What Made Taylor Swift's 1989 So Timeless?

It's time to return to the 1989 era! We'll look at 1989, Taylor Swift's 5th record which made Swift THE pop icon of a generation. In this video, we'll remember the music, the magic and mischief, and really evaluate the legacy of this timeless record. Buckle up, Swifties, this is your time capsule to Taylor's first imperial era. #1989taylorsversion #taylorswift #videoessay
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[@EljohnMacaranas]

Hey, hey, hey! What was your favorite 1989 era single or moment?! 🩵

[@speaknowtvstan]

STYLE!!!!! i don’t use the term lightly , but style is pop perfection

[@noneapplicable1327]

YOU ARE IN LOVE, yes i know it was not a single but dgaf

[@beeRube11]

@@noneapplicable1327 yess it’s soooo underrated and honestly is one of the best songs on the album 😭😭😭 I’m so excited for yail (Taylor version)

[@bramvanharen689]

Clean, you are in love and i know places :))

[@sikhaumishell9430]

Clean ☀️

[@ad-zx4iv]

1989 is absolutely a no skip album and each song feels so special. Each sounds like it could've been the first single which is such an amazing feat

[@EljohnMacaranas]

No seriously, there was so much care into the sound of each song. Any song she picked for the lead would have been a hit for weeks on end. I think it was smart to save up Blank Space for later because had it been the lead, it would have stayed No. 1 too long! 🩵😭

[@ChadIsYourDadlol]

Completely disagree, Shake it off and Bad Blood did not need to be on it and i actually think its a good album without those two

[@WednesdayAddams5150]

@@ChadIsYourDadlol I can't stand shake it off and bad blood and blank space are not great either.

[@adambrigue5977]

The fact that she toured for Red while creating a huge hit like 1989 is so commendable🎉

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It's insane to me the space between touring and album promo artists have. I'm certain her next masterpiece is well in-progress despite her doing iconic Eras 3-hour shows every weekend or so.

[@adambrigue5977]

@@EljohnMacaranas I don't know how she does it. I've watched a lot of the 1989 interviews where she talks about cd design, production, collabs and all the extra endorsement deals and partnerships involved--and I'm thinking...you literally just got off tour girlie?!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@adambrigue5977 One thing about Taylor she always gets flak for (but I love) is her desire to win and succeed. She never half asses things!

[@adambrigue5977]

@@EljohnMacaranas this is so late, but I just realised she's a Sagittarius...which is also called The Archer!! Her deep planning and creativity makes sense now!

[@TheLithiumluke]

I’ve always loved “Welcome to New York” not because of its lyrics but because of what it means. The songwriting is nothing special so far as Taylor’s songs go but I think of “New York” as a metaphor for the pop genre. The bombastic synths essentially welcome the listener to pop Taylor. Thus making it the perfect album opener.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I LOVE THAT INTERPRETATION OMG! Like the way she embraces the genre and the synths and how it was with Ryan Tedder who she'd never worked with prior.

[@patriotsforisrael3610]

I wish "Welcome to New York" was released as a single and also "Wonderland". 🫠

[@toddwatson1974]

I’ve been listening since I was three so I love this song too

[@cliff026]

"it's a NEW soundtrack I could dance to this beat"

[@Jellybeansatdusk]

That’s literally it. It’s like, welcome to New York but more so welcome to pop like she went full throttle with the synths and the drums and the features on that album.

[@paarthm9681]

1989 has the her best single choices to date! blank space, style, out of the woods, new romantics. this album is just insanely clever and just amazing.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think she did such a genius job with the choices, any song would have realistically smashed but the timing for many of them was perfect (esp Blank Space which really blended into the Holidays so well.) I wish Style had been given a stronger push but I recall she was busy preparing the tour at the time of its release.

[@paarthm9681]

@@EljohnMacaranas style couldve easily gone number 1 with the right push

[@lavenyr]

@@paarthm9681 It's never really too late, we can push the TV at the top once released just like what happened to Cruel summer having it's highest peak position since summer

[@cutiehunter6286]

Out of the wood is not a good choice😅 there are other track deserve to be single more!!!

[@tillie_brn]

This album quite literally taught me to speak English. I was a 15 year old French girl, I had bought an album with my own money for the first time ever and I was so obsessed with it that I put my mind to understanding every lyric, every metaphor, every play on words by studying the lyric booklet for hours on end. 9 years later I'm about to graduate from a master's degree in English literature. 1989 TV feels like such a full circle moment for me. :')

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I had to heart this because what a story! I’m so glad she helped crack open a door for you and congratulations on the degree! 🍾🎉🥳

[@annejia5382]

this is sooo sweet ❤ congrats ❤

[@curiositania]

I learn english through her songs too!!!! one thing i respect about Taylor is that she is a reliable source when it comes to grammar, spelling and pronounciation. If Taylor has put a word or an idiom in a song, it means you can safely include it in your vernacular

[@pumpkinspicelatte4448]

1989 is gonna set record, AGAIN💅🤭✨

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh miss Swift is going to occupy the top 20 this time, I’m so scared 🩵

[@pumpkinspicelatte4448]

@@EljohnMacaranas Exactly😭🩵

[@riverhalorix4203]

no doubt about it!!!! the presale numbers are CRAZY!!! i wont be surprised if she takes top 10 again

[@ballslover47]

I’m SO excited to see how good it does

[@RossBaby91]

Imagine 2023 best selling album being an album of rerecordings from 2014. Wow!

