“There is one thing you should know before we begin: I was born in 1989!”
Taylor Swift’s opening line during her 1989 World Tour in 2015 has been brought back to life with the re-recording of her fifth album, originally released Oct. 27, 2014.
Swift released “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” Oct. 27, 2023. Swift began re-recording her albums after losing ownership of her first six albums to Scooter Braun, an American entrepreneur and music executive in charge of managing and building many famous musicians’ careers, according to Wikipedia. His clients include Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and Demi Lovato.
Swift released her first re-recording, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” April 9, 2021. Since then, Swift has released three more re-recorded albums, including “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” One notable part of Swift’s re-recordings is that she releases songs from “The Vault” – songs Swift wrote several years ago but did not release at the time
In an Instagram post Aug. 10 announcing 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Swift revealed this re-recorded album is her favorite she has ever published.
One notable component of Swift’s re-recordings is that she releases songs from “The Vault,” which are songs that were written around the time when the album was first released but have never been heard.
Since Swift announced the names of the five vault tracks from “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” Swift’s fans awaited their release Sept. 20.
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Say Don’t Go
The second vault track, “Say Don’t Go,” is one of our favorites. Promptly after listening to this track, it reminded me of “Clean” from “1989,” however, this heartbreaking song is about something completely different.
According to Capital FM, this track explores Swift’s heartbreak over her ex-boyfriend, Harry Styles. With lyrics such as “We’re a shot in the darkest dark,” the song explores the misery of loving someone who no longer loves you. The pain of a one-sided relationship is brought to a gut-wrenching pinnacle with the line “I said I love you, you say nothing back.”
The song peaked as the fourth most-played song on Spotify in the U.S. within a week of its release.
Through the lyrics and the music, this song isn’t just one of our favorite vault tracks, but one of our favorite songs on the album.
Now That We Don’t Talk
The third track “Now That We Don’t Talk” is Swift’s shortest song at just over two minutes long. Regardless, this song is highly compelling and expresses a lot of emotion.
One of the main parts of this song is the outro, which became a trend on social media very quickly. Swift says, “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock/ Or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht/ With important men who think important thoughts/ Guess maybe I am better off/ Now that we don’t talk.” This part of the song reveals how Swift felt she had to change herself during the relationship, and can now return to her normal personality.
What makes this song so great is Swift’s ability to relate to her audience as she narrates how people may feel the need to change themselves in a relationship. Shortly after its release, “Now That We Don’t Talk” was the second most-played song in the U.S. on Spotify, proving its relatability.
Suburban Legends
“Suburban Legends” is the fourth vault track. “Suburban Legends” is a song that explores the love story of two successful stars who are lovers, with their relationship reaching beyond their small town. The song is shadowed by an inevitable break-up, as illustrated by the lyric: “We were born to be suburban legends.”
The lyric, “I broke my own heart/ ‘cause you were too polite to do it,” was posted on Swift’s Instagram prior to the release of the song. The lyric – part of the bridge of the song – refers to the heartbreak Swift inflicted upon herself. This song is more upbeat, and uses synth sounds that resemble a few songs from her most recent album, “Midnights.” Just a day after its release, “Suburban Legends” was the fifth most-played song on Spotify in the U.S. The production of the track fits well with the pop vibe of the album and is a great addition.
Is It Over Now?
Swift’s final vault track, “Is It Over Now?” describes a past romantic relationship in which feelings remain, even though both parties have moved on. Lines such as, “Was it over when she laid down on your couch?/ Was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse?” and “Was it over then?/ And is it over now?” demonstrate the confusion of feelings after a breakup.
Swift shared with Tumblr Music that she views “Is it Over Now?” as a “sister song” to her other “1989” songs: “All You Had to Do Was Stay,” “Out of the Woods” and “Style.” A “sister song” means the vault track is similar sounding to these other songs in the album.
After one day, “Is it Over Now?” was the number-one played song in the U.S. Like “Suburban Legends,” the song was co-written and produced by Jack Antonoff.
Having listened to all of Swift’s discography, we believe tracks from “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” are definitely some of the best tracks from “The Vault” ever released, certainly outdoing any of the other previous re-recorded albums. Songs from “The Vault” range from upbeat and relatable to heart-wrenching and wistful, making them the perfect listening medley.
