Swift, Taylor: 1989 - Taylor's Version (2LP, crystal skies blue edition) [REPUBLIC]

Taylor Swift's *1989* represents her definitive shift away from her country roots, embracing a vibrant pop sound. The album is a celebration of pop joy, highlighted by hit singles like "Shake It Off," "Blank Space," "Wildest Dreams," and "Out Of The Woods." It marks her departure from country music, leaving behind themes of dating and emotional vulnerability.

Named after the year of her birth, *1989* treats heartbreak as a distant concept rather than a raw emotion. Rather than focusing on personal arguments and intimate moments, the album centers on glamorous city life and casual weekend romances.

The album is notable for its cohesion, with each track seamlessly fitting into a well-crafted central concept.

*1989 (Taylor's Version)*, a reimagining of the original album, reflects 1980s pop influences with its synthesizer-driven, upbeat sound. It features new recordings of all 16 songs from the original deluxe edition, plus five unreleased tracks known as "From the Vault." Produced by Swift, Jack Antonoff, and Christopher Rowe, with additional contributions from Ryan Tedder, Noel Zancanella, Shellback, and Imogen Heap, the expanded versions also include a new recording of "Sweeter Than Fiction" and a remix of "Bad Blood" featuring Kendrick Lamar.

Critics lauded *1989 (Taylor's Version)* for its high production quality, Swift's performance, and the vault tracks. The album topped the charts in Australia, Canada, and several European countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. In the United States, it became Swift's 13th album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 and her sixth to sell over a million copies in its first week, setting a new record. Seven tracks from the album entered the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, with vault tracks "Is It Over Now?", "Now That We Don’t Talk," and "Slut!" occupying the top three spots. In 2024, the album was ranked 18th on Apple Music's list of the 100 Best Albums.