1989 (album)

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift had identified as a country musician until she released her fourth studio album, Red, in October 2012.[2][3] The album incorporates eclectic styles of pop and rock, and two of its most successful singles—the US number-one "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and the number-two-peaking "I Knew You Were Trouble"[4]—are pop songs that feature prominent electronic stylings.[5][6] Swift and her then-label Big Machine promoted Red to country radio, and she appeared at country-music awards shows.[7] The album's associated world tour, which from March 2013 to June 2014, was the all-time highest-grossing country tour when it completed.[8] Although Red features a few country-oriented songs, its pop-leaning production and commercial success sparked a media debate over Swift's status as a country artist, to which she replied in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, "I leave the genre labeling to other people."[7][9]

Besides her musicianship, Swift's personal life was another aspect that attracted media attention. Although she had been known as "America's Sweetheart" because of her wholesome and down-to-earth image,[10] her serial romantic relationships blemished her reputation, and a short-lived romance with English singer Harry Styles during promotion of Red generated much media gossip.[11] She disliked how the media excessively focused on her relationships, which overshadowed her professional work, and chose to no longer openly discuss her love life in the press.[12] On Red's follow-up album, Swift continued autobiographical songwriting inspired by her personal life, a cornerstone of her artistry.[13] New creative influences were her relocation from Nashville to New York City in March 2014, which propelled a sense of freedom to embark on new ideas,[14] and the media scrutiny of her public image, which prompted new songwriting themes.[15]

The music by such 1980s artists as Peter Gabriel (left) and Annie Lennox (right) inspired 1989.[16]

Swift began writing her fifth studio album in mid-2013, when she was touring to support Red.[17] She viewed Red as an album that straddled the boundary between country and pop and thus wanted its follow-up to be "blatant pop" because she believed, "[If] you chase two rabbits, you lose them both."[18] Inspired by 1980s synth-pop, she viewed the decade as an "experimental time in pop music" when musicians abandoned the established "drums-guitar-bass-whatever" production to make songs with synthesizers, drum pads, and overlapped vocals.[13][19] Two of her main inspirations were Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel—she admired how the former conveyed her "intense" thoughts through music and the latter's synth-pop sound created "an atmosphere behind what he was singing, rather than a produced track".[16]

Swift enlisted Martin and Shellback as prime collaborators because she found "I Knew You Were Trouble" topping the US pop radio chart for seven weeks a motivation to fully embrace the electronic-pop sound that they produced.[4][9] She enjoyed working with them because they often took her ideas in a different direction, which challenged her as a songwriter.[17] Big Machine president Scott Borchetta initially was skeptical of Swift's decision and persuaded her to record a few country songs with instruments such as fiddle, but she rejected his request.[4] Borchetta ultimately agreed with her to not promote the album to country radio, which had been formative in driving Swift's career.[20][21] Martin and Shellback produced seven of the standard edition's thirteen tracks.[22] Swift credited Martin as co-executive producer because he also recorded and produced the vocals on tracks where he was uncredited, which she deemed important in producing a coherent album.[4]

Jack Antonoff was another key producer on 1989; he had worked with Swift on the 1980s new wave-influenced soundtrack single "Sweeter than Fiction" (2013).[23] Antonoff extensively used the Juno-6 synthesizer, which he thought to have "such a sadness and a glory all at once",[24] and co-wrote and co-produced three tracks, two for the standard edition and one for the deluxe edition.[19] "I Wish You Would" stemmed from his experimental sampling of the snare drums on Fine Young Cannibals' 1988 single "She Drives Me Crazy". He played his sample to Swift on an iPhone and sent it to her to re-record.[13] The final track is a remix that retains the distinctive snare drums.[25] For "Out of the Woods", Antonoff sent his finished instrumental track to Swift while she was on a plane.[26] She sent him a voice memo containing the lyrics roughly 30 minutes later.[18] The song was the first time Swift composed lyrics for an existing instrumental.[27]

