Not many artists could get away with re-releasing music, but Taylor Swift is the exception. Swift officially became a billionaire Friday when her classic pop album, “1989,” was reborn. 

Exactly nine years after “1989” came onto the scene, Swift released its “Taylor’s Version” with the 16 original songs, as well as five never-before-heard “From The Vault” tracks. 

Swift added her version of “Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar)” to the deluxe version of the album. This release especially excited Swifties who chanted “You forgive, you forget, but you never let it go,” a line from the rapper, at the Eras Tour. 

Swift’s vocals sounded refreshed on her re-recorded tracks and showed how much her voice has matured since 2014. In addition, the production felt polished and highlighted harmonies. 

While it may be exciting to hear new versions of classic songs, the real thrill is found in the “From The Vault” tracks. 

The first new track, “Slut!” surprised fans by being a dreamy love song. The song tells a story of letting love stand above rumors. 

It gets its name from the line “And if they call me a slut / You know it might be worth it for once.” 

Swift’s love life seems to be at the center of conversations about her and this song highlights how she feels about it. 

“I swore off dating and decided to focus only on myself, my music, my growth, and my female friendships. If I only hung out with my female friends, people couldn’t sensationalize or sexualize that — right? I would learn later on that people could and people would,” Swift wrote in her prologue to the album. 

“Slut!” is my favorite new track. Its heavenly sound and endearing lyrics come together to create a song that encapsulates the themes of love and public perception seen throughout the album. 

The second new track, “Say Don’t Go,” is reminiscent of, “All You Had To Do Was Stay,” with its melancholy lyrics hiding behind fun dance production. 

With this song, Swift is begging her lover to say, “don’t go,” but ultimately leaves heartbroken. 

In “All You Had To Do Was Stay,” Swift tells her ex, “All you had to do was stay / Had me in the palm of your hand then / Why’d you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?” 

While these songs tackle a similar situation from different angles, they show Swift can turn anything into a heartbreaking anthem. 

The third vault track, “Now That We Don’t Talk,” is a classic Swift breakup song. While many breakup songs dwell on sad feelings, this song ends with how she is better off without her ex. 

In the outro of the song, Swift sings, “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.” 

In a voice memo posted to Tumblr, Swift said, “‘Now That We Don’t Talk’ is one of my favorite songs that was left behind.” 

She said she and her team could not get the production right for the initial release of the album, but have since perfected it. 

“Suburban Legends,” the fourth “From The Vault” track, shows longing and love, themes common in Swift’s music. 

She revealed the lyric, “I broke my own heart ’cause you were too polite to do it,” on her Instagram story the day before the album released. 

This lyric reminds fans of her 2020 song “Coney Island” in which featured artist, Matt Beringer of The National, sings “What’s a lifetime of achievement / If I pushed you to the edge? / But you were too polite to leave me.” 

Her final “From The Vault” song titled “Is It Over Now” uses a production style reminiscent of Swift’s tenth studio album “Midnights” and tells the story of a relationship without a clear ending. 

This song includes one of my favorite lyrics from the whole album which shows Swift’s desperation. She sings, “I think about jumping / Off of very tall somethings / Just to see you come running / And say the one thing I’ve been wanting.” 

In her Tumblr voice memos, Swift said she ended the album with “Is It Over Now” because when the listener gets to the song, the album is “over now.” 

If you are a Harry Styles fan, I suggest you don’t look up who fans think this song is about. 

Taylor now owns her previous albums “Fearless,” “Red” and “Speak Now.” With the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” she has reclaimed her birth year. 

Now, all she has left to take back is her “Reputation” and name. 

Categories: Arts & Entertainment