[@TheRubyGamersTRG]

wildest dreams is one of her biggest hits but it’s artistically underrated. it’s so atmospheric with its imagery, and i love how “dreamy” it sounds since it obviously matches with the idea of the song. and that melody in the chorus is so beautifully haunting. one of her best songs in my opinion

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh agreed. I think a lot of people adore the writing of the song (earned btw) but the ability to really convey that delirium of waking up right before a richly layered dream especially towards the end... Swift, Martin, and Shellback really did their best!

[@suspiciousstar7547]

THIS! Wildest Dreams is my favorite song from ‘1989’ and my favorite single from that era. I wrote a paper based off of the song for a scholarship :).

[@sixfeetunder...5174]

​@@suspiciousstar7547If you like wildest dreams I recommend to you "without you " by Lana del Rey.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Without You is such a lovely Lana track I wouldn’t blame Taylor for being so inspired by it (and BTD)

[@eggmarmalade]

1989 really took me from "I've liked this artist for a while" to "I would die for this woman." How perfectly she captures moments and emotions was everything I needed and more age 19 at university and it changed my life. (p.s. the New Romantics music video makes me sob uncontrollably every time I LOVE how online she was then)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

"I would die for this woman" is so right haha! Having this album and the cycle happen during uni was a gift! Like I don't know how I would have survived those years without these bops!

[@jordanparrish1831]

I had my eye on Taylor since 2006, I knew in my gut even as a teenager that she was going to be huge. She was already a superstar, but 1989 to me was her breakthrough where she went from being a well loved country artist/songwriter to a generation defining living legend. Every other win for her since 1989 has been just bonuses. If that had been her career peak, she still would have walked away a legend. I thought that maybe it was her career peak…I could not have predicted Folklore, Evermore, Midnights debuting with over a million, and on top of all that, the rerecordgins all hitting #1 and having hit singles of their own. Just incredible.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

To me, the rerecordings, in whole, have been her career peak (so far). I can't name another artist whose managed to really capitalize and turn around a devastating personal and creative loss (the OG masters) into an opportunity for fans to show their support and recapture old memories. The Eras Tour itself is an embodiment for her victory in reclaiming her words, voice, and image over the years. Scooter buying the masters may have accidentally set her up for her finest moments so far. 🩵

[@coreyo.conner7897]

​@EljohnMacaranas THIS. They (Scooter and Borchetta) believed they had ultimately won the battle for a brief moment after stealing her master recordings... little did they realize, Taylor is smarter and more clever than most. Hence, her continued record breaking success.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s absolutely gross to think execs (particularly men) can own this woman’s words and image… as if it’s something they can throw money at and keep… like if someone as big as Taylor can be bullied by these execs, my heart goes out all our other faves and newer artists. They need to stand together and reclaim their rights to ownership and art. We’re seeing it with actors and writers striking over being underpaid.

[@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024]

1989 is her peak

[@sociallyenginerd8846]

1989 was a whole asthetic. A genius one at that. I still see those shorts and keds everywhere. Polaroids and their cute little colorful versions- hanging off of clothespins w/ wires in the background and the strings of lights. The marketing was insane. I think I still had Red permanently in my record player when 1989 was released.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

She sold a lifestyle haha! And was very much a tumblr aesthetic to aspire for ngl like I recall so many of my besties cutting their hair short to emulate Taylor’s sorta bob sorta not cut. I’d say she inspired quite a few to go to college in the Northeast!

[@swanauto47]

1989 screams the exciting energy of eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. You can tell it was written there, to the calm and tranquil strings of this love on the coast line. This album really got me more into Taylor when it came out. The memories and influence that came with it will last forever

[@EljohnMacaranas]

1989 is the East coast while Rep is her West Coast album if that makes any sense. Agreed on the impact this album has had 😭

[@RNM-bu4rj]

@@EljohnMacaranas yes!!!!!

[@HaruHikaHaruHika]

YESSSS!!! Finally someone that agrees that 1989 is her best album 😭😭😭❤️

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think it’s her best era tbh, I feel like current eras come and go so fast because of streaming and attention spans. This was one long storm of perfect songs and crazy moments and just fun.

[@anisanurraudah8383]

Her best ERA for sure but not her best ALBUM.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@anisanurraudah8383 Agreed, I think 1989’s power came a lot from the events around it rather than the music itself (though I do think the music speaks for itself!)

[@hello_el_even]

“It’s been a long time coming” you slayed me there and it was at the very beginning of the whole video. 30 minutes spent in awe of that ALONE!! Everything you covered was classy, elegantly spoken and delivered with such a calm both powerful and delicate passion for the record/s that really got us taken. Congrats!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I was inspired by the opening line of the Eras Tour which brought me to tears haha. Thank you so much this was an essay I really always sorta kept dodging because of how much I love this era. I was protective of my own memories and feelings about this period of time, so when the TV was announced I saw this one chance to really do it justice. I’m honestly really grateful for the lovely comment. For years, I’d always really been insecure about my pop music interest and just speaking on things and starting this channel 5 years ago (wow!) really helped me grow as a person and writer. 🩵

[@hello_el_even]

@@EljohnMacaranas i found your channel some months ago and I’m obsessed, like Nicki Said. In all honesty, I think you are passionate about what you do, you are working tiring yourself to make what you love so that means you do art and you care for it, both yours and others. This makes me respect you so so much that I’m sure 1) you’re gonna get more more and mooore recognition in time so keep doing that [if that’s something you aspire to or will to get, in any case you’ll receive what you D E S E R V E] 2)I think people like me who love music and make music as well are getting inspired by you: you give us knowledge, fun and love without any kind of trauma, you’re like a free poet kinda doctor in such a way ahah for giving healthy content without anything obliged in return. That’s why we try, me, us, the people, your fans, watchers and viewers, to give back some of the love, cos you give and gave definitely for free first. Just wanted to say it, for you. It means a lot having that and this interaction is priceless also to me, you have no idea! Thanks Elijohn, to the next one!! - El, your friend and FAN.

