(Written January 23rd, 2024)
1989. A year of many events, including (but not limited to) the death of Salvador Dali, the end of Ronald Reagan’s presidency and therefore the beginning of George H. W. Bush’s, the invention of the Game Boy and the World Wide Web, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Both beginnings and ends occurred in the year 1989, but one specific beginning stands out. Perhaps even one of the greatest beginnings in the modern world. The birth of the global phenomenon, Taylor Swift. She was born in 1989, and is proud of it. “My name is Taylor, and I was born in 1989!” -Taylor Swift. 1989 is not only Taylor’s birth year, it’s also the name of one of the most remarkable and controversial pop albums of all time. Controversial how? See? Already got you hooked. So take the bait, and find out all about 1989 (Taylor’s Version) from the songs, to the theme, to the era aesthetic. 1989 may be ten years old, but it never goes out of Style.
Switching Sides
Where to start? The controversy, of course. You see, if you don’t know about Taylor Swift, – please, read A Swiftie’s Rabbit Hole (by me) – she started out in the golden fields of country music. Now, personally, I’m not super fond of much country music (only a couple songs here and there) but if it’s Taylor country music, then I’m all ears. Her country just has some sort of fun, pop element to it. One thing I do love about country music in general is that it’s just so honest and raw, putting aside the references to alcohol, girls in tight jeans, dogs, your high school boyfriend cheating on you and then you getting revenge by keying his car, trucks, tractors, etc. Taylor’s music isn’t like that but a lot of country music in general is, no judgment though. You like what you like. Anyway, Taylor has 4 main country albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, and Red. Red was big, though, because it was the guinea pig, the experiment. Red is very reminiscent of her country past, while still having a lot of pop dabbled here and there in songs like 22, We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together, and even dubstep in I Knew You Were Trouble. 1989 was the absolute leap of faith though, with no remnants of her country roots in sight (‘cept for a hint of her accent). It was very different and groundbreaking and a lot of people did not like that. Though, as they say, change the world, don’t let the world change you. That’s exactly what Taylor did and it ended up really benefiting her. The original 1989 has sold over 14,332,116 copies worldwide as of June 2023, according to Diaro AS. 1989 is the best-selling album of her whole career. It was controversial ‘cause no one expects a curly-haired hillbilly with a dream to become a glittery, renowned, mega pop star. Not only that but it’s a tremendous banger of an album, and you’re about to find out all about it.
From Nightmares Dressed Like a Daydream, to Daydreams Dressed Like Nightmares
1989 may not be my favorite album, but that doesn’t dull its spotlight. Don’t get me wrong, Taylor is a great song-writer but track lists are not one of her strong suits. I did hear someone say that her track lists don’t make sense at first glance (example: Soon You’ll get Better squished between London Boy and False God) because she puts a sad or slower song next to a more upbeat or happy song ‘cause “opposites attract.” It makes sense when you look at Red but in MY opinion, the track list should tell a story. Sorry, not sorry, Taylor. If you wanna dig deeper look at some of the Swiftologist’s videos on rearranging Taylor Swift album track lists. Now, let’s look at the 1989 (original and Taylor’s Version) track list.
*Sweeter Than Fiction was written for a movie but Taylor re-recorded it and it’s available as a Target bonus track on the Tangerine 1989 (TV) vinyl.
For this I will rank each song, feature my favorite lyric(s) from the song, and add the stream count (for the Taylor’s Version) as of March 26, 2024 on Spotify. Lastly, I’ll talk about my top 5 songs and all about them sonically, lyrically, emotionally, etc. Let’s begin.
Every song on this album is AMAZING but not every song can be #1!
21. Bad Blood– Bad Blood is a fan favorite and it’s not horrible, but TV is really bland. It’s missing what the original had. I do like the version featuring Kendrick Lamar more but it’s still not as great as it could be. Fav lyric: “Band-Aids don’t fix bullet holes/ You say sorry just for show/ …(You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go).” Streams (reg + KL version combined)- 125.1M
20. Welcome To New York: Fav lyric: “Walkin’ through a crowd, the village is aglow/ kaleidoscope of loud heartbeats under coats.” Streams: 96.3M
19. Sweeter Than Fiction– Unfortunately STF (TV) isn’t available anywhere but on the Tangerine vinyl variant of 1989. There are some low-quality versions on Spotify, but I’ll save you the trouble. At the end of this story, you’ll find a link to a Google Drive full of unreleased Taylor Swift songs — made by Anna Stern – and you’ll be able to find STF (TV). The hyperlink above is the “stolen” version. Fav lyric: “And when they call your name/ And they put your picture in a frame/ You know that I’ll be there time and again/ ‘Cause I loved you when, when you/ Hit the ground.” Streams (OG Ver.)- 17.4M
18. Clean– The “Clean” speech is better than the song itself. Clean has such a deep sentiment and the songwriting is pretty much peak. If I was writing a list of 1989 from worst to best then Clean would be higher. Fav lyrics: “Rain came pouring down/ When I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe” & “So I punched a hole in the roof.” Streams: 81.7M
17. You Are In Love: Fav lyrics: The bridge and “Cause you can hear it in the silence/ You can feel it on the way home/ You can see it with the lights out/ You are in love, true love.” Streams: 59.4M
16. How You Get The Girl– Taylor provided the male (or female! don’t come at me) audience an exact, step-by-step, tutorial on how to win over the girl. Yet, still many boys/men are clueless (women know what they’re doing) and screw up their chance(s). Well, here it is, boys. Get your act together and listen to this guide. Fav lyrics: The whole song, period. Streams: 63.9M
15. Blank Space– Blank Space is a fan favorite, and it’s great, and it has tons of streams, – the OG, anyhow – but TV is missing a little spice. It’s still a banger, though. Fav lyrics: ‘Cause you know I love the players/ And you love the game,” & “‘Cause, darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.” Streams: 140.8M
14. New Romantics– New Romantics sums up the whole record. Heartbreak is Taylor’s national anthem, and we know she sings it at the top of her lungs, proud as can be. Fav lyrics: “Heartbreak is the national anthem/ We sing it PROUD-LY” & “The best people in life are free.” Streams: 99.7M
13. Out Of The Woods + All You Had To Do Was Stay– Both have great production, peak song-writing, vivid story-telling, and the vocals are literally Taylor Swift heaven. Fav lyrics: OOTW- The whole bridge. AYHTDWS- “People like you always want back the love they pushed aside/ But people like me are gone forever when you say goodbye.” OOTW Streams: 111.3M AYHTD: 83.4M
12. This Love: Fav lyric: “When you’re young, you just run/ But you come back to what you need.” Streams: 233.3M
11. Say Don’t Go: Fav lyric: “I said, ‘I love you’ *silence* / You say nothin’ back.” Streams: 153.8M
10. Wonderland: Just gotta say, most underrated song on 1989, — other than AYHTDWS — argue with the wall. Fav lyric: “You searched the world for somethin’ else/ To make you feel like what we had/ And in the end, in Wonderland, we both went mad.” Streams: 62.4M
9. Is It Over Now?:- This song is the biggest, call-out letter ever. This song put me in a coffin for real. Fav lyric: “Blue dress on a boat/ Your new girl is my clone.” Streams: 349.3M (funny, the track length is 3 minutes and 49 seconds, what a coincidence.)
