Taylor’s 1989 has existed for two days and for that two days, it was on repeat. I originally planned this to put in the PxR playlist but I literally can’t choose one song and I might end up making the whole October PxR playlist into one Taylor Swift post. After the hundredth time I’ve listened to this album and the thousands of thoughts that come with it naturally, I decided to make a separate /fangirl/ post about it. I’m not really a hardcore “Swiftie”, I’ve only listened to all of Fearless, all of Red and now 1989 plus the mainstream songs she had from her old albums when she had the curliest hair and smallest eyes. I haven’t read her Wikipedia page properly which is usually what I’d do when I obsess over someone. However, I’ve never disliked her despite the oh-my-god-she’s-writing-about-her-exes-again hate bandwagon. I mean, I’m pretty sure no one has the right to tell her who to date, what to write and whatnot. Other artists do it, Adele did it, Sara Bareilles did it (two of my favorites). Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran and so many more probably do it but people don’t hate them for it so I don’t really see why there’s so much hate, she’s just another human being feeling hurt and she has songwriting to express that.
Anyways, her first full pop album just came out two days ago and everyone’s raving about it including me and rightly so. The songs have definitely matured and deviate from her previous albums. I can hear so many artists that could easily influence some of the songs and I love it. I love how the songs aren’t repetitive, unpredictable. So here goes my play by play…
Taylor Swift’s 1989 Album Cover credit
Welcome To New York
That synth takes me to the 90’s. I haven’t been actively listening to music back in the 80’s so I’m gonna say 90’s instead. It’s a great album opener, kind of like an appetizer. It isn’t heavy to the ears which makes it a safe way to not shock the listeners.
“And you can want who you want, boys and boys and girls and girls”
Blank Space
Easily one of my favorites from this album. I can hear i-know-we’re-cool era Gwen Stefani during the chorus, the bit about ex-lovers. This track is slowly getting heavy with production, slowly taking you to the pop world of Tay.
“Cause darling I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream”
Style
I know, i know. Style.. Styles, how convenient! But how cool is the guitar intro though? It’s like a rock song waiting to happen but unfortunately didn’t, it does have some heavy bass which makes me think of sunset and travel and looking out from the train contemplating about life, also, Lady Gaga’s Do What U Want, kind of. I’m in love with the chorus. It’s catchy and the lyrics are easy to latch on to. It won’t get out of style soon.
“And when we go crashing down, we come back in every time”
Out Of The Woods
The intro is very The 1975. If you don’t know them, do check them out, they’re such an awesome band with similar tunes as this song, better even. The repetitive chorus will give you LSS no matter what. Taylor released this song after Shake It Off and it was very different which kind of gives you the idea of the massive deviation from her usual. This song has a very dark aura, like if you were running in a forest, lost and all, this would be your background music. I really appreciate her vocals in this as well. Her raspy tone during chorus and her usual belts, it’s just really different and I like it a lot.
“The rest of the world was black and white but we were in screaming color”
All You Had To Do Was Stay
Stay! Stay! Stay! Stay! Stay! Stay! Who can resist singing that high pitched stay? I can’t. Five songs in and you can hear the theme this album is going. It’s the creative pop that I like, not the garbage society pleaser ones. This song was an easy favorite, most probably because how catchy Stay! is.
“People like you always want back the love they gave away and people like me wanna believe you when you say you’ve changed”
Shake It Off
After listening to the whole album, I have to admit Shake It Off is the weakest and the most out of place. After that travel-contemplating-about-life friendly tunes, you get to this cheerdance song that you can’t help but dance to. The fact that I really liked this song and yet it’s the weakest says something for the rest of this album. I’m not saying this song is crap but in comparison to what comes before and after this one, this is nothing but a breather. The society pleaser one but not entirely trash. And Taylor will tell me, haters gonna hate hate hate. The message is excellent, though. I’ve got to give her credit for that. After all the hate and slut-shaming she’s had the past years, this song is just an indirect middle finger to them all.
“I’m lightning on my feet and that’s what they don’t see”
I Wish You Would
Aaaaand back to regular programming. Her heavy-bass-pop-beats are back in this song continuing her album theme. Jack Antonoff co-wrote this song and if you look into his songwriting credits, you’d know he write great songs.
“Wish you were right here, right now, it’s all good, I wish you would”
Bad Blood
The multiple Taylor Swift with the heavy bass pumping during the chorus feels like a hundred witches asking for blood sacrifice. This song’s scary but it’s scary fun.
“I was thinking that you could be trusted, did you have to ruin what was shining now it’s all rusted”
Wildest Dreams
This is such a dreamy song, feeling the desperation and infatuation that defines the song. It’s like a desperate call to resist going back to a bad relationship, as if she’s doing something illegal.
How You Get The Girl
Not one of the strong songs. At this point, I feel like I’ve been worn out by the techno, heavy bass, pop beats that is present in most of the songs. It fits but it’s not something I’d rave about for days.
“I want you for worse or for better, I would wait forever and ever”
This Love
A slow one this time. Something you’d listen during down and painful days. One of the best tracks. It’s haunting and just plain beautiful.
I Know Places
A song that could fit right into a romantic, dark fiction. Like Mockingjay perhaps. Can you hear the awesome bassline in this one? Ah ah ah I, ah ah ah I definitely can.
“They are the hunters, we are the foxes”
Clean
This song is so familiar, like I’ve heard it before. I can’t think of a song but I know this one can be influenced by some other song. I love the lyrics though. It’s tragically and ironically beautiful. And it’s co-written by Imogen Heap, how awesome is that? This song has such a clean and creative production.
“When I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe”
Wonderland
I can hear old Taylor in this, something from Red. This one reminds me of I Knew You Were Trouble. Do you think that as well? I think this is the twin song but with the magical aura due to the twinkling bits.
“You searched the world for something else to make you feel like what we had”
You Are In Love
This is a continuation of This Love, it’s slow with a heavy chorus but calming still. It’s like a dark awakening to something beautiful that is being in love.
“You can see it with the lights out, lights out, you are in love, true love”
New Romantics
A fun song and such a great song to be given the last spot. I can hear Fergie’s Glamorous in the stanzas and Foster The People in the chorus and I’m in love with it as much as I’ve been in love with all Foster The People songs.
“And please leave me stranded, it’s so romantic”
All in all, 1989 is a fun light techno, heavy bass, full on pop album. It has its highs and lows, but all songs are something you can listen to. It might not be on the all-time favorites list but I’d say her decision to take on the road of full pop is not a mistake. The production and lyrics and everything is just right. It’s overwhelmingly good.
And for the funof it, this is my take on the album cover if I had one. I finally given this lost OOTD photo a purpose. Ha!
rondoesthings 
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