TAYLOR SWIFT - 1989 (TAYLOR'S VERSION)

[LateToCult 40,884]

10 minutes ago, The Z said:

Should I give it a listen?

I have never heard the original album, neither have I ever heard any other album. I only know Shake It Off which I kinda love, Out Of The Woods and Bad Blood which I can enjoy for no reason and Blank Space which I don’t really love but it’s still okay.

I really admire Taylor’s HARD work, and it makes me want to explore her catalog, especially this album since it’s her biggest. But I’m not too sure cause at the same time I feel like there will be nothing sonically speaking? I keep hearing she’s the very best lyricist but I don’t speak english fluently so I can’t really feel the words the way I’m supposed to, so there’s only the sound left, and I’m scared  

Or maybe there’s an other album I should start with? Something a bit bold, or where the focus is a bit more on the melody and production rather than the lyrics? I really like I Knew You Were Trouble so maybe something a bit like that? 

 

Try “Love Story” and “You Belong With Me” off of her Fearless album. They’re the songs that broadened her fan base.

[Crescent Bloom 1,078]

2 hours ago, The Z said:

Should I give it a listen?

I have never heard the original album, neither have I ever heard any other album. I only know Shake It Off which I kinda love, Out Of The Woods and Bad Blood which I can enjoy for no reason and Blank Space which I don’t really love but it’s still okay.

I really admire Taylor’s HARD work, and it makes me want to explore her catalog, especially this album since it’s her biggest. But I’m not too sure cause at the same time I feel like there will be nothing sonically speaking? I keep hearing she’s the very best lyricist but I don’t speak english fluently so I can’t really feel the words the way I’m supposed to, so there’s only the sound left, and I’m scared  

Or maybe there’s an other album I should start with? Something a bit bold, or where the focus is a bit more on the melody and production rather than the lyrics? I really like I Knew You Were Trouble so maybe something a bit like that? 

 

1989 is her best pop record hands down. In my opinion, it's her best album, but I know folklore typically gets that recognition. 

1989 has absolutely no skips. I used to think Shake It Off was a skip (possibly just due to overexposure), but it's a cute moment. The quality is consistent throughout and each track (on the original) sounds like it belongs. It's bright, yet cozy-cute pop.

I have seen criticism that the vault tracks sound like b-sides from Midnights (due to their dreamy/sleepy sonics) and my first reaction to most of them (sans "Sl*t!" and "Is It Over Now?") were lukewarm, but they've grown on me exponentially in the last three days.

for fun, my ranking of taylor's pop albums (and why):

Spoiler

1. 1989 - skipless. clever writing. feels light, but also feels like the first steps to a more mature taylor. has this very specific sonic pallet (loud/bright, but also cozy and comforting). the songs itch parts of my brain I never knew existed.

2. reputation - an album that tends to get the short-end of the stick with critics and some people from the GP, but I love how this album exists. not only is taylor finally hitting back in a non-metaphorical way at her critics/enemies, but there's also glimpses of her owning her sexuality on this record with someone she is infatuated with ("So It Goes..." & "Dress"). the deep cuts on this, about her relationship, are endearing (and in my opinion, more love-struck than some cuts found on Lover). really only two skips.

3. Midnights - truthfully, I enjoy this record. A lot has been said about this album in the last year, so I'll keep it short. some songs are really great, some songs are just good. it's definitely more understated, sonically, than the albums mentioned above. 

4. Lover - frankly, the quality on this is horribly inconsistent. you have some of taylor's best ("The Archer", "Cruel Summer", "Death By A Thousand Cuts", "False God"), but then also some of the worst tracks of her career ("I Forgot That You Existed", "London Boy", "ME!", "You Need To Calm Down"). I cherry-pick the songs I like from this. I can't think of the last time I have listened to this front-to-back.

