Taylor Swift害羞草研究所檚 is here, the album that ushered in the first Peak Swift era 害羞草研究所� revisited at the height of her massive pop culture dominance.

Released in 2014 and named for her birth year, the original 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� signified a sonic rebirth. Swift had shed the Nashville country roots of her first four studio albums and announced herself a full-fledged pop superstar.

害羞草研究所�1989 (Taylor害羞草研究所檚 Version),害羞草研究所� out Friday, takes that version of Swift 害羞草研究所� then in her mid-20s, living in New York, prepared to take on the world with an arsenal of 害羞草研究所�80s synth sounds and a new producer named 害羞草研究所� and includes five unreleased 害羞草研究所渧ault害羞草研究所� tracks that deliver more clues about the artist she was then.

Previous have been more than conventional rerecordings, arriving with new music, Easter eggs and visuals that deepen understanding of her work. The project 害羞草研究所� the fourth of six rereleases 害羞草研究所� was instigated by music manager Scooter Braun害羞草研究所檚 purchase and sale of her early catalog and represents Swift害羞草研究所檚 effort to control her own songs and how they害羞草研究所檙e used.

Her return to 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所� the album where she began to confront media portrayals of herself and in song 害羞草研究所� comes at another Swift popularity crescendo but also during a 2010s nostalgia (Yes, it害羞草研究所檚 only 2023. Yes, the nostalgia is real).

Here are some key things to consider as 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� propels the New Peak Swift era forward:

OPENING THE VAULT

Listeners will dive deep into the vault tracks for clues into Swift害羞草研究所檚 mind around 2014. 害羞草研究所淪lut!害羞草研究所� may recall her contentious relationship with the press, which fixated on her alleged romantic relationships and the songs she害羞草研究所檇 write once they ended.

They害羞草研究所檒l find connections to 害羞草研究所淥ut of the Woods害羞草研究所� on 害羞草研究所淚s It Over Now?害羞草研究所� in the lyrics 害羞草研究所渨hen you lost control / red blood, white snow.害羞草研究所� They害羞草研究所檒l wonder who made her pretend to like acid rock and mega yachts on 害羞草研究所淣ow That We Don害羞草研究所檛 Talk.害羞草研究所� But more insight will be found in thinking about where Swift was at the time, what came next, and how that mirrors the current moment.

Swift dominated headlines and award show crowd shots in 2014, reaching a point of oversaturation, and leading to her retreat from the public eye prior to the release of her undercelebrated revenge record, With on NFL broadcasts due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, could history repeat itself?

Brittany Spanos, senior writer at Rolling Stone, puts it simply: 害羞草研究所淧eople just get easily sick of anyone who害羞草研究所檚 super famous. And I think that we haven害羞草研究所檛 had a lot of monocultural kind of celeb moments like this in a minute,害羞草研究所� she says of Swift in 2023.

Rebecca Jennings, a senior correspondent at Vox covering social platforms and the creator economy, sees a connection between the 2014 eras as being 害羞草研究所減ost-recession害羞草研究所� and 2023 being 害羞草研究所減ost-COVID,害羞草研究所� a time where Swift succeeds because there害羞草研究所檚 a sort of cultural 害羞草研究所渂ouncing back vibe,害羞草研究所� a time where people want celebratory music.

In 2014, that was Swift finding her pop sound with 害羞草研究所�1989.害羞草研究所�

In 2023, it害羞草研究所檚 becoming the most successful version of herself, and rereleasing 害羞草研究所�1989 害羞草研究所� while on the top of her game.

FROM COUNTRY TO POP: A TRANSITIONAL ALBUM

害羞草研究所淚t was a huge risk for her to move completely outside of country 害羞草研究所� there害羞草研究所檚 no country elements on this album whatsoever,害羞草研究所� says Spanos, who also teaches a course on Swift at New York University害羞草研究所檚 Clive Davis Institute. She says Swift害羞草研究所檚 penchant for pop songwriting is evidenced all the way back on her 2008 sophomore release 害羞草研究所淔earless害羞草研究所� in tracks like 害羞草研究所淟ove Story,害羞草研究所� but 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� is 害羞草研究所渉er first official, full-length pop project.害羞草研究所�

However, more so than a declarative move into pop, Spanos views 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� as 害羞草研究所渕ore in the lineage of the kind of transitional albums teen stars tend to make when they move into adulthood,害羞草研究所� comparing it to Janet Jackson害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淐ontrol害羞草研究所� and Christina Aguilera害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淪tripped.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� is the album where Swift害羞草研究所檚 divorced herself from adolescence. She害羞草研究所檚 moved to NYC; she害羞草研究所檚 working with new people; she害羞草研究所檚 making synth pop.