Swift contacted Ryan Tedder, with whom she had always wanted to work, by a smartphone voice memo.[28] He co-wrote and co-produced two songs—"Welcome to New York" and "I Know Places".[22] For "I Know Places", Swift scheduled a meeting with him at the studio after forming a fully developed idea on her own; the recording process the following day finalized it.[29] Tedder spoke of Swift's work ethic and perfectionism with Time: "Ninety-five times out of 100, if I get a track to where we're happy with it, the artist will say, 'That's amazing.' It's very rare to hear, 'Nope, that's not right.' But the artists I've worked with who are the most successful are the ones who'll tell me to my face, 'No, you're wrong,' two or three times in a row. And she did."[6] For "Clean", Swift approached British producer Imogen Heap in London after writing the song's lyrics and melody. Heap helped to complete the track by playing instruments on it; the two finished recording after two takes in one day at Heap's studio.[19] Nathan Chapman, Swift's longtime collaborator, co-produced the track "This Love".[30] The album was mastered by Tom Coyne in two days at Sterling Sound Studio in New York City.[22][19] Swift finalized the record upon completing the Asian leg of the Red Tour in mid-2014.[31]

Swift named 1989 after her birth year and said it signified a symbolic rebirth of her image and artistry.[19][69] As creative director for the album's packaging,[22] Swift included pictures taken with a Polaroid instant camera—a photographic method popular in the 1980s.[70][71] The cover is a Polaroid portrait of Swift's face cut off at the eyes, which Swift said would bring about a sense of mystery: "I didn't want people to know the emotional DNA of this album. I didn't want them to see a smiling picture on the cover and think this was a happy album, or see a sad-looking facial expression and think, oh, this is another breakup record."[72][73] She is wearing red lipstick and a sweatshirt embroidered with flying seagulls.[70] Her initials are written with black marker on the bottom left, and the title 1989 on the bottom right.[71][73]

Each CD copy of 1989 includes a packet, one of five available sets, of 13 random Polaroid pictures, made up from 65 different pictures.[74] The pictures portray Swift in different settings such as backdrops of New York City and recording sessions with the producers.[75] The photos are out-of-focus, off-framed, with a sepia-tinged treatment, and feature the 1989 songs' lyrics written with black marker on the bottom.[71] Polaroid Corporation chief executive Scott Hardy reported that the 1989 Polaroid concept propelled a revival in instant film, especially among the hipster subculture who valued the "nostalgia and retro element of what [their] company stands for".[76] In March 2022, Billboard ranked the cover artwork of 1989 as one of the 50 greatest album covers of all time.[77]

Swift marketed 1989 as her first "official pop" album.[78] To bolster sales, Swift and Big Machine implemented an extensive marketing plan.[79] As observed by Maryn Wilkinson, an academic specialized in media studies, Swift adopted a "zany" aspect for her 1989 persona.[note 2] As Swift had been associated with a hardworking and authentic persona through her country songs, her venture to "artificial, manufactured" pop required intricate maneuvering to retain her sense of authenticity.[81] She used social media extensively to communicate with her fan base; to attract a younger audience, she had promoted her country songs online previously.[82] Her social media posts showcased her personal life, making fans feel engaged with her authentic self and thus cemented their support while attracting a new fan base besides her already large one.[80][78] She also promoted the album through product endorsements with Subway, Keds, and Diet Coke.[83] Swift held a live stream via Yahoo! sponsored by ABC News on August 18, where she announced the details of 1989 and released the lead single "Shake It Off",[84] which debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100.[85] To connect further with her supporters, Swift selected a number of fans based on their engagement on social media and invited them to private album-listening sessions called "the 1989 Secret Sessions".[82] They took place at her properties in Los Angeles, New York City, Nashville, Rhode Island, and London throughout September 2014.[86]

Swift on the 1989 World Tour, the highest-grossing tour of 2015

The album's standard and deluxe editions were released for download on digital platforms on October 27, 2014.[87] In the United States and Canada, the deluxe edition was available exclusively through Target Corporation.[28][88] The songs "Out of the Woods" and "Welcome to New York" were released through the iTunes Store as promotional singles on October 14 and 20, respectively.[89] 1989 was supported by a string of commercially successful singles,[90] including Billboard Hot 100 number ones "Blank Space" and "Bad Blood" featuring rapper Kendrick Lamar, and top-10 hits "Style" and "Wildest Dreams".[91] Other singles were "Out of the Woods", previously a promotional single,[92] and "New Romantics".[93] The deluxe edition bonus tracks, which had been available exclusively through Target, were released on the US iTunes Store in 2015.[94]

