Album Review: 1989 (Taylor's Version) | Taylor Swift
Pop Bible (New Testament) [From The Vault]
Taylor Swift is back with her 4th re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which features 5 additional never heard before-vault tracks. Initially released in 2014, 1989 was a strategic shift for the singer, as it was the first project in which she entirely abandoned her country roots and went full steam ahead into the pop world, reinventing herself as the Icon she is today.
While 2023 has undoubtedly catapulted Taylor Swift into another stratosphere with the cultural dominance of her music, her takeover of the NFL, and her love affair with Travis Kelce and The Eras Tour. Her original year of insane popularity can be traced back to 1989 and was released in 2014. It was the first time Taylor Swift dominated the charts, and she was everywhere. Lead single Shake It Off became an instant classic wedding dance floor #1 billboard hit, only to be followed up with the middle-finger-to-her-haters Blank Space. The era preceded 1989 was Red, which marked a period where Taylor Swift was repeatedly shamed by the media for her dating life and for being “boy-obsessed” and “clingy.” Blank Space was Taylor’s way of writing a song from the perspective of the “crazy, manipulative, serial dater” the media had painted her to be. The song skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, where Swift became the first woman to knock her music out of the #1 spot. Swift continued her chart dominance with 1989, Linking up with Kendrick Lamar for a remix of Bad Blood, spawning her third number-1 hit with the album. (In total, Swift nabbed 5 top 10’s from 1989 with Style and Wildest Dreams).
Not only did 1989 establish Taylor as a successful genre drifter - but it also allowed her to work with the best of the best in Pop. For her debut into the pop world, Swift teamed up with pop-music heavyweights Max Martin and Shellback, as well as OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder and friend Jack Antonoff, to bring her new sonic landscape vision to the list. However, for the re-record, all tracks are produced mainly by Christopher Rowe (all 3 country re-records) and Jack Antonoff. Most notably, none of the re-recorded tracks have Max Martin’s production on them, whereas, on the original version, he had 11 credits. It’s unclear why Martin is absent on these re-records - whether he was too expensive, too busy, or didn’t want to do them. Still, his presence is missed in re-recording the explosive pop production into these songs. Swift’s re-recording always comes with tracks that sound worse than the OG’s (it’s hard competing with yourself). The most notable downgrades on Taylor’s Version come from fan-favorite singles Style and New Romantics. Do better, Jack Antonoff. However, some tracks like Clean, This Love, and I Know Places immediately stand out as solid upgrades.
The 80s synth-pop production of the album was ahead of its time in many ways. The album's sound is characterized by its heavy use of synthesizers, drum machines, and other electronic instruments, ahead of time in the context of the 80s music trends we see today. The production quality of 1989 is a testament to Taylor Swift's attention to detail and her ability to work with some of the best producers in the industry. The result is an album that not only stands the test of time but also paved the way for the resurgence of synth pop in the current music landscape.
Although it might seem challenging to get people excited about another re-record, Taylor Swift's star power and loyal fanbase make it a non-issue. Swift's ability to reinvent herself and grow as an artist while staying true to her roots is admirable and a testament to her talent. Her re-recorded albums not only serve as a way for her to take back control of her art but also give fans a chance to revisit old favorites with a fresh twist. With 1989 (Taylor's Version), Swift proves once again that she's not just cool, but one of the most influential and beloved artists of our time.
Check out our favorite tracks, listen to the album, and see our scores below:
Can’t Miss: Blank Space, Style, New Romantics
You Can Skip: I Wish You Would, Bad Blood, Suburban Legends
BY THE NUMBERS
Bennett’s Score: 7.8
Carson’s Score: 7.8
Album Score: 15.7
BENNETT CARSON TOTAL
Notes from Bennett:
1989 was so middle school for me, back when it was cool to be anti-Taylor Swift. I don’t remember if I was ever on the Taylor hate train because I did enjoy a ton of these songs when I was in the seventh grade but still, it was cool to come back to them as a 21-year-old and appreciate new things about the tracks.
Let’s get this straight. No pop album in the 2010s had a better 5 track run than Blank Space to Shake It Off. It doesn’t exist. Unprecedented material. I also think the re-recorded tracks do not take much away if anything in this specific run on the album.
Still Tall & Handsome As Hell. (IYKYK)
I think this time around Wonderland sticks out to me a lot more as a strong suit here, I didn’t totally appreciate it before.
As for the vault tracks….. I’m not obsessed. They are cool but almost sound very Midnights and don’t offer much to me. Except for Is It Over Now? What the F! That Song is CRAZY. Glad we got that one fr.
Kendrick Re-Recording is so cool. He sounds so different, this really is Bad Blood feat Mr Morale.
Notes from Carson:
GOD I wished I wasn’t listening to only Imagine Dragons in 2014 so I could have enjoyed this when it first came out.
Style is an all-time top 5 Taylor song. On some days it’s #1. Inject it in my veins.
1989 is my favorite Taylor Swift album. It may not be her BEST album but it’s absolutely the most fun and exciting. So many of my favorite Taylor songs live on this record. Style, Clean, New Romantics, Blank Space, COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????.
Style got botched and New Romantics got botched and I’m sad about it. Another win for Scooter.
My favorite vault tracks are Now That We Don’t Talk and Is It Over Now?, but I do think all of these vault tracks are pretty solid additions.
Despite all the popular singles there are SO many deep cuts on here. How You Get The Girl, Wonderland, and I Know Places in particular.
People hate Shake It Off way too much…. if it wasn’t constantly shoved down our throats on radio and shopping malls and every wedding reception the past decade I think people would be more into it. It’s fun and unoffensive, yes the lyrics are a little elementary but it’s so silly and joyful.
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1989 | Taylor Swift | Score 15.67
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Sunburn | Dominic Fike | Score: 14.33
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UTOPIA | Travis Scott | Score: 12.79
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