[@sujudolls]

Stayed with Taylor during that 2016 fiasco and forever will be. 1989 is my fave because we're both born in 1989 💙

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The heart is for not falling for those snakes’ lies. Like I was so mad to see everyone turn on her and then ***** became president… dumbest year ever.

[@KyleFordkidzombie]

You put so much time and effort into every video. Your penchant and love for music always shines in your work. I used to dislike Taylor, then 1989 dropped and I’ve never looked back. ❤ I Know Places is my favorite from 1989 😊

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you for noticing! I feel like 1989 was a crossroads for a lot of fans who either disliked her or were totally indifferent. One of my oldest friends was a hater then Blank Space dropped and we met up on 8/9 (4 years since seeing each other) bc we happened to be seeing the Eras tour that day. 😭 I Know Places is such a treasure of a song. The voice memo showing how Taylor thought of it is so fun to hear. I love that final couple of lines, the way the vocals sound so committed. The “I” repetition echoing I Wish You Would 😭

[@hello_el_even]

Thanks for noticing this creator’s passion and hard work!!

[@kierra05]

Wow, this video is perfect!! 1989 is absolutely timeless and will live on as a perfect pop album forever. I was only 9 when this album came out but I still remember all the singles being played on the radio and watching the music videos. I’ll be 18 when Taylor’s Version is released and I can’t wait to fully relive this era 🩵 (You Are In Love is one of the best love songs she’s ever made!)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I'm very glad you get to have it as a soundtrack for those years. I was 18 when it dropped and it truly helped me through navigating the adult world. 🩵 (AGREED)

[@adiawasthi4589]

Thing to be noted is despite the pop genre it doesnt really is filled with generic subjects that pop music usually revolves around.. Sure she wanted to go beyond her comfort zone,re invent herself and take risks.. But i also see this as her new way of dealing with same issues of heartbreak,criticism & trauma Prior to it..She has saddest record ie "Red" under her belt...and her way to dealing with scrutiny & critucism is her feeling victimised With 1989 she uses poptism and with light hearted music she copes up with it Like All u had to do was stay,Wonderland,I wish you would are sad but you wont notice til u go thru lyrics She's conveying emotional complexeties thru the pop sounding Style,out of the woods ,i know places,this love,wildest dreams for examples.. One gr8 record of its era

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think the instrumentals do so much of the work on top of her lyrics. I have to agree the switch to a more light palette even with heavy topics (Clean is just as intense as any Red deep cut) made sense especially dealing the growing pains and how harsh Red had been as an era. I didn’t say it in my video but the color shift from burning red to pastel whites and blues really hammers in how big of a leap this all was. Truly a modern classic masterpiece. 🩵

[@slystone4892]

Well I disagree the lyrics are far from her best lyrics, it’s all about the production.

[@adiawasthi4589]

@@slystone4892 not true.. Blank Space,Style,You are in love,Clean,New romantics ,Out of the woods,all features brilliant songwriting

[@slystone4892]

@@adiawasthi4589 Yes but that’s not the standard throughout the whole album.

[@adiawasthi4589]

@@slystone4892 well its still very consistent..its def not lyrically best Cause that would be Red,folklore & evermore But it has nostalgia,pop perfection and significant good songwriting too Its made for mass consumptions ofc its gonna compromise lyrically(Shake it off,bad blood) but overall gr8 body of work. I would say Reputation is where production stands out..cause lyrically it falls behind Her weakest would be Lover..along with debut ofv

[@Hi-lu5vf]

I don't know any other opener that matches the album's thematic as much as Welcome to New York

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’d say State of Grace is a stronger lyrical opener but Welcome to New York’s synths sound like you’re entering a new world. 🩵

[@noneapplicable1327]

1989 is the pop bible, talk to the wall ☺️ i don’t know anyone who hates this album, do u kno how rare that is?!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Very. 🩵 I think this album has something for everyone, something that Swift has mastered doing while making extremely cohesive records.

[@suspiciousstar7547]

I remember someone got mad at me for saying that 1989 is a pop bible like Teenage Dream and they told me there was no comparison. They were right…’1989’ is better.

[@eclipsewaves]

@@suspiciousstar7547 This made me remember of Taylor and Katy's feud. Thankfully it ended in like 2019 though. Hard to see two of my favourite artists having a fight🥲

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@suspiciousstar7547 Teenage Dream’s pretty close but there’s a lack of personal attachment to it. Perry’s key error during the TD and Prism eras was not building the level of rapport Swift has had with fans. Swift’s survival has always been predicated on having a truly engaged and loyal core base of support (which has grown to even wilder levels) that kept her afloat through tough times. That’s why she’s never had a true flop era, even a commercially “disappointing” era like Lover sees her with number 2 hits and the some of the best sales of that year. That’s not to say there’s no downside to that as the Jack Margaret wedding frenzy proves but Perry simple didn’t play the game to win forever. I actually like Katy a bit myself but Witness really was a trial by fire failed.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

@@eclipsewaves I was so happy to see them cease fire. I felt like Lover Taylor really was on the apology tour of a lifetime even for things she’d won in the public’s eye. Seeing them in the YNTCD video hug was probably the realest display of allyship in the video.