On November 3, 2014, Swift removed her entire catalog from Spotify, the largest on-demand streaming service at the time,[74] arguing that their ad-supported free service undermined the platform's premium service, which provides higher royalties for songwriters.[95] She had written an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal in July 2014, expressing her concerns over the decline of the album as an economic entity following the rise of free, on-demand streaming.[96] Big Machine and Swift kept 1989 only on paid subscription-required platforms such as Rhapsody and Beats Music.[79] This move prompted an industry-wide debate on the impact of streaming on declining record sales during the digital era.[78] In June 2015, Swift stated that she would remove 1989 from Apple Music, criticizing the service for not offering royalties to artists during their free three-month trial period.[97] After Apple Music announced that it would pay artists royalties during the free trial period, she agreed to leave 1989 on their service; she then featured in a series of commercials for Apple Music.[98][99] She re-added her entire catalog on Spotify in June 2017.[1] Swift began rerecording her first six studio albums, including 1989, in November 2020.[100] The decision came after talent manager Scooter Braun acquired the masters of Swift's first six studio albums, which Swift had been trying to buy for years, following her departure from Big Machine in November 2018.[101]

In addition to online promotion, Swift made many appearances on radio and television.[79] She performed at awards shows including the MTV Video Music Awards[102] and the American Music Awards.[103] Her appearances on popular television talk shows included Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Late Show with David Letterman and Good Morning America.[79] She was part of the line-up for the iHeartRadio Music Festival,[104] CBS Radio's "We Can Survive" benefit concert,[105] the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show[106] and the Jingle Ball Tour.[107] The album's supporting tour, the 1989 World Tour, ran from May to December 2015. It kicked off in Tokyo,[108] and concluded in Melbourne.[109] Swift invited various special guests on tour with her, including singers and fashion models the media called Swift's "squad" which received media coverage.[110] The 1989 World Tour was the highest-grossing tour of 2015, earning over $250 million at the box office.[111] In North America alone, the tour grossed $181.5 million, setting the record for highest-grossing US tour by a woman.[112] Swift broke this record in 2018 with her Reputation Stadium Tour.[113]

1989's sales performance in the United States was subject to considerable industry attention.[79] The album was released in a period when digital download and streaming platforms brought about a decline in record sales,[114] but Swift had established herself as a best-selling album artist in the digital era: her last two albums, Speak Now (2010) and Red (2012), each sold over one million copies within one week.[78] Many industry personnel questioned whether Swift abandoning country music and streaming would impact the album's sales.[78] During one week leading to 1989's release, music-industry publications predicted the album would sell short of one million copies in its debut week, with estimations from 600,000–750,000[114] to 800,000–900,000.[115] After 1989 was released, Billboard closely monitored its sales and raised the first-week prediction from 900,000[116] to one million within 24 hours,[117] 1.2 million within 48 hours,[118] and 1.3 million after six days of tracking.[119]

Through November 2, 2014, 1989 debuted atop the US Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 1.287 million copies, according to data compiled by Billboard for the chart dated November 15, 2014. Swift became the first artist to have three albums each sell one million copies within the first week, and 1989 was the first album released in 2014 to exceed one million copies.[120] 1989 topped the Billboard 200 for 11 non-consecutive weeks[121] and spent the first full year after its release in the top 10 of the Billboard 200.[122] By September 2020, the album had spent 300 weeks on the chart.[123] 1989 exceeded sales of five million copies in US sales by July 2015, the fastest-selling album since 2004 up to that point.[note 3] With 6.215 million copies sold by the end of 2019, the album was the third-best-selling album of the 2010s decade in the United States.[126] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album 9× Platinum, which denotes nine million album-equivalent units.[127] As of August 2023, 1989 had accumulated 12.3 million album-equivalent units in the US.[128]

The album reached number one on the record charts of various European and Oceanic countries, including Australia, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Switzerland.[129] In Canada, it was certified 6× Platinum[130] and was the fifth-best-selling album of the 2010s, with sales of 542,000 copies.[131] It was the fastest-selling album by a female artist of 2014 in the United Kingdom,[132] where it earned a five-times platinum certification from the British Phonographic Industry.[133] 1989 also achieved success in Asia. It became one of the best-selling digital albums in China, having sold one million units as of August 2019.[134] It also received a platinum certification in Japan.[135] According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), 1989 was the second-best-selling album of 2014 and third-best-selling of 2015.[136][137] By 2017, the album had sold 10 million copies worldwide.[1]

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.4/10[138]
Metacritic	76/100[139]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[140]
The A.V. Club	B+[37]
Cuepoint (Expert Witness)	A−[141]
The Daily Telegraph	[64]
The Guardian	[61]
Los Angeles Times	[49]
NME	7/10[47]
Pitchfork	7.7/10[44]
Rolling Stone	[62]
Spin	7/10[63]

