On Oct. 27, Taylor Swift released her latest album “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” The album, originally released in 2014, was re-recorded by Swift, as a part of her journey to gain ownership of her work. Swift recorded her first six albums under the label “Big Machine Records.” In 2019, the label was sold to Scooter Braun, and with it, the masters for each of those albums. The following year, Braun sold her masters to “Shamrock Holdings” for $450 million with the condition that he would still be profiting off of the albums.
On Nov. 16, 2020, Swift released a statement on her Twitter account stating that she had wished to purchase her masters but Braun was not willing to negotiate a sale with her. She added that the terms set in place by Braun with “Shamrock Holdings” prevented any potential relationship between herself and the company leading her to begin the process of re-recording her music.
The release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” comes in the midst of Swift’s record-breaking “Eras Tour.” At the final show of the first US leg of the tour, Taylor announced the album during the “surprise song” segment of the concert. During the short hiatus from performances, along with promoting her album, Swift also announced and released a filmed version of the concert. The film made over $100 million in presales becoming the highest-grossing concert film in history.
The album consists of 21 songs including 16 re-records and five “Vault” songs. These are songs Swift had originally written for the “1989” album but were scrapped before its release. The album is packed with the synth-pop production nostalgic of the 2014 original. It’s nearly impossible to listen without bopping along to familiar hits like “Blank Space” and “Shake It Off”. The snappy, electric instrumentals of Swift’s “Welcome to New York (Taylor’s Version)” is sure to make it an anthem for all University swifties in New York City for the foreseeable future. At its heart, the album is not only a love letter to New York, but also to her early twenties. The album flows seamlessly between a range of emotions, from dancing it out with your friends to pining over ex-lovers.
Now exactly 10 years later, Swift’s performances of these songs hold an extra depth as she reflects back on her experiences. This is heard in the raw emotion and self-inflection she has in songs like “Clean (Taylor’s Version)” and “I Know Places (Taylor’s Version).” These themes carry on throughout the vault in songs like “‘Slut!’ (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault],” a devastatingly beautiful love ballad reflecting on how her image was being portrayed by the media. “Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” and “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” have become quick favorites amongst swifties. Taking over platforms like Tiktok where many have declared the album to be her best re-record to date. This could very well be the case with chart-tracking predicting that seven songs from “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” will chart in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, including “Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” occupying the top slot. “1989 (Taylor’s Version”) also marks the second largest Spotify album debut for a female artist ever, only being outdone by Swift’s own “Midnights.”
Overall, the album is just as astounding as it was 10 years ago. “1989 Taylor’s Version” is the perfect album for all University students that can relate to the feeling of being young and in love, experiencing heartbreak and leaning on friends for support—or, just wanting to let loose. Each song perfectly encapsulates the New York City experience.
Rating: 9.5/10
