Music Monday

It’s a battle royal this week in #MusicMonday.

Taylor Swift’s “1989” vs Ryan Adam’s “1989”

I’ve listened to the T-Swift album more times than I can count since it came out last year. She is an incredible song writer. I’ve never seen her live and although her shows would be SO fun, I have too many years of choral training (and too many musical snob influences in my family) to ignore the fact that she sounds terrible live. I think she takes me back to college (her first album came out when I was a freshman) and her songs helped my through breakups. (cheesy? Whatevs.)

People hate her (ahem, Rules for Belles. Still love ya, though.), but I am #teamTSwift almost always.

But I digress. (as usual)

Ryan Adams has released a cover album. Of 1989. Read this Rolling Stone article to hear the story behind it (sorry for some of the language.)

And I listened to both albums, her version of the song then his version of the song, and now come the major question – whose version is better?

1989 – Taylor Swift vs. Ryan Adams

1. Welcome to New York

(For the record, I used the Taylor Swift version of this song as an alarm for awhile, so it’s been some time since I’ve listened to it.)

Her version makes me want to listen to it behind a video of what I did in my most recent trip to NYC (which, ps, was three years ago. I need to change that asap).

His version…sounds like a cover, or the theme song to a 90s teen TV drama (think One Tree Hill).

Winner – Taylor Swift

2. Blank Space

“Get along you Starbucks loverssss” – ok, I never actually thought she said that. But apparently that’s a thing that people think?!

Her version is one of my least favorite songs on this whole album. I think it’s annoying.

Ohhhhh my goodness, his version. The guitar!! The harmonies!! THE CELLO!!! He made this thing so beautiful!

(I could do without him replacing “we’re young” with cursing, but other than that…)

Winner – *pen click* Ryan Adams. BY A LANDSLIDE.

3. Style

In contrast to Blank Space, her version is probably my favorite song on this whole album. The little guitar riff, I die. (Y’all blame #twitterlessleah for that sentence) This album has been out for almost a year and this song has not gone “out of style” for me yet (…womp womp… hey, at least I make myself laugh)

His version scared me at the beginning. The intro had me like: *big eyed emoji*. And he changed the lyrics to the chorus (because, duh.)

You’ve got that Daydream Nation look in your eye
I got that pent up love thing that you like
And we go crashing down, we come back every time
We never go out of style

Once you make it by the intro, his version of this song works. But, sorry, Ryan, I’m loyal to T-Swift’s guitarist on this one.

Winner – Taylor Swift

4. Out of the Woods

Her version of this song gets repetitive. If I’m in the car and it comes on I always think “ugh, this song, why?” …and then I never change it and end up steering wheel drumming and singing along. Every.time.

Props to Ryan Adams for not saying “are we out of the woods yet” over and over and over as the cover. Seriously, thank you for that. His version is slow, acoustic, and it just sounds like a painful breakup song. But, just like his version of Style, it works. And it works WELL.

Winner – Ryan Adams. By a small margin. Because of his cutting down of the words and his outro. OMG.

5. All You Had To Do Was Stay

People like me are gone forever when you say goodbye.

BOOM. Get you some, boys that break her heart! (although, for the record, when you write this many breakup songs….you might be the problem….) I love the lyrics of this song. This is an underrated song on her version of this album, in my opinion.

His version sounds like something from the Breakfast Club. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just a general observation. And once again, it strangely works.

Winner – ……………this one is a toss up. I’m ruling it a tie…for now.

6. Shake It Off

I mean, do I even need to listen to the Ryan Adams version of this one? The ultimate car dancing (or room dancing…not that I do that…) anthem.

(I did think she said “bakers gonna bake” the first time I heard this…but it’s fine.)

I also kept plugging away at listening to both versions. So I did listen to his. And this is a cover that you’d hear by some college guitar player/singer at a bar. It’s one where you’d go “wait, is that a Taylor Swift song?” It’s not my favorite. Haters gonna hate, I know.

Winner – Taylor Swift (Shake it off, Ryan.)

7. I Wish You Would

I’m obsessed with the half-time part of her version of this song (for you non musical people out there, just listen to the chorus). Like, OBSESSED.

His version is a rock ballad. That’s what I’d call it. And I like it! It really makes her lyrics mean something. This should’ve been a song that she wrote and he recorded.

Winner – Ryan Adams (minus the half-time portion of her version…can I do that? Whatever, this is my blog. I make the rules.)

HALFWAY THROUGH GUYS! (well, more than halfway actually…math is hard.)

8. Bad Blood

Ahhh Bad Blood. I did NOT appreciate her version of this song when it first came out. At all. “Band-aids don’t fix bullet holes”…as #twitterlessleah said, no crap.

It took Kendrick Lamar to make me appreciate the Taylor Swift version of this song. (…a sentence I never thought I’d say…)

His version. An acoustic GENIUS. I have no other description.

Winner – Ryan Adams

9. Wildest Dreams

This is the girliest of girly songs on the original album. I was curious to see how he covered this one. And once again, he did not disappoint.

Her version sounds like…a teenage girl. His is *thumbs up emoji*

Winner – Ryan Adams

10. How You Get the Girl

Her version is…meh. The lyrics are A+ (as most Taylor Swift songs are)…but honestly, this is a little too “Say Anything” for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a romantic gesture every now and then (cough cough, Davis, if you’re reading this…) but this song is too much.

The lyrics are the same for his version (duh. That’s the point of a cover album), but once again, he’s taken her lyrics and turned them into something more. Plus, his is more advice for other people (since he’s a guy) and her’s is dictating how it should go (since she’s a girl).

Winner – Ryan Adams

11. This Love

I surprisingly love her version of this. The drums *heart eyed emoji*. The whole thing is so well written!

But his version. Oh man, the piano! The strings! Double *heart eyed emoji*.

Winner – ….would it be wrong to throw in another tie? (Why do I keep asking these questions? I MAKE THE RULES HERE.)

12. I Know Places

The intro of this song always throws me off. I hateeeee it. So, I almost always skip this one. But, on the occasions (like today) when I actually listen to the whole thing, I love it. It’s very “turn this up and jam” loud.

His version…the background tambourine! And the guitar (do I sound like a broken record yet?) It’s also “turn this up and jam” loud, but in a different way.

Winner – Ryan Adams. By a tiiiiiiny margin. Like, as close as Tennessee’s missed field goal yesterday (too soon? Sorry, guys.)

13. Clean

When I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe.

HOW DO PEOPLE COME UP WITH THESE THINGS?! That is so profound! This song is the perfect wrap up to this album. Just really puts an end to all of it. And this is one of those songs that 20-somethings can relate to (because who isn’t always changing something in their life at this age?)

His version is too upbeat for me. I like it, but it’s just to pop-y.

Winner – Taylor Swift.

And that’s it, guys. You read my song-by-song breakdown of Taylor Swift’s version of 1989 and Ryan Adam’s cover of it. And for those of you keeping score at home, the final tally was….

*drumroll*

Taylor Swift – 4 • Ryan Adams – 7 • Ties – 2

I’m honestly surprised at my own tally. But I stand by it.

And now if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go jam out to her version of this album. Sorry not sorry.

xo

PS – you can listen to his version on your phone on Apple Music. Also, google will tell you other places you can listen if you’re not an Apple person…