1989 (Taylor’s Version): Another Success for Taylor Swift
By Amanda Sinofsky
~Opinion~
~Opinion~
November 25, 2023
Image Credit: Photo by Brent Ninaber for Unsplash
On Oct. 27, 2023, Taylor Swift released “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”, her fourth re-recorded album on her quest to regain the rights to the first six albums of her career. “1989” was originally released in 2014, confirming Swift’s shift into the pop industry from her country roots. Now, nine years later, Swift has revisited the famous pop album that her fans know and love.
Along with every re-recording, Swift has released a set of songs “from the vault,” which are songs that did not make the cut for the original album that she now has the liberty to share with her fans.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” features five vault tracks, bringing the listener into Swift’s mind as she wrote this album and creating a fuller picture of the work as a whole.
As a Swiftie (the term coined to describe Swift fans) since the original release of “Speak Now” in 2010, I grew up with the album “1989”. I listened to it, along with the rest of her discography, all throughout my childhood.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is better than I could have ever imagined. Swift’s voice is beyond clear, bringing a refreshing new life to such familiar songs. As I listened to the album for the first time, I was immediately brought back to hours spent in my childhood listening to the same songs.
I was especially blown away by the vault tracks, specifically “Is It Over Now?”, which many fans speculate is written about Swift’s ex-boyfriend from around when she wrote “1989”, Harry Styles.
I found that many of the vault songs sound especially similar to her most recent album, “Midnights”, which she released in October 2022. I was a big fan of “Midnights”, so hearing more songs that have a similar sound was super exciting.
A few University of Maryland students, both Swifties and not, share their opinions on “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”.
Samantha Cohen, a freshman journalism major, does not consider herself a big fan of Swift, but still enjoys her music. After listening to a few songs from the new album, she said, “I think it sounds great. She definitely sounds much older, but I really enjoyed it. Her voice sounds very clear.”
Freshman kinesiology major Hannah Gordon had a personal connection to the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”, like many long-time fans.
“I saw the 1989 Tour with my mom in Montreal, so it was a road trip from where I live in Boston. Comparing the vivid memory of that experience to listening to the re-recording was different, but very nostalgic,” said Gordon.
Gordon’s favorite vault song was “Is It Over Now?”, along with elementary education major Mary Stockschlaeder. “It’s so perfect and is always stuck in my head,” said Stockschlaeder about the new release.
“I think that her voice is more mature in all of the re-recordings compared to the original albums. I definitely like it better as a whole, but there were some songs that were changed too much, like “I Wish You Would” and “Clean,” Stockschlaeder also said.
Lindsey Hutchins, a freshman government and politics major, was able to share the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” with friends who love Swift just as much as she does.
“When the album came out, it felt like a national holiday. My friends and I had a listening party and it was really nice to bond over something that everyone loves. It just felt like a really nice community,” said Hutchins.
Swift truly has the power to bring people together through her music. Personally, I have bonded with so many people over our love for Swift, leading to endless conversations about her and her music.
Swift is currently in the midst of her beyond successful Eras Tour, a sold-out celebration of her entire discography. “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was also a big win for Swift, blowing her fans away with her new renditions of familiar tracks and her unique unreleased songs. Now, Swifties are left to wait for Swift to release the last two re-recordings she has left, which are for her 2017 pop album “Reputation” and her 2006 self-titled debut album, “Taylor Swift.”
Swift has captivated her fans for years, and the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was no exception. Millions of Swifties around the world were thoroughly impressed and can’t wait for more music.
Along with every re-recording, Swift has released a set of songs “from the vault,” which are songs that did not make the cut for the original album that she now has the liberty to share with her fans.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” features five vault tracks, bringing the listener into Swift’s mind as she wrote this album and creating a fuller picture of the work as a whole.
As a Swiftie (the term coined to describe Swift fans) since the original release of “Speak Now” in 2010, I grew up with the album “1989”. I listened to it, along with the rest of her discography, all throughout my childhood.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is better than I could have ever imagined. Swift’s voice is beyond clear, bringing a refreshing new life to such familiar songs. As I listened to the album for the first time, I was immediately brought back to hours spent in my childhood listening to the same songs.
I was especially blown away by the vault tracks, specifically “Is It Over Now?”, which many fans speculate is written about Swift’s ex-boyfriend from around when she wrote “1989”, Harry Styles.
I found that many of the vault songs sound especially similar to her most recent album, “Midnights”, which she released in October 2022. I was a big fan of “Midnights”, so hearing more songs that have a similar sound was super exciting.
A few University of Maryland students, both Swifties and not, share their opinions on “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”.
Samantha Cohen, a freshman journalism major, does not consider herself a big fan of Swift, but still enjoys her music. After listening to a few songs from the new album, she said, “I think it sounds great. She definitely sounds much older, but I really enjoyed it. Her voice sounds very clear.”
Freshman kinesiology major Hannah Gordon had a personal connection to the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)”, like many long-time fans.
“I saw the 1989 Tour with my mom in Montreal, so it was a road trip from where I live in Boston. Comparing the vivid memory of that experience to listening to the re-recording was different, but very nostalgic,” said Gordon.
Gordon’s favorite vault song was “Is It Over Now?”, along with elementary education major Mary Stockschlaeder. “It’s so perfect and is always stuck in my head,” said Stockschlaeder about the new release.
“I think that her voice is more mature in all of the re-recordings compared to the original albums. I definitely like it better as a whole, but there were some songs that were changed too much, like “I Wish You Would” and “Clean,” Stockschlaeder also said.
Lindsey Hutchins, a freshman government and politics major, was able to share the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” with friends who love Swift just as much as she does.
“When the album came out, it felt like a national holiday. My friends and I had a listening party and it was really nice to bond over something that everyone loves. It just felt like a really nice community,” said Hutchins.
Swift truly has the power to bring people together through her music. Personally, I have bonded with so many people over our love for Swift, leading to endless conversations about her and her music.
Swift is currently in the midst of her beyond successful Eras Tour, a sold-out celebration of her entire discography. “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was also a big win for Swift, blowing her fans away with her new renditions of familiar tracks and her unique unreleased songs. Now, Swifties are left to wait for Swift to release the last two re-recordings she has left, which are for her 2017 pop album “Reputation” and her 2006 self-titled debut album, “Taylor Swift.”
Swift has captivated her fans for years, and the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was no exception. Millions of Swifties around the world were thoroughly impressed and can’t wait for more music.