Photo courtesy of Mashable.
SAMANTHA RITTENBERG | STAFF REPORTER | srittenberg@butler.edu
Swifties will be in “screaming color” this week as “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” releases on Friday, Oct. 27. “It’s been a “long time coming” since Swift announced the re-release over two months ago.
On Aug. 9, Taylor Swift announced the exciting news that she would be releasing her re-recorded “1989” album. She revealed the news at her last show on the first U.S. leg of the Eras Tour. Swift told the audience that she had been “planning for a really, really, really ridiculously, embarrassingly long time,” which she followed by showing the cover art and release date for the album.
The reason Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six albums is because of both Big Machine Records manager Scott Borchetta and Ithaca Holdings — now known as HYBE — manager Scooter Braun. In 2019, Big Machine Records — Swift’s first record label she signed with in 2005 — sold the rights to Swift’s music to Ithaca Holdings, which they sold to Shamrock Capital. Swift had put up with enough of Borchetta and Braun and negotiated for ownership of all of her future works, so by re-recording her old music, she now owns the rights to those songs. She decided to call each of the re-recorded albums “Taylor’s Version” to signify the change.
As always in her re-recorded releases, Swift is releasing songs from the vault — which are songs that did not make the album the first time. Swift partnered with Google to create 89 different puzzles that fans had to collectively solve 33 million puzzles of — Swift is 33 years old — in order to get Swift to release the track names. Within 24 hours, Swifties solved the puzzles, and Swift released the titles. These songs include “Slut!”, “Don’t Say Go”, “Now That We Don’t Talk”, “Suburban Legends” and “Is It Over Now?”.
It is no surprise that Swift decided to release her new version of “1989” on the same day that she debuted the original version — just nine years later.
When the original “1989” album came out in 2014, it was a massive success. Within a week, the album sold more than 1.2 million copies, and it was the fifth album to stay in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 during the entirety of its first year.
“1989” is one of Taylor Swift’s most popular albums. According to The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) — an association that awards gold and platinum certifications to songs and albums depending on the number of listens in the U.S. — “Shake it Off” and “Blank Space” were the top two songs from “1989”. “Shake it Off” is Swift’s only diamond-certified hit and “Blank Space” falls closely behind.
First-year data science major Annie Weaver has been a Swiftie for as long as she can remember. She loved the original version of “1989” and can not wait to hear the “Taylor’s Version” release.
“When ‘1989’ was initially released, it was Taylor Swift’s most successful album to date,” Weaver said. “That’s why I think when ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ comes out, it’s gonna rock this world in a way it’s never been rocked [before].”
The album was also nominated for ten Grammy awards and ended up winning three for Album of the Year, Best Pop Album and Best Music Video for “Bad Blood”.
“1989” was Swift’s first all-pop album. Her previous album, “Red”, had a mix of both country and pop, so fans had gotten a taste of what her new style of music would be like. Some fans were understandably sad about this news, but others were excited to see what this new “era” would entail.
Another change from this album was that it would be Swift’s first album with no songs about heartbreak. The album still featured songs surrounding love — it is Taylor Swift after all — but none deliberately about guys breaking her heart. Instead, she wrote about other events that were taking place in her life, like moving to New York City. In “Welcome to New York”, Swift compares how moving to a new city is similar to getting into a new relationship. Swift also discusses how she has a fresh start and that it’s like “a new soundtrack.” It is definitely no coincidence that this song is the first track on the album.
Swift’s first single of the album, “Shake It Off”, is all about not letting the haters get to her. She sings that the haters are going to “hate, hate, hate” and she will just “shake it off.” In “Blank Space”, Swift also puts a satirical spin on what the haters have to say in the lyrics of this song by making fun of how the media portrays her.
Taylor Swift’s loyal fanbase is one reason that she can re-record her old music and make an insurmountable amount of money — they will always listen to her songs no matter what they are.
Junior biology major Sara Hunstad is very enthusiastic about the re-releases.
“I love them,” Hunstad said. “A lot of her albums from when she was younger [have] great songs, but I think they really shine with her mature voice.”
Nine years later, the album is going to sound a little bit different. This is because Swift has gotten more comfortable with singing pop music — “1989” was her first pop album — and her voice has matured.
Sophomore strategic communication major Megan Campbell discussed her thoughts on the change.
“I like the original because that’s what I grew up on,” Campbell said. “It reminds me of my childhood because I remember I listened to that as a kid. But I think her new voice is amazing too.”
Regardless of whether fans like Swift’s teenage or adult voice better, Swifties everywhere will be listening to the new album when it drops on Friday.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” will be available to listen to on any major music streaming platform or for purchase in stores starting Friday, Oct. 27.
