On Friday, Taylor Swift released a new version of 1989 – the biggest-selling album of her career, and the one that definitively turned her into a pop star.
Featuring hits like Shake It Off, Blank Space and Style, it was originally written during the 2013-14 Red Tour, with demos stored on her phone in a folder named “Sailor Twips”.
Awarded a Grammy for album of the year, it has spent 325 weeks in the UK charts.
But now she has re-recorded it as the latest part of an ongoing campaign to regain control of her work, after an investment company bought her master tapes in 2019.
This is the biggest and riskiest part of the project. While earlier remakes were largely made with a live band, 1989’s pop landscapes are full of squelchy, processed synths and treated vocals.
Fans can now find out how it has turned out – and hear five new tracks from the star’s vault, expanding on the themes and relationships she explored on the original.
Here’s a guide to all the songs and what Taylor has said about them.
1) Welcome To New York
“It’s a new soundtrack, I could dance to this beat forever more.”
We open with a mission statement: The old Taylor can’t come to the phone right now, she’s dead.
After building her reputation in Nashville, 1989 jettisons the banjos in favour of insistent, needling beats and tales of bohemian nightlife. “A farewell to twang,” the New York Times called it.
Taylor knew change was necessary. “I don’t have the option of making music that sounds just like what I’ve done before,” she told Popcrush. “People will see right through
Those post-summer blues can be *real*. School is back in session, long weekends are over, and free time… pshh. One thing that doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom, though: your style. As the weather starts to cool down, your sense of fashion goes through a transformation of its own, paving the way for long sleeves, heavier garments, and overall layers on layers on layers. While you could change up your vibe depending on the day (and, of course, temp), there’s only one fall 2023 aesthetic that’s meant to be the go-to for your zodiac sign.
Similarly to how Taylor Swift stays in one lane ahead of different albums and eras, your zodiac sign has one style that’s meant to dominate your wardrobe. Since I’m an astrologer, I tend to look to where Venus — planet of fashion, beauty, and aesthetics — is transiting through to determine collective themes of inspo in any given season. To help give you a more detailed breakdown of what to wear this fall, I enlisted the help of Nany Ramirez, Miami-based fashion blogger and founder of Nany’s Klozet. Below, you’ll find our advice and recommendations for how to build your ideal autumn look, based on astrology.
Aries Zodiac Signs (March 21-April 19): Bold & Baddie
Aries are fearless trendsetters who would much rather make a bold statement than fit in with the crowd. (Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Sarah Jessica Parker — all Aries.) So if you’re feeling the renaissance of Y2K fashion, now would be the perfect time to rock bold and baddie attire — like leather low-rise, lace-up pants. “I’m seeing a lot of low-waisted bottoms” making a comeback this season, says Ramirez.
Since the cosmos will place greater emphasis on your relationships throughout the fall season, you’ll be