 

[SharGaga 2,906]

The Vault tracks sound so much better in FLAC and a Sweether than Fiction TV sounds amazing. I found a vinyl rip in WAV. I made my own EP (1. Sweeter than Fiction, VAULT TRACKS, 7. Bad Blood Remix) since I basically overplayed 1989 back in the day. I somehow can't bring myself to listen to some albums anymore like Born This Way and 1989 because  I played them front to back for years. I did and will listen again to 1989 TV tho front to back. I personally enjoyed Blank Space and Shake It Off TV more. Wonderland and Out of the Woods also sound so much better. Looks like Style/Bad Blood solo TV are the Enchanted/Sparks Fly of 1989. They're not as good as the original but I'll stick to TV any way. On my initial listen of the leak I heard some added production or production changes on some tracks, notably on Style. Also with the beach vibes photoshoot I feel like she tried to do something different and put in the extra effort to reinvent 1989 in her own way. It's insane she's gonna do 1.5 million for a rerecording but she really deserves it. After the 3 previous TV albums I've come to expect not everything is gonna sound better or the same but despite not having original producers on a lot of tracks she's always managed to make some of the rerecording's better like Mine TV, Superman TV and on this record it's OOTW and Wonderland.

Also all Vault tracks are all HITS imo. They flow so well together and are a sweet and short but perfect addition to 1989 TV. Not to mention I'm here for more Harry Styles inspired love/breakup songs. She's really dragging him in some of these lyrics. It feels more like a peek into their relationship than the 16 tracks we got in 2014.

[Taylucifer 5,122]

10 hours ago, LateToCult said:

Sistren, how are we feeling about 1989 TV now that it has had time to settle. 👀 

majority I don't notice a difference, style is still in her flop era but locals don't notice so I guess that is great for her. New Romantics strangely is one that I didn't pick up on the first listen but sounds more distorted every time I hear it. I stand by that the vault tracks do not at all fit with the production of the rest of the record.

In saying that they are the most consistent, no smash tracks like the RED vault (nothing new) but also no complete flops (Timeless). Now That We Don't Talk and Is It Over Now? swap around as my stand out from the vault but Say Don't Go are close behind them. Suburban Legends and Slut! are fine tracks that completely lost the 1989 production, would love to hear the original demos what they were supposed to sound for the OG record.

Overall I think this re-recording is pretty faithful and while it lacks the highs in the vault it also lacks the lows the lows of other vaults so I guess that counts for something. What were ur thoughts?

oh and the bad blood remix still eats bad blood solo upppp. Kendrick sounds the exact same, it's actually unreal

[SharkmanthaC 112,768]

11 hours ago, PartySick said:

I listened to some of it

I have such a love/hate thing with Welcome to New York lmao. It's lowkey a dumb song but it also took me right back to hearing it while riding down the streets of NYC, seeing the sights, with my hands and face completely numb from the cold

Blank Space is meh. I never cared for most of her hits, they seem very...um...formulaic? They're the best examples of why I'm not a fan, they feel so flat like they're written solely to be hits, I dunno. When people describe why they hate pop music, it's songs like this they're talking about. Just uninteresting 

Style's a bop, as to be expected. For some reason when I try to imagine how it goes in my head, I get Chain to the Rhythm? But that's my second favorite Katy Perry song so...I guess that's good?

Out of the Woods makes me wanna jump off a bridge jump off of a bridge jump off of a bridge jump off of a bridge jump off of a bridge 

I would actually love AYHTDWS (is that acronym a thing?) if it was a ballad instead of a "strum this guitar to a pop beat like every other TS song" thing and she didn't shriek the word "stay" 

Shake It Off?  more like Turn It Off  nah, jk, it's cute. But suffers from the "ew, another hit I don't like" curse.

I Wish You Would...I wish she wouldn't  I really dislike her song writing honestly. I'm just not into those "teen girl staring into space thinking about someone in a bad romcom with b-list celebrities" songs. Yet another "strum this guitar to a pop beat" song too.

