Taylor Swift continues to be absolutely everywhere with the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The re-recorded edition of her 2014 LP also includes five “vault” tracks.
Before the album’s arrival, Taylor teased the project with new versions of singles like “Out Of The Woods,” which was featured in the trailer for the new film Migration. The original version of the song appeared on the first release of 1989 and was co-written and co-produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff.
“Out Of The Woods” mines 1980s synth-pop and details a relationship on the rocks, with those involved trying to keep it going and get through a rough patch. “Remember when we couldn’t take the heat?” Swift sings at one point. “I walked out, I said, ‘I’m setting you free’/But the monsters turned out to be just trees/When the sun came up, you were looking at me.”
In the lead-up to the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Swift recruited fans to solve puzzles on Google to unveil the tracklist. The album features all of the original tracks from 2014, plus the aforementioned bonus songs.
1989 broke new ground in its opening weeks. Selling more than a million copies in its first seven days in the US, it was the sort of performance the industry had rather assumed was all in the past. And the momentum just kept on building. Subsequent singles fueled its march, with more than 10 million copies of the album shifted worldwide to date. Those singles of course also did rather solid business in their own right – “Blank Space” and the Kendrick Lamar collaboration, “Bad Blood,” both topped the US charts, while “Style” and “Wildest Dreams” also made the US Top 10.
Taylor is also in the middle of promoting the theatrical release of her monumental Eras Tour film. To treat fans who have supported this unprecedented run, Swift also recently shared two new versions of her hit song “Cruel Summer,” following the 2019 track being promoted as a single earlier this year.
The song was originally released as part of Swift’s Lover album but wasn’t released as a single at the time, despite fans calling for it to be. Finally, they got their wish this summer when the track was promoted as a single four years later.
Swift shared two new versions of the song in gratitude for the fans’ support of it. “What a truly mind blowing thing you’ve turned The Eras Tour Concert Film into,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’ve been watching videos of you guys in the theaters, dancing and prancing and recreating choreography, creating inside jokes, casting spells, getting engaged, and just generally creating the exact type of joyful chaos we’re known for.
“One of my favorite things you’ve done was when you supported Cruel Summer SO much, I ended up starting The Eras Tour show with it. For old times sake, I’m releasing the live audio from the tour so we can all shriek it in the comfort of our homes and cars PLUS a brand new remix by @lpgiobbi. Thank you, so much, forever, wow, just thank you!!!”
