Published by: Hannah Rondaris
Date Published: August 21, 2023
Time Published: 9:15 AM
The 1989 (Taylor's Version) album has just been announced, according to Taylor Swift. On October 27, at noon (Philippine Standard Time), it will be available to many music streaming platforms. The 1989 album is a flawless exercise in musicianship and album structure. From the album's liberal use of glossy '80s synths to its washed-out Polaroid cover, the record oozes nostalgia while yet being brimmmed with excitement for the future [1].
While we wait for the release of her re-recorded album, these are the meaning/stories behind the 3 hit songs that swifties love from her 1989 album:
1. SHAKE IT OFF
The song was written by Swift, Max Martin, and Shellback. It consists of an upbeat dancepop song accompanied by a saxophone line [2]. The lyrics of the song have been drawn from the media scrutiny that Taylor has experienced in her meteoric rise to fame. During a Rolling Stone interview in 2014, she said "I've had every part of my life dissected – my choices, my actions, my words, my body, my style, my music. When you live your life under that kind of scrutiny, you can either let it break you, or you can get really good at dodging punches. And when one lands, you know how to deal with it. And I guess the way that I deal with it is to shake it off."
"Shake it off" is all about dealing with how people treat one another. on a daily basis. Swift said that she felt humiliated whenever she heard false rumors about her spread in the entire school. It is the same feeling as when she goes grocery shopping and reads crazy news and headlines about her. Taylor Swift said in ABC News Radio last 2015, "Rather than writing a song that was victimized in nature I wanted to write a song that was joyful and give people a way to cope with whatever knots of ridiculousness life is doling out to them but also makes them want to dance." [3]
2. STYLE
Swift starts out by warning us that the relationship is in trouble. She goes on a "long drive" with her potential love, aware that either hell or paradise could be their destination [4]. They haven't seen each other in a long time, so this trip feels surprising for both of them. Swift knows that she should tell the fellow to leave and that they shouldn't try to make it work again. They've been trying before, and they haven't succeeded. But every time they go round and round, she can't help but watch.
Regardless of how many times they've been unable to form a good relationship, it remains in Taylor's imagination and his imaginations that the two are perfectly "for each other." Based on Swift’s words, they're exactly matching because of their individual preferences in a different sex. They like each other's style and are looking good working with one another.
The belief that people should be "perfect for each other" and should fulfil expectations of "Prince Charming" or "Ms. Right" is firmly held by the younger generation, and it occasionally leads to people being dissatisfied with the relationships they are in. Additionally, it implies that people occasionally put too much effort into preserving a relationship that appeared to be "perfect" when it might have easily been let to "go out of style."
3. BAD BLOOD
This is one of Swift's successful songs. Rolling Stone magazine interviewed her about the song, and she said that it's a song about bad blood between her and a fellow female singer. Swift mentioned before that the disagreement between Swift and the other female singer started when the latter attempted to "sabotage" Swift's tour by hiring several of the individuals Swift was using on the road [5].
The lyrics of this song were inspired by the betrayal of the unnamed female musician who was formerly close to Swift. Swift expressed her wish that the song would speak to anybody who has ever experienced betrayal.
Many people assume the singer is none other than Katy Perry, who had a falling out with Swift over an unspecified matter, despite Swift never disclosing the identity of the anonymous female singer or what the artist specifically did to her. It's important to remember that several of Swift's backup dancers left one of her stadium tours before to the release of "Bad Blood" to join Perry's tour. If Perry is in fact the topic of the song, as many strongly assume, then Swift's dancers deserting her and joining Perry's tour was probably a major factor in the tension between the singers.
With the 3 hit songs of Taylor Swift in her 1989 Album, she made a lot of inspirations for her to express her thoughts and emotions through storytelling by creating songs. Despite all the struggles she faced in life, she managed to make beautiful songs that we swifties will listen to everyday. From the betrayal, to the unworked romantic relationships, today, she stands as one of the most influential artists in Pop music in the 21st century.
Sources:
[1] Freeman, R. (2023). Taylor Swift's 1989: The return of a pop music masterpiece
https://www.bbc.com/.../20230811-taylor-swifts-1989-the....
[2] Taylor Swift Switzerland (2023). Shake it off. https://taylorswiftswitzerland.ch/.../1989.../shake-it-off/
[3] Lusk, D. (2023). The Real Meaning behind Shake it Off by Taylor Swift. https://www.nickiswift.com/.../the-real-meaning-behind.../
[4] Stumme, C. (2023). What does "Style" by Taylor Swift mean? https://www.popsongprofessor.com/.../what-does-style-by...
[5] Song Meaning+Facts. (2017). Meaning of Bad Blood by Taylor Swift. https://www.songmeaningsandfacts.com/meaning-bad-blood.../
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