Nice to meet you, where you been “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)”? On Instagram Reels, apparently. The wait for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is almost over! The re-recorded album drops on Oct. 27 and Instagram Reels must have known Swifties have been dreaming of the album all fall long, because it accidentally gave fans an unexpected sneak peek at the re-recorded version of one of 1989’s most iconic tracks: “Blank Space.” Now before you go running to Instagram to listen to it, I am sad to report the song has already been taken down. But leave it to Swifties to keep this discovery alive on social media!
On Oct. 19, fans noticed that the first three minutes of “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)” were available to use as a sound on Instagram Reels. The sound was linked to Taylor Swift’s verified Instagram account, so yeah, it’s real! Just as quickly as fans flocked to social media to share this news, Instagram Reels removed the sound. Bummer. But thanks to the magic of screen recordings, “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)” is alive and well!
Re-recordings always run the risk of sounding a little bit too different from the original (I’m crossing my fingers that Swift adds a Southern twang to her voice when she re-records her debut album). But I am happy to report that “Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)” sounds almost identical to the version I blasted 24/7 in 2014! The production and vocals give as much pop perfection in the updated version as they did in the original. One subtle difference is that Swift makes a point of clearly enunciating the lyric “Got a long list of ex-lovers” in the re-recording. Sorry to all the Starbucks lovers out there – go treat yourself to a fun drink anyway!
“Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)” isn’t the first 1989 (Taylor’s Version) track to make its way into the world. Swift released “This Love (Taylor’s Version)” a year before she announced the 1989 re-recording. The song debuted in the Season 1 finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty. That surprise release made fans’ wildest dreams come true almost as much as the first 1989 (Taylor’s Version) song to grace Swifties’ ears: “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version),” which appeared in the Spirit Untamed trailer back in May 2021 (kind of random, but I’ll take it!).
“Blank Space” is one of the most recognizable songs from 1989 and Swift’s career. Knowing that the re-recorded version does it justice is a huge relief for Swifties and pop culture fanatics. As soon as the song leaked on Instagram, many took to TikTok and X (formerly known as Twitter) to share their joy.
“Blank Space (Taylor’s Version)” might have left a blank space on Instagram Reels for the time being, but you’ll be able to listen to the official version of the full song on Oct. 27. Until then, TikTok will be my most-used music app.