Exploring the Intense Emotions of Love: Taylor Swift's Riveting Vault Track 'Price of Passion' on '1989 (Taylor's Version)'

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Taylor Swift is getting real about the double standards of love.

Upon the release of her re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) on October 27, Taylor Swift delighted fans with an additional five bonus songs from the vault. Among these tracks is "Slut! (Taylor's Version)," where the Grammy winner poetically illustrates the challenges of being a woman in love, suggesting that she faces societal scrutiny that her partner does not. In the chorus, she boldly sings, "But if I am dressed up and they stare, calling me a slut, perhaps it is worth it just this once. And if I choose to indulge in alcohol, why not do it while being intoxicated by love?"

In the second verse, Swift reveals the complexities of developing feelings for someone in the public eye. She expresses this by singing, "Waiting for his message to arrive / The criticisms aimed at us stall in mid-air / Everyone desires him / That was my mistake / Being in the wrong place at the right moment / And I become vulnerable, and he draws me closer / Among numerous men, he stands as a true gentleman."

Swift has faced ongoing public scrutiny regarding her dating life, and she has frequently spoken openly about being criticized for her previous relationships, particularly during her early twenties.

"When I was 23, I experienced people reducing me to mere slideshows of my dating life, including individuals I had simply sat next to at a party," Swift revealed in an October 2019 interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music's Beats 1. She further expressed that the scrutiny surrounding her relationships serves no purpose other than to "slut-shame" and belittle her talent for songwriting.

It is disheartening for Swift to observe that people fail to comprehend how effortless it is to assume that a female artist, or any woman in our industry, is somehow in the wrong for desiring love, money, and success. She emphasized that women are unfairly restricted from yearning for these things in the same way that men are allowed to.

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Having found success, Swift's 1989 album, initially released in October 2014, swiftly became a critical sensation. This marked her official foray into the pop genre and served as her debut collaboration with producer Jack Antonoff. Straying from her previous work, the record embraced a synth-heavy, 80s-inspired sound. In 2016, Swift claimed her second Album of the Year Grammy award for 1989, which achieved a remarkable nine times platinum status.

“To all the young women out there, I want to remind you that there will be individuals who will attempt to undermine your achievements or steal credit for your success. However, if you remain focused on your work and refuse to be distracted by these people, one day, when you reach your destination, you will look around and realize that it was you and the people who care about you who propelled you to where you are. This feeling will be the most incredible sensation in the world.”

Although Swift never explicitly mentions anyone in her music, many fans speculate that several songs from her album 1989 are influenced by her relationship with Harry Styles. Songs such as "Out of the Woods" and "Style" contain lyrics that allude to their short-lived romance. The musicians were first linked in 2012 and ended their relationship in January 2013.

During her final Los Angeles Eras Tour show in August, Swift announced the release of "1989 (Taylor's Version)". This decision came after her masters were acquired by Scooter Braun in a deal with her previous label, Big Machine Records. Subsequently, Braun sold the masters to a private equity company for $300 million. In February 2021, Swift took to Instagram to explain her intention of remaking her first six albums. She emphasized the importance of artists owning their own work, stating that only they truly understand the essence of their creations.