[@roberto-zw6ru]

It is interesting how she writes music while on tour. She does not need to be in a studio but gets ideas for lyrics and songs in her special brain. What happened in 2016 was awful but maybe was a blessing in disguise." If you never bleed you are never going to grow" I think she learned a lot about the world, friends and herself when all seemed lost.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think her tenacity and willing to put the work wherever and whenever is truly what makes her so exceptional. Not to knock anyone else but she’s been putting out so much work so fast, it’s clear back when she was under Big Machine they really didn’t give her the means to release what she wanted when she wanted.

[@therobotdevil2284]

1989 released my senior year of high school and I was OBSESSED. I decorated my room with her pollaroids, bought 2 pairs of her Keds, played my 1989 CD repeatedly in my car, and the 1989 tour ended up being my first concert. It's still my fave Taylor album and I can't wait to hear how she redoes it!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s such a perfect coming of age album, like it was made to help you get through some big changes in your own life. My copy of the Target version is worn out hahaha! Bring on the TV!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

KZbin has notified me that this is my 100th video 🎉😮🩵 so proud that it was 1989

[@suspiciousstar7547]

‘1989’ will always have a special place in my heart. As the era that got me to become a full Swiftie, I wasn’t necessarily involved in the era since I was pretty small at the time it was around. However, I still have great personal memories of ‘1989’, as the album and its singles reigned my early childhood. Looking through retrospect, it will always be my favorite pop album along with ‘The Truth About Love’, ‘Teenage Dream’, and ‘Future Nostalgia’ as well as one of my favorite Taylor albums overall. You were also right about it being timeless as the tracks could have been hits in 80s, 90s, and even today. All in all, I can’t wait until ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version) comes out :D! I’m so excited to hear the Vault tracks and her vocal evolution to the songs. I can’t wait to see what her version of the era has in store :).

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Awww! My lil bro and sis were small around 1989 and definitely not online at all too! They still know all the tracks by heart haha! Those are some of the best records of the 2010’s, I think FN despite not being as big as 1989 was a moment in itself for traditional pop. Good music somehow evokes its time but also transcends it! This TV is going to be amazing, I imagine there was so much care put into it because of how important it is and the need for it to top the originals (a hard order) but I do think after a mostly spotless Speak Now TV, it can be done. I just wish we knew if Max Martin would come back to do some advising!

[@klu5301]

I have such great memories of the original 1989 era, I remember watching the live stream & seeing the album cover pre order link accidentally go live seconds before they started the stream haha. I also lived in NYC so I was deff living.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Haha, that’s so funny! I was spoiled for 1989 TV at the concert when I got a Twitter notif about the store a minute or two before the acoustic set with New Romantics started! Also whoa, you were living where it happened! 😭🩵

[@coreyo.conner7897]

1989 definitely helped solidify my Swiftian fandom... I was a casual fan after Fearless through Red but 1989 helped me finally realize Taylor was THE pop queen of the 2010s and beyond.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I was GONE for her during Red but I didn't know how much further I'd fall when this album dropped. Still am to this day!

[@urbanrespite]

its still stressful to hear about 2016 even after like 7 years. that was really a bleak moment in all swifties lives

[@EljohnMacaranas]

We were in the trenches! It seemed every day there was a lame take on her or a friend going "I wasn't really close with her anyway" despite having cupcakes with her on the 4th or going on a trip with her. One particular quote that disappointed me in 2017 was Lorde's friendship "autoimmune disease" comparison. Not to be too parasocial but I was just upset because if someone in my life said that about me, I'd be so sad to hear that.

[@doitsushine92]

you are in love, wonderland, clean and new romantics are my favourite b-sides in this album, simply perfect pop

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m scared 5 Vault Tracks are going to change so many lives!

[@Anastasiabruno]

The era is back 2014 nostalgia 🤩

[@EljohnMacaranas]

2014 was a banner year for pop culture! Ugh right before the end times when pop music was everything and everywhere.

[@akosicvy]

it’s nice to be early! me and my sister have been on a 1989 appreciation kick before the announcement. i’m excited to relive 1989 through taylor’s version. 1989 had me at a time of change and 1989 tv also comes out at a similar time.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s crazy how 9 years will fly by so fast! I’ve been looping the record a lot lately (in between getting in Cruel Summer streams, Addison Rae and starting my Fall favorites.) Here’s to new memories made with 1989 TV!

[@josuwaaa__6925]

1989 is also my college anthem. So excited for Taylor's Version 💙

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I feel like if you had this album around for your college years, you had the soundtrack of a lifetime! Aaaah Taylor’s Version is gonna be amazing, the vocal improvements are going to wreck me!

[@josuwaaa__6925]

@@EljohnMacaranas couldn't agree more. It left a huge impact on me especially the song I KNOW PLACES. Maybe it's the reason why I stayed as a huge fan of hers until now. And Yes, we will support her Taylor's Versions all the way!

[@Pinkstrawbrry]

I love this video, it was incredibly well made! I’m so excited for 1989 TV!!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much! I’d been editing this for about a week 😭 October 27th is 1989 Day forever (make it a national holiday!) 🩵

[@tylrbellexoxo6818]

1989 is my fave TS album and i screamed when TV got announced. So nostalgic, catchy, and a NO skip album. This album has been timeless for me, and introduced me to swift when i was younger. I cant wait to hear the vault tracks, im really hoping we get a selena, harry, charli xcx, or katy feature on it.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m hoping so bad for a Katy or Ari feature just for their prominence during the period, Harry would be lovely, would save Charli for Rep TV!

