It seems like Taylor Swift’s music has been a part of me for my whole life. I was in first grade when the original 1989 album came out. I had a blonde bob and wore red lipstick religiously to match the original 1989 albums cover photo. There are videos of me in the back of my mom’s car in my black booster seat shaking my wild hair and screaming along to “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space.” The re-release of the album has made the older “Swifties” (Taylor’s fan base) happy.

       My “addiction” to Taylor Swift started with the release of the aforementioned “1989” album ; she has since become an idol to me. As she relives her youth by re-recording her albums, I and many other “swifties” get to experience the same excitement given to us by “1989” almost ten years later. 

        “If a song says at the end “Taylor’s Version”, that means I own it,” Swift said Nov. 11, 2021 on the Jimmy Fallon Show.

       Music Producer Scooter Bruan bought Swift’s masters–the rights to her music and ownership–in 2019, allowing him to receive a profit of $265 million made from all of her recorded albums produced by him from 2006 to 2017. Swift has been re-recording these albums since 2021, succeeding in gaining the creative liberty to officially own her music again.

        August 18, 2014 is when Swift announced the original “1989” album, the start of her “free era”. She was embracing independence, she lived in New York and was inspiring little kids all over to also be independent. She was more in the public eye than ever before, galavanting New York City with friends every weekend and living a new era compared to her other albums. 

       During “Eras Tour” in Inglewood, California on August 9th, 2023 night three, Swift announced that the “1989″ album was being re-recorded. She noted that it changed her life in many ways and later named “1989” her favorite album in an Instagram post.

       In her Netflix documentary,This album was during one of Swift’s most difficult times, she produced a movie on Netflix called “Miss Americana.”  Swift opens up about her struggles with an eating disorder during the “1989” tour in 2014. She talks about dancing, singing on stage and feeling like she can’t breathe. She mentions in the documentary, she thought this was how she was meant to feel as a performer/artist.

       I am not very sure she is going to make a music video for her new re-recording, I along with other Swifties are ecstatic and coming up with theories since we have knowledge of “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” and “Debut (Taylor’s Version)” being next. Over all her more aged and progressed voice along with the beat and lyrics to her older songs are amazing and I am ready to hear more from her.

       Swifties believed she was going to announce Reputation (Taylor’s Version) on November 10th and 27th before the first year of her tour came to a wrap. Just like everyones spotify wraps.. She didn’t announce Reputation TV, but the morning of November 29th the news was dropped, she is the Top Global Streamed Artist on Spotify for 2023. She also released a vault song from her album “Midnights’ ‘ called You’re Losing Me. 

       The “vault” tracks— tracks of music that didn’t make it onto the original album— were saved until now, are what I am most interested in. Like being able to hear her thoughts from back then that were kept a secret.

1.“Slut!” I expected this song to be about everyone calling her inappropriate words, but the song is more dreamy;a kind of wonderland on clouds vibe, much like the song “Willow” on Swift’s album from 2021 “Evermore”. The song’s meaning is about Swift’s passionate love for a “gentleman” and her willingness to discard what the media says about her and dive into a relationship with him. 

2.“Say Don’t Go” I feel like this song is about  knowing that her relationship is coming to an end, but wanting it to last. One of her most popular lyrics in the song is “I said, ‘I love you,’ you say nothing back.” She is trying to hold onto this everlasting love, but the other person won’t try. Which has happened a lot to her, she has stated during talk shows her being let down over and over. 

3.“Now That We Don’t Talk” This vault track has blown up all over social media platforms such as TikTok. People use the song to call out formal romantic and platonic relationships, by using the song audio with the “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock, or that I like to be on a mega yacht” and replacing the lyrics along with their own memories of the relationships.

4.“Suburban Legends” Taylor talks about her high school fantasies involving her crush. The song is really great in my opinion. I love the flow of the song and how strong her voice is throughout it; however, it is not my favorite vault track. The beat in the jam track seems to drown down as if something bad is going to happen but nothing does.

5.“Is It Over Now?” This song goes in depth on a guy who she used to be in a relationship with, and how they drifted apart. Swifties speculated the song is about Harry Styles, Taylor Swift’s ex-boyfriend from 2012 to 2013. Swift talks about how he “grew his hair long” and was with other girls, but she was with other guys. 

       Knowing how much she has been through and how much this album meant to her, I am looking forward to seeing a “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” music video and seeing how it compares to the “Shake It Off” music video and “Out Of The Woods” music video, two of her most famous music videos.

       Even though we didn’t get another album drop, we got much this year and more to come from her in 2024. See you guys on News Year’s Day.