Taylor Swift never fails to outdo herself. Her newest re-recording, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), released on Oct. 27, is only another indicator of her great versatility, lyrical mastery, and record-breaking success. The “1989” era is characterized by its catchy pop classics, exploring themes of self-discovery, nostalgia, love, and the tumultuous times of her twenties. While the songs are wrapped up in their bubbly synth-pop production, Swift’s songwriting and storytelling prowess remain the most prominent and compelling part of the album—and the vault tracks from 1989 (Taylor’s Version) continue to reflect this. In my personal opinion, these vault tracks are among some of the best that Swift has released with all her re-recorded albums; ever since they came out, I haven’t been able to stop listening to them. Although all of these songs are amazing and fit in perfectly with the overall vibe of the album, here is my ranking for the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault tracks.
“Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
Rumored to be about her widely acclaimed relationship with Harry Styles, “Is It Over Now?” has an irresistibly powerful flow and is representative of her immense talent for storytelling within her songwriting. She makes her lyrics personal to her and her experiences, yet she perfectly captures a widely relatable feeling—being overcome with sentiments of confusion, angst, and heartbreak that come with the end of a relationship. There are many moving parts within this song—hints on her relationship with Harry Styles, her artful lyrics, and the crescendoing music—that ultimately make this song an automatic repeat.
“Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
The beating pulse of this song is catchy itself, but the musical build-up into the chorus has me screaming it over and over again. Taylor Swift has always shown a remarkable tendency to say exactly what we all feel; she’s able to put into words what we’ve all felt at one moment or another. The bridge of this song painfully captures what it feels like to love somebody who has led you on or not felt the same way, and the music production itself also provides this song with a sense of yearning, passion, and heartbreak. It essentially serves as a sister song to “Clean”; it has a similar musical sound and the overall moral of the song serves as a foil to “Clean.” While this song represents the feeling of not wanting a relationship to end, “Clean” talks about finally being over someone and outside of their control. The substance of this song perfectly fits in with her “1989” era: it’s catchy, colorful, and compelling.
““Slut!” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
When I first heard this song, I immediately fell in love with it due to the clever lyrics and majestic feel. The musicality of this song reminded me of “False God” from her Lover album and has somewhat of a similar message of what it feels like to want someone despite some outer impositions on your relationship. Swift ultimately takes back the autonomy of her public image in this song by taking what the media insults her for and owning it in her own personal style. She uses romantic words and phrases to paint this magical and beautiful picture that’s reflective of her feelings towards someone. Overall, this song perfectly fits into the album through how it lyrically navigates self-rediscovery and love while being rhythmically compelling.
“Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
If you’ve ever struggled with being “no contact” with somebody at the end of a relationship/friendship, “Now That We Don’t Talk” is the perfectly relatable song for you. The chorus and crescendo throughout this song is musically satisfying and has a dynamic rhythm that gets stuck in my head all day. It navigates the confusing situation of being disconnected from someone you used to be close to—wanting to know what they’re up to and what they’re feeling, having leftover thoughts you wish you could say to them, and embracing the parts of yourself you changed for someone else.
“Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”
It feels wrong to put any song in the last place on this list, but this ranking doesn’t take away from the cinematic masterpiece of this song. It takes its place among Swift’s tradition of an underdog feel-good story with a youthful excitement and blooming lust for life. It has a nostalgic hometown feel that transports the listener back to their own high school days and has us all wanting to romanticize the younger parts of our lives. The musical production of the song—rippling synths and a bouncy rhythm—provide it with an exciting and exhilarating feel, similar to many of the pop classics within “1989.”
This ranking was based on my first impressions of the vault tracks, and it’ll probably change and continue to change solely based on whatever mood I’m feeling that day. And, I have to admit, it was incredibly difficult to rank these five songs. Once again, the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is nothing less than a testament to her enduring creativity and ability to relive and reproduce the different eras of her life. This album has not only offered a beautiful and nostalgic journey back to the pop classics of her “1989” era, but it also has unveiled a treasure trove of hidden gems from her vault tracks, which have masterfully been woven into the album’s fabric. Each and every track on this reimagined masterpiece perfectly contributes to the album’s vibrant mosaic, with the vault tracks perfectly complementing this essence of the album. This album and these vault tracks are just another step in the ever-evolving narrative of Taylor Swift and an illustration of her remarkable mastery of music.