1989 (Taylor's Version) - Discussion, Theories and Reaction

Hosts Lisa and Cameron of the Swiftly Spoken podcast discuss Taylor Swift's upcoming re-recording, "1989 Taylor's Version," set for release on October 27th. Announced during the final North American show of the Eras Tour, the podcast delves into the significance of the date and fans' anticipation, highlighting Taylor's thematic blue outfits and the crowd's ecstatic reaction. They speculate on potential album promotions, given the absence of a tour during the album's launch month, and consider the implications for Grammy season. The hosts also examine the new cover art, expressing initial mixed feelings that evolve into appreciation for its representation of freedom and happiness. They touch on the various CD editions available, including exclusive photo cards featuring never-before-seen images from the original 1989 photoshoot, and ponder the potential content of the five From the Vault tracks, noting Taylor's history of collaboration and whether the re-recording will include any. The episode encapsulates the excitement and speculation surrounding the release, the nostalgia of the era, and the podcast's plans to cover every aspect of the "1989 Taylor's Version" era.

• Lisa and Cameron are the hosts of Swiftly Spoken, a fan-made Taylor Swift podcast.
• They discuss Taylor Swift's re-recordings, particularly the announcement of "1989 Taylor's Version."
• The announcement was made during the last stop of the North American leg of the Eras Tour.
• The release date is October 27th, coinciding with the original release date of "1989," creating a sense of nostalgia.
• Taylor Swift's wardrobe choices throughout the night hinted at the announcement, with multiple blue outfits, including a "Speak Now" dress and a "Folklore" dress.
• The announcement led to excitement and speculation about future album announcements during the tour.

"welcome to swiftly spoken a fan made Taylor Swift podcast in which we break down her lyrics Deep dive into Fallout album retrospectives and theorize about what may be coming next we are your hosts Lisa and Cameron and in this episode we're going to be breaking down all things 1989 Taylor's version which was just announced as the next re-recording to be released this October at her last stop of the first leg of the North American part of the era's tour Taylor announced 1989 now swifties had been clowning we must admit even we in our previous episode did say something could potentially happen on this last day as it was like the 9th of August which when flipped the other way around to how Americans kind of like put dates it did spell out like 8 9 89 Taylor herself did mention this we kind of did talk about this."

This quote introduces the podcast and its focus on Taylor Swift's work, specifically the announcement of "1989 Taylor's Version." It also touches on the significance of the date of the announcement and the hosts' previous speculation about it.

• Taylor Swift's re-recording announcements are seen as a gift to her fans.
• The hosts appreciate Swift's acknowledgment of the fans' role in her ability to re-record her music.
• The excitement and engagement during the live announcement are highlighted, demonstrating Swift's connection with her audience.
• The hosts speculate on whether album announcements during tours will become a recurring theme.

"and it's such a nice thing to do for fans um and it feels like it is for the fans to be like look guys I'm doing this. and I just love it and you can see Taylor's excitement when she does it and the fact then she performs a song from her album is just I think it's so cool."

This quote emphasizes the hosts' view that Taylor Swift's re-recording announcements are special events for fans and showcases Swift's excitement and engagement with her audience during these moments.

• The hosts discuss potential promotional activities for "1989 Taylor's Version."
• They expect a promotional approach similar to "Red (Taylor's Version)" with interviews and appearances.
• The timing of the release is also seen as strategic for Grammy promotion, potentially for both "1989 Taylor's Version" and "Midnights."
• The hosts express a desire for magazine photo shoots and in-depth interviews, offering different perspectives on Taylor Swift.

"Grammys are the nominations and the people are locking out at that moment. and it's a good way to remind people not just of the Taylor's version re-recording project and 1989 but of her other pop album which in many ways does hearken towards 1989 and how it's aesthetic is."

This quote discusses the strategic timing of "1989 Taylor's Version" release in relation to Grammy nominations, suggesting that it serves as a reminder of Swift's impact and relevance in the music industry.

• The hosts express concern over how the new cover of "1989 Taylor's Version" will compare to the original.
• They note that the original "1989" album cover is iconic and widely recognized.
• The hosts have mixed feelings about the new cover, appreciating the homage to past photo shoots but questioning if it emulates the original enough.
• They discuss the consistency of the Taylor's Version album covers and the presence of text on the new "1989" cover.

"so I think to be fair my opinion has slightly changed so I think 1989. I've loved it always loved the fact that it's a Polaroid like the Polaroid element has been something that's so key."

This quote reflects the hosts' evolving opinion on the new "1989" album cover, highlighting the importance of the Polaroid element from the original cover and their thoughts on its representation in the re-recorded version.

• Taylor Swift had to prove to her label that she could successfully transition to pop with the 1989 album.
• The cover of the album reflects a shift in her attitude, appearing more carefree and happy.
• Initial reactions to the cover were mixed but grew more positive over time.
• The cover represents a reclaiming of her image, showing confidence and a less serious demeanor.

"prove to be taken seriously because she did with 1989 from the second that she thought of that album she had to fight to prove in her label to be taken serious that she could make her change fight to prove that this was a serious pop album and it was the pop album and she had to yeah be very mysterious and very not too I don't want to look I care too much you know."