I would like Bad Blood if the production was different (from either version) and the vocals were delivered differently. The last word of every lyric in the chorus, "now we got bad blooood, you know it used to be mad loooove", they feel flat and almost whiney. I've thought that ever since I heard it on the radio years ago 

Wildest Dreams is good. No notes, just an ok song 

I stopped there 'cause I couldn't take anymore  I won't leave anymore thoughts on her stuff here 'cause Swifties are kinda scary. She's just not for me and it's not only 'cause I'm a hater for the meme of it all, I legitimately dislike her music 

@SharkmanthaC I tried  tell me which songs to listen to so I don't have to sit through the rest of this thing please

Listen to Slut! and Say Don’t Go

[PartySick 157,952]

4 minutes ago, SharkmanthaC said:

Listen to Slut! and Say Don’t Go

After my migraine era I will

Where is Gaga with a Nurtec when I need one

[LateToCult 40,884]

1 hour ago, Taylucifer said:

What were ur thoughts?

Most of the re-recorded songs I didn’t like on first listen grew on me. Now That We Don’t Talk and Is It Over Now? are so good in my opinion. I’ll randomly get “I called my mom and she said it was for the best!” and the bridge of Is It Over Now? stuck in my head. Soooo good. Slut! Is also right up my alley. I love this project. Can’t wait to hear the vault tracks for reputation and self-titled. 

[SharkmanthaC 112,768]

1 minute ago, PartySick said:

After my migraine era I will

Where is Gaga with a Nurtec when I need one

I can mail you some! 

[PartySick 157,952]

4 minutes ago, SharkmanthaC said:

I can mail you some! 

That's illegal!!

I'll just go to your house again and get some

[AnglerfishbraBENUS 5,734]

idk why people think they are going to mess up Reputation. Jack literally has the entire pre-mix/mastered album on his computer. they are probably just going to re-do the vocals lol

[Taylucifer 5,122]

2 hours ago, LateToCult said:

Most of the re-recorded songs I didn’t like on first listen grew on me. Now That We Don’t Talk and Is It Over Now? are so good in my opinion. I’ll randomly get “I called my mom and she said it was for the best!” and the bridge of Is It Over Now? stuck in my head. Soooo good. Slut! Is also right up my alley. I love this project. Can’t wait to hear the vault tracks for reputation and self-titled. 

Yes slay! so excited for rep vault tracks, hoping for some more vengeful tracks just quietly

[Lanadelduck 1,980]

Major Taylor fan.  Hate 1989 re records I literally hear a high frequency buzzing sound. I thought I was going insane and googled it and there is literally a Reddit page of all the people who can hear the buzzing.  I’m gagged. 
 

Vault tracks are perfect though and I love them. 

[Bat 6,162]

5 hours ago, Taylucifer said:

so excited for rep vault tracks, hoping for some more vengeful tracks just quietly

It better give me some more tracks like Don't Blame Me or I Did Something Bad 

[Taylucifer 5,122]

34 minutes ago, Bat said:

It better give me some more tracks like Don't Blame Me or I Did Something Bad 

yes, I know they are in there, I know she still holds that pain in her heart, let in out and let it into those vault track and rep re-recordings. I also do not need more like 'love song' tracks about Joe cause WE KNOW YOU LOVE(D) HIM, we got many albums about that. I want introspection, her view on fame, the Kanye stuff, vengeance, tom & maybe Calvin finally gets a track as well.  

She also apparently loves rep and think it is underrated by critics (according to Jack) so hopefully she truely will but her everything in this album

[Bat 6,162]

6 minutes ago, Taylucifer said:

She also apparently loves rep and think it is underrated by critics (according to Jack) so hopefully she truely will but her everything in this album

You can tell in the Miss Americana movie that she was really bummed out it didn't get any nomination. I think it was a major reinvention for her, and that album really stands out among the rest of them.