[@dinnerden5674]

Ever since I've heard it on a crowded street in 1944 I knew it was gonna be timeless.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That song’s so cute! 🩵😭

[@lapisthelovely]

30:42-30:55 i love how subtle you signal that you’re one of us. you’ve always been one of my favorite swiftie youtubers and i love that the girlies who get it get it and the ones who don’t don’t when you say that ❤

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I Can See You 👗 haha 💙 Thank you for watching! I’m honored to be one of your fave Swiftie content creators 😭🫶

[@ferntella]

Yes!! I loved this! This is the first album I listened to all the way through of hers, and it's what made me a fan. The writing alone was enough to captivate me but honestly there was so much intrigue around her at the time too, keeping uo with the news on her was like getting "authors notes" to your favorite book. That era was bursting with color, excitement, youthfulness and it was my "coming of age" college album too. I was navigating a tumultuous, exciting and new relationship that was full of longing, uncertainty and wonder for the first time when that album came out, and the songs in 1989 sounded EXACTLY what those days felt like to me. She captured my early 20s in song.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Loved this comment because yes! This was such a coming of age album, what most authors call New Adult, past the YA and more into the stage of becoming. The news about her everyday had been fun, agreed it did feel like author’s notes a little snippets. I felt like even though she had been a star before, there was a naïveté to it all. A genuine learning of how to navigate being someone as popular as the president (I truly believe if she were to run she would win nowadays.) While we all can’t truly relate the general idea of being somewhere new and not knowing who to be or who to trust just feels so rite of passage-y. It truly was a marvelous time! Swift’s 1989 persona and story really felt so universal. A good friend of mine said she’d been like Hello Kitty-level popular and I always felt that comparison was apt.

[@honewhetstone1732]

This was a fantastic video essay! So passionate and detailed, I watched it from start to finish and thoroughly enjoyed your deep-dive. I really hope Taylor watches this one day. Personally, Wildest Dreams on the original release didn’t do anything for me, but the re-release in Taylor’s version is absolutely beautiful. I think all the Taylor’s versions are produced with exceptional attention to detail and bring you closer to her music and emotion. That’s my favourite track from the album now.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much 😭🩵

[@aricaice6447]

Oh man, I agree so much with Style. It is still to date, my most favourite Tswift song with August almost taking its place lol/ There is truly something so timeless with the song, it truly never goes out of style.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

OMG August (and before that Cruel Summer) were the only two songs to really come close to dethroning my Style play count! It's just a classic pop song, like the musical equivalent to Coca-Cola. 🩵

[@greenk89]

I always thought that 1989 is the only album with no skips that I've ever heard from any artist not just Taylor until Lover came out

[@EljohnMacaranas]

NO SKIPS! 🩵✨

[@readonlymemories]

Excellent video! You really distilled the sense of how grand and wide sweeping this imperial era was. I didn't have access to the internet at the time but even then I had heard of 1989 through radio alone, in a country on the opposite side of the planet from where she was living at the time. That's how big it was. So I'm incredibly excited to relive this era in its entirety one last time! Also that Big Sur mention caught me off guard and got a surprised chuckle out of me. Subtle but obvious to the ones in the know lol. I (can) see you!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thanks for watching and I was glad to give ya a little blast from the past. And yes haha, I couldn’t not mention that lovely trip haha, I Can See You too 🩵

[@olufagosebambulagose]

What makes Taylor Swift special to me personally is her public image. Obviously, she is talented and hard-working. I don't know her in real life but her public image is very admirable. She stays away from controversy, she has a wholesome image, she is modest, and humble, and treats people with kindness and respect. She is definitely a savage businesswoman but she is definitely a fantastic role model for young girls who are into her music.

[@HannahG-nk2mf]

Your breakdown of the whole 1989 era is amazing & you cover so much very efficiently! ps. the You Are In Love driving home from Big Sur comment made me giggle ☺️ This vid is perfection✨

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much, I wanted to keep this to a clean half hour and some change! Some details I know I missed but for the most part we’re celebrating her, her music, and the achievements! (P.S. like I’m a truther to a degree, You Are In Love cannot be about Jack and Lena lmao 😂) Thank you again! 🩵

[@noneapplicable1327]

completely forgot mother got 8 seconds of silence to chart at number 1! 😂 the music industry 💫

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yeah… that’s kinda crazy, Canada deserved those Eras closing tour dates for that!

[@ampersignia]

I loved how theatrical the whole album was. I also remember feeling this album in the context of 2012 Electra Heart, 2012 Teenage Dream, and 2012 Born To Die being recent releases which were all chefs kiss filled with masterpiece songs. I felt like Taylor’s Blank Space was similar to Marina’s How to be a Heartbreaker. Shake it Off was as silly as Bubblegum Bitch. I know they’re not the same of course but they were all very visually strong via lyrics or the eras themselves.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I agree that Electra Heart definitely played some sort of impact on how pop was conducted even if it wasn’t as big in the states. 1989 was Swift’s sort of greatest hits pastiche of that era’s sound with her own twists!

[@TylerRyan]

I was not even a swiftie back then.. and was even late to this album since it wasn’t on streaming for a while… but THIS album solidified me certified fan. Such classic, iconic, well done pop with true emotion behind it. It was new and fresh yet a sense of nostalgia at the same time. She definitely knew what she was doing tapping into the too cool/former indie tumblr kid vibes with the visuals. I said it then and I’ll always say it.. 1989 was one of the best albums of the 2010s.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh agreed on all points I think the use of the tumblr indie aesthetic was peak! Very much the last days of the whole Pure Heroine, Marina and the Diamonds, True Romance alt pop under a big label energy. It really sold its concept and Taylor v well!

