Taylor Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” vault songs are the Harry Styles diss tracks fans were hoping for in 2014 with the original release of “1989.”
Swift continues her re-release tour with the drop of “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” Swift released the original “1989” as her first official “pop” album and received raving reviews for both the album and her star-studded tour.
“1989” debuted in 2014 as Swift’s most successful album to date.
There are five songs in the “1989” vault. Each song is allegedly about Swift’s previous on-and-off again relationship with Harry Styles.
“SLUT!”
“Slut! (Taylor’s Version)” was highly anticipated with the “1989” re-release due to it being a very popular comment thrown at Swift during the original “1989” era. Swift’s dating history fell victim to the early 2010 tabloids and was ripped to shreds. She was referred to as a “slut” for dating around in her earlier years. Fans speculated that “Slut!” would be upbeat with a heavy electronic pop tempo similar to her pop breakout song, “Blank Space.”
However, “Slut!” is quite the opposite. The song starts with a light kick drum and dreamy, hazy melody that floats throughout the song. Swift uses a breathy voice, similar to her ad libs in “Wildest Dreams” to transport fans to a dream-like state.
The song takes a spin on Swift’s “serial dater” reputation, where she takes pride in her love life:
“They might as well be lookin’ at us (lookin’ at us) / And if they call me a slut (if they call me a slut) / You know it might be worth it for once (worth if for once).”
According to Swift’s “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” prologue, she uses the song as a shrug off to the haters and commenters who refused to let her date like a regular 20-something-year-old.
“SAY DON’T GO”
“Say Don’t Go (Taylor’s Version)” is Swift’s attempt at a desperate call for an ex-lover to not let her walk away. The track fits perfectly with other songs on the album like “All You Had To Do Was Stay (Taylor’s Version).”
Within the song, Swift is fighting with herself, as she knows her lover is no good for her, but she is attached and can’t let go of him:
“Say, ‘Don’t go’ / I would stay forever if you say, ‘Don’t go.’”
“Why’d you have to lead me on? / Why’d you twist the knife? / Walk away and leave bleedin’, bleedin’.”
Swift can’t wrap her head around the betrayal, which leaves her in emotional shambles. She knows he won’t change; but if he fought her even just a little, Swift would be willing to risk everything and stay.
“NOW THAT WE DON’T TALK”
“Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version)” is true to the “1989” pop aesthetic, as she brings in Jack Antonoff’s signature electric melodies. Swift alludes to Harry Styles, with the hint of him growing out his hair after the breakup, letting fans know exactly where the last three vault tracks were going:
“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.”
The song rehashes Swift’s first meeting with Harry Styles post-breakup, where she tries to be cordial. While she is trying to act like everything is okay and they can be in a group setting, she begins to realize how different Styles had become:
“You got new icons / And from the outside / It looks like you’re tryin’ lives on / I miss the old days / You didn’t have to change / But I guess I don’t have a say / Now that we don’t talk.”
Swift shares that emotionally brutalizing feeling of going from strangers to lovers and back to just strangers again. She realizes that being friends with him just isn’t possible:
“I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost (Of what I lost) / And what it cost, now that we don’t talk.”
The song’s pop accents keep the song from becoming too mopey or sad. This song deserved to be on the original “1989” album.
“SUBURBAN LEGENDS”
Swift breaks out her storytelling quill for “Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version)” as she transports us with her cinematic lyricism. She opens the song by immediately explaining how she knew about her partner’s infidelity:
“You had people who called you on unmarked numbers / In my peripheral vision / I let it slide like a hose on a slippery plastic summer / All was quickly forgiven.”
Swift dusted the scandal off as a suburban legend due to her partner’s irresistible charm. She didn’t care if she was the talk of the town.
“We were born to be suburban legends / When you hold me, it holds me together / And you kiss me in a way that’s gonna screw me up forever.”
Swift, through all the infidelity, holds on to her delusions that the relationship is going to work and they will get back together:
“I broke my own heart ‘cause you were too polite to do it / Waves crash on the shore, I dash to the door / You don’t knock anymore and my whole life’s ruined.”
The song is sonically similar to “Mastermind,” as she uses her low witchy voice to drag you back and forth through the story. There is sadness and disappointment dripping all over this song. Swift is continuously stuck in a love trance waiting for her ex-partner to come back to her.
“IS IT OVER NOW”
The closing vault track “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” is Swift’s “official” diss toward Styles. Swift aggressively confronts the elephant in her relationship with her now ex-lover.
This song is a stark comparison to other 1989 tracks where she begs for the same lover to not leave her, as she still hints that she would go back in a heartbeat if given the choice:
“Oh, Lord, I think about jumpin’ / Off of very tall somethings / Just to see you come runnin’ / And say the one thing I’ve been wanting, but no.”
Swift throws shade at both Styles and the women he slept with due to him parading around his mistresses shortly after their breakup:
“Let’s fast forward to three hundred awkward blind dates later (Oh) / If she’s got blue eyes, I will surmise that you’ll probably date her (Oh, no) / You dream of my mouth before it called you a lying traitor (Oh) / You search in every model’s bed for somethin’ greater, baby.”
The song questions the ending of their relationship and the ambiguous timeline of how it ended. She decided that, in his head, the relationship was long done before he cheated. But in her mind, he will always have a spot in her heart:
“Was it over when she laid down on your couch? / Was it over when he unbuttoned my blouse / ‘Come here,’ I whispered in your ear / In your dream as you passed out, baby / Was it over then? And is it over now?”
“Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” has quickly become the Swiftie favorite, as fans feel they can relate to Swifts’ ambiguous relationship with Styles.
The “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” vault tracks are stacked full of gems that should have been on the original tracklist. The songs also leave Easter eggs about her and Styles’ relationship, where the public did not get to see much.
“1989 (Taylor’s version)” has had some of the best vault tracks so far, as none of them are skippable.