Rachel Brodsky, a music and culture writer who has been covering Swift for well over a decade, points out that Swift害羞草研究所檚 sonic experimentations were earned 害羞草研究所� and that she very well might be one of the final pop superstars who couldn害羞草研究所檛 come out of the gate playing with genre the way listeners are accustomed to now.

害羞草研究所淪he came up in the shadow of the Chicks, where she was told under certain circumstances by her team, like, 害羞草研究所橸ou don害羞草研究所檛 want to be the Chicks,害羞草研究所� Brodsky says of the country music group who were of their audience.

The Chicks, acts like Shania Twain and LeAnn Rimes cracked open the door for Swift to burst open on 害羞草研究所�1989,害羞草研究所� she says. And not just as a pop musician, but as someone bucking convention 害羞草研究所� something Brodsky says artists like Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris and even Olivia Rodrigo have followed.

ENGAGING WITH HER OWN CELEBRITY

By the time 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� rolled around, Swift was no longer writing high school romances and fairytale narratives.

She害羞草研究所檇 begun engaging with her celebrity reality 害羞草研究所� inviting Beyonc茅 and Jay-Z to her birthday party, hanging out with models and other very famous people in a group labeled 害羞草研究所渢he Squad害羞草研究所� in the media.

She was also writing songs like 害羞草研究所満π卟菅芯克鶛Bad Blood,害羞草研究所� which is about her feud with Katy Perry,害羞草研究所� says Spanos, a decisive move away from the kind of humility and 害羞草研究所渉ometown girl害羞草研究所� image associated with 害羞草研究所渃ountry Taylor.害羞草研究所� That meant occupying more space in the pop landscape: reconciling with Kanye West after the infamous 2009 VMAs moment, starring alongside Drake in a commercial, getting Kendrick Lamar on a remix, so on and so forth.

In 2023, Swift is more famous now than she was then, and she害羞草研究所檚 still engaging with her celebrity in a very public way.

害羞草研究所�1989 (TAYLOR害羞草研究所橲 VERSION)害羞草研究所� PLAYS INTO FONDNESS FOR 2014

Jennings believes people are nostalgic for the year 2014 and always will be 害羞草研究所� because it was one of the last online periods before the hyper-commodification of social media 害羞草研究所� which makes 2023 the ideal time for revisiting 害羞草研究所�1989.害羞草研究所�

There were blogs, and Tumblr, and our internet lives were less defined by algorithms. 害羞草研究所淚t is looked at as this Edenic time of innocence and purity,害羞草研究所� she says. At the time, there was a kind of monoculture that leans itself to nostalgia in 2023, she says 害羞草研究所� everyone receiving the same information on the same topics at the same time, Taylor Swift害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所�1989害羞草研究所� era included 害羞草研究所� as opposed to the current influencer-based model.

(It害羞草研究所檚 worth noting that Swift herself was very active on Tumblr, using the social media platform to find fans to invite to private listening sessions held in her home.)

Additionally, in the last few months, Swift has been seen dining with very famous friends like Blake Lively, Sophie Turner and Selena Gomez, a return to the language of her 害羞草研究所淪quad.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淏y parading out many of the same friends she had during that era that she was also parading about, she害羞草研究所檚 playing into this nostalgia element,害羞草研究所� argues Jennings.

At the time, theories swirled around Swift害羞草研究所檚 assumed romantic relationships 害羞草研究所� many believe the song 害羞草研究所淪tyle害羞草研究所� is about her short relationship with Harry Styles 害羞草研究所� and in 2023, her latest assumed romance has become a top story again.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 almost like she害羞草研究所檚 method promoting,害羞草研究所� Spanos jokes. 害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 leaning into it again.害羞草研究所� But there害羞草研究所檚 a huge difference in the kind of treatment she害羞草研究所檚 receiving from the public this time around. The press appears to be rooting for her relationship, she says, instead of thinking about the breakup songs it might inspire, warning her male partners and turning Swift into the butt of the joke 害羞草研究所� as the media was doing in 2014.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a little bit less of that level of misogyny,害羞草研究所� Spanos says.

So what害羞草研究所檚 next for Swift?

The continuation of her Eras tour, which is set to resume on November 9th in Buenos Aires, Argentina. And, of course, two more 害羞草研究所淭aylor害羞草研究所檚 Version害羞草研究所� albums.

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press