It’s hard to imagine a time where Taylor Swift was not the biggest name in pop music. By the release of her fourth album, Red (2012), which received the “Taylor’s Version” treatment in 2021, Swift could boast an Album of the Year Grammy Award, three international concert tours, and a myriad of other awards and accolades. Her presence in the industry, and on the Billboard charts, was unmissable. Yet, in 2014, when Swift released 1989 – her first album to be classified in the pop genre – something changed. If pre-1989 Swift was a star, post-1989 Swift was a superstar. Nine years (to the day!) later, Swift reminds us that 1989 is not only the definitive album of her discography, but perhaps the definitive pop album of the 2010s. 

While Swift has become notorious for experimenting with genres, and her earlier albums show this (see “Haunted” on Speak Now, “I Knew You Were Trouble” from Red), 1989 was the first album to showcase a Swift who had fully shed her country roots. A Swift who was settled enough within the industry to feel comfortable taking a risk, but hungry enough to outdo herself and take a big risk. She was settled within the industry enough to face unfair criticism, unkind assumptions, and baseless rumors, but popular enough to accrue a loyal following.

While Swift had always worked hard to prove her critics wrong (she is credited as the sole songwriter on every song on Speak Now (2010), a response to accusations that she didn’t write her own music), 1989 was the first time she would do so loudly and proudly. “Blank Space” was written as a satirical response to criticisms around her dating life. “Shake It Off” was a literal anthem to tuning out the cynics and marching to the beat of your own drum. On “New Romantics,” a song that somehow feels simultaneously iconic and underrated, she proudly boats, “I could build a castle out of all the bricks they threw at me,” with a level of youthful spirit that suggest shrugging off the hate and instead enjoying the best things in life. Swift announced to the world that pop superstar Taylor Swift was not only here to play, but here to stay, setting the tone for the music legend she would soon become. 

1989 (Taylor’s Version) enhances the iconic album we all know and love. With the same signature stylings, and more mature vocals, Swift delivers every song off the original album with the same amount of precise perfection as she did on the original. As has been the case with her three previous “Taylor’s Version” albums, Swift has demonstrated that the phrase “Taylor’s Version” does not simply equate to her ownership of the song. The songs sound and feel as if we’ve been previously prevented from hearing the songs as Swift fully intended. From slight tweaks in delivery of lyrics to updated instrumentals, the songs on 1989 (Taylor’s Version) feel like newer, shiner upgrades to their 2014 counterparts. The heart of every song is still there, but there is something about them that simply feels better. Perhaps it’s the satisfaction of hearing Swift sing lyrics like, “the best people in life are free,” at a time where Swift has achieved simultaneous peak success and artistic freedom. 

Following the trend from other “Taylor’s Version” albums, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) features five “From the Vault” tracks, that are arguably five of her strongest. While every song blends in seamlessly with the original tracks, they also feel reminiscent of some of her more recent work. “Is It Over Now?” feels like a song that could have easily fit onto 2022’s Midnights, which really drives home the idea of 1989 being the album that allowed Swift to truly find her groove. Only Swift could manage to make a song titled “Slut!” feel like a dreamy romantic song to underscore the feeling of young love. “Say Don’t Go” reminds the listener of Swift’s true gift for songwriting, and her ability to put deep-cutting, soul touching lyrics to a catchy pop beat. 

From the success of the Eras Tour and its accompanying theatrical release, to the constant coverage by the NFL lately, it is safe to say that Taylor Swift has become a definitive touchstone of 2023’s pop culture, which makes her re-claiming of the album that arguably became the launchpad for all the success all the more satisfying. When future generations one day reflect back on Taylor Swift’s legacy, they will surely point to 1989 as the album that marked a turning point. They’ll then point to 1989 (Taylor’s Version) as the album that gave her ownership of that turning point. If nothing else, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) shows that the words Swift sang a decade ago ring ever true: the best people, and artists, in life are free.