By Emily Scieszka | Staff Writer
In the midst of her Eras Tour, Taylor Swift successfully released her fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), on October 27th. The hard work she put into this album is evident with its long track list, including 16 pre-released tracks and the five new “vault tracks” that she added. One by one, I was able to collect my thoughts on each new addition to the album.
Vault Track #1: “Sl*t!”
I had extremely high hopes for this song, mostly due to its title. I believed it would upbeat, likely about proving the public wrong after a relationship went bad. However, this song is almost the complete opposite. It is about someone falling in love and having to pay the price for it. The word “conforming” comes to my mind, because in her lyrics, she talks about how it might be worth being called a “sl*t” if it means she can be in a relationship. While this song did not turn out the way I imagined, I’m pleasantly surprised by how catchy it is!
Vault Track #2: “Say Don’t Go”
It might just be me, but I can definitely tell that this song was written by 2014’s Taylor Swift. The lyrics aren’t mature; in fact, they seem a little simple. With that being said, it doesn’t mean that the lyrics hit any less than some of her more recent tracks. This song resembles someone in a relationship pleading for the other to not leave after a breakup. It also contains reflections on the relationship after it ended. It is a perfect song for a summer drive because of its upbeat music background. I also find it to be a very relatable song to anyone that listens.
Vault Track #3: “Now That We Don’t Talk”
This song can be perceived in many different ways: it could be about the breakup of a romance or a friendship. This song feels like looking in the mirror and trying to force yourself into feeling better off without this lost relationship. The lyrics mention how this girl is reaching out for validation from her mom to move on from the mourning this connection, which is a common experience for most people. Musically, it is one of my favorite vault tracks because it is a great example of 2014 pop nostalgia.
Vault Track #4: “Suburban Legends”
While I do enjoy this song, I find it to be too wordy. It seems like she is trying to fit a lot of analogies and metaphors into a short period. Regardless, the story that she paints its lyrics is so interesting. The song sounds like a self-sabotaged relationship because she felt like she was a secret. The fast pace in the backtrack is super intriguing, so it might be a better song to run to at the gym rather than listening to freely.
Vault Track #5: “Is It Over Now?”
The beginning of this song is super funky, but once the lyrics start it gets so sad. Just by using context clues, we can tell that this song is about her relationship with Harry Styles, but that makes it even worse for me because I love both of them like my own parents. The lyrics, in my opinion, insinuate that they both were cheating towards the end of their relationship. On a deeper note, it insinuates that they never had a true “breakup” and she couldn’t tell when Styles actually wanted to call it quits on their relationship. It also mentions her still wanting to do things to get his attention which I find shocking. This is a great song, but I do think the lyrics again are very simple. On the bright side, its simplicity makes it easier to sing to.
In terms of rankings, my list would have to be:
- “Now That We Don’t Talk”
- “Say Don’t Go”
- “Sl*t!”
- “Is It Over Now”
- “Suburban Legends”
This ranking may change as I continue to listen to these great songs. Taylor Swift’s 1989 has always been my favorite album so of course I was looking forward to this re-recording. Luckily, she did not disappoint!
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