Hi all!

Today I am ranking the vault tracks from 1989 Taylor’s Version! I have also done this for Fearless TV, Speak Now TV and Red TV. If you wish to check out my honorary Swiftie menu, please click here.

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A Brief Note on 1989

As somebody that was also born in 1989, I  appreciate how brilliant this album is. The era saw a big shift in genres. Taylor went from country, to full-blown pop. The opening track: Welcome To New York, heralded a new chapter in her story. Taylor had dated Harry Styles, was surrounded by rich icons for friends, wore killer high-waisted shorts and broke new records for the time. 1989 had such a formidable track list, with hit after hit. Blank Space, Style, Shake It Off, Out of The Woods and Bad Blood were just to name a few. She took a huge risk in this total transformation – and it totally paid off!

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1989 TV did not have as big a roll-out as I was expecting. However, Taylor blessed us big time with these truly remarkable bonus songs. It’s also worth noting, all of them were produced by Jack Antonoff. Without further ado, let’s get into it!

1.) Is It Over Now? 

Is It Over Now is undoubtedly my favourite vault track from 1989 TV. It may just be one of the best songs she’s ever written. I have a religious experience every time I listen to it. She has since confirmed it is a sister song to Out of the Woods and I Wish You Would. It certainly has the same type of sound. In this track, Taylor gives us a lot more insight into the breakdown and aftermath of her relationship with Harry Styles. She references their snowmobile accident, the infamous blue dress on a boat (taken the day it ended), his affairs with similar looking women and her own rebounds in the process. It has the most illegal double bridge I’ve ever heard. I cannot believe she was keeping this from us for so long!

2.) Now That We Don’t Talk 

In second place, we have Now That We Don’t Talk – one of Taylor’s shortest songs. According to her voice memos, it’s also her favourite vault track. It packs a punch, calling out Harry for breaking her heart and turning into someone she no longer recognised. Furthermore, it has a scathing bridge, letting fans know she pretended to like the same things and people he did. There is a relatability in reflecting on what it’s like to accept something that is truly over.

3.) Say, Don’t Go 

In third place, we have Say Don’t Go – her longest vault track on the album. It was co-written with Diane Warren, who has worked on notable songs such as: I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing, Un-Break My Heart, Because You Loved Me and so much more. In my opinion, this number has the most 80’s sound of them all. It’s about the fragile endings of a relationship (Harry). It links in well with All You Had To Do Was Stay and How You Get The Girl. Whilst the chorus is quite simple and repetitive, the production is beautiful and the bridge, very telling. It lets us know that Taylor told Harry she loved him, but he never said it back.

4.) “Slut!”

In fourth place, we have “Slut!” Taylor sings about being verbally attacked by One Direction fans, when she began dating Harry Styles. They slut-shamed her, making her feel as though she was not worthy of him. It was a very difficult time, but she loved him so much, it was worth all the slander. There is such a pretty, airy vibe to the production. I think more of Los Angeles than New York. In fact, Taylor confirmed this is what she was going for in her voice memo. She also admitted it was between this number and Blank Space. Can you imagine getting Blank Space as a vault track years later? Wild!

5.) Suburban Legends

Last, but certainly not least, we have Suburban Legends. This is probably the most confusing vault on the album. To be clear, I love this song. I adore all the vault tracks. I purely put it fifth because I listen to it the least. In this song, Taylor fantasises about an alternate reality, where her and her lover attended a regular high school in the suburbs. She visualises what it would’ve been like if their lives had been less publicised. He still would’ve made a mark on her forever, but maybe they would have stood more of a chance. I love the lyric: “I broke my own heart because you were too polite to do it.” After the release of The Tortured Poets Department, I do wonder if this one is about Matty. 

Thank you so much for reading! How would you order the vault tracks? 

Peace & Love xoxo