[@pinkysaurusrawr]

Sometimes I am freshly awed that this album exists and we get to listen to it and love it. An undeniable masterpiece, pop perfection, and unendingly addicting. 2023 is the year of my two favorite swift albums being re-released, and I absolutely can't wait for October

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It’s a really well engineered piece of work that really speaks to the power of pop music and storytelling. Like this has been a banner year for Swifties. 🩵✨

[@MeganiumForever]

Happy to see a new video!!! Love your Lana and Taylor series especially!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much! Making the Lana and Taylor series (still ongoing ofc) has been so much fun! 🩵 Love the prof pic btw! I picked Chikorita when I did Johto!

[@MeganiumForever]

@@EljohnMacaranas Hey!!!! Loll love to see some Meganium love. Thank you! I also love your Gaga one too! They are my top 3 artists after all.

[@hairymonkeyperson]

This was such a good take on the 1989 era!! And I love that you snuck in that Big Sur reference 😉❤️🌼

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you! I wanted to organize all my thoughts into why 1989 really stands tall all these years later. Also, I think Big Sur is a lovely place with a beautiful story 🩵

[@henrywayne5724]

"Boys and boys and girls and girls" did more for the gays than "Shade never made anybody less gay"... I said what I said.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

So true, hearing that in 2014 really codified to me that Taylor had the community’s back then.

[@franks8462]

I literally said this to my wife last week when we were listening to it in the car haha It's also pretty subtle if you're not paying much attention.

[@savvymegs675]

I barely noticed the album but saw that immediately

[@shobinyad6643]

She always inspires me to aim bigger and celebrate my life and STYLE WILL REMAIN MY TOP MOST FAVOURITE SONG FOREVER!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

YES! Literally everyone should aspire to be the Taylor Swift of their respective field haha! And Style’s just perfect 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

[@AwesomeCurls]

1989 is my favorite Taylor album I listen to it on repeat. It was the first full album I bought. I’m so excited to hear her voice on her version.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The strength her current vocals have over how she sounded in 2014 is crazy 😭

[@giofrancotrain18essence]

I'm already excited for 1989 (taylor's version), my first album bought

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Aaaah! Hope you love it! My sister’s first ever bought record was 1989!

[@giofrancotrain18essence]

@@EljohnMacaranas An ICONIC ERA, A HAPPY ERA i must say...

[@rossclarke5246]

Wildest Dreams was the song that made me appreciate Taylor as an artist, it was playing on the radio really early in the morning as my family and I were driving home from the airport but I didn't become a Swiftie until reputation came out in 2017

[@EljohnMacaranas]

You joined at the most interesting inflection point tbh! Reputation had been a true rebirth for Swift and was her last era before becoming an entirely self-owned artist! 🖤

[@MilkyWay-gi8km]

I remember when this album came out, I listened to it entire album on a train ride to NYC

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Main character moment! 🩵

[@RedlicClarkson]

You put so much time and effort into every video. Your penchant and love for music always shines in your work.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much! This comment made my day! 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

[@alexxela2525]

amazing video!! i wasn't a swiftie yet during the 1989 era so i'm glad you recapped so many moments surrounding the album, i didn't even know some of them 😭😭 also I Wish You Would and You are in Love are so criminally underrated, hope they get more love during the TV era 🥺🩵

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Bestie, thank you so much for watching! And honestly I’m glad I was able to kinda vent out all these memories. Your two picks remain amongst my favorite tracks of all time. Swiftonoff was on point then as they are now 🩵 hope to see them chart high!

[@alexxela2525]

@@EljohnMacaranas let's just say that when she gets a 2m+ debut and occupies the entire top 15 this time i won't be surprised 🤭

[@osnofla2697]

My favorite TS album! Can’t wait for the 1989 TV and vault songs!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oct 27 can’t come soon enough!

[@mtan1293]

What I love about the 1989 is that all songs uplifts your mood... So Euphoric and Upbeat..

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I think it understands the general purpose of pop as a genre and a sound and that’s why it does that so well!

[@coolestcucumber]

this video made me wanna cry TAYLOR YOU ARE A GODDESS

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Taylor's such an icon

[@Caroline-mg5lj]

The way i immediately thought of timeless on speak now Taylor’s version as soon as I saw the title is so iconic of me 💅

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Haha, I’m glad someone caught that easter egg! I had trouble finding an adjective that fit the album for me when the obvious one was there all along 😭🩵

[@lizzylouisewoo]

Thank you!! I wasn’t here for this era so this helps a bunch!!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I love recapping eras! 1989 was monumental but I def get that Folklore was a renaissance in its own right. I’m scared for what album she drops in the 2030s that does what 1989 and Folk did for her.

[@fekless]

Thank you 🖤 This album was my “in” after reading some unpleasant comments about her and not really liking the singles from Red. This album ripples with confidence and worldliness 💙 I paid attention to her from this point 💜

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The Red era looking back was one of Taylor’s lowest in public perception, people would call her boy crazy, there were a lot of comments on her turn towards more “adult” imagery (I remember there was a whole Christian fan blog that turned on her for switching dresses mid I Knew You Were Trouble performance.) It was rough but 1989 being a smash was sort of karmic retribution for that time. 🩵

[@neo.huntress]

Since the re-recording saga was announced, this is the album I was waiting for. Havent listened it for years, just so I can have the experience of listening for the first time again (as possible). Not a swift fan, but this album is in my "best of all time" list.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I love the fact the re-recordings give us that ability to listen to an album "for the first time" again. Like it's part of the magic! Excited for you! 🩵

[@Sequoya]

The work you put into this video is stunning. You captured the deep dives and visuals spectacularly and is iconic. 👏👏👏 New Romantics is my favorite track, and I’m certain she researched the movement popularized by Spandau Ballet, and the Human League’s song Betrayed.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much. I really felt like I had no excuse to not deliver visually, there was SO much to draw from that I had to narrow my choices around the music videos, tour footage and my two favorite live TV performances (AMAs Blank Space and that iconic Victoria's Secret Style performance)

[@apphilosophy79]

love your deep dive, and your overall interpretation of the album is SOOO good, thank you!

