Well, it’s official…We’re getting the Taylor’s Version re-recording of 1989. That particular release has been floating around the Swiftie space since September 2021 when she released an updated version of “Wildest Dreams.” Many fans expected the rest of the album to follow suit, but Swift kept them waiting for over a year, releasing Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in its place.
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Ever in a quest to satiate her fanbase, Swift has announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will be arriving on October 27, just a few months after her last release.
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In celebration of the announcement, we’d like to take a look back at the original version of the record. Below, are 16 of the tracks on the Deluxe Edition of 1989. We’ve chosen to omit the voice notes that appeared on the Deluxe Edition for this ranking. What do you think? Would you rank the tracks differently?
16. “Shake It Off”
We’re sorry…we had to do it. One song had to come in last place, and though we wrung our hands about it, the choice was clearly “Shake It Off.” No one is denying that this track is a bop. It’s a particularly fun moment in Swift’s setlist for the Eras Tour and will always have a special place in our hearts because of the nostalgia factor. But it pales in comparison to some of Swift’s more impressive songwriting bouts on this album. We still love “Shake It Off,” but it’s more for looking wistfully into the past and doesn’t hold up superbly years after its release.
15. “I Wish You Would”
Swift made a turn toward ear-candy pop bangers in 1989 – more so than any of her previous releases. One of the more rhythmic and enticing offerings in that vein is “I Wish You Would.” It almost has a HAIM quality to it for its retro flavors and driving melody. Though we would never skip “I Wish You Would” if it came on shuffle, it sometimes gets lost behind some of the other, splashier tracks.
14. “Bad Blood”
Similarly to “Shake It Off,” “Bad Blood” is good for a trip down memory lane, but has become a little tired. It’s fun to scream along to in a car full of your friends (particularly Kendrick Lamar’s verse), but would likely not be considered one of Swift’s better songwriting efforts.
13. “You Are In Love”
“You Are In Love” was written as an ode to producer and friend Jack Antonoff’s relationship with actress Lena Dunham. Antonoff came up with the basic backing track while Swift mused about the pair’s life together in the lyrics: Morning, his place / Burnt toast, Sunday / You keep his shirt / He keeps his word / And for once, you let go.
12. “Blank Space”
Of all the singles from 1989, “Blank Space” is arguably the most interesting. In the lyrics, Swift plays on her reputation of being a “man-eater” to great appeal. It’s tongue-in-cheek, catchy, and hard to forget – everything asked of a good single.
[RELATED: Behind the Meaning of Taylor Swift’s Clever Earworm “Blank Space”]
11. “Welcome to New York”
“Welcome to New York” is the sweeping cityscape opening to this Rom-Dram of an album. It feels befitting of its circumstance, helping to set the scene for Swift. While her previous albums still had somewhat of a foothold in Nashville’s country scene, 1989 was markedly sleeker. Swift felt like a New York girl throughout the tracks, swapping somber realizations about love for punchy assertions. There couldn’t have been a better opening to this album.
10. “How You Get The Girl”
“How You Get The Girl” is Swift’s rulebook for relationships. She keeps her advice simple: You say / I want you for worse or for better / I would wait forever and ever / Broke your heart, I’ll put it back together / I would wait forever and ever.
9. “Style”
“Style” is one of Swift’s signature tracks and for good reason. On top of the song’s headline-making allusions to a certain boy bander, it’s a pure pop hit to boot. “Style” is arguably the blueprint for pop music in the mid-2010s.
8. “Wonderland”
Swift used a series of Alice in Wonderland references to describe a toxic relationship in “Wonderland.” She has always had a knack for framing relationship struggles with cleverly coded metaphors, but this track is arguably her strongest pursuit in that spirit.
7. “Out Of The Woods”
“Out Of The Woods” is dark and brooding. It is bolstered by ’80s-esque production from Jack Antonoff, which is brought into modernity by Swift’s ad-libs and references to her life and relationships circa 2014.
6. “All You Had To Do Was Stay”
“All You Had To Do Was Stay” is as fun and blithe as one could make a breakup song. Though the lyrics see Swift on the bad end of a split-up, the musicality is dance-inducing. You’ll find it hard to hold a frown while listening to this one.
5. “This Love”
Along with “Wildest Dreams,” “This Love” already has a Taylor’s Version re-recording. Swift released the updated version of the track in May 2022, further driving up the buzz for the reworked version of the album. “This Love” has always been a strong effort in Swift’s catalog. It feels like the relationship Swift is singing about is in soft focus, removing all starkness from their situation in favor of blissful grey areas. This love is good / This love is bad, she sings accepting duality.
4. “I Know Places”
Nearing the end of this list, we have songs that scrape perfection. “I Know Places” is spacey and atmospheric in the best way possible. Swift knows her way around an interesting melody. That knack paired with tight production from Ryan Tedder and Noel Zancanella is something to marvel at.
3. “Wildest Dreams”
“Wildest Dreams” is equal parts haunting and romantic. Listening to it feels like you’re caught somewhere between being awake and falling asleep. It’s a hypnotizing feeling. The song makes the mind wander through thoughts of lasting love and soulmate ties. What could be more intoxicating than that idea? It prompts endless hits of the replay button.
2. “New Romantics”
After Swift announced the news of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) during the final U.S. date of her Eras Tour, she bolstered the news with a performance of “New Romantics.” It’s no surprise why Swift chose that particular track to help her ring in the news. It’s one of her strongest songwriting efforts on the album and a fan favorite to boot. The track is a breath of fresh air, which is arguably the purpose of the album in the first place—a complete reinvention for Swift.
1. “Clean”
As evidenced by this list, Swift has no shortage of stellar songs on 1989—which makes picking a No. 1 a troubled task. In the end, the choice was clear. It had to be “Clean.” Swift wrote this song about the freeing moment when your mind is finally clean of thoughts of an ex. Fans have really run with the track though, interpreting their own message from the lyrics. It has become both a stunning edition to Swift’s breakup song catalog and also a message of hope for any Swifties going through tough times.
(Photo by Michael Stewart/WireImage)
