1989 (Taylor’s Version) Is Finally Here! Now Which Vault Track Is The Best?
This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Raven Minyard. Find her on Instagram at @raven.minyard. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
1989 is the most defining album of Taylor Swift’s career. Originally released in 2014, 1989 marked Swift’s shift from country to pop, and the world never looked back. Now, Swift has finally reclaimed this iconic album with the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). This revamped and rerecorded album features all of its original hits like “Blank Space,” “Shake It Off” and “Bad Blood,” and like all of the Taylor’s Version albums, includes a selection of previously unreleased songs from the vault. All five of these vault tracks are incredible, but which one is the best? It’s officially been a week since we first heard these songs, so now it’s time to decide. Keep reading to see our favorite 1989 TV vault tracks ranked.
5. Suburban Legends
I want to start off by saying I love every single one of these vault tracks, so just because something is low on the list doesn’t mean I think it’s bad. “Suburban Legends” is number 5 not because I don’t like it, but because it had some very tough competition. Even though it’s last on this list, this song has some of my favorite lyrics of these vault tracks. In the chorus, Swift sings “And you kiss me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever” and then later, “I broke my own heart ‘cause you were too polite to do it.” Hearing these lines for the first time had me screaming, crying, throwing up.
4. “Slut!”
“Slut!” was definitely the fandom’s most anticipated song. We couldn’t wait to see if it would make us dance or make us sob. I, for one, didn’t expect it to be a love song. What makes this song so great is that it takes something so harsh and turns it into something soft and dreamy. Swift leans into her negative public image and embraces it, as seen in the line “And if they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once.” It’s hard to imagine how different Taylor’s career would have been if she’d released this back in 2014, but at least we have it now.
3. Now That We Don’t Talk
“Now That We Don’t Talk” may be Taylor’s shortest song to date, but I’d listen to a ten-minute version of it, too. This is definitely the catchiest 1989 vault track, in my opinion, and seeing the popularity of the new TikTok trend based on its outro, I’d say others agree. Swift sings “I don’t have to pretend I like acid rock or that I’d like to be on a mega yacht with important men who think important thoughts,” and while maybe a lot of us have never been on a mega yacht, we all know what it’s like to pretend to like something for a partner and how relieving it is when we no longer have to.
2. Is It Over Now?
Who would’ve thought we’d be talking about Haylor in 2023? We all hoped for a Harry Styles feature, and instead, Taylor gave us even more details about their on-again-off-again relationship from ten years ago. And I, for one, am not complaining. While these two seem to be on good terms now, can you imagine what life would have been like if Swift released this on the original album? With lines like “When you lost control, red blood white snow / Blue dress on a boat, your new girl is my clone,” “If she’s got blue eyes, I will surmise that you’ll probably date here,” and “You search in every model’s bed for something greater,” Swifties and Directioners alike would’ve collectively lost our minds. I absolutely love songs when Swift expertly shades her exes (even if I like the ex, too) and you can really feel her anger in “Is It Over Now?” landing it in second place.
1. Say Don’t Go
While it was a close race between my first and second favorites, I knew “Say Don’t Go” would be my favorite vault track almost immediately. It just felt like a classic Taylor Swift fan favorite from the very first line. Like so many other Swifties, I love those songs that make you dance but have absolutely devastating lyrics, and this is no exception. The chorus is so catchy and relatable, and the silence after “I said I love you, you say nothing back” at the end of the bridge is a knife to the heart (in a good way). People can say what they want about Jack Antonoff, but you can’t deny he’s produced some of Taylor’s best songs, including “Say Don’t Go.”
We hope you enjoyed this article on our favorite 1989 TV vault tracks ranked. What’s your ranking? Let us know in the comments!
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