On October 27th, 2023 millions of people anticipated the re-release of one of the most iconic pop albums of the 2010s: 1989 by Taylor Swift. Swift released the rerecording exactly nine years after its original release.
As a massive fan, I can’t lie that I was a little underwhelmed by the album on my first listen. Maybe it’s the contrast between the original vocals and sounds of the first release and the newer, more “polished” version. Maybe it’s the nostalgia of the older version. After all, the sound of the original 1989 has been ingrained in my head for almost a decade.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) is her first re-recording of her music when she officially entered the world of pop. I was really excited when Swift announced the release date of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) since some of my favorite songs of hers’ are on that album. I was even more excited for the release of the “vault tracks” as well, referring to songs she previously wrote for the album but did not make the final cut.
At midnight on October 27th when I pressed play I was immediately transported back to 2014, yet something was ever so slightly different. I could pick up on the small discrepancies between the 2014 version and the re-recording. While “Welcome to New York” sounded practically the same, as soon as “Style” began to play I was taken a bit back. The guitar intro sounded more muted and less energetic. I was a bit disappointed since for me, the whole song doesn’t contain as much pep and energy as the original. However, the more I have listened to it, the more I like it.
One track later in “Out of The Woods”, this song somehow sounds even better than the original, especially with headphones. I can’t quite pinpoint why I like this version of the song so much better, but there is a new liveliness to it. “I Wish You Would” also has a new sparkle compared to the original..
With all of the re-recordings so far, Swift’s matured voice really has a chance to showcase itself and shine. It’s clear she has put in the work to improve her vocals and make these re-recordings the best they can be. One specific example of her vocal growth is displayed on both“This Love’’, a mellow, sweet song, as well as “Clean” where her lower register shines.
On “New Romantics”, I don’t understand the decision to raise the pitch of the “Ah Ah’s”. It sounds squeaky and almost childlike. Other than that caveat, the rest of the song packs a punch in both energy and sound.
Regarding the vault tracks, I can see why Swift decided to originally shelf these songs. They don’t entirely fit with the rest of the album, and many have noted they sound sonically similar to her most recent album “Midnights”. At first, I was very neutral on the vault tracks and couldn’t decide if I liked them or not. But after listening to them again and again and reading the lyrics as they play, 3 songs in particular really stick out to me. Those songs are “Say Don’t Go”, “Now That We Don’t Talk”, and “Is It Over Now”. Swift has done it once again and created songs the most specific of romantic situations and convey the intricacies and complexities of emotions and feelings of unrequited love and lost relationships. I find these songs cleverly written and cathartic.
“Slut!”, has taken much longer to grow on me, but I really like it now. When the vault track list was released, I expected “Slut!” to be very upbeat, similar to “Shake it Off”’, but I was surprised to hear the slow musical intro and her vocals sneak in. I didn’t understand the lyrics at first, but now it’s one of my favorite songs to listen to lately. Swift skillfully embraces her label as being a “slut” in her lyricism by saying it will be worth it to be with her lover despite that label pushed on her. One of my favorite lyrics from this song is “Everyone wants him, that was my crime. The wrong place at the right time”. Overall, “Slut!” has grown on me tremendously and I am glad it has.
Overall, while parts of this album disappointed me, others were pleasant surprises. I understand my own, and others, frustrations with the lack of emotion these songs seem to not contain now, but I think it is important to consider these songs were written basically 10 years ago and were recorded when her emotions at the time matched the songs. I recommend taking a listen to this album if you have been thinking about diving into Swift’s discography. As an individual, she is in a different place as an artist and a person, so expecting the songs to sound exactly the same is a bit unrealistic in my eyes. I am looking forward to her final two re-recordings and the surprises those will contain.