This quote highlights the struggle Taylor Swift faced in convincing her label and the public of her shift from country to pop with the 1989 album. It underscores the calculated presentation she had to maintain to be taken seriously as a pop artist.

• The 1989 album cover depicts Taylor Swift smiling, with her hair half pinned up, symbolizing a more relaxed and genuine self-presentation.
• The cover contrasts her previous desire for a serious image.
• It also reflects her current happiness and confidence in her music.

"she's not taken herself too seriously her hair is like half pinned up it's all coming out everywhere."

This quote describes the casual and authentic style of Taylor Swift on the album cover, indicating a departure from the meticulously crafted image of her past.

• Taylor Swift's re-recorded albums have multiple editions, indicating significant marketing efforts.
• The 1989 album has several CD and vinyl editions, each with unique features.
• The variety of editions demonstrates a strategic approach to engaging fans and collectors.

"cd-wise. she's not playing when it comes to marketing this album but vinyl wise which will get too fast it we have just the one vinyl at this moment so far whereas speak now has like three."

This quote points out the marketing strategy behind the different editions of Taylor Swift's re-recorded albums, with a focus on creating collectible items for fans.

• Taylor Swift's album merchandise includes posters with exclusive photos and original lyrics.
• Collectible items such as Polaroids and diary entries are included with different editions.
• The merchandise is designed to offer fans a tangible connection to the album and its themes.

"so it's technically five. yeah. although it seems like the standard is the crystal Skies one it's the same blue."

This quote refers to the various editions of the 1989 album, emphasizing the collectible nature of the merchandise and the strategy behind offering multiple versions.

• Exclusive versions of the 1989 album come with different names and covers, such as Crystal Skies and Rose Garden.
• These versions are meant to enhance fan engagement and offer unique content.
• The strategy of releasing multiple versions creates excitement and discussion among fans.

"so we have four exclusive versions of 1989 as for the content on the one disc that is included there is no difference. but we do have vastly different names to these editions and different covers we have the crystal Skies Edition the Rose Garden aquamarine. green and finally Sunrise Boulevard."

This quote details the different exclusive versions of the 1989 album, each with its own thematic cover and name, which serves to create a sense of exclusivity and appeal to collectors.

• Discussion about new lyrics and their association with colors.
• Mahogany lyrics might relate to the color green, specifically "aquamarine green."
• 1989 is associated with the color green due to the "green eyes" reference.
• Colors mentioned: aquamarine green, Sunset Boulevard (yellow/orange), Rose Garden (pink), and Crystal Skies (blue).
• Speculation on whether the color themes and lyrics are coincidental or intentional.

"Aquamarine green and Sunset Boulevard could be the Rogue ones."

This quote suggests that among the colors mentioned, aquamarine green and Sunset Boulevard are considered outliers or "rogue" in relation to the rest.

"1989 is the album for green eyes."

This quote establishes a connection between the color green and the album "1989," linking it to the theme of green eyes in the lyrics.

"Crystal Skies is blue that is the new one that she just put out... Rose Garden is like the pinky One... Sunset Boulevard is the yellow slash orange one."

This quote lists the colors associated with different themes or lyrics, suggesting a pattern or thematic connection.

• Discussion about the collectible nature of Taylor Swift's album merchandise.
• The speaker, Cameron, owns all 989 Polaroids and exclusive items related to Taylor Swift's albums.
• Each CD is expected to have five double-sided photo cards with new, never-before-seen photos.
• There is some confusion about the number of photos and how they correlate with the double-sided cards.

"I have every single 989 polaroid... plus both lithographs."

Cameron explains the extent of their collection, highlighting the significance of owning all possible collectibles related to the album.

"Each CD is going to have five photo cards and both are double-sided so hopefully that's 10."

This quote expresses anticipation for the new collectible photo cards that will accompany the CDs, although there is some uncertainty about the exact number.

• Speculation about Taylor Swift's ability to use original photoshoot content for merchandise.
• Discussion on the rights to photos and how Taylor Swift might have obtained them.
• The original 1989 photoshoot included both Polaroids and other photos, and the new release might include previously unreleased photos from this shoot.

"I don't know how she's been able to make like attain those like it's what the rights I don't really know rights with photos photographers."

The speakers are unsure about the legal aspects of how Taylor Swift obtained the rights to use the original photoshoot content.

"It seems like they're like cut content that weren't so much from Polaroids but from that same photo shoot that was happening."

This quote suggests that the new collectibles might include content that was not used in the original album release, possibly from the same photoshoot session.

• Each album release has varied in how the merchandise and collector's editions have been presented.
• Comparison of how different albums, like Fearless, Red, and Speak Now, have incorporated photoshoots, tour content, and new materials.
• The new 1989 release appears to include both new and old photoshoot content, differing from previous albums.

"With each CD it's been interesting how stuff's been incorporated... 1989 now seems to be new photo shoot and old."

This quote reflects on the evolving nature of Taylor Swift's album merchandise, noting that the upcoming 1989 release combines elements from both new and original photoshoots.