1989 received generally positive reviews from contemporary critics.[9] Most reviewers highlighted Swift's mature perception of love and heartbreak.[142] The A.V. Club's Marah Eakin praised her shift from overtly romantic struggles to more positive themes of accepting and celebrating the moment.[37] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph commended the album's "[sharp] observation and emotional engagement" that contrasted with lyrics found in "commercialised pop".[64] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian lauded Swift's artistic control that resulted in a "perfectly attuned" 1980s-styled synth-pop authenticity.[61]

The album's 1980s synth-pop production divided critics. In an enthusiastic review, The New York Times critic Jon Caramanica complimented Swift's avoidance of contemporary hip hop/R&B crossover trends, writing, "Ms. Swift is aiming somewhere even higher, a mode of timelessness that few true pop stars...even bother aspiring to."[30] Writing for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield characterized the record as "deeply weird, feverishly emotional, wildly enthusiastic".[62] In a review published by Cuepoint, Robert Christgau applauded her departure from country to experiment with new styles, but felt this shift was not radical.[141] NME reviewer Matthew Horton considered Swift's transition to pop "a success", save for the inclusion of the "soft-rock mush" of "This Love" and "Clean".[47] Shane Kimberlin writing for musicOMH deemed Swift's transition to pop on 1989 "not completely successful", but praised her lyrics for incorporating "enough heart and personality", which he found rare in the mainstream pop scene.[143]

Some critics lamented that Swift's move from country to pop eroded her authenticity as a songwriter, particularly because of pop music's "capitalist nature" as opposed to country music's emphasis on authenticity.[144][145] Slant Magazine's Annie Galvin observed that Swift maintained the clever songwriting that had distinguished her earlier releases, but was disappointed with the new musical style.[59] Entertainment Weekly's Adam Markovitz and Spin's Andrew Unterberger were critical of the heavy synthesizers, which undermined Swift's conventionally vivid lyrics.[63][146] AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the album as "a sparkling soundtrack to an aspirational lifestyle" that fails to transcend the "transient transparencies of modern pop".[140] Mikael Wood, in his review for the Los Angeles Times, found the album inauthentic, but acknowledged her effort to emulate the music of an era she did not experience.[49]

1989 won industry awards, including Favorite Pop/Rock Album at the American Music Awards[147] and Album of the Year (Western) at the Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2015,[148] and Album of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2016.[149] It also earned nominations for Best International Pop/Rock Album at the Echo Music Prize,[150] International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards,[151] and Best International Album at the Los Premios 40 Principales in 2015.[152] At the 58th Annual Grammy Awards in 2016, 1989 won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album.[153] Swift became the first female solo artist to win Album of the Year twice—her first win was for Fearless (2008) in 2010.[154]

Many publications ranked 1989 among the best albums of 2014. Those who placed the album within their top 10 included Billboard (first),[155] American Songwriter (4th),[156] Time (4th),[157] The Daily Telegraph (5th),[158] The Music (5th),[159] Drowned in Sound (6th),[160] Complex (8th),[161] and Rolling Stone (10th).[162] Other publications that featured 1989 in their lists were The Guardian,[163] The A.V. Club,[164] PopMatters,[165] Pitchfork,[166] and MusicOMH.[167] The album ranked 7th on The Village Voice's 2014 Pazz & Jop mass critics' poll[168] and featured In individual critics' lists including those by Jon Caramanica for The New York Times (7th),[169] Ken Tucker for NPR (3rd),[170] and Brian Mansfield for USA Today (1st).[171]

Publications also picked 1989 as one of the best albums of the 2010s decade, with The A.V. Club[172] and Slant Magazine placing it in the top ten of their lists.[173] In Variety, Chris Willman declared it the best 2010s-decade album in his personal list.[174] According to Metacritic, it was the sixteenth most prominently acclaimed album on the decade-end lists.[175] The Guardian featured the album at number 89 on a 2019 list of the 100 best albums of the 21st century.[176] In terms of audience reception, 1989 ranked at number 44 on Pitchfork's readers' poll for the 2010s decade.[177] 1989 placed at number 393 on Rolling Stone's 2020 revision of their 500 Greatest Albums of All Time,[178] and number 39 on Consequence's The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time.[179]

1989's commercial success transformed Swift's image from a country singer to that of a pop icon.[186][187] It was the second album to spawn five or more US top-10 singles in the 2010s decade,[note 4] and made Swift the second woman to have two albums each score five US top-10 hits.[note 5] Its singles received heavy rotation on US radio over a year and a half following its release, which Billboard noted as "a kind of cultural omnipresence" that was rare for a 2010s album.[190] The academic Shaun Cullen specializing in the humanities described Swift as a figure "at the cutting edge of postmillennial pop".[191] 1989's electronic-pop production expanded on Swift's next two studio albums, Reputation (2017) and Lover (2019).[110]

American singer Ryan Adams (pictured) released his track-by-track cover of 1989 in September 2015.

