Taylor Swift loves to plot and plan, and Swifties love to clown around and theorize about everything the artist releases. Most recently, both parties were working at the height of their powers as Swift prepared to announce the release date of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Let me tell you, speculation was running rampant as the pop star performed her final shows of the Eras Tour's first leg in Los Angeles, and fans were convinced she’d announce the news. Well, she did, and it was an exhilarating, and very blue moment. Now, we know when the singer’s fifth album is set to re-release along with a few other exciting details about the album named after the “Blank Space” singer’s year of birth.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) Release Date
Every time Taylor Swift announces one of her upcoming projects there is always a methodical plan in place that usually involves some sneaky Easter eggs and lots and lots of sly clues. This has been especially true with the plan for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), and it proved to be the case with 1989 (Taylor’s Version) too. This is because, as Swift played her final show in Los Angeles, she pulled out all the stops to announce that her fifth album will be re-released on October 27, 2023.
Much like how Swift dropped Easter eggs in the “Bejeweled” video and laid clues in “Lavender Haze’s” music video for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), she did the same thing for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) through the videos for “Kamra” and “I Can See You.” Not long after both videos’ releases, all the clues lined up, and 1989 was announced. Now, the wait for October 27th has begun!
How Many Tracks Will There Be?
There were 16 songs on the deluxe version of 1989. Along with these original tracks that are expected to be included on 1989 (Taylor’s Version), in her Instagram announcement, Swift announced that there will be five vault tracks. So, that makes for a grand total of 21 songs on the singer’s pop album.
Obviously, hits like “Blank Space,” “Style” and “Shake it Off” will likely be included along with fan favorites like “New Romantics” and “Clean,” because all her previous re-records have featured every track off the original albums.
On her previous re-records, Swift has also always brought in artists to be featured on her vault tracks. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) featured Colbie Caillat, Maren Morris and Keith Urban. Red (Taylor’s Version) included Ed Sheeran, Phoebe Bridgers and Chris Stapleton. While Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) highlighted Hayley Williams and Fall Out Boy. So, A-List performers could very well be featured on Swift’s five vault tracks…and here’s hoping one of them is Harry Styles.
1989 (Taylor's Version) Vault Tracks
As stated, there are five vault tracks on 1989 (Taylor's Version). In the past, Swift has placed puzzles on her social media for fans to figure out. However, this time, she tasked Swifties with figuring out 33 million word scrambles on Google, and they did it in about a day. Now we know all the track titles, even though there were some questions about if one would be "Lust" or "Slut," because the singer confirmed the tracks' names on Instagram:
The five vault tracks for 1989 (Taylor's Version) are:
- "Slut!" (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
- Say Don't Go (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
- Now That We Don't Talk (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
- Suburban Legends (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
- Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
1989 (Taylor’s Version) Was Announced On The Final Eras Tour Show In Los Angeles
There was a lot of clowning about August 9, 2023, and this being the day Taylor Swift would announce 1989 (Taylor's Version). Not only was it the final day of the first leg of the Eras Tour, it fell on 8/9, like '89, too. Also, as pointed out by For The Win, this album originally came out on October 27, 2014. According to that article, 3,208 days are between that date and August 9, which equals out to 8 years, 9 months and 13 days (I checked the math this tracks)...and all these wild theories proved to be anything but a coincidence.
On the night of August 9, Swift announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and she did it in “Style.” She rocked new blue looks for her Speak Now, Folklore, 1989, surprise songs and Midnights sets. The audience’s light-up bracelets shined light blue. Plus, she closed out the announcement by playing “New Romantics,” which was the only song left off her fifth album that she hadn't played as a surprise song.
@heartsfromkady ♬ original sound - kady <3
The crowd couldn’t contain their excitement as the “Wildest Dreams” singer announced 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and their enthusiasm was infectious. It was a triumphant and exciting moment, and an epic way to close out leg one of the Eras Tour. So, to celebrate the evening, she walked out of the stadium with glass of wine.
The Clues And Theories That Pointed To 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Release
Much like the lead-up to the announcement of Speak Now (Tyalor’s Version), Taylor Swift laid tons of clues and Easter eggs that alluded to the re-release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). From the music video hints in “Karma” and “I Can See You” mentioned earlier, to her surprise songs, to many other Easter eggs, there were lots of clues and subsequent theories that pointed to the announcement and release of her fifth album. With that said, here is a list of some of the most prominent ways we knew 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was coming:
The Graffiti In "The Man" Music Video Alludes To The Re-Release Order: So far, Swift’s first three re-records have been released in the order they’re shown on the "The Man" wall. It stands to reason that the next album might be Reputation and then 1989 (Taylor’s Versions), because we originally thought it was a clock. However, some fans seem to think that rather than a clock, the video is making an infinity sign.
Taylor Swift Played Every 1989 Track As A Surprise Song: Over the course of Swift’s first leg of her Eras Tour, she managed to play every song from 1989 except one before announcing the re-release. So, after playing 15 of the 16 tracks off her fifth album, the singer capped off her announcement by playing “New Romantics,” the final song from the record.
How The "Karma" Music Video Obviously Teases 1989 (Taylor’s Version): There are literally so many Easter eggs in the “Karma” video that tease the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), but the one I want to focus on is the coffee cup and her nails. Her blue nail is placed by the eight, and the album was announced in August. So, now does that mean we should expect a Reputation (Taylor’s Version) announcement in February, since the black fingernail is near the two?
The Girl Gang Being Out And About Is Giving Big 1989 Energy: Following Swift’s breakup with Joe Alwyn she was seen walking around the streets of New York City with her besties Blake Lively, Gigi Hadid and the Haim sisters, per photos published by Page Six. If this singer doesn’t want to be seen, she won’t, so the fact that these gals were caught on camera feels intentional, and it feels very 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
There's A Big 1989 Hint In The "I Can See You" Music Video: While "I Can See You" is all about Taylor Swift reclaiming Speak Now (Taylor's Version), there was obviously bound to be hints about her other re-releases. So, when she dropped the music video, fans quickly noticed that there was a sign on the bridge at the end that spells out 1989.
Taylor Swift Wore New Blue Outfits In Los Angeles: To bring in her next era, Swift rocked multiple blue outfits throughout her show. Notably, she added a blue two-piece set to her 1989 outfits, and a blue duster to her surprise song looks. Overall, this clue was the final nail that confirmed 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was coming.
Well, she’s done it again. Taylor Swift pulled off an A+ album announcement, and now we have 1989 (Taylor’s Version) to look forward to! As we wait for October 27, make sure to stay tuned to CinemaBlend, where we’ll keep you updated on all things Taylor Swift, Eras Tour and 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
