Taylor Swift香蕉视频直播檚 is here, the album that ushered in the first Peak Swift era 香蕉视频直播� revisited at the height of her massive pop culture dominance.
Released in 2014 and named for her birth year, the original 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� signified a sonic rebirth. Swift had shed the Nashville country roots of her first four studio albums and announced herself a full-fledged pop superstar.
香蕉视频直播�1989 (Taylor香蕉视频直播檚 Version),香蕉视频直播� out Friday, takes that version of Swift 香蕉视频直播� then in her mid-20s, living in New York, prepared to take on the world with an arsenal of 香蕉视频直播�80s synth sounds and a new producer named 香蕉视频直播� and includes five unreleased 香蕉视频直播渧ault香蕉视频直播� tracks that deliver more clues about the artist she was then.
Previous have been more than conventional rerecordings, arriving with new music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work. The project 香蕉视频直播� the fourth of six rereleases 香蕉视频直播� was instigated by music manager Scooter Braun香蕉视频直播檚 purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift香蕉视频直播檚 effort to control her own songs and how they香蕉视频直播檙e used.
Her return to 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播� the album where she began to confront media portrayals of herself and in song 香蕉视频直播� comes at another Swift popularity crescendo but also during a 2010s nostalgia (Yes, it香蕉视频直播檚 only 2023. Yes, the nostalgia is real).
Here are some key things to consider as 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� propels the New Peak Swift era forward:
OPENING THE VAULT
Listeners will dive deep into the vault tracks for clues into Swift香蕉视频直播檚 mind around 2014. 香蕉视频直播淪lut!香蕉视频直播� may recall her contentious relationship with the press, which fixated on her alleged romantic relationships and the songs she香蕉视频直播檇 write once they ended.
They香蕉视频直播檒l find connections to 香蕉视频直播淥ut of the Woods香蕉视频直播� on 香蕉视频直播淚s It Over Now?香蕉视频直播� in the lyrics 香蕉视频直播渨hen you lost control / red blood, white snow.香蕉视频直播� They香蕉视频直播檒l wonder who made her pretend to like acid rock and mega yachts on 香蕉视频直播淣ow That We Don香蕉视频直播檛 Talk.香蕉视频直播� But more insight will be found in thinking about where Swift was at the time, what came next, and how that mirrors the current moment.
Swift dominated headlines and award show crowd shots in 2014, reaching a point of oversaturation, and leading to her retreat from the public eye prior to the release of her undercelebrated revenge record, With on NFL broadcasts due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, could history repeat itself?
Brittany Spanos, senior writer at Rolling Stone, puts it simply: 香蕉视频直播淧eople just get easily sick of anyone who香蕉视频直播檚 super famous. And I think that we haven香蕉视频直播檛 had a lot of monocultural kind of celeb moments like this in a minute,香蕉视频直播� she says of Swift in 2023.
Rebecca Jennings, a senior correspondent at Vox covering social platforms and the creator economy, sees a connection between the 2014 eras as being 香蕉视频直播減ost-recession香蕉视频直播� and 2023 being 香蕉视频直播減ost-COVID,香蕉视频直播� a time where Swift succeeds because there香蕉视频直播檚 a sort of cultural 香蕉视频直播渂ouncing back vibe,香蕉视频直播� a time where people want celebratory music.
In 2014, that was Swift finding her pop sound with 香蕉视频直播�1989.香蕉视频直播�
In 2023, it香蕉视频直播檚 becoming the most successful version of herself, and rereleasing 香蕉视频直播�1989 香蕉视频直播� while on the top of her game.
FROM COUNTRY TO POP: A TRANSITIONAL ALBUM
香蕉视频直播淚t was a huge risk for her to move completely outside of country 香蕉视频直播� there香蕉视频直播檚 no country elements on this album whatsoever,香蕉视频直播� says Spanos, who also teaches a course on Swift at New York University香蕉视频直播檚 Clive Davis Institute. She says Swift香蕉视频直播檚 penchant for pop songwriting is evidenced all the way back on her 2008 sophomore release 香蕉视频直播淔earless香蕉视频直播� in tracks like 香蕉视频直播淟ove Story,香蕉视频直播� but 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� is 香蕉视频直播渉er first official, full-length pop project.香蕉视频直播�
However, more so than a declarative move into pop, Spanos views 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� as 香蕉视频直播渕ore in the lineage of the kind of transitional albums teen stars tend to make when they move into adulthood,香蕉视频直播� comparing it to Janet Jackson香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淐ontrol香蕉视频直播� and Christina Aguilera香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淪tripped.香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� is the album where Swift香蕉视频直播檚 divorced herself from adolescence. She香蕉视频直播檚 moved to NYC; she香蕉视频直播檚 working with new people; she香蕉视频直播檚 making synth pop.
