Taylor Swift’s 1989 album is known for representing the 2010s era of music. She redefined the pop genre as we knew it, and brought a classic album to life.
Recently, Swift re-recorded this album and released it as 1989 (Taylor’s Version) as a means of reclaiming the rights to her previous albums, which were lost when her old record label refused to give her ownership of her master. With each re-recording Swift also releases vault tracks which were tracks that were initially discarded while in the production of the original album. Some of her biggest vault tracks were “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” and “Nothing New feat. Phoebe Bridgers (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”. In 1989 (Taylor’s Version), she released five new vault tracks which redefined her past album as a whole and shines light on the complexities of 1989.
“Slut! (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
“Slut!” is a dreamy, slow paced song that vaguely discusses the misogynistic comments Swift received due to her widely publicized dating life. The song “Shake It Off” also deals with similar themes of slut-shaming, however “Slut!” is unique because it’s a reflection of Swift choosing to love someone unabashedly without caring about the backlash she receives. She sings “But if I’m all dressed up, They might as well be looking at us, If they call me a ‘slut!’, You know it might be worth it for once”. Originally, Swift was planning on including “Slut!” on the tracklist instead of the famous “Blank Space”, but ended up choosing not to release it.
“Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
“Say Don’t Go” tells a story of a relationship in which Swift holds out her last hope for her partner to come back to her. She says throughout the song “I’m holding out hope for you to say, ‘Don’t go’, I would stay forever if you say, ‘Don’t go’”. The themes within this song are similar to many tracks from her fourth studio album Red, which was released right before 1989. For example, the song “Stay, Stay, Stay”, is a more lighthearted version of this song where the speaker of the song decides to stay in the relationship just because they’re different from the other men she has dated. “Come Back…Be Here…” also tells a story of Swift missing her partner and realizing she is in love with them after they leave. Although these are much more lighthearted songs that have a much more pop version of this theme, they show the growth in Swift’s songwriting and voice.
“Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
“Now That We Don’t Talk” is a poppy song about a break up between Swift and an ex lover. Many fans have theorized it is about Harry Styles, and have made a TikTok trend singing the lyrics “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock, Or that I’d like to be on a mega-yacht, With important men who think important thoughts”. It tells a story of your perspective on a past relationship months after it ended. She tells herself throughout the song “I am better off, Now that we don’t talk”.
“Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
“Suburban Legends” is rumored to tell the story of the break up between Swift and Harry Styles. Because Swift and Styles are both musical powerhouses they are both “legends”, but instead of doing this literally, she metaphorically writes about their relationship into a “suburban legend”. In this song she sings “I had this fantasy our mismatched star signs would surprise the whole school…You’d be more than a chapter in my old diary with the pages ripped out”. She uses this idea of high school sweetheart to reimagine her relationship with Harry Styles and how she had hoped they would eventually work out.
“Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)”
“Is It Over Now?” is the last vault track of 1989. In this song, Swift sings of how she found out Harry Styles was cheating on her and how she feels mixed feelings towards him after their break up. She sings “And you think I didn’t see you? There were flashing lights, At least I had the decency to keep my nights out of sight” as she discusses how she found out Styles cheating through paparazzi photos. Swift is absolutely scathing in this song singing “You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor, You search in every models bed for something greater”.
Overall, the vault tracks of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) make 1989 an even more memorable album as Swift carefully illustrates her emotional growth throughout this period of her life. They add further depth to 1989 and create a cohesive image of Swift. Make sure to listen to 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
I am a student at University of Houston currently studying Strategic Communications. In my free time, I write for different publications as I am extremely passionate about music. I collect vinyls, go to concerts, and play guitar. Some of my favorite artists include Paramore, Kendrick Lamar, and Lorde. On the weekends I make pottery, sew, and spend time with my dog.
