It’s time to “Shake It Off” with Taylor Swift yet again! In her 4th re-recorded album, entitled the “Taylor’s Version” albums, her debut to the pop scene is back in the mature Taylor’s glory, and it’s just as poppy and boppy as ever! Since it’s a rerelease, almost all the tracks are tried-and-true tunes everyone’s already heard and appreciated before. So, in this article, we’ll talk exclusively about the 5 new tracks, entitled tracks “From the Vault”! Sorry, 1989, but we have to wipe the slate “Clean” and start with these new songs! So, let’s fill each “Blank Space” and talk about these fresh hits!
1. “Slut!”
An instant hit, “Slut!” is a serene, melodramatic anthem about how hard it is to care about how everyone else feels when you’re so deeply in love with someone. Swift sings about how if she is going to be seen in a negative light, she’d rather just be in love while doing it. The lyrics go,
“But if I’m gonna be all dressed up, they might as well be looking at us / And if they call me a slut, you know it might be worth it for once.”
2. “Say Don’t Go”
This song is about the uncertainty of a relationship on its last whims. “Say Don’t Go” paints how upset Swift is about being “led on” in a relationship, and how much it hurt her. Yet, among that pain, her desire to stay with him lingers in the cruelest fashion imaginable. That cruel fashion is shown through the juxtaposition of her horridly torn heart and her eagerness. Yes, her eagerness, as the only thing she wants is to stay, despite her best wishes. The song ends in heartbreak, with the line:
“Say don’t go- I would stay forever if you say don’t go.. But you won’t”
3. “Now That We Don’t Talk”
This is a bittersweet tune reflecting the aftermath of a broken relationship. It shows the time that’s passed, and how both parties in the romance have grown and changed. Swift’s upset, torn between missing what they had and knowing their split is for the better, and this song illustrates that picture in your mind perfectly. It’s a “sad, beautiful, tragic” (wrong era, I know) anthem of loss. The chorus goes:
“I call my mom, she said it’s for the best / Remind myself the more I gave, you’d want me less /I cannot be your friend, so I pay the price of what I lost, and what it cost. Now that we don’t talk..”
4. “Suburban Legends”
A gorgeous contrast to “Say Don’t Go,” this song is about the yearning you have for your love, despite knowing their infidelity. It’s not about feeling the heartbreak that someone else has inflicted on you– it’s about breaking your own heart before they can break yours, knowing that they’re hiding so much from you, and knowing that it’s for the better. It’s strange upon your first listen, because despite the lyricism of the song being sad and yearning, the instrumentals themselves are upbeat and bopping. Yet, the more you listen, the more you realize that it’s supposed to reflect her mentality. You appreciate it. It’s that craving for romance, affection, and admiration for that special someone, and the relationship you two have. And on top of that? It’s far too catchy. This song worms itself into your brain with the lyrics:
“I didn’t come here to make friends / 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..”
5. “Is It Over Now?”
A heartbreaking track about being hurt by a relationship – not about being upset, but being hurt, and angry. She compares herself to other women that her ex has seen; women with blue eyes, waitresses, models, etc. She’s bitter, singing about how ex being a “lying traitor,” and how he “searched every maiden’s bed.” Clearly, he cheated, and she’s not crying and screaming on the floor, she’s judging him for it. She’s still hurt, of course, but she’s furious that someone she committed herself to would even consider doing the things he did, despite the fact that she still kinda misses what they had. It’s shown beyond transparently through the chorus, where Swift sings:
“Was it over when she laid 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?”
So, the question is: are these new tracks enough to warrant a repurchase of this old 2014 album? The answer? Absolutely. These tracks are the closest you could get to the sounds of heaven in your ear, and “Now That We Don’t Talk” alone could sell the album for its $11.89 price point. If you have that money to spare, or you have a music streaming service, there’s absolutely NO REASON for you to not listen to these amazing tracks on this godsend of an album.
Final Verdict: 10/10
“I wish you would” have more songs, because nobody wants to stop listening!