Rachel Brodsky, a music and culture writer who has been covering Swift for well over a decade, points out that Swift香蕉视频直播檚 sonic experimentations were earned 香蕉视频直播� and that she very well might be one of the final pop superstars who couldn香蕉视频直播檛 come out of the gate playing with genre the way listeners are accustomed to now.
香蕉视频直播淪he came up in the shadow of the Chicks, where she was told under certain circumstances by her team, like, 香蕉视频直播橸ou don香蕉视频直播檛 want to be the Chicks,香蕉视频直播� Brodsky says of the country music group who were of their audience.
The Chicks, acts like Shania Twain and LeAnn Rimes cracked open the door for Swift to burst open on 香蕉视频直播�1989,香蕉视频直播� she says. And not just as a pop musician, but as someone bucking convention 香蕉视频直播� something Brodsky says artists like Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris and even Olivia Rodrigo have followed.
ENGAGING WITH HER OWN CELEBRITY
By the time 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� rolled around, Swift was no longer writing high school romances and fairytale narratives.
She香蕉视频直播檇 begun engaging with her celebrity reality 香蕉视频直播� inviting Beyonc茅 and Jay-Z to her birthday party, hanging out with models and other very famous people in a group labeled 香蕉视频直播渢he Squad香蕉视频直播� in the media.
She was also writing songs like 香蕉视频直播溝憬妒悠抵辈Bad Blood,香蕉视频直播� which is about her feud with Katy Perry,香蕉视频直播� says Spanos, a decisive move away from the kind of humility and 香蕉视频直播渉ometown girl香蕉视频直播� image associated with 香蕉视频直播渃ountry Taylor.香蕉视频直播� That meant occupying more space in the pop landscape: reconciling with Kanye West after the infamous 2009 VMAs moment, starring alongside Drake in a commercial, getting Kendrick Lamar on a remix, so on and so forth.
In 2023, Swift is more famous now than she was then, and she香蕉视频直播檚 still engaging with her celebrity in a very public way.
香蕉视频直播�1989 (TAYLOR香蕉视频直播橲 VERSION)香蕉视频直播� PLAYS INTO FONDNESS FOR 2014
Jennings believes people are nostalgic for the year 2014 and always will be 香蕉视频直播� because it was one of the last online periods before the hyper-commodification of social media 香蕉视频直播� which makes 2023 the ideal time for revisiting 香蕉视频直播�1989.香蕉视频直播�
There were blogs, and Tumblr, and our internet lives were less defined by algorithms. 香蕉视频直播淚t is looked at as this Edenic time of innocence and purity,香蕉视频直播� she says. At the time, there was a kind of monoculture that leans itself to nostalgia in 2023, she says 香蕉视频直播� everyone receiving the same information on the same topics at the same time, Taylor Swift香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播�1989香蕉视频直播� era included 香蕉视频直播� as opposed to the current influencer-based model.
(It香蕉视频直播檚 worth noting that Swift herself was very active on Tumblr, using the social media platform to find fans to invite to private listening sessions held in her home.)
Additionally, in the last few months, Swift has been seen dining with very famous friends like Blake Lively, Sophie Turner and Selena Gomez, a return to the language of her 香蕉视频直播淪quad.香蕉视频直播� 香蕉视频直播淏y parading out many of the same friends she had during that era that she was also parading about, she香蕉视频直播檚 playing into this nostalgia element,香蕉视频直播� argues Jennings.
At the time, theories swirled around Swift香蕉视频直播檚 assumed romantic relationships 香蕉视频直播� many believe the song 香蕉视频直播淪tyle香蕉视频直播� is about her short relationship with Harry Styles 香蕉视频直播� and in 2023, her latest assumed romance has become a top story again.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 almost like she香蕉视频直播檚 method promoting,香蕉视频直播� Spanos jokes. 香蕉视频直播淪he香蕉视频直播檚 leaning into it again.香蕉视频直播� But there香蕉视频直播檚 a huge difference in the kind of treatment she香蕉视频直播檚 receiving from the public this time around. The press appears to be rooting for her relationship, she says, instead of thinking about the breakup songs it might inspire, warning her male partners and turning Swift into the butt of the joke 香蕉视频直播� as the media was doing in 2014.
香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 a little bit less of that level of misogyny,香蕉视频直播� Spanos says.
So what香蕉视频直播檚 next for Swift?
The continuation of her Eras tour, which is set to resume on November 9th in Buenos Aires, Argentina. And, of course, two more 香蕉视频直播淭aylor香蕉视频直播檚 Version香蕉视频直播� albums.
Maria Sherman, The Associated Press
