This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s senior fall editorial intern Maggie Lardie. Find her on Instagram at @maggielardie. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Since Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was released on July 7, Swifties everywhere got the chance to listen to the updated versions of beloved songs from their childhood album. (Never Grow Up, anyone?) Because of the large time period between the release of Red (Taylor’s Version) and Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), many fans were perfectly happy to sit back for a while with the albums Taylor had time to re-record. At the time, Taylor was getting ready to travel the rest of the world, so expecting the release of another album just didn’t seem realistic. She’s a busy woman! Of course, Taylor’s busy schedule did nothing to deter the theorizing of diehard Swifties, who immediately started making guesses about the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). What no one could have predicted, however, is that their theories were finally correct! To the delight of her fans, Taylor announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version) during her final show in Los Angeles. Now that less than two months remain until 1989 belongs to Taylor again, it’s time to start preparing! Here’s what you need to know.
The First Time Around
To begin, we’ll have to look back at 2014, when Taylor Swift was just wrapping up her Red Tour. She had four albums out at the time, all of which were incredibly successful. 1989, however, blew them all out of the water for a variety of reasons. A large part of the acclaim that 1989 received was due to Swift’s successful transition from country to pop. She experimented with her sound on her previous album, Red, but only a couple of the lead singles really strayed far from the country genre. 1989 was a gamble because it was the first of Taylor’s albums to fully embrace pop. Luckily, the risk paid off. The world got its first taste of Taylor’s updated sound on August 18, 2014, with the release of “Shake it Off.” This was the only single the singer released before the full album, but it was more than enough to get critics talking. While some definitely had their doubts about the genre switch, any fears were eased when the rest of the album dropped October 27, 2014. 1989 quickly became a cultural phenomenon, shattering records and earning Swift three more Grammys – including her second win for album of the year! Today, 1989 is still the best selling album Taylor has ever released. Imagine what will happen when Taylor’s version comes out!
1989 Taylor’s Version Easter Eggs
One of the most exciting parts about anticipating a new album is trying to find the Easter eggs that let you know it’s coming. Like always, Taylor did not disappoint. The original 1989 era was famous for its 80’s reminiscent aesthetic, which we can really only describe as “single summer in the city.” During that time in her life, Taylor was a prominent presence on social media, posting a lot about her “squad” at the time (most of its members are featured in this music video). She focused more on her friendships during the 1989 era, while avoiding romantic relationships. Sound familiar? That’s because she’s doing the same thing now! This past summer, Taylor posted 1989 Taylor’s Version Easter eggs on Instagram, in which she and some of her current closest friends pose for a Fourth of July swimsuit pic. Taylor was known for her exclusive Fourth of July parties during the 1989 era, when she posted many similar photos on her page. Of course, this singular photo is far from the only Easter egg that Swift provided. Here’s a list of some more:
- Pushing the blue 5 button after the purple 3 button in the “Bejeweled” music video
- The sign above the road end of the “I Can See You” music video
- Coming out on August 9 in a blue dress for her Speak Now set, followed by a blue outfit for every set after that
- Announcing the album on August 9 (8/9)!
While this isn’t really an Easter egg, it’s really cool that Taylor is releasing her version on October 27, the same date the original was released.
The Songs
As always, this “Taylor’s Version” album will feature songs from the vault – songs she wrote during that era that never made it onto the album. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will consist of five vault tracks that are “so insane” according to Swift. Interestingly enough, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) already has two songs out. “Wildest Dreams” was rereleased in September of 2021 because of how popular the stolen version was getting on Tiktok. The following year, “This Love” was rereleased so it could be featured in the Amazon Prime series The Summer I Turned Pretty.
What are your favorite 1989 Taylor’s Version Easter eggs? Do you have a favorite track from 1989? Let us know in the comments!
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