8. Shake It Off– People are saying that there’s a weird clicking in Shake It Off TV but it’s actually just the drumsticks which were in the original as well, just a little quieter. It bothers a lot of people for no reason, but I’m immune, so just a heads up. Fav lyrics: Every slice and sound of the delicacy known as the bridge. It belongs in a museum. Streams: 94.8M
7.“S**t!”– Did you know that this song was the biggest plot twist of 2023? Everyone thought it was gonna be some sort of feminist. male-dissing anthem that you would be able to scream-sing and head-bang to, but it turned out to be a lovey-dovey romance song, and we are so glad it is. Fav lyrics: “In a world of boys, he’s a gentleman,” and “You’re not saying you’re in love with me/ But you’re going to.” Streams: 224.6M
6. Wildest Dreams: Wildest Dreams is literally that girl. A fact about this song is that Taylor’s heartbeat is incorporated in the rhythm, which in my opinion is beautiful. Her heart and soul really can be heard in the song and it’s paired with a fantastic, cinematic masterpiece of a music video. Fav lyrics: The chorus. Streams: 680.5M
5. Suburban Legends– This song feels like the future, yet like nostalgia itself at the same time. I could recite the outro ‘till the end of time. Fav lyrics: The outro and second verse. Streams: 93.9M
4. Now That We Don’t Talk– This song is short but it’s moving. It’s so catchy, that first listen holds you captive, and the lyrics are so fun, it’s amazing. I do think it should’ve been longer, ‘cause it totally could have been, but I love the song regardless, and I always have. It has pretty great production, too. Fav lyrics: The first and second verses, and “So I call my mom, she said to get it off my chest (off my chest)/ Remind myself the way you faded ’til I left (’til I left).” Streams: 230.4M
3. I Wish You Would– I can’t even. I hadn’t fully listened to the album when TV came out and I thought that I Wish You Would and I Know Places would be the sleepers of the album. Oh, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. The production, the vocals, the emotion. It’s so, so, SO, good. The drums in these two songs give them such life. Fav lyrics: The choruses and the bridge. The bridge is fantastic. Streams: 73.5M
2. I Know Places– Taylor’s Version of this song is actually truly improved from the OG. The drums were clearer and hit harder and that “and we RUN” growl note thingy in the second verse is like… Wow. The vocals, everything is just movie-worthy. Fav lyrics: The choruses, “and we RUN!”, and that post-chorus at the end. Amazing. Streams: 63.4M
1. Style– I didn’t even know this was my favorite song from 1989 till now. The different guitar intro in TV actually didn’t affect me (some people are really picky I guess). I still love that guitar intro, the lyrics, the “take me hooome,” they’re all crucial ingredients in a number-one-worthy song like Style. Fav lyrics: That chorus never goes out of Style, for real. Streams: 170.7M
As for the track list, I have no complaints because the opener (WTNY) and the closer (IION) are both fitting. There aren’t sonically “sad” songs because they’re all upbeat or pop-ish (Say Don’t Go, Bad Blood, OOTW, and AYHTDWS sound sad lyrically). So, the track list is something I really have more of a neutral opinion on. Moving on…
Flashing Lights and Flashbacks
If you’ve read my first Taylor Swift story ever (A Swiftie’s Rabbit Hole), I described the 1989 era as “[Taylor’s] genre-jump to pop and the album about her move to New York when she had an eating disorder.” There is so much more to the era though, and Taylor goes into detail about it in her 1989 TV Prologue on Genius, taken from the physical copies of 1989 TV. At that time, at the age of 24, she decided to completely reinvent herself, and it all started with a haircut. In the prologue, Taylor states the many ways she could reinvent herself – and she did – other than getting a haircut. “Musically, geographically, aesthetically, behaviorally, motivationally.” This next part is one of the reasons people hate Taylor (not valid) and it’s not because of her amount of boyfriends. It’s the fact that she plays the victim “all the time.” I can partially agree, because yes, she does play the victim mildly often, but she’s only human, no matter how famous she is or isn’t. You’ve played the victim before, don’t even deny it. I’ve played the victim too. We all have. I do reiterate this quite a bit but I’m gonna say it again and again. Taylor at least admits that she has played the victim — not as often as she should but at least she does and that’s what matters. In The Archer she admits “I’ve been the archer, I’ve been the prey.” Meaning that she’s shot others down, but others have targeted her and shot her down too. We as humans morph every day, sometimes being the bad guys, sometimes becoming the heroes flying around saving face. The truth is, we just don’t admit it more than we’d like to. We can judge people, we have free