“1989”, the fifth studio album and a global sensation by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, has been re-recorded and remastered, marking a significant evolution. “I was born in 1989, reinvented for the first time in 2014, and a part of me was reclaimed in 2023 with the re-release of this album I love so dearly," Says Swift, in the “1989” Prologue.
First of all, why was this album re-recorded anyway? 5 years ago, Swift lost control of all her master recordings to her previous label, Big Machine Records, and the rights to her first 6 albums from her 1st self-titled debut album, “Taylor Swift” all the way to her 6th album, “reputation.” Scooter Braun, a man whom Swift had bad relations with was able to claim her original catalog, and in order for Swift,“to reclaim her songs,” she must re-record everything and release them under the name ‘Taylor’s Version’ or ‘TV’” (). “1989”, was one of these albums that were obtained by Scooter Braun, and after 5 long years, Swift has been able to reclaim one of her biggest pop sensations!
On this new remastered album, Swift features all her songs from the original “1989” album all remastered and sung by her new matured voice and new vocal skills acquired between the 9 years between both albums, along with 5 brand-new songs that didn't make it onto the original album from her musical ‘vault’! The added songs are: "'Sl*t!'", "Say Don't Go", “Now That We Don’t Talk”, "Suburban Legends", and "Is It Over Now?".
“‘Sl*t!’” is one of the many love songs featured on “1989,” which speaks about Swift’s reputation regarding her love life and all the men she’s dated, and Swift enters acceptance with this title, as long as being called this name means that the person she’s dating at the time, the person she's become, is for her soulmate, the one she's been searching for. Similarly to the other songs on “1989,” this song was written in early 2013-2014 and never made it onto the original album. However, much of the topic covered and responses to Swift’s reputation were mostly seen in a very similar song on the original album, “Blank Space.”
“Say Don’t Go,” is yet another of the love songs featured on this album, and its main topics are both about heartbreak and unrequited love. Swift expresses deep emotional connection and fear about separation from the beginning of the song, and continues to speak further into the highs and lows found within a relationship, but later themes of betrayal and heartbreak emerge as Swift begins to sing about why she was left alone by her significant other (or so its implied) and left alone to emotionally rot. The song speaks about the complexity of love, grappling between intense love and the painful reality that it wasn't meant to be.
“Now That We Don't Talk,” has a very clear topic from its title and is one of the sadder songs on the album, yet it keeps its upbeat feeling of a pop album. It covers the end of a relationship and the emotions intertwined within it, and similarly to the title it speaks about Swift questioning what happens post-breakup, now that she and her significant other don't talk.
“Suburban Legends” helps describe the life of a very strong relationship and is able to express how alluring yet complex a relationship can be, and how love can be interwoven with both passion and pain, good and bad, and love and loss. The sense of loss grows further into the song, once Swift begins to reconcile about the absence of her love, as she longs and mourns for her significant other she once had in such a powerful relationship, which can be assumed has ended.
"Is It Over Now?" is the final song on “1989” TV, and speaks about the concepts of heartbreak and lamenting a lost love, reconciling on the previous experiences shared with her previous significant other, which some people may believe was Harry Styles. Similar to another song on the original “1989” album, "Style" featured a few lyrics depicting Harry Styles and the evidence is incredibly overwhelming! In another song, "Out Of The Woods”, she mentions a snowmobile accident with Harry, and here she does it once again! Another part of evidence is her talking about her blue dress on a boat, which is a direct reference to the paparazzi photos taken of Swift leaving a vacation with Harry early, with Harry nowhere to be seen. The song focuses a lot on the betrayal exhibited in the Swift-Styles relationship, but also helps Swift stand up for herself rather than seem like a damsel in distress as she may be perceived in many of her other songs.
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