VoxBlog

Highlights

• Taylor Swift's "Eras Tour" in 2023 made her a global sensation, and Rolling Stone recently ranked every song she has released.
• Swifties have been vocal about their opinions on the ranking, especially regarding the low placement of "Bad Blood."
• Swift faced conflict with her record label when she shifted to a pop sound for her album "1989," but she stuck to her vision and it became her most successful album.

2023 was no doubt the year of Taylor Swift. Thanks to her very successful "Eras Tour," Swift has taken the world by storm this year. There has been a lot of excitement over Swift's career and a heightened interest in her music. There was even a concert film of the tour which broke records with its success.

Therefore, it certainly made sense when Rolling Stone recently published a ranking of every song Swift has released.

Such a ranking is brave in the internet age, when fans are extremely passionate and vocal. It should come as no surprise that the Swifties have been very vocal in response. They have taken to the internet to share their opinions on the list. While the reaction has been mixed, most of the focus seems to be on one song in particular.

Swifties Have Mixed Feelings About Rolling Stone's Ranking Of Taylor's Best Songs, Including 'Bad Blood'

When Rolling Stone published their ranking of Swift's 237 songs, her fans certainly had their opinions. Among them were surprises that "Bad Blood" was ranked so low on the list.

On Reddit, one fan wrote, "starting off the list with 'Bad Blood' was a HUGE swing and caught my attention. I wasn’t surprised with #1 but pleasantly surprised to see 'Clean' high up in the ranks."

Another wrote, "Bad Blood at the last place? Whoever made this list has just committed crime against humanity."

However, one Swifite had an interesting theory as to why "Bad Blood" was at such a low place on the list.

"It's gotta be for publicity / attention - no one would keep scolling if the entire first slide said random deep cuts," the fan wrote. "Bad Blood is one of her most popular songs."

Swift reportedly wrote her song "Bad Blood" about Perry and opened up to Rolling Stone regarding its meaning.

"For years, I was never sure if we were friends or not," Swift said, not naming the woman she was referring to. "She would come up to me at awards shows and say something and walk away, and I would think, 'Are we friends, or did she just give me the harshest insult of my life?'"

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According to Swift, this fellow artist "did something so horrible" and likened their relationship to "straight-up enemies."

"And it wasn't even about a guy!" Swift added. "It had to do with business. She basically tried to sabotage an entire arena tour. She tried to hire a bunch of people out from under me. And I'm surprisingly non-confrontational—you would not believe how much I hate conflict. So, now I have to avoid her. It's awkward, and I don't like it."

Swift and Perry eventually buried the hatchet by reuniting in the "You Need To Calm Down" music video.

The Musical Direction Taylor Went In For Her '1989' Album Caused Conflict With Her Label

While "Bad Blood" has become one of Swift's most popular songs, the musical direction Swift went in didn't initially sit well with her then-record label.

Prior to her album "1989," Swift had already been delving into pop territory. Even though her brand of country music always incorporated pop elements, she was starting to stray away from country with her album "Red" in 2012. She scored big hits with the singles "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "22," and "I Knew You Were Trouble."

Among her collaborators on "Red" was pop songwriting genius Max Martin. Swift enlisted him again for "1989," as she told Billboard in 2014.

"Max Martin and [Karl Johan] Shellback [Schuster] were the last people I collaborated with on 'Red,' and I wished we could have done more and explored more," Swift said. "So going into this album, I knew that I wanted to start with them again."

She continued, "Then I thought, 'Wouldn't it be amazing to work with Ryan Tedder?' And then I was with Jack Antonoff and Lena Dunham at the beach, and we started talking about our favorite ’80s music. All of this started happening organically, and I found myself gravitating toward pop sensibilities, pop hooks, pop production styles."

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While Swift was happy with the album, not everyone on her team was as enthusiastic. This conflict came way before there was any dispute over her masters.

"When I knew the album had hit its stride, I went to Scott Borchetta and said, 'I have to be honest with you: I did not make a country album. I did not make any semblance of a country album,'" she said. "And of course he went into a state of semi-panic and went through all the stages of grief — the pleading, the denial."

Ultimately, Swift stuck to her guns and "1989" became the most successful album of her career.

Taylor Re-Recorded 'Bad Blood' And Got Kendrick Lamar To Re-Record His Vocals For The Remix

Swift stopped the final Los Angeles show on her "Eras Tour" to speak to the audience. She began by thanking them for their support, particularly in regard to the recent re-recordings of her past albums.

"Since I was a teenager, I wanted to own my music," Swift told the crowd. "The way to do it was to re-record my albums, and the way that you have embraced ... that you have celebrated, that you really decided that it was your fight too, and that you were 100% behind me ... I will never stop thanking you for that."

Then, Swift revealed the cover art and announced the release date for "1989 (Taylor's Version)."

Swift continued to discuss the re-recording on Instagram, writing that the album "changed my life in countless ways."

"To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I've ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane," she teased. "I can't believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!"

When the album was released, fans were initially disappointed that Kendrick Lamar (who previously appeared on a remix of "Bad Blood") didn't re-record his vocals for "1989 (Taylor's Version)."

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However, shortly after the album was released, Swift announced that Lamar did in fact re-record his vocals and the new remix would be available on the deluxe edition.

"The reality that Kendrick would go back in and re-record Bad Blood so that I could reclaim and own this work I’m so proud of is surreal and bewildering to me," Swift wrote on Instagram.

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