music style takes an entirely different route, into pop music.
Just the name, 1989, has a lot of symbolism. 1989 was the year in which Taylor Swift was born, symbolizing a rebirth in her music and her public image. It shows her going into a new direction in music and also a new direction in publicity. There’s more symbolism in the album, such as the pictures they used for the cover art on the album. It’s a clear reference to the popular photography method in the 1980s, since the album cover was a polaroid.
1989 starts with a catchy yet simple song, “Welcome to New York.” Six lines are repeated almost constantly throughout the song. Two of them are, “The lights are so bright but they never blind me, me.” These lyrics are a reference to the bright lights in the skylines and billboards of Manhattan. Despite “Welcome to New York it’s been waiting for you” being one of the most repeated phrases in the lyrics, the song remains captivating and never grows tiresome to hear. “It’s a new soundtrack / I could dance to this beat, beat forevermore” references the new album and the new direction in her career in music. The layered beats and clapping sounds make it fit right into electropop as well as making it seem almost like a disco song. It’s a solid first track and immediately makes you curious to hear the rest of the album.
Track two is one of the most iconic songs out of all Taylor Swift songs. ‘Blank Space’ is a classic song that most people think of when they hear Taylor Swift. Its music video has 3.2 billion views on YouTube and over a billion streams on Spotify. The lyrics subtly call out people who judged her dating history. However, instead of calling them out normally, she embraces the image they painted of her. The music video continues to add to this satirical masterpiece as she portrays herself as a psychopath harassing her boyfriends who try to leave her.
‘Style,’ the third track of the album, has a title with an obvious yet clever hint to what the song’s about. The lyrics are a direct reference to her ex-boyfriend, Harry Styles. The lyrics are romantic and have a sense of nostalgia to them. It tells a story of two lovers who had parted ways only to meet again. Produced by Max Martin, Shellback, and Ali Payami, the song has a synth-pop style to it with layered vocals and consistent beats in the background. As the song progresses, the lyrics become more layered, letting you hear Swift singing the same line in two different ways at the same time.
The next song on the album is just as beautiful. ‘Out Of The Woods’ continues with Swift singing about the ups and downs of her past relationship. The lyrics truly show all the complexities relationships and love have. You can see Swift’s talented storytelling shine through as she takes you through the story of her relationship with Style. It’s a rollercoaster of a love story, as everyone can relate to the highs and lows that love brings them as they try to find their way ;Out Of The Woods.’
‘All You Had To Do Was Stay’ is a heartfelt and catchy song. It shows someone turning down their loved one who had previously left them. It shows the former’s regret in the breakup with the lyrics further showing the frustration and anger that the person feels towards their ex. Overall, the lyrics and melody make the song really catchy and easy to get stuck in your head. It truly shows the regret people go through when ending relationships and then wanting to get back together.
Though many people overly dislike this song as it’s overplayed, no one can deny the amount of fame it has gotten. With the music video gaining 3.3 billion views on YouTube and a billion streams on Spotify, it secures its place as one of Swift’s most unforgettable songs. Everything from the beat to the lyrics has set it up for success. The song is known for its incredibly catchy tune. It’s not the only music that sets the song apart from the rest, but also the mood that it instills in anyone listening to it. It’s easy to either be annoyed that it’s playing or be in an instantly better mood because of it. Whether you like the song or not, ‘Shake It Off’ will forever remain an iconic bop.
Now my personal favorite song on the album, ‘I Wish You Would’ fits like a puzzle piece with ‘All You Had To Do Was Stay.’ The lyrics make it seem like the other half of ‘All You Had To Do Was Stay’ and is an incredibly relatable piece for anyone who has done anything that they regretted severely. The song narrates the story of someone who hurt their loved one and wishes they never had done it. The song sounds like a plea for the latter to listen to. The narrator sounds desperate for the other’s forgiveness as they wait for the other to come back to them. The song easily grabs the listener’s attention within the first couple of lyrics, and the rest of the song doesn’t disappoint either, making it an easy song to listen to on repeat.
‘Bad Blood’ was an iconic song with an even more iconic music video. It stands out quite a lot from the other songs on her album, instead of it being about Taylor’s public image or love. Though who the song is addressed to is uncertain, Swifties have speculated that it was written about the feud that Swift had with Katy Perry. Aside from the drama that came along with the song at the time, the song is incredibly popular within the music industry, whether you are a Swiftie or not.
