Taylor Swift has released a new version of her album '1989', the best-selling record of her career that marked her transition into a pop superstar. The original album, featuring hits like 'Shake It Off', 'Blank Space' and 'Style', was written during the 2013-14 Red Tour and won a Grammy for Album of the Year. It has spent 325 weeks on the UK charts.
The re-recorded album is part of Swift's ongoing campaign to regain control of her master recordings after an investment company purchased them in 2019. This re-release is considered the riskiest yet, as the original's pop sound relied heavily on synthesizers and processed vocals, which are challenging to replicate.
Alongside the re-recorded tracks, fans can hear five previously unreleased songs from Swift's vault, expanding on themes from the original album. The first track, 'Welcome To New York', celebrates her move to the city in 2014 and the freedom she found there, with all proceeds donated to New York City's public schools.
'Blank Space' satirises media portrayals of Swift as a 'psycho serial dater', while 'Style' is rumoured to be about Harry Styles, though Swift claims it was inspired by fashion. The album marks a shift in her songwriting, with 'Style' acknowledging infidelity, a topic she previously avoided.