will, but maybe we should judge ourselves first. Yes, sometimes flaws become insecurities, but in this case I encourage you to, before judging someone, look at yourself and think, “have I done that?” or “would I want anyone to say or think that about me?” Apologizing is the bare minimum, recognizing and accepting our own faults seals the deal. Back to the prologue, Taylor reminisces on the way people treated her in 2014-15, shaming her for her amount of boyfriends, or even just guy friends and the way she changed and grew from the Red era. Country to pop, boyfriend/s to girl squad, curly hair to shoulder-length straight, high-waisted shorts and clothes with a sort of masculine touch to crop tops, skirts, and heels, heels, heels. From the beaches of LA to the skyscrapers of New York. I’d even go as far as to say that it was like Taylor was completely changing her identity, like she was on the run – which she was. Which takes us to the next thing. Her eating disorder in 2014-15. The media was scrutinizing her and villainizing her which obviously had a negative effect. Taylor Swift developed an eating disorder. People noticed it too, and she acknowledges and reminisces about this in her 2020 documentary, titled Miss Americana. She also mentions it in different songs. “I hosted parties and starved my body, like I’d be saved by a perfect kiss,” from YOYOK, another one from YOYOK, “I searched the party of better bodies,” “Then I hate my reflection, for years and years,” from the Archer, “I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror,” “Sometimes I feel like everybody is a sexy baby, and I’m the monster on the hill,” both from Anti-Hero, and “Only rumors ‘bout my hips and thighs and my whispered size/sighs” from Is It Over Now?. The lyric from IION – “Only rumors ‘bout my hips and thighs and my whispered size/sighs,” – is explained flawlessly on Genius. The word “sighs”’s homophone is the word “size,” therefore making room for two possibilities rather than one about what Tay was trying to say when she wrote this lyric. On Genius, they state two simultaneous meanings: “Taylor’s love life and her eating disorder.” We won’t go into the “love life” part but we will go into the “eating disorder” part further. According to Genius, “Alternatively, the word “sighs” could be a purposeful homophone for “size.” In addition to her dating life, the media bashed Taylor for her skinniness. Therefore, the lyrics’ focus on body parts could be interpreted as rumors about her body size.” A lot of people had no idea and I didn’t either at first. As I went learning more and more about her though, I uncovered the lore about the 1989 era and 2014-15 in general. If you didn’t know, now you do. It really is a vital thing to know if you’re a Swiftie, just an admirer, a casual listener, or anyone, because I think it helps you sympathize with Taylor more and lets you know that Taylor Swift is still human under all the fame. Unfortunately, some people remain unmoved, but you can only do so much. To take it home: the physical aesthetic of 1989. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) sounds like New York but the vault tracks make it sound like California simultaneously, unlike the original. The basic aesthetic? Anything New York, the ocean, seagulls, sunglasses, glitter, crop-tops, girl squad, cars, driving, cameras and paparazzi, the beach, bustling urban cities, Sydney, blue, white, and flashing lights. Let me know if I missed anything!
Beyond the Beats
You know all about the back story, inspiration, and aesthetic of 1989, but do you know what direction Taylor was going for this album? What message she was sending out? The sole truth is, the moral of 1989 is that Harry Styles is good to write songs about, but not good at driving. As well as the fact that he finds models and blue-eyed blondies appealing. Yep, you heard me right. Okay, truth is, this is the basic description of 1989. The album is in fact mainly about Harry Styles’ and Taylor Swift’s relationship, it mentions that he dated many models after Taylor and women that looked like her in general, and it references their little snowmobile accident, bad driving, and headlights quite a bit…like every song. Even in songs that aren’t in 1989 (coney island). Of course, 1989 covers many topics just like every other one of her albums. The main stuff that 1989 consists of is the following: 1) Scrutiny and the media. The references to flashing lights and cameras/paparazzi connect to the media and how she felt her relationships and actions were always in the spotlight. I think we can agree that most anyone would swap with her in a heartbeat, but they overlook the hardships and adversities that celebrities face, proving that optimism isn’t always the way. I’m sure we’ll talk about this in a future album review soon… Point is, scrutiny drives lots of people nuts. It ruins relationships (even certain ones of six years), twists people’s perspective on a person, causes people