Album Review: 1989 (Taylor’s Version)

Review by: Megan Lee

Artist: Taylor Swift

Rating: 5/5

Taylor Swift has continued the rerelease of her first six studio albums with the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on October 27. Originally released in 2014, 1989 was seen as Swift’s first full pop album. Amplifying the fun, poppy
vibe of the original, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) has cemented itself as a pure example of the command Swift’s artistic voice has over her music.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) includes five new vault tracks along with the album’s original 16 songs. In her five new songs, Swift touches on a past relationship while still keeping the upbeat, nostalgic energy of the original album. Through-
out all her re-recorded albums, Swift has done an amazing job at keeping the mood of the album whilst adding factors she wished she had added when she was younger. Original songs like “Style” and “Bad Blood” sound more mature, while still keeping the youthful tone of the original album.

Swift previously referred to 1989 as an album about her friends and her life in New York. However, she felt as though the original album didn’t accurately reflect the issues she was dealing with at the time. On the 2014 release, Swift touches on her struggles with her mental health and feeling alone in the song “Clean”. In the re-release, we can hear her further explore these feelings in the vault tracks “Is It Over Now?” and “Say Don’t Go”. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) also does a great job of sticking to those heartfelt lyrics Swift is known for while keeping its songs confident and hopeful. The vault track, “Now That We Don’t Talk”, has easily made its way into my top list of Swift songs with her play on a pop track that incorporates the classic, emotional lyrics of a Swift song.

1989 (Taylor’s Version) is perfectly suited for the nostalgia that comes with the end of summer. As Swift continues to take the music industry by storm, fans can only hope to see what will come in 2024.