Should Have Gotten the Bob, Taylor! | 1989 (Taylor's Version) Review
The girls are finally getting over you blondie!
The way I forgot this was even supposed to come out today. Taylor, you do not run my life! Initially I listened to the album on my CD player speakers and honestly, she almost got away with it! But then I heard that most people didn’t like it because of the mixing issues, and I realized that I had to listen to the album with my Sony Headphones to really be the judge. So here we go bitch because just like I predicted, Taylor was not able to capture the magic that is in 1989 the original version. Buckle up babes because we are going track by track. Read while you listen to the album for maximum understanding of my notes.
P.S. If you saw my Instagram story where I said I wasn’t going to review it, you should know me better than that lmfao.
Welcome to New York
First, we start off with Welcome To New York. This one honestly isn’t terrible. The drums are definitely too loud. The harmonies also are not stacked well. They sound too spaced out if that makes sense. On the original I feel like the lower harmony isn’t as loud or noticeable. I had the song turned up pretty loud and it still sounded like the song wasn’t loud enough. The line when she kind of talk says “Welcome to New York” was……..not good. Is she even trying to get them to sound the same?
Blank Space
My main issue is the way that she says some of the words. Also, the pen clicking is not loud enough. That was one of the most interesting parts of the song. How did she get this wrong? You literally just click a pen in the mic. Or get a pen clicking sound. Literally how did she get that wrong???? The pen clicking sound is just quite literally just nonexistent. This is not the time to be changing things that you don’t like anymore mama. The spoken word part at the end of the second verse doesn’t have as much personality. There is no anger in her voice. No rage. It just sounds like she is doing this sitting down. She does not sound happy to be singing this song lol. The screaming she is supposed to do is not nearly as loud as it should be or as angry. She’s acting like she didn’t live out the situations that this song is based on. It’s time to regress mama!!!! I’m bored!!!!!
Style
I kept hearing that people hated this song and I was shocked because when I listened the first time, I didn’t really think anything about it tbh. Then I listened again in my headphones and girl………………..this is a mess. It just doesn’t sound the same at all. Why is the little vibrating sound so loud? Why is her vocal so goddamn low??? This is how it feels to hear an incredible song and then hear someone do an okay version of it at Karaoke. Not the worst thing in the world but completely unnecessary and uncomfortable. “I said I’ve been there too a few times *little laugh*” yeah, no girl you lost me. The laugh literally is not in the original version. Idk how to describe it but the woman who recorded this album in 2013 and the one recording it now are not the same. Do you even remember dating Harry Styles??? Was my middle school pain all for nothing??? Be fucking for real right now! Oh my god the bridge…………………………… yeah that’s it for this one.
Out Of The Woods
In the first 5 seconds I was like okay! We’ll see! then 5 more seconds happened and it’s already bad. All before she even speaks. That is insane. The drums are allllll wrong. She sounds so unhappy to be singing this song I’m crying. There are a lot of added sounds and ad libs that were not on the original that I will be suing Jack Antonoff for. This song has one of my favorite Taylor Swift bridges of all time and she completely ruined it. Taylor, do YOU remember when you hit the brakes too soon? Because it seems like you forgot. Again, all around her vocal is too low. Jack Antonoff do you not have the stems for this song? How do you butcher a song that you already made???
All You Had To Do Was Stay
This has been in my top 3 tracks of this album since 2014. This is one of her more cuntier sounding songs ( the original). For this song when she says “road” she pronounces the O sound more than the A sound. Once again, the bridge is bad. It’s not cunty enough. The “you ended it” was almost there. “But not like this” sounded like her doing an imitation of herself. Which is I guess what this is, but it’s not supposed to sound like it honey! Surprisingly the “all you had to do was!!” at the end of the bridge wasn’t terrible.
Shake It Off
Is it me or are the drums too echo-y? Also is she singing too slow? Like this song has no energy compared to the original. Don’t get me wrong I don’t live for this song but for all intents and purposes it’s a good pop song. Once again it just sounds like she is not having as much fun as she was when she originally made it. At this point in time, I would say this is arguably one of her most recognizable songs. I wonder if non swiftness will notice that this version sounds weird. The vocoder part was weird too. She got the long note though wow. She added faint background vocals. By now I am stressed out and upset though.
