October 27th marked a historic day with the unlocking of Taylor Swift’s fourth era; also known as the release of Swift’s fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor’s Version). The album is packed with 22 songs with 5 unreleased “from the vault” tracks. The album was received with outpouring support, breaking multiple records as Spotify’s most-streamed album and artist in a single day (Billboard). The never-heard-before “from the vault tracks” have gained the most attention as they share deep and intimate details of her relationships. Originally released in October of 2014, 9 years later Swift was still able to bring the same emotion and passion. Swift brings her fans and listeners back to that time of her life-living in New York, growing up, falling in love, going through heartbreak, and experiencing the highs and lows of life. So, to go along with the album, here is a list of books to dive deeper into the album and fully embrace our “New York girl-era.”
- City of Girls – Elizabeth Gilbert
“Welcome To New York” opens the 1989 album, setting the scene of bright lights and a big city. However, the album journeys through love, heartbreak, struggles, and joys. While Swift might be a mega-celeb who writes about her own specific experiences, her honesty, and authenticity speaks and appeals to a wide audience. Similarly, City of Girls makes the audience feel like the main character. City of Girls follows Vivian, a young 20-something-year-old living in New York during the 1940s. The book is told from Vivian’s perspective 70 years later, as she recounts her past life falling in and out of love, making mistakes, experiencing regret, and learning to lead her own life. Swift used 1989 to reflect and gain closure on her own journey in New York. Both 1989 and City of Girls vividly portray the highs of falling in love, but they also proudly show the heartbreak and tumultuous time of being a woman in your 20s.
- Stargirl – Jerry Spinelli
Track six, “Shake It Off” is the theme song for Jerry Spinelli’s, Stargirl. It might be categorized as a YA novel, but the uplifting and touching themes are important for all ages. The story centers around a girl who embraces her uniqueness and carelessly ignores what other people think or say, which is very similar to the message that Swift spreads in “Shake It Off.” Swift sings, haters will hate, fakers with fake, but you just need to shake it off and have fun which is an ideology Stargirl lives by. Swift also has spoken numerous times about her admiration for the book. Swift said, she “loved how this book was about someone who was very different and got made fun of but then her individuality started rubbing off on people and it made them want to be their own authentic selves instead of just conforming to the norms.”
- Furious Love – Nancy Schoenberger and Sam Kashner
Swift has always struggled with a lack of privacy, particularly around her love life and relationships. Specifically during her 1989 era, Swift and her partner were under acute speculation by the public eye. Many of her songs mention being under the limelight, but track 12, “I Know Places,” specifically tells a story of her relationship with the paparazzi. Similar to Swift’s, mega stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s infamous relationship was extremely publicized. The book Furious Love follows their turbulent and intense love story known as “the marriage of the century.” It has also been speculated that Taylor’s and Burton’s relationship influenced the “Wildest Dreams” music video with the major themes of movie-set romance between actors in the 1960s. Taylor and Burton undoubtedly would have resonated with the themes in which Swift describes.
- Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll
Alice in Wonderland connects directly to 1989 with track 14, “Wonderland.” Swift uses the chaotic and magical world of Wonderland to portray her similarly chaotic and magical relationship. Similar to Alice, Swift finds herself lost in a fantastical world full of twists and turns bringing the audience along for the ride. Both in the book and the song, Wonderland is a mesmerizing place where Alice and Swift wish they could stay forever but unfortunately have to return to reality. Both such great forces, listening to “Wonderland,” while reading Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland might cause you to fall down a rabbit hole.
- The Great Gatsby- F. Scott Fitzgerald
As we know, New York is the main aesthetic for 1989, and there is no other book like The Great Gatsby that screams New York. Fitzgerald’s literary power transports the reader into lavish parties with New York’s high society, and Swift’s musical skill transports the listener into her own shoes whether that be falling in love or going through a breakup. During the writing and production of 1989, Swift was living her best “New York girl life” and the album became a product of that time. While both works emphasize and romanticize the bright lights and lives of the city that never sleeps, they do not mind revealing the seedy underbelly of emotion and conflict.
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid
From a young age Swift’s love life has always been under great scrutiny. People feel the right to judge her dating habits, repeatedly criticizing her for having a “long list of ex-lovers.” Swift addresses these remarks in track two, “Blank Space.” Starting off only jokingly with a sarcastic tone, the track became a feminist clap-back showing Swift’s self-confidence and power. Evelyn Hugo in The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, shares Swift’s similar attitude towards dating and relationships. Being a beautiful and extremely famous actress during the 1950s, the public love watching Evelyn go through her husbands as they judge and comment on her behavior. Swift wrote “Blank Space” in response to her own life, but her lyrics would also resonate with Evelyn’s. While most people do not have to deal with paparazzi, many women are constantly faced with slut shaming and judgment. The authentic and relatable storytelling in “Blank Space” and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo empowers the listeners and readers to ignore but also ironically embrace the judgments.
WORDS: Aoife Bane
