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1989 (Taylor’s Version) is a re-recording of Taylor Swift’s fifth album, 1989, which was originally released in 2014 (technically making this release her 13th album). Taylor Swift has set out to re-record her initial six albums (Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation) to ensure her ownership rights to these albums under her current record deal after the infamous Scooter Braun bought her previous record company. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is Taylor’s fourth album re-release.
The original 1989 album was released on October 27th, 2014 (exactly 9 years before 1989 (Taylor’s Version). This album is considered the reinvention era of Taylor Swift, setting her conversion from country music to pop music. Many of the songs on this album are rumored to be inspired by Taylor’s previous relationship with former One Direction member and current global superstar, Harry Styles.
This album includes all 16 of the album’s original tracks plus five tracks from the vault These vault tracks were songs Taylor had written or recorded that were to be released on the album but never did. These vault tracks are: “‘Sl-t!’,” “Say Don't Go,” “Now That We Don't’t Talk,” “Suburban Legends,” and “Is It Over Now?” When Taylor announced the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) back in August, she stated, “To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind.”
1989 (Taylor’s Version) has caused many debates on social media. Many people have made it clear that they prefer the stolen version to Taylor’s version due to its “strange instrumental quality” and sounding like “nails on a chalkboard" or “kids bop.” In a survey taken of 15 people on 11/6/23, 73.3% of people prefer Taylor’s version, 20% of people prefer the stolen version, and 6.7% of people have no preference.
In my opinion, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is superior to the stolen version. Excluding the fact that the album included five incredible vault tracks, the production and Taylor’s voice have improved dramatically since the initial release of 1989 During the week of November 5th, Taylor Swift dominated the Billboard charts claiming 10 spots out of the top 20.
Overall, I would rate this album a 9/10 because sometimes the background tracks seem louder than Taylor’s voice on some songs. Whether you are an old Swiftie, a new Swiftie, or have never listened to Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) has something for everyone to enjoy.
You can find 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on all streaming platforms!
