My first-ever favorite album was 1989. I was 10 and downloading “New Romantics” onto the iPod I shared with my brother. Now, nine years later, I’m in the same position, except now, my favorite album is 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and I got five brand new songs that she had never before released. The fact that I can scream “New Romantics” with an older and more mature Taylor Swift now that I’m older and more mature means everything to me.
Swift started rerecording her music in 2021 with the release of Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Her first six albums are under contract with Big Machine Records, meaning Swift doesn’t own her masters, nor could she perform any songs off these albums until November 2020. After she had left Big Machine Records, she signed a new contract with Republic Records. Swift has released four brand new albums and four rereleased albums since her move to Republic Records in 2018.
She announced the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on Aug. 9, the last night of the U.S. leg of her Eras Tour. Swift wore three new blue outfits before her announcement of the rerelease, hinting that it was coming, and making her fans, also known as Swifties, go crazy. She had played all the songs from 1989 for her acoustic surprise songs, except “New Romantics,” which she waited to play until she announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The rerelease came out on Oct. 27.
1989 was originally released in 2014 with 13 tracks until she released the deluxe edition with three more songs. Swift then rereleased the album with five more songs, which she considers “from the vault.” With the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), swifties speculated that she would be doing tons of promotion for the album, including late-night talk shows, music videos, and maybe even secret fan meet and greets, but the only thing she’s done since the album came out was release the rerecorded version of “Bad Blood (ft. Kendrick Lamar).”
Many have been saying, throughout her re-records that the songs sound
different, with some fans even saying that they sound bad in some of her rerecorded songs. I think while yes, she sounds different, she doesn’t sound bad at all. There has been much fan criticism about the production of some of the songs, like “Style,” which sounds different in the beginning, and “Shake It Off,” because people think she sounds, and I quote, “bored.” People have been calling out Jack Antonoff, one of Swift’s producers, saying he “ruined” songs like “Style,” but when you look at the song credits, he isn’t even on the song.
While the original songs sound more or less the same, the vault songs sound like they could be on her most recent album Midnights. I think Antonoff producing songs for both albums had a lot to do with it, and I’m not complaining. Through and through, I’m a pop music girl, so sad lyrics paired with upbeat instrumentals really strike home. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and Midnights are sister albums to me, so disappointment was never in the cards for this rerecord.
Overall, I thought the vault tracks were a 10 out of 10, though I wish Swift would’ve picked “Is It Over Now?” or “Say Don’t Go” as the lead single for this album instead of “‘Slut!’” just because I like those songs more. The original songs were and still are pop perfection and everything I could’ve hoped for and more with this re-recording. Out of all her rerecordings so far, this one has been my favorite, though I might be a little biased.