I Wish You Would
Also, in my top 3 tracks of the album. The instrumental is panned all weird. The harmonies were wrong as well. Or too loud. The guitar also doesn’t sound loud enough. The noise before the bridge is so bad. She also missed some ad libs after the bridge!!! The little echo she does is like my favorite part!! She also added some “aaaaahhsss” that do not need to be there. Very disappointing.
Bad Blood
The beep boops in the back are not loud enough. This is the first song where I feel like her vocals are loud enough. The part after the bridge when she screams bad blood was not as good. The growl in the “ooowoooaahhooo” was not nearly long or deep enough.
Wildest Dreams
Honestly, this one is fine. There are parts in her background vocals that are doing a little too much. This seems to be the only one she got mostly right. 9 songs in. Woof. Oop spoke too soon. The “Say you’ll remember me” after the bridge was not good enough. Neither was the “waaaaaaaaa”. Taylor where is the feeling?! Where is the emotion?!
How To Get The Girl
I actually really love the original version of this song. Sometimes I think I don’t like it and then it comes on and I am bopping. For this one however, I think she was a little breathy at times. Overall, this one wasn’t the worst by far.
This Love
The original is one of my all-time favorite songs by Taylor. I would literally be in my shower crying to this song like it was so serious. This one isn’t really that bad! Congrats Taylor! Track 11! I would go as far as to say that this is the best track so far.
I Know Places
At least she put the recorder sound at the beginning since we are just leaving pen clicks out. The first “they’ll be” is SO BAD. The “we run!” was good i’m shocked. There is something wrong with the drums in the bridge. Like they are just not right idk how to explain it. Someone with a music degree help me out.
Clean
My final top 3 tack in my list of favorites from this album. This one is at the Top. Probably my favorite Taylor Swift song period. A lot was riding on this. Sadly, again, her vocal is not loud enough!!!!!!!! The “ooo the rain!!!” isn’t loud enough both times. Her vocals are just too low. What the hell is going on. Did Imogen approve this? I need answers.
Wonderland
Truthfully, I never liked this song that much. It just sounds so bad and dramatic and not in a good way lmfao. I just know she was bobbing out in the booth. Boberland. This version is fine lol. Jack Antonoff really got carried away with this one. She really is his muse when you think about it.
You Are In Love
This is also one of the songs I used to cry in the shower to in high school. The story that she paints in this song really gets me every time. Too bad I don’t have any straight male best friends anymore lol.1 The beginning of the bridge is literally so low I can’t hear it. The harmony in the bridge is not loud enough! It also starts too late! The way she said silence after the bridge is wrong. Jesus christ I don’t even like this song and I feel bad for it.
New Romantics
The way I forgot she would have to rerecord this one lmfao. She turned the vocals up for this one because she’s basically just talking. The instrumental is too loud, and her voice is too low. Honestly maybe the problem is that she wasn’t standing close enough to the mic. However, this is not the worst one by far. For anyone wondering the original is on my white “gospel” songs playlist. The belt of “I can build a castle” was terrible.
“Slut!”
I too want to mention Aquamarine in a movie. “Got lovesick all over my bed” ewwww. On second listen this song isn’t as boring as I thought it was the first time. This sounds like it’s about Harry. Only because “everybody loved him and that was my crime.” I actually like the ending of this one a lot. The bridge is also interesting. Her wording is so specific here I want to know who and what she is talking about.
Say Don’t Go
This one sounds like it is about the same person “slut” is about. Sounds like whoever it’s about whispered that he loved her while he was half asleep in bed. Then left her without warning. “Now I’m pacing on shaky ground” has the exact melody of clean. This one is just fine. Mostly boring though. She ate the scream of “say I love you!” though.
