Review | Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is timeless nostalgia

I was a middle school girl, just beginning to immerse myself in the world of music, listening to “1989” on my CD player. Probably much to the annoyance of my family, I had this album on repeat for months after its release in 2014. “1989” was the first time I appreciated and connected to an album as an entire cohesive work. It got me hooked on Taylor Swift’s music. Fast forward to my 20s, almost nine years later, I get to relive the pop classic. 

Swift unveiled the release date of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” on Instagram last August, stating that it was her “most favorite rerecording she’s ever done.” “1989,” as both an album and an era, seems to hold much significance for Swift, as it was the album that marked her transition to becoming a pop sensation. It’s a new soundtrack for Swift — departing from her country roots, “1989” utilizes 80s synth-pop beats to bring a fresh sound to 2010s pop. 

With high expectations after Swift’s announcement, I hoped that it would match the quality of “Red (Taylor’s Version),” which stands as my personal favorite rerecording she has done. I was particularly eager to hear the five new tracks “from the vault,” which Swift cited as the reason why “1989” is her favorite rerecording, calling them “so insane” in her Instagram announcement. Swift certainly did not disappoint, delivering an album that fulfills fans’ “Wildest Dreams.”

The previously unreleased vault tracks stand out as some of the most intimate songs on the album, offering vulnerable and reflective narrative revelations. Swift excels in conveying these untold stories through her masterful lyricism. The track “Suburban Legends” boasts a stellar outro with lyrics such as “Waves crash on the shore, I dash to the door / You don’t knock anymore and my whole life’s ruined.” Songs such as “Now That We Don’t Talk” and “Is It Over Now?” feature some absolute gut-punching lyrics like “You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor / You search in every model’s bed for somethin’ greater, baby” — ouch! 

I believe the gem of these vault tracks is “Slut!” which was likely the most highly anticipated track based on the title alone. I, along with most others, was expecting it to be a bold and energetic pop banger, analogous to the essence of “Blank Space.” In reality, “Slut!” is a soft, dream-like love song that, after the initial surprise, has grown to be my personal favorite vault track on the album.

While listening to these vault tracks, I couldn’t help but notice their sonic resemblance to Swift’s 2022 album “Midnights.” For example, the intro to “Is It Over Now?” strongly resembles the beat of “Labyrinth” on “Midnights,” and the production of “Suburban Legends” mirrors that of  “Mastermind.” Perhaps Swift produced the vault tracks amidst the “Midnights” era, and it’s possible she wrote several “Midnights” tracks while she created “1989.” Personally, I don’t have too much “Bad Blood” with the production decisions, because at the end of the day, the vault tracks are well-written, enjoyable songs, which is most important to me. However, I do admit that they didn’t quite deliver the punchy synth-pop sound I anticipated from “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

Regarding the rerecordings of the original songs on the album, the production and vocals are crisp, and Swift generally does an excellent job of retaining the original sound of the album while also refining it. The production elements of the rerecordings have more depth and detail in comparison to the originals. Notably, I enjoyed her subtle yet significant revamp of track 12, “I Know Places,” which is finally receiving the attention it deserves. The closing track “Clean,” which has always been my favorite, remains as beautiful as ever. The pop beats on tracks like “Out Of The Woods,” “Style” and “Wonderland” remain dynamic and vibrant, while her biggest smash hits such as “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off” maintain their iconic sound. 

Listening to this album was a sentimental experience, transporting me back to the days when songs from “1989” were constantly playing on the radio. “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” feels nostalgic yet also timeless. Its distinct sound combined with Swift’s standard masterful lyricism has stood the test of time, solidifying its place as a classic in the world of pop. I guess it’s only right to say that “1989” will never go out of “Style.”