[@apphilosophy79]

btw, my moment in this album is the line "so I punched a whole in the roof" in "clean", which (unfortunately) she does not deliver in the same strong way in the new recording. Love that song, not as 'on the nose', as you rightfully say, as most of the rest. And that the rest is still so iconic says it all!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you! Haha I had 9 years to sorta sift through how I felt about it!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh Clean’s subtlety speaks to Swift’s power to dial things back and seep us in subtext. I adore the track for sorta being a brief respite from the shimmering pop world.

[@WJSN_officiaI]

the short sweeter than fiction promo 😭❤️ such an underrated song, it's one of my fave tracks of hers

[@EljohnMacaranas]

It's so underrated and I wish people would give it love. It's a very sweet song in the context of the movie it was written for and just a sweet romantic track we could sing about Tay herself!

[@WJSN_officiaI]

@@EljohnMacaranas definitely!! although its a bummer she wont put it on 1989 tv ☹️ i hope she still re-records it and release it as a droplet similar to what she did with the tvs of safe & sound/eyes open and if this was a movie

[@quibblcr]

Two words: Pop. Perfection. 💙💙💙💙💙

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The bible hands-down! 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

[@slobodanstamenkovic6017]

Eljohn Macaranas excellent work !

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

[@thomasthoburn598]

Obsessed with the way you approached this, loved the whole video!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Yay! Thank you! I really wanted to do this one justice!

[@cj3617]

Best album of all time!!! So many personal connections because of (like you said!) its initial release during the worst/best years of my life in college. You should do a 1989 song ranking video!! I’d love to find out which tracks are your favorites.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you sm! I’m so glad to find my herd of people who had 1989 around at that point of life! 🩵🩵🩵 I find it hard to rank the songs they move so much but Style, New Romantics, I Wish You Would, You Are in Love and I Know Places are the first few to come to mind!

[@hyperballadbradx6486]

Adorable photo of you at the gig! 🙌

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Haha thank you so much! Everyone was so sweet at Eras! I was manifesting so hard with the seagull sweatshirt 😂🩵

[@jamesjeffersonedjanobejuel4222]

Yes! A "How you get the girl" appreciation.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Underrated pop gem, still shocked it never became a romcom classic movie moment yet.

[@franzrichter6288]

really appreciated the big sur reference ;)

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh I had to… I’m sorry but that song is NOT about Jack and Lena 🤣

[@daveylewis816]

1989 is her 1st full Pop album 💿 also it’s her best💎. I’m bias I was born in 1989💙🫨

[@EljohnMacaranas]

OMG you share the same birth year as Taylegend 😭🩵

[@patriotsforisrael3610]

I said it once, and I'll say it again.. 1989 is *one* of the best pop albums of the last 20 years!! 🥰 🎶

[@sereytimorthy7860]

I listen to 1989 so much, if my anxiety has a sound, it’ll be OOTW’s instrumental.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

The drums pounding and the escalation of the “woah-oh’s” at the end 😭

[@jangsaidspeaknow]

1989 is such an iconic album and does not EVER go out of style

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Literally probably the pop bible for the next century

[@zontzooit2415]

You are in love is my favorite Taylor swift love song ever that song is brilliant… as someone who has never experienced love and has always been curious about how it would feel you are in love is the only love song that made me understand

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh agreed, prior to the song I hadn’t ever been in a proper romantic relationship but upon hearing it I was like “OH!”

[@zontzooit2415]

@@EljohnMacaranas the way it’s goes quiet and she just says “you can hear it in the silence…….”

[@Hearts4Edits1]

1989 was a memorable album, with the drama, the execution of it was all perfect and to make the era so memorable for many, swifties or non swifties they all know it when they hear it.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Non Swifties bop every time the opening notes to Style or Blank Space come on… I see you!

[@winstonclapper]

The tape click on IKP reminds me more of the clicks to start and stop a tape when you're recording a song, maybe cuz I'm always editing mine out 😂😭

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I like that it keeps the song contained within itself in a way 😭

[@winstonclapper]

@@EljohnMacaranas absolutely! You know when it starts and stops, and that's what makes it one of her best songs IMO

[@princejerico4330]

girl you need more viewers

[@EljohnMacaranas]

AGREED haha!

[@jeraldisme]

You Are In Love is my favorite Taylor song. I want it played at my wedding

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I was at a wedding a few months ago and YAIL was one of the songs that played and it was magical 🩵

[@ChangbinSalon1]

1989 has always been my favourit album, I loved has a kid and I still love it

[@EljohnMacaranas]

🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

[@Faithlove12212]

I honestly can’t wait for 1989(Taylor’s Version)! I remember how my life was when 1989 had dropped🥹 I was obsessed! I enjoyed watching this video as always!❤️

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much for watching 🩵 Gosh it’s crazy to think how different everything was almost 10 years ago! But the music stays with us!

[@ATWTMVTVFTVSGAVRALPS]

100% sure that the next vault track single will be a hit

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh I can see it going #1 with a video!

