The General Journal

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The General Journal

The General Journal

From the Vault: A “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” Review

Journalism’s resident Swifty spills the tea on Taylor’s newest album: “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”
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Maryetta Williams

There’s been a lot of controversy over if the new Taylor Swift songs that came out on “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” were worth being released or not. Taylor has wrote many songs throughout her career, with a lot of them not being released. That is where the term “from the vault” comes from, meaning songs that she wrote and recorded, but never released officially. I have listened to Taylor’s music thoroughly and paid attention to detail in all of her songs and albums. So, here is my honest opinion and ranking on her five new songs that are from the vault. To start off in fifth place I chose “Say Don’t Go.” It was alright. The instrumentals were a little bland, and this song was not put to it’s full potential.  I personally think this one could have stayed in the vault, meaning it just should’ve been an unreleased song. In fourth place we have “Suburban Legends.” I liked this song, but it sounded a little too similar to her song “Mastermind” from “Midnights.” In third place we have “Sl*t!;” this is one of her songs that is alluding to how the media perceives Swift and the way she writes songs about all her exes. Taylor even says this in the song “Sl*t” are, “Love thorns all over this rose / I’ll pay the price you won’t.” Now for a gem: in second place we have “Is It Over Now?” This is a great song, referring to how even though things are ended in relationships, it can sometimes feel like there is still a chance. Lastly, coming in at number one is “Now That We Don’t Talk.” I put this song on top because the whole song is just a 10/10. The song is based around a relationship that ended and all the things you are still thinking but can’t say if you are going no contact. Swift says in the song, “Remind myself the more I gave / you’d want me less.” It is wonderfully written and performed. This was definitely a song I’m glad she did not keep in the vault.

 

DAVID KRIEGER/BAUER-GRIFFIN//GETTY IMAGES

 A lot of Swifties believe that these new songs were inspired by her ex-boyfriend Harry Styles, with whom she had recently broken up when “1989” was first released in 2014. Some of the lyrics that allude to this theory are on her song “Is It Over Now?” For instance, Swift describes a “blue dress on a boat,” which addresses the picture of her looking sad on a boat in a blue dress that was published by the Daily Mail in January 2013.  The photo was allegedly taken as she was leaving a vacation in the British Virgin Islands after Harry Styles and her had broken up.

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About the Contributor
Maryetta Williams
Maryetta Williams, Staff Writer
Maryetta Williams is a 15-year-old sophomore attending Heritage High School. She tries to be involved a lot in the Heritage community. This is Maryetta’s second semester in Journalism, and she is an all-Honors student. Maryetta plays club volleyball during the fall/winter/spring. She is in HOSA and will soon complete the Health Occupations pathway. She works very hard to have good grades, so she can have a good GPA for college applications. Language is Maryetta’s favorite subject in school. Maryetta hopes to one day work in the medical field. In Maryetta’s free time she likes to swim, hang out with friends, and read books. She lives with her mom, stepfather, brother, and two dogs. Payton and Murphy are Maryetta’s dogs: Payton is a Lab/Boxer mix, and Murphy is a miniature Schnauzer. She loves to listen to music; she finds it to help with anxiety a lot. Some of her favorite artists include Taylor Swift, Phoebe Bridgers, Lorde, and Olivia Rodrigo. She also loves to read books: "Red Queen," "The Selection," and "Legend" are some of her favorites. Maryetta is very excited to see where the rest of her high school will take her in the future.