Taylor Swift’s re-recording of 1989 revamps her previously-released exemplar pop album, introducing a new modern-touch. From her mature-vocals on old fan favorites to unreleased vault songs, Swift manages to encapsulate the upbeat energy of the original album while ushering in new themes and emotions to the mix.
The production of Swift’s new vault songs remind me of her most recent album Midnights. With the tempo and instrumentals of “Now That We Don’t Talk” and “Suburban Legends” reminding me of “Question…?” and “Mastermind,” respectively, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) becomes a stylistic blend of Swift’s older and newer pop music.
The release of the new vault songs also allows fans to redefine this album’s era of love and new experiences. With the song “‘Slut!’” juxtaposing what fans assumed to be more fervent in its sound and lyrics, a new love song is welcomed onto the album. Contrarily, “Say Don’t Go” adds a more melancholy feel to the album, capturing the feelings of leaving a one-sided romance. And, as many fans conclude that “Is It Over Now?” is about Swift’s past romance with Harry Styles, we now see a new side to their relationship. Many, including me, were caught off guard by the unhinged lyrics expressing Swift’s anger, making it a new fan favorite off of the vault tracks.
Needless to say, the relatability of Swift’s music is part of the reason why it’s so popular. With the old songs weaving together a tapestry of emotions and the vault songs painting new ones, Swift creates another artistic masterpiece of an album. She, yet again, welcomes us into a new era — 1989 (Taylor’s Version). As Swift herself said, “It’s been waiting for you.”