Review : Welcome to 1989 (Taylor's Version)

Elena Fry-Hernandez - Music Editor

“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is the most recent addition to the collection of re-recordings in Taylor Swift’s battle for her masters. Released on October 27th, 2023 (the same day it was originally dropped almost a decade ago), the album includes five “From The Vault” tracks. Swift revealed that the previously unreleased track that almost took the place of her smash-hit “Blank Space” on the original 1989 record was “‘Slut!’”. In the track, she fully embraces the label the media placed on her like a scarlet letter. She sings, “if they call me a slut / you know it might be worth it for once / and if I’m gonna be drunk / I might as well be drunk in love.”

            Overall, fan and critical reception to the re-recording has been positive. On the other hand, the new production of the album has been the center of much discussion among fans. More specifically, the fan favorite “Style” has received most of the critiquing with some fans even going as far as saying Swift has “ruined” the beloved track. The biggest differences being that Swift’s voice has been pitched slightly higher, and the production itself is toned down significantly. However, it still manages to maintain the original spirit that fans love.

            1989 (Taylor’s Version) debuted at number one on top of the Billboard 200 chart, making it her thirteenth record to do so. It is currently the biggest release of her career, selling 1,287,000 copies in the United States alone. She even broke her own record yet again by surpassing the original 1989 sales back in 2014. Without a doubt Swift’s popularity is only continuing to grow with each re-recording released, cementing herself as a pop culture icon and one of the biggest superstars in history. After her most recent “Eras Tour” revenue, she can add another title to her resume: billionaire.