[@DaalMakhani]

18:58 Using the photo clip of the swiftie who ditched work to attend the eras tour to show "anonymity" is just peak feral Swiftie behavior. Lmaooo

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That Swiftie deserves a medal for that costume! Ingenious nod and a great way to bail from work haha 🩵

[@justthenamekevin]

style and new romantics are her best pop pop songs

[@EljohnMacaranas]

TASTE!

[@willls479]

The thumbnail!! It’s perfect 😢 exactly what I thought the album cover would look like! Who made it ?

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I made the thumbnail from her TV cover and using the seagulls from the sweater 😭 thanks 🩵

[@Fairiris1]

Only flaw in the 1989 era was not having "This Love" released as a single.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

We sorta did get that for The Summer I Turned Pretty! Having it get some time in the spotlight really helped that song (and the show) find its audience!

[@Reubenture]

Yeah, i wasn't a fan of "welcome to new york" at first, but now I'm a fan of it!

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I used to HATE it but now nostalgia and understanding its placement makes it make sense

[@archmichaels]

Everything Everywhere all at once. She's coming for more😂😮😂...

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I'm scared of how insanely well 1989 TV will do!

[@gabrielgao4713]

I went to the 1989 tour Brisbane back in the days. I must say it has been by far the most unforgettable experience of my life.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

That show was just so fun for its time! Rep and Eras clearly outdo it but it was a great show!

[@gabrielgao4713]

I wasn't there for the Rep tour but will go to the Eras next year! My expectations are off the roof cause I haven't watched any of the snippets taken by the fans but ppl keep telling me how brilliant it is!@@EljohnMacaranas

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I’m so happy for you, this is the peak tour (that we know of) of her life, she’s never been better live!

[@jalapeno1119]

1989 was such a fun tour. The outfits, the New York setting, the propeller stage, the special guests. No one was doing it like she was.

[@gabrielgao4713]

I'm so hyped up about 1989 tv now@@jalapeno1119

[@sketchios5158]

I wasn't a fan of her , even when 1989 came out . I remember when she would be EVERYWHERE during that year. I was so tired of hearing blank space and shake it off everywhere I went, and I didn't even like them. Even my sister would listen to it and she still is not into her music . It wasn't until 2015-2016 when I decided I would listen to the album, after watching a few vocally impressive clips of her 1989 tour. Listening to the album, hit after hit, pop perfection, was an experience. It really changed me , I couldn't stop listening to it for months, even years. The pop beat along with the deep sad lyrics felt so fascinating. It felt like she would perfectly describe certain feelings I'd have in my life with songs like wildest dreams, out of the woods and all you had to do was stay. Style never leaves my playlist to this day. 😅 Such a monumental pop album.

[@LaurenLaass]

Before I even watch any of the video, the answer is: Style. Style made 1989 timeless. That song will never go out of style.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

YES! Style itself deserved so much better! There’s a reason it’s made 3 consecutive setlists!

[@taracat7723]

Love this review..well done.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Thank you so much! 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵

[@Nugget_0verlord]

I especially adore the dlx. songs she added as well, like wonderland and new romantics, I love this album sm

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Those tracks definitely add value to the overall record in a way other deluxe tracks at the time didn’t. Usually deluxe tracks in the 2000s era were B-sides or demos that were scrapped or repurposed into other songs. What a great album this was!

[@ZATennisFan]

Style is the best song on that record and a PhD level masterclass on how to craft a pop song.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Aged like fine wine better than all the other tracks

[@ymirrorball]

I love this, amazing video! Thank you for this! I started to become a fan during the 1989 era and it was something else. Absolutely excited for the Taylor's Version although, not gonna lie, I think this is the "stolen" album that I found it hard to say goodbye to the most. I'm so obsessed with its whole polaroid theme and when she revealed the new album cover, I was a bit conflicted. I guess I'm just too attached to the old one because, come on, it was simply too iconic. But seeing that smile of hers warms my heart the more I look at it. I take it as the face that takes a step further in conveying the overall conclusion of the album-about finding herself through it all. Also can I just say how hyped I am for the vault songs????? It's going to be another life-altering experience for sure. Gotta love THE pop bible of my life.

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Oh I agree that letting go of the original is gonna be HARD. But I also do believe of all the rerecordings this one's probably going to be the one with the most level of care and detail. I thought Wildest Dreams and This Love TV did a pretty good job recreating the originals. I do think the Vault songs are probably going to be career highlights. Just based on her own comments and what we know about how competitive it was to make the final list (I mean those Deluxe tracks...) like these 5 she handpicked are probably going to make us go feral haha! 🩵

[@ymirrorball]

​@@EljohnMacaranas ah yes, those trinity of deluxe tracks. Honestly she's insane for giving 1989 only FIVE (5) vault tracks like.....it feels too few and it's not even out yet. But it is scary (in the best way) to think that she herself stated that it is her *FAVORITE* re-record. God help us all

[@EljohnMacaranas]

I was so sure it was going to be Speak Now by sentimentality but I will say 1989 must have been the most fun to really belt out and recreate!

[@archmichaels]

Random Access Memory and RED the set up. 😢

[@EljohnMacaranas]

Genuinely think RED was robbed but also Big Machine should have never released albums in October at the very start of the campaigning season.

[@archmichaels]

@@EljohnMacaranas For real. BTW your content is pure gold.

[@JoshWilson-rc7pq]

Boy she sure did a number on the car with that golf club lol❤😂

[@EljohnMacaranas]

To be fair, she was slaying while doing so (early girlboss Taylor was everything!)