by Vivian DiSalvo
1989 is back and better than ever! Although it’s hard to outdo an album as original as is iconic, the new and improved 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by far surpassed all odds. Not only did the album gain the beloved Taylor’s Version behind its title, but it also gained five new remarkable vault tracks. These songs are new to the album but contain the familiar 1989 spunk. Taylor Swift covers everything from pining love to snowmobile accidents – Let’s dive right in!
The first vault track, “Slut!” shocked us all, to say the least. While most expected it to be an upbeat clapback at the media, this track is a heartfelt love song. Swift expresses that she feels it’s worth it to be called a slut if she gets to experience profound love. Swift says, “But if I’m all dressed up/they might as well be lookin’ at us,” emphasizing that she doesn’t care how the media perceives her; she just cares that she and her lover are together. This song reminded me of “Maroon” on her Midnights album; the production feels like something Jack Antanoff had his hands all over. “Slut!” definitely plays off of “Blank Space”, in which Swift personifies the person that the media makes her out to be (a serial dater that “jet sets around the world collecting men,” according to Swift, at the Grammy Museum in 2016). Even though this isn’t the clapback we expected, it’s definitely a biting comeback: the media can portray Swift in any way they want, but she’s happy – and she doesn’t care!
“Say Don’t Go,” the second vault track on the album, swings in a different direction than the “Slut!” Despite being brand new, “Say Don’t Go” perfectly fits the 1989 sound and encapsulates the same innocence and naivete. “Say Don’t Go” presumably occurs after a falling out with a lover, and she wishes more than anything for him to return. This song is full of pining and desperation in all the best ways: Swift says, “I hold my breath a little longer/ [I’m] holding out for you to say, ‘Don’t Go.’” Although this song seems innocent and naive, as aforementioned, the vocals are mature, and her growth is present as Swift articulates each word.
Another vault track, “Now We Don’t Talk,” has quickly become a favorite amongst the Swifties. Although the song sounds really upbeat and uplifting, the lyrics are quite heartbreaking: Swift describes all of the faults she’s found in her past relationships that she can no longer ask about or no longer has to deal with “now that we don’t talk.” There’s a strong, pulsing beat in the production, which I think might be the most 1989 thing ever. It starts with Swift mourning her love’s loss: “I miss the old ways/you didn’t have to change.” But, as the song goes on, Swift expresses everything she’ll never miss: “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock/or that I’d like to be on a mega-yacht.” Even though the song begins rather wistfully, it ends with a sort of resentment. I think this track has so many layers – it may allude to Reputation at the end when Swift says, “And the only way back to my dignity/was to turn into a shrouded mystery.” Before Reputation, Swift went into hiding for about a year to protect her sanity and her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. Every line in this song brings a new meaning but still reverberates a resonance of the same message: Swift is healing from a past breakup.
The fourth vault track,“Suburban Legends,” is a fun, coming-of-age track that encompasses falling in love. She utilizes her storytelling abilities in the verses of this song, describing a relationship in which Swift’s lover is highly coveted by other admirers. She also intricately paints the picture of what I imagine being “meant to be” with someone feels like – she almost describes soulmates, saying, “we were born to be suburban legends” and “national treasures.” This song is reminiscent of a high school relationship, and it brings to mind the story of Danny and Sandy from Grease (I mean, she does mention a “1950s gymnasium”). “Suburban Legends” is a classic Taylor Swift love song – and Swifties couldn’t ask for anything more.
The last vault track, “Is It Over Now?” has received a lot of speculation from fans. Many Swifties believe this song was written about Harry Styles. The line “red blood, white snow” is believed to refer to a time that Harry Styles crashed a snowmobile – and fans are all over the fact that Swift just won’t let him forget it. This song is also very calculated in that Swift mentions “300 takeout coffees later” and “300 awkward blind dates later” (October 27, the release date, just so happens to be the 300th day of the year). The entire track seems to tell the story of two lovers who have broken apart – but still find themselves searching for each other in every other lover they meet. It’s a harrowing love song, which historically has been Swift’s strongest genre.
Overall, these five vault tracks bring a new sound to 1989 while keeping the album’s familiarity. They hold true to the innocence of the original 1989 but bring a new depth and perspective. Taylor Swift truly never misses – these might be the best vault tracks thus far!
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*Cover art courtesy of Big Machine Label Group/Republic Records