"I love bringing back the collector element... it's a really good we have to say."

Cameron expresses enthusiasm for the collectible aspect of album releases and the excitement it brings to fans who enjoy collecting different versions and exclusive items.

• The new 1989 album package will have four different covers across the versions.
• Each cover may feature different photos from the original photoshoot, potentially in different colors.
• There is excitement and speculation about whether one of the covers will resemble the original album cover more closely.

"Obviously there's four different covers across the versions it's not just the same cover."

This quote highlights the variety in the album packaging, with multiple covers offering fans a range of collectible options.

"What about if one of those covers of one of those other editions is more like the original cover."

The speakers speculate on the possibility of one of the new covers being similar to the original 1989 album cover, adding to the nostalgia and collector appeal.

• The CD contains 21 songs, including standard tracks, deluxe tracks, and five From the Vault tracks.
• There is a break in the pattern of having six From the Vault tracks, which is speculated to be because 1989 is Taylor Swift's fifth album.
• Discussion on the potential exclusion of certain songs from the era, such as "Bad Blood" with Kendrick Lamar.
• Speculation about future releases of songs that may not be included on the physical CD.

"Taylor has described that it has 21 songs... and then we have a total of five From the Vault tracks."

This quote summarizes the content of the new CD, noting the number of standard, deluxe, and From the Vault tracks.

"Taylor herself said that there was 150 songs written for not 89."

The speakers discuss the large number of songs written for the album, suggesting that not all of them will be released, and some may have been ideas or different versions of the same song.

• Taylor Swift aimed to create a perfect, polished pop album with "1989."
• She focused on sonic cohesion throughout the album.
• The Vault tracks for "1989" are expected to fit the album's aesthetic.

"I want to make a perfect polished pop album that is sonically cohesive."

This quote emphasizes Taylor Swift's deliberate intention to produce an album with a unified sound, ensuring that all tracks contribute to the overall vision of "1989."

• Vault tracks are additional songs that did not make the original album cut.
• For "1989," these tracks are anticipated to be cohesive with the album's sound.
• The "Red" album's Vault tracks were more eclectic, reflecting the diverse nature of the album itself.
• There is speculation about whether previously known but unreleased songs will appear as Vault tracks.

"These Vault tracks are gonna fit... they're gonna feel like cohesively part of it because it makes sense with the 1989 aesthetic."

This quote suggests that the unreleased songs from the Vault will seamlessly integrate with "1989," sharing its distinctive style and contributing to the album's narrative.

• Fans speculate about the inclusion of specific songs and collaborations in the Vault tracks.
• There is a rumor about a "Style" remix featuring Harry Styles, which is met with skepticism.
• Taylor Swift's own words suggest the Vault tracks will be original and previously unheard.
• Discussion about the possibility of collaborations on the re-recorded album, given the lack of collaborations on the original "1989."

"I honestly do believe that it's five songs that we know nothing of which is really really exciting."

The quote conveys excitement about the prospect of entirely new content from Taylor Swift, highlighting the anticipation for original Vault tracks.

• Taylor Swift has a history of collaborations, which vary in their impact on the songs.
• Collaborations may continue as part of the tradition with re-recorded albums.
• There is debate over whether collaborations enhance or detract from Swift's songs.
• The speakers have mixed feelings about potential collaborations for "1989," with some preferring the album to remain a solo endeavor.

"Collaboration I think because Taylor collaborations are very hit and not hit and miss with them being good or bad I just mean like the river of collaboration or a backing track."

This quote reflects the speakers' nuanced view on collaborations, recognizing that they can add value to a track when done well, but also acknowledging that not all collaborations meet this standard.

• Speculation includes potential collaborators like Selena Gomez, Carly Rae Jepsen, and others.
• The speakers express personal preferences for collaborations but acknowledge that others may have different opinions.
• The speakers discuss the impact of past collaborations and the desire for future collaborations to add something significant to the songs.

"Maybe Selena could be cool obviously Harry obviously obviously he's there that's my number one wishful thinking."

The quote indicates the speakers' wishful thinking about high-profile collaborations, while also recognizing that their personal preferences might not align with the actual outcome.

• The concept of Vault tracks extends to other albums in Taylor Swift's discography.
• Each album, from "Debut" to "Midnights," will potentially have its own set of Vault tracks.
• These additional tracks provide fans with an extended view of Swift's creative process over the years.

"We technically will have From the Vault tracks from every single album so you will get them for debut all the way up to rep then lover."

This quote outlines the comprehensive nature of the Vault tracks, which will offer a broader perspective on Taylor Swift's music across different eras.

• The re-release of "1989" is seen as an act of reclaiming control over Swift's work.
• There is a sense of coming full circle with the album's message and its impact on fans.
• The speakers reflect on the emotional resonance of "1989" and its importance in Swift's career.

"I think this album is going to be very much reclaiming once again you know she can reclaim the land."

This quote captures the sentiment that the re-release of "1989" is not just about the music, but also about Taylor Swift taking back ownership and agency over her artistry.