Now That We Don’t Talk
Is this the song that people think is about Harry? Because she says he grew his hair long? I could believe it. It’s just like an Aquarius to just kind of fade away instead of actually ending things. “I cannot be your friend” that is such interesting word choice because she didn’t say “want to” she said “cannot.” Which makes me feel like she wants to be his friend but if she is she will revert back to liking him. Or that the person does not want to be her friend. Of the Vault tracks this one is definitely the most interesting lyrically. Jack Antonoff2 no one asked for you to be on background. Sit down.
Surban Legend
What the hell is this song about? Sometimes she really just be talking. Literally who wants to be a Surburban anything? Such a white girl take. The bridge….chile anyways.
Is It Over Now?
“Is It Over Now” is what I said wanted to say after I listened to Clean. Ba Dum Tis! But no really this song and Now That We Don’t talk are my favorite Vault tracks. If this is about Harry, I am shocked by how much she liked him. Maybe it was my jealousy, but I never believed that she cared about him as much as some of her other exes. But damn she really liked him. I mean obviously I get it lmfao but wow I can’t believe I didn’t realize that sooner. In a way she is my eskomo sister lmfao. Now, do I believe she wrote this in 2014? No. Do I like the song, yes. At one point she’s rapping!! I love when she randomly raps lmfao.
Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar
Gagged that she got him to do this again. But then again who doesn’t love money so it’s not that hard to believe. I want to see the footage of him rereading the lyrics to this song and having to rerecord it. I am going to need footage of Future as well. Kendrick’s parts sound amazing because Kendrick knows what time it is. This is not the time to try new things. It is about sounding just like original. The only thing I would say is I can hear the harmonies in his verses clearer. Also, Taylor laughs at the end of his second verse. I am like 110% sure that is not in the original. I have listened to this song way too many times today (2) so I will not be checking. Insane that when I went to her concert that they do the “you forgive and forget but you’ll never let it go” part. Like when I tell you I was gagged. I had no idea that the Kendrick version is the cannon version. One thing I will give Swifties because that is funny. The closest they’ve come to BLM. Okay let me stop lmfao.
In Conclusion
I said this before, but it is going to be hard to recreate the magic that is 1989 the original version. With the original version it was pure unironic pop. I think it’s fine that we have two different versions to listen to but expecting me to only listen to the new versions is not happening Taylor lmfao. If you wanted me to do that you should have made them exactly the same! It’s very risky to try and recreate albums that are so iconic and so recognizable. So, I give you props for that. Get your coin! I get it! But the gag Taylor probably has to make them different for legal reasons. Either way, she set herself up to fail. I know commercially these albums are not going to be failures. However, from the actual music perspective I think Taylor’s Versions are objectively worse than the originals.
Specifically with this album I think it’s sad because people were never going to like it more than the original. It’s impossible. She is just a different person. I almost feel bad for her.3 Taylor, put me in the booth I’ll show you how it’s done! This felt more like her trying to fix things she doesn’t like about the original songs than actually just rerecording them. I do feel that a lot of my qualms with the songs are nitpicky and that’s why I initially didn’t want to write a letter about it. However, when I know the source material so well it’s hard for me not to be nitpicky! I’ve lived with this album for almost 10 years like girl what we are doing???
Also, she definitely did not write some of those vault tracks in 2013/14. You are not fooling anyone. Don’t even get me started on the fucking “deluxe version.” This woman pisses me off so much. Why would you make a deluxe version but the only difference between the standard version is one song??? Literally go to hell girl lmfao. Why didn’t you just put the vault tracks and the Kendrick feature on the deluxe like a normal person?! I am so sick of capitalistic Taylor. We are losing sight of the plot mama. Let me know how you felt about 1989 TV. The girls on Twitter are eating her up! I’ve been off Twitter, and I literally logged back in just to see her getting dragged. And to think I was about to let her get off the hook for this. Maybe next time Taylor!
Although, If you are reading this and you’re a man and you’re pan or bi hmu ;-)
I want to make it clear that I would fuck Jack Antonoff and really like him and his music. But he is still a white man so I am going to talk to him how I please
Not really she’s literally a billionare now