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“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is an enduring classic with outstanding vocals and vibrant lyrics that outshine the original recording.
Swift began her re-recording journey on April 9, 2021, when she released “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” followed by “Red (Taylor’s Version)” later that year on Nov. 12. Swift also released her version of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” earlier this year.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was released on Oct. 27. Swift first announced the album at one of her Eras Tour concerts in Los Angeles in August, followed by several social media posts later that night. While the majority of the tracks are the same as those released in the original album in 2014, Swift also announced five new vault tracks for the re-record on her social media, previously unreleased tracks she wrote at the same time as the original songs.
Taylor Swift’s fourth re-recording, “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” brings back her classic beats while adding a new level to the album through outstanding vault tracks.
After listening to all of the re-recorded songs, I was amazed at Swift’s vocal improvements compared to the original release. In the re-recording, her voice sounds clean and fresh; you can hear the lyrics more clearly. In the song “Blank Space,” the lyric, “Got a long list of ex-lovers, they’ll tell you I’m insane,” was often misinterpreted with the phrase “Starbucks lovers.” However, in the new release, her clear voice helped me hear the actual lyrics.
While many people seem to be upset with the new version of “Style,” arguing on social media that it sounds like AI, and not similar to the original recording, I think that it has improved from the original. In the new release, Taylor decides to include a deep bass guitar intro instead of the usual acoustic classic guitar intro. I think the bass guitar sounds better, as it fits the smooth tone of the song.
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“Out of the Woods” has always been one of my favorite songs from the original album, and the re-recorded version did not disappoint! I was captivated by the new vocals accompanied by the same background instrumentals as before. One of my favorite parts of the song is the bridge, so when I heard the re-recorded version I was amazed at how terrific it sounded. Swift was able to maintain the essence of the song while showing her growth as a singer.
While the re-recordings were great, I was mostly hyped about the vault track songs. The two with my highest expectations, “Say Don’t Go” and “Now That We Don’t Talk,” easily gained spots in my top 10 of the album. These songs were great additions to the album, as Swift’s voice in both of these songs sounds mature and vibrant.
When Swift first announced the re-record on her social media, she stated, “To be perfectly honest, this is my FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done.” I agree with her! The vault tracks stand out, the vocals are fantastic and the songs came out better than I could have ever imagined. While it did take me some time to get accustomed to the other re-recordings, I was able to adapt to “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” quickly.
With only two re-recordings to go, “Taylor Swift” and “Reputation,” Swift will be able to own the masters of all of her albums soon. I’m not sure which will come next, but for now, I’m just going to shake it off to this amazing re-recording and wait for what is to come.