Taylor Swift has been known for releasing tracks ahead of time and one of these songs was ‘Wildest Dreams.’ In this rerecording, you can hear the way Swift’s voice has matured throughout the years. Even though it’s been nine years since the album came out, this song still manages to live up to the title. Swift’s lyrics and vocals make the song sound incredibly dreamy and almost heavenly, making it an easy fan favorite. ‘Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)’ puts me in a dreamy mist of yearning and hoping. The imagery of the lyrics and the vocals fully immerse me into the scene. Through the strategic pattern of tonal variation and the rhythmic beating of the background, my heartbeat syncs up, and I feel the full, swooning emotions felt by Taylor Swift herself. “‘Wildest Dreams’ has been a favorite since I was young, and remains a cherished favorite with the release of Taylor’s Version,” said Caroline Jiang ’26.
‘How You Get The Girl’ is an amazing track, once again proving her talent for storytelling through her lyrics. With the upbeat tempo and catchy melody, the song is an instant mood-lifter. The lyrics show Swift’s ability to create relatable narratives in her songs while giving relationship advice, while also making the song sound amazing.
The next song seems a lot different from the previous songs in the fact that it’s not as exciting and upbeat as the others. It’s a lot more ethereal and melancholic. ‘This Love’ explores the complexities of love and its enduring nature. In this song, Swift sings about all the emotions and memories that love can evoke. At times you could feel confused, completely uncertain of it all, or even full of regret. This was the second song that Taylor Swift has re-released, and it sounds just as incredible as the first.
‘I Know Places’ is a remarkable and creative song, as this track has a hauntingly beautiful melody, while the lyrics paint the picture of two people running away from the hunters which are the paparazzi. This song highlights the need for privacy, which was incredibly hard for Swift to have because of the paparazzi and the constant rumors regarding her personal life that were spreading everywhere. The song narrates Swift trying to find a sanctuary away from all the cameras and tabloids.
Though ‘Clean’ sounds less pop-oriented than a majority of the other tracks on the album, it’s just as beautiful. The lyrics address finally letting go of a past relationship and finding a sense of clarity and renewal. The music is calming and soothing, which fits the idea of moving on. Swift’s lyrics and melody really capture the sense of finding peace and starting over.
Track 14 is an extremely depictive song. It ties into the story of Alice in Wonderland, about how Alice went to Wonderland only to wake up and realize that it was all a dream. In the same way, the song discusses a relationship that was expected to fail, showing that nothing lasts forever. ‘Wonderland’ doesn’t only have obvious references but also lyrics with meanings that seem to parallel with other songs from 1989. “And we pretended it could last forever” seems to relate to ‘Wildest Dreams’ which has a lyric that goes, “Nothing lasts forever.” In both songs, the narrator is having a hard time letting go of her significant other. The lyric “But there were strangers watching / And whispers turned to talking / And talking turned to screams, oh” directly correlates with ‘I Know Places’ as they both address the lack of privacy that the media causes.
The lyrics of ‘You Are In Love’ are sweet and romantic as Taylor Swift sings about the story of two friends who had fallen in love. The lyrics capture the feeling of being deeply in love and point out all the little things that make a relationship special. The tune is beautiful and soft, perfectly complementing the song’s themes of love.
‘New Romantics’ is a masterpiece that discusses both the risks of love and Swift’s retaliation against the hate she receives. “’Cause baby, I could build a castle / Out of all the bricks they threw at me” addresses how Taylor Swift, rather than let the hate bring her down, uses it to her advantage. “It’s poker, he can’t see it in my face / But I’m about to play my Ace, ah / We need love, but all we want is danger / We team up, then switch sides like a record changer” reveals the instability and deceptions of relationships where both parties are selfish and are together for their own selfish reasons.
When the Taylor’s Version albums were first announced, fans were all excited for their favorite album to be re-recorded. “I’m really glad she finally owns the songs that she put so much effort into, and they sound even better with her mature voice,” said Ngozi Ihesiaba ’26.
The prospect of 1989 Taylor’s Version being released has been floating around for a while, and it was finally confirmed by Taylor Swift herself during the ERAS tour.
“There’s something that I’ve been planning for a really, really, really ridiculously, embarrassingly long time, and instead of telling you about it, I think I’ll just sort of show you,” Swift said at her show in Los Angeles, before revealing the release date and album cover art on the screen.
To listen to 1989 Taylor’s Version on Spotify, click HERE.
Just the name, 1989, has a lot of symbolism. 1989 was the year in which Taylor Swift was born, symbolizing a rebirth in her music and her public image. It shows her going into a new direction in music and also a new direction in publicity. There’s more symbolism in the album, such as the pictures they used for the cover art on the album. It’s a clear reference to the popular photography method in the 1980s, since the album cover was a polaroid.