Someone Please Revive The Old Taylor
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Someone Please Revive The Old Taylor

A Taylor Swift fan's response to Taylor's new material

104
Someone Please Revive The Old Taylor
idolator.com

I’m Casey, and I love Taylor Swift.

Cross that out. I’m Casey, and I love Taylor Swift, 1989 era. Whoever she has become now... is very different. Who is the old Taylor? And what has she become now? Here is a look at how I've interacted with each of these Taylors over the years and why I wish the new Taylor was dead –maybe.

The really old Taylor

Now, I’ve had an interesting past with T. Swift. While my love of her music didn’t come until 2014 with her release of 1989, I enjoyed her previous “country” releases. In 2009, I chose her song “Our Song” as the background music of a speech where 11-year-old me gave away my pageant crown to the next queen. (Yes, I was a pageant girl back in the day. Yes, I cringe.) So basically, I’ve been listening to Taylor for a long, long time.

The old Taylor


However, when “Blank Space” was released towards the end of 2014, I remember buying it on iTunes (in the dark age when Swift wasn’t on Spotify) and listening to it on repeat (and belting it out) in my car. I specifically made it my mission to memorize the lyrics, but the bridge always tripped me up. But, in time (aka 3 days), I did memorize the lyrics, and in the same vein, my love for Taylor Swift blossomed. Shortly after, I vividly remember being in Walmart with my Dad around Christmas time and telling him that I was buying the CD as a gift to myself because I couldn’t wait until Christmas morning to have the CD in my hands.

Beginning in December of 2014, I put 1989 in my car’s CD player and never took it out again for three years. Yes, I listened to the album for three years straight, and I have no shame. I loved every song for different reasons, and even as I graduated high school and moved on to college, the album was a security blanket of sorts for me. The album, to this day, reminds me of the second half of my senior year and how great it was.

The new Taylor

On August 21st, Taylor returned to Instagram hinting at the release of a new album, and with it, a new single. As the Taylor Swift fan I am, I got irrationally excited, telling everyone near me whether they cared or not (*cough* my housemates). However, the hints that Swift dropped, while exciting, also made me nervous. For instance, the snake. I get the implications given the feud with Kim Kardashian-West and whatnot, but I could already tell that we weren’t dealing with 1989-era Taylor anymore. Alas, I was still hopeful, and I kept reminding myself that no matter what, I still had 1989.

Fast-forward to August 24th: “Look What You Made Me Do” came out. I sat at my dining room table, put in my earbuds, and prepared myself for something I’d been waiting for almost three years. The intro reminded me of a fairytale and held promise. But then the base dropped and I realized that this was not what I was expecting… at all. The pre-chorus had hints of the Taylor I was used to, but then came the chorus (which automatically made me think of “I’m Too Sexy” by Right Said Fred) and I was devastated… I disliked her new song.

It wasn’t the pop style that I loved from 1989. I went on to tell everyone how much I hated the song, while also playing it for them so they could hate it too, when I realized that I was singing along. What was happening?! On my way to classes, I’d have the urge to play it. While I still cringed during some parts, I ~enjoyed~ it. The beat was catchy, the video she later released was clever (side note: the line of Taylors in front of the plane at the end was the best part of that video, hands down), and it had some quotable lyrics.

Surprise! On September 3rd, Taylor released “… Ready for It?” Once again, I listened to it and found parts I liked (the chorus) and parts I disliked (everything else). What is this new robot-y sound? This is so different than the sound I came to love from 1989.

The verdict

1989 will always be my favorite T-Swift album, whether it be the red-lipped Taylor persona, the pop beat lyrics, or the memories I associate with the time I originally heard it. While I wish everything Taylor did was similar to this, I understand where Taylor is coming from and the fact that she is changing. Do I have to like it? No. But I understand it. I guess I have 13 more tracks from her upcoming album, Reputation, to figure out my official verdict of this “New Taylor”. However, I am really glad she’s back on Spotify because based on the two songs she has released thus far, I’m not sure if I could justify buying her new album.

While I understand that everyone changes with time, the die-hard Taylor fan in me still holds out hope that the old, pop Taylor will be resurrected and I’ll have a new “Blank Space” to jam to come November 10th.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58741
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37882
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959433
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

194890
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments