“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is set to drop tonight at midnight in typical Taylor Swift fashion. The album marks the fourth of Swift’s original masters to be re-recorded. Amid an early ship date for hard copies of the album, some fans have early access to the material. The new album prologue offers an intriguing narrative, one that calls out both fans and the media at large for sexualizing Swift’s female friendships.
The message explains that the “1989” era was intended to mark a new beginning in the singer’s personal life and career, in which she moved to New York City, worked on a synth pop album, and focused on her female friendships instead of her dating life. Instead, a faction of Swifties who call themselves “gaylors” have long shared conspiracy theories about Swift dating several of the famous women in her circle of friends, notable Karlie Kloss and Dianna Agron.
In the prologue, Swift reflects on the impossible situation she felt stuck in at this point in her personal life and career.
She did not had to end Gaylors like that lmao😭😭 pic.twitter.com/WSt4q53uqw
— karla (@tserasrep) October 26, 2023
The Decade Since “1989”
The singer embarked on this new chapter amid the ongoing microscope placed on her dating life. Swift was frequently shamed for her relationships and blamed for the public breakups. Many of the relationships have been revisited under a contemporary lens with knowledge of the power dynamics at play. John Mayer is 13 years older than Swift (and notably the alleged subject of “Dear John” and “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”) and Jake Gyllenhaal (the alleged subject of “All Too Well,” “State of Grace,” and “I Bet You Think About Me”) is 9 years older.
Her friendships aside, in the years since several of Swift’s high profile relationships from her teenage years and early 20s, the singer has even forged friendships with some of her exes. Notably, Swift worked with actor Taylor Lautner on her “I Can See You” music video, inviting Lautner and his wife to her concert for the premiere. Swift also offered congratulatory remarks to Harry Styles at the 2023 Grammy Awards, and sent Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner gifts when the couple had their first child.
@boneybumblebee TAYLOR LAUTNER?!!!???? #erastourtaylorswift #taylorlautner #twilight #kansascity
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How Swift Is Still Shaking It Off
This context in mind, listeners look forward to listening to the album with a new layer in the storytelling. The lead single of “1989” at the time of its 2014 release was “Shake It Off”, a catchy kiss-off to Swift’s harshest critics. The leaked prologue goes to show that in the nearly ten years since the album’s original release, Swift continues to follow her own advice. Many applauded Swift for standing up for her personal boundaries in the new message.
Oh it’s over for Gaylors
— Luca 🩵 {TAYLANA’s version} 🩵 (@lustforlifestan) October 26, 2023
GAYLORS WERE ENDED IKDR
— alex⸆⸉ (@crulsmmr) October 26, 2023
That's a thought-provoking quote from Taylor Swift. It's unfortunate that people can still sensationalize and sexualize friendships, regardless of gender. It's important to challenge those stereotypes and focus on genuine connections.
— Faissi Malik (@Faissi__) October 26, 2023
The singer is yet to issue further comment on “1989” at this time. The album’s re-release is a part of the re-recordings of her first six masters. In June 2019, music tycoon Scooter Braun famously purchased Swift’s first six original studio album masters, which were created from when Swift was a teenager through her mid-20s.
The masters were acquired through Ithaca Holdings for $330 million, after Braun bought Swift’s longtime record label, Big Machine Records. This resulted in an abrupt shift for Swift to Republic Records. The masters were acquired without Swift’s consent. Two months later, the singer dropped her seventh studio album, “Lover”, marking the first album she ever truly owned.
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After the release of “Lover”, the singer announced plans to re-record each of her first six studio albums, and add additional “vault” songs to each. The vault songs refer to tracks Swift wrote at the time of each album’s release, but ultimately did not release until the present day.
“1989” (Taylor’s Version) hits streaming at midnight in listeners’ wildest dreams.