to hide from the public eye/ shut everyone out, depression, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, low self-esteem, and overall negativity surrounding a person or group of people. Of course, almost every Taylor Swift album mentions and/or includes the topic of media scrutiny judgment because it’s an everyday thing for her and other celebrities. Even some heartless people think that billionaires/celebrities/millionaires aren’t real people and that depression, anxiety, and other horrible things simply cannot exist for these “non-humans” and that they can say whatever they want about them because it won’t hurt the “non-humans” in any way. Taylor agrees with this statement, though, in her song Mean: “Someday, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me/ And all you’re ever gonna be is mean.” And honestly, is she right? Is Taylor overexposed or too big to fail? She’s showing up in the NFL, her concert film is on Disney+, she still has tons of concerts left, – and her tour is going to span over a year – she’s releasing a new album in April, rep (TV) and Taylor Swift (TV) still have yet to be released, she’s dating a football star for one of the best teams in North America, and she has ongoing beef (?) with lots of people. Taylor Swift is the most hated, yet most loved celebrity in the world, and she has remained timeless (wink, wink) for 17, almost 18 years so far. The big question is, is the Eras Tour the end? Will she add a TTPD set till the end of the tour and release the final re-records and then break up with Travis Kelce and run away to The Lakes never to be seen again, to be a peacefully tortured poet in isolation with only a typewriter, leaving a mystery and Easter eggs for after her inevitable death only for her will to be discovered, revealing her cats as the only heirs to all her wealth and worldly possessions? Hopefully not. No matter how many people hate her, it comes down to who loves and supports her. However, I don’t think that she is too big to fail. She could do lots of horrible things that could lead to her ultimate downfall, much worse than during the reputation era. Overall though, I sincerely hope Taylor Swift continues to make music and stretch out her career for as long as possible, till death do us part. Boyfriends/partners are temporary, music is forever. Like Taylor Swift once said, “People haven’t always been there for me but music always has.” Other topics that we won’t really delve into that are featured on 1989 other than scrutiny and the media or Harry Styles include (but are not limited to): the slut-shaming she endured in that era (which is technically a subtopic), her “bad blood” with Katy Perry, [her move to] New York, shaking off the haters, getting over a breakup, infatuation, and of course, love. In a nutshell, 1989 is an album taking listeners on a journey through infatuation, love, getting past the scrutiny even if you get more than a little scathed, self-love, living life to its fullest, and finally, finally, being clean after all you’ve had to get through. Remember that next time you listen to an upbeat pop album. Maybe the message will surprise you.
10 Years Older I Must Admit…
Thank God we’re finally at the end. Don’t get me wrong, I love analyzing anything music-related but it, like many other things, is exhausting. The end product always makes it worth it though, especially since one day this will all pay off and build up to the end of the beginning of my career as a writer. Fortunately, there is so much more to come, especially regarding album reviews. Which reminds me, if you’d like me to review a specific album, song, EP, genre, or music artist, don’t be afraid to let me know if you see me around, or shoot me an email. I’d be glad to. There’s always another song, album, or artist to discover in the world of music. In all, we’ve talked about controversies, back stories, scrutiny and the media, eating disorders, reinvention, and Harry Styles. All in all, 10 years later, 1989 is still breathtaking, dopamine-inducing, controversial, and I’m sure it will continue to be. Next time, we’ll be talking about music (duh). Who’s though? Well here’s a hint: AG7. Hey, I can’t help it, Easter eggs and clues are practically injected in my blood! Thank you for tuning in on This Sick Beat and I hope to see you next time! If you’d like to look more into 1989 (the album) and its history, I’ve got some links locked and loaded below so that you can further your studies and research.
–13 Taylor Swift moments that are hard to watch | Swiftstyles II (includes ED clip from Miss Americana doc)
–1989 (Taylor’s Version) is PEAK pop music!!! | Album Reaction + Review by JasonPaulKim
And listen to the album on Spotify here! —> 1989 (Taylor’s Version) [Deluxe]
Thank me later. Coming up, I’ve got album reviews, music history, technology impact, my journey as a Swiftie, and so much more, ready to be conversed about and explored, on This. Sick. Beat! Are you …Ready for it?
