Taylor Swift is my religion and her groundbreaking fifth studio album 1989 is my pop bible. As Swifties eagerly anticipate the arrival of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Oct. 27, many are taking a trip down memory lane as they revisit the original 1989 era. Swift’s first-ever pop record served as her personal renaissance as she opened a brand new chapter of her life and career. The album remains one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons of the 2010s. Swift truly captured everything that was on her mind and heart with 1989, whether it was a social commentary, the urge to dance, words she wished she could say, or a message to fans.
Several of the track on 1989 — including “Blank Space,” “Out of the Woods,” and “Clean” — laid strong foundations for storytelling in the pop genre. Swift ventured into creative territory that no one had before and paved a path for pop artists in the years that followed.
Back in 2014, Swift wrapped the Red tour, which broke the record for the highest-grossing country tour of all-time. At this time, Swift was slowly losing her credibility in the traditionally conservative genre, between the pop influences in her music and criticism of her dating life in the tabloids. Plus, as her fanbase grew, she had to learn how to navigate the world with less and less privacy, a topic she spoke candidly about in a 2014 Rolling Stone interview. After fully committing to the genre switch, Swift began to be honest with herself — and these 1989 songs are proof of this.
“Blank Space”
With her song “Blank Space,” Swift leaned into the media’s portrayal of her as a serial dater and inspired the general public to reflect on that image of her. Swift has always been vocal about how common it is to reflect on one’s romantic experiences through song and how her male peers seem to be immune to that criticism. In the song’s voice memo on Apple Music, Swift noted that the idea for “Blank Space” began as a joke but morphed into a satirical, yet powerful message.
The “Blank Space” music video only takes the narrative of the song to new heights, and to this day, I still think it’s one of the most legendary things she’s ever done.
“Out Of The Woods”
Another gem on 1989 is “Out Of The Woods.” In a fandom that often complains about Swift’s single choices (I would know, I’ve contributed to that myself), “Out Of The Woods” was extremely well-received across the board. Of course, I can’t get enough of the bridge, particularly the line “Remember when you hit the brakes too soon? / Twenty stitches in the hospital room.” But like “Blank Space,” this song truly comes to life in its visuals. It’s genius how Swift essentially set up the beginning of the “Look What You Made Me Do” music video through the ending of this track. But if there’s one thing I’d hope listeners take from 1989, it’s the line “she lost him, but she found herself – and somehow that was everything.” I wish people would realize that “Out Of The Woods” is more than just a song rumored to be about the snowmobile accident with Harry Styles.
“Clean”
Finally, what would a 1989 rant be without a nod to “Clean,” Swift’s magnum opus? Every album that mostly contains upbeat songs will inevitably have that one somber ballad, which has a message that hits even harder when you consider its context. It’s one of those songs that everyone, including Swift, connects to differently and I think that’s so beautiful. Some of us wouldn’t be here today without this song.
In a way that only Swift can, 1989 balances synth-pop production with the lyrical techniques that first helped the singer make a name for herself. Discovering Swift through 1989 was a formative experience for my 11-year-old self for many reasons. Now that the album’s re-release is almost here, I’m counting down the minutes until I can hear these songs again.