On Oct. 27, 2014, Taylor Swift released arguably, her most popular album to date, 1989, and truly changed pop music for the better. As many may know, Taylor did not own the rights to her first six albums, so she began re-recording with Fearless TV in 2021 and has continued with Red TV and Speak Now TV. Now, on Oct. 27, 2023, exactly nine years later, Taylor Swift fans were lucky enough to receive 1989 Taylor’s Version. This album means so much to me as it has been my favorite Taylor Swift album for almost nine years. Now, as I am approaching 20, the order I rank some of the songs has changed, especially after listening to the re-recording. I wanted to compare my thoughts before and after 1989 TV, as well as talk about the vault tracks and what they may symbolize. Let’s take a journey through 1989 TV.
my Ranking of 1989, Prior to 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
My ranking of 1989 is not based on fan-favorites and I tend to appreciate the “deep cuts” on 1989 more than the radio chart toppers. Even with this in mind, it is still incredibly hard to rank 16 of my favorite songs when all of them are my “favorite” in some right. This ranking is composed of my memories of the songs back when I was 10 in 2014, how the songs have made me feel throughout the years, and how I relate them to my own life experiences.
1. “Clean”
2. “I Wish You Would”
3. “New Romantics”
4. “Out Of The Woods”
5. “How You Get The Girl”
6. “Wildest Dreams”
7. “I Know Places”
8. “Style”
9. “Wonderland”
10. “All You Had To Do Was Stay”
11. “Welcome To New York”
12. “Bad Blood”
13. “Shake It Off”
14. “Blank Space”
15. “This Love”
16. “You Are In Love”
My Ranking Of 1989 (Taylor’s version)
After listening to 1989 (Taylor’s Version) about a hundred times, I can confidently say a lot has changed. Most of the songs sound the same sonically, and in my opinion, some even sound better. “I Know Places” and “Out Of The Woods” have even more energy and rasp than before, “Clean” somehow feels cleaner, and “You Are In Love” feels pure and sweet. On the other hand, a lot of the songs I love no longer have the same effect or sound slightly different than the original. While still amazing, “New Romantics” and “Style” feel a bit different when listening. As well as this, classic hits like “Bad Blood” and “Shake It Off” have a nostalgic effect, but get beat out by other songs’ emotional pull. The album will always be a 10, but it is interesting to see how my taste has changed with the release of the re-recording.
1. “Clean”
2. “I Know Places”
3. “Out of the Woods”
4. “I Wish You Would”
5. “How You Get The Girl”
6. “Wonderland”
7. “New Romantics”
8. “You Are In Love”
9. “Wildest Dreams”
10. “Blank Space”
11. “Style”
12. “All You Had To Stay”
13. “This Love”
14. “Welcome to New York”
15. “Bad Blood”
16. “Shake It Off”
Vault Tracks Ranking
The vault tracks of 1989 TV were refreshing and surprising. Many fans believe a lot of them give off a Midnights vibe, and I would have to agree. “Now That We Don’t Talk” is funny, relatable, and catchy, while “Is It Over Now” is emotionally complicated and interesting to analyze. The beat to “Suburban Legends” even reflects the one-off “Mastermind,” and I love that it does. I believe that with time, fan favorites like “Slut!” and “Say Don’t Go” will grow on me, as all vault tracks seem to do. With Taylor Swift’s songs, the more I listen, the more I seem to understand.
1. “Now That We Don’t Talk”
2. “Is It Over Now?”
3. “Suburban Legends”
4. “Say Don’t Go”
5. “Slut!”
What are you waiting for? Go Listen
1989 TV is such a fun musical piece, and every time the album begins, a certain dreamy and emotional vibe floats over the album as a whole. It represents new beginnings, the emotions of true love, and defying the odds of all those who doubt or make assumptions about you. I could not recommend this album enough, especially if you are just starting to listen to Taylor Swift. While you’re listening, ranking the songs is such a fun activity to track which ones are your favorite. Whether it is your first or 47th time, I hope that you all enjoy 1989 TV as much as I did.