Pop masterpiece 1989 is currently thriving in its much-awaited renaissance with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) though it has never truly gone “out of style.” 1989 produced some of Taylor’s most popular radio hits that are recognizable to anyone and changed the trajectory of her career. Through 1989, she officially became a Pop Princess with her iconic short hair and red lips. Songs like “Blank Space” created a humorous narrative influenced by rumors of her being “crazy” in regard to her dating life. “Shake it Off” is a catchy hit that describes “shaking off” all of her critic’s hate and assumptions about her and her life. 1989 produced unmistakable singles that have anyone tapping their feet along to the beat.
Though the original 1989 era in 2014 was known as a time of embracing individuality, exploring a new city where anything’s possible, and focusing on the power of female friendships, fans didn’t realize how much Taylor was internally struggling. Though she focused on her “girl squad” to avoid sexualization and criticism of her dating life, the critiques proved to be inevitable. In Taylor’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) prologue, she writes, “I swore off dating and decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships. If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalize or sexualize that — right? I would learn later on that people could and people would.” The constant sexualization of Taylor is something that she seems to explore in her vulnerable track “Slut!” Taylor has also disclosed in her Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana” that she heavily struggled with body image and shared her personal struggles with disordered eating due to the media’s constant analysis and scrutiny of her body during 2014. This theme is another one she explored in her vault tracks-notably “Is It Over Now?” The 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault tracks seem to appeal to the more intimate parts of her that she concealed during the era, and they are brilliant.
- “Slut!”
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In the midst of screams from the ever-so-brutal and negative media, Taylor embraced these criticisms of herself with both humor and strength–especially in 1989 (Taylor’s Version). This track accompanies “Blank Space” and “Shake it Off” in responding to these slut-shaming claims. Swift sings, “And if they call me a slut/You know it might be worth it for once.” The media typically titled Taylor as a “serial dater” and shamed her for her dating life. In “Slut!” Taylor acknowledges that these rumors are going to occur in spite of her actions or presentation of herself. Despite this name-calling, Taylor decides that the romance of a new love makes it worth it.
- Say Don’t Go
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Exploring the complexities of heartbreak and begging to finally be treated like “the one”, Taylor’s track “Say Don’t Go” describes one of her many areas of expertise: relationship anxiety. The pain in being vulnerable with your emotions and receiving nothing in return is heavily described in this song. She sings, “‘Cause you kiss me and it stops time/And I’m yours, but you’re not mine.” Taylor shares the feelings of being more heavily invested in a relationship than the other. In the chorus of the song, she sings, “Why’d you have to lead me on?/Why’d you have to twist the knife/Walk away and leave me bleedin’, bleedin’?/Why’d you whisper in the dark/Just to leave me in the night?/Now your silence has me screamin’, screamin.’” The repetition of these lyrics in the song relate to the theme of feeling forgotten and ignored in a relationship.
- Now That We Don’t Talk
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The feeling of being denied the entitlement of choosing what’s best for your now-ex partner and the hurt of seeing them transform without you is sung in her short, yet catchy “Now That We Don’t Talk.” The described growing distance between the two as you realize their life doesn’t stop without you in it is described in the lines, “I miss the old ways/You didn’t have to change/But I guess I don’t have a say/Now that we don’t talk.” This song describes the conflict of having no resolution to fill this void due to the inability to be merely platonic, but not feeling right as a relationship. At the end of this track, Taylor reaches acceptance that the relationship has reached its end.
- Suburban Legends
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Adolescent love and growing together with your unconventional high school sweetheart are described in Taylor’s track “Suburban Legends.” The two feel as though they are destined to be together until she experiences the soul-crashing heartache of the end in their relationship. She describes being in a relationship surrounded by all-consuming love, yet feeling as though the loss of this will destroy her. She sings “I broke my own heart ‘cause you were too polite to do it/Waves crash to the shore, I dash to the door/You don’t knock anymore and I always knew it/That me life would be ruined.” Losing the familiarity and comfort in the one you love due to the complexities of love is beautifully written in this song.
- Is It Over Now?
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Describing the pain of betrayal following the end of a relationship is depicted in my personal favorite of the 1989 (Taylor’s Version) vault tracks, “Is It Over Now?” In this song, Taylor thoroughly describes silently begging someone you once loved to come back while struggling with your own internal struggles and acceptance. In this track, Taylor attempts to navigate what the end of the relationship really is, moving on, and buried resentment. In the vulnerable, desperate track, Taylor sings, “Only rumors ‘bout my hips and thighs/And my whispered sighs/Oh, Lord, I think about jumpin’/Off of very tall somethings/Just to see you come runnin’/And say the one thing I’ve been wanting, but no.” This closing track of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is just another that develops her themes of longing, vulnerability, and acceptance.
Taylor Swift has continued to be a vulnerable voice for all. With the anticipation of every unveiling of the vault tracks with every re-recording release, she always makes the wait very, very worth it. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) proved to be no exception, and I know that I am playing these tracks on repeat (and hopefully blaring them soon while wearing the new and beautiful 1989 cardigan).