American rock singer-songwriter Ryan Adams released his track-by-track cover album of 1989 in September 2015. Finding it a "joyful" record, he listened to the album frequently to cope with his broken marriage in late 2014.[192] On his rendition, Adams incorporated acoustic instruments, which contrast with the original's electronic production.[193][194] Swift was delighted with Adams' cover and told him, "What you did with my album was like actors changing emphasis."[195] Pitchfork attracted controversy when the publication reviewed Adams' cover of 1989 without reviewing the original 1989 or any of Swift's albums then; many journalists accused Pitchfork of rockism.[196]

Along with 1989's success, Swift's status as a pop star became a subject of media scrutiny. Swift described herself as a feminist,[197] but her public appearances with singers and fashion models whom the media called her "squad" gave the impression that she did so just to keep her name afloat in news headlines.[110] Kristy Fairclough, a professor in popular culture and film, commented, "Her shifting aesthetic and allegiances appear confusing in an overall narrative that presents Taylor Swift as the centre of the cultural universe."[110] Swift's disputes with several celebrities, most notably rapper Kanye West, diminished the sense of authenticity that she had maintained.[99][note 6] Swift announced a prolonged hiatus following the 1989 World Tour because "people might need a break from [her]".[99] Her follow-up album, Reputation, was influenced by the media commotion surrounding her celebrity.[199]

Retrospective comments from GQ's Jay Willis,[200] Vulture's Sasha Geffen,[201] and NME's Hannah Mylrea praised how 1989 avoided contemporary hip-hop and R&B crossover trends, making it a timeless album that represents the best of Swift's prowess. Mylrea praised it as the singer's best record and described it as an influence for younger musicians to embrace "pure pop", contributing to a growing trend of nostalgic 1980s-styled sound.[202] Geffen also attributed the album's success to its lyrics offering emotional engagement that is uncommon in pop.[201] In naming 1989 as one of the essential pop records of the 21st-century, Lucy Ford of GQ said Swift became a "full synth-laced pop girl to prove genres don't indicate authenticity" as a response to critics who felt Red neglected her country roots for a "manufactured pop image".[203] According to Clash, there would not be a Dua Lipa without 1989 because it normalized blending genres that "popstars do now."[204] In the BBC, critic Neil Smith said, 1989 "[forged] a path for artists who no longer wish to be ghettoised into separated musical genres",[205] while his colleague Rob Freeman described the album as a retrofuturist "pop music masterpiece".[206] Ian Gormely of The Guardian called Swift the forefront of poptimism, led by 1989 which replaced dance/urban trends with ambition, proving that "chart success and clarity of artistic vision aren't mutually exclusive ideas."[207]

Contemporary artists who cited 1989 as an influence included American singer-songwriter Conan Gray,[208] American actor and musician Jared Leto,[209] and British pop band the Vamps, who took inspiration from 1989 while composing their album Wake Up (2015).[210] American director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson cited 1989 as an inspiration for her feature film debut, Someone Great (2019).[211]

Adapted from the liner notes of 1989[22]

Production

Instruments

Art

• Taylor Swift – creative director
• Sarah Barlow – photography
• Stephen Schofield – photography
• Josh & Bethany Newman – art direction
• Austin Hale – design
• Amy Fucci – design
• Joseph Cassell – wardrobe stylist

• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2014
• List of Billboard 200 number-one albums of 2015
• List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 2010s
• List of UK Album Downloads Chart number ones of the 2010s
• List of best-selling albums by year in the United States
• List of best-selling albums in China
• List of best-selling albums in the United States of the Nielsen SoundScan era
• List of best-selling albums of the 2010s in the United Kingdom
• List of best-selling albums of the 21st century
• List of best-selling albums by women
• Lists of fastest-selling albums
• List of albums which have spent the most weeks on the UK Albums Chart

Wikinews has related news:

• Taylor Swift's 1989 wins Grammy's Record of the year; Bad Blood wins the Best Music Video

• 1989 at Discogs (list of releases)