Taylor Swift's '1989 (Taylor's Version)' Vault Tracks, Ranked

1. "Is It Over Now?"

To paraphrase my editor Courteney Larocca, Swift should not be allowed to pose rhetorical questions anymore. "If one thing had been different, would everything be different today?" "Do you wish you could still touch her?" "Who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?" "Are we out of the woods yet?" "Was it over then? And is it over now?" Enough! You're hurting my feelings!

Yes, "Is It Over Now?" has instantly risen to the top echelon of Swift's existential crises. The song is a messy spill of cruel memories ("Red blood, white snow / Blue dress on a boat"), bitter accusations ("At least I had the decency to keep my nights out of sight"), and late-night confessions. She admits to fantasizing about "jumping off of very tall somethings" to win back the attention of her ex, and I hate to say that I get it.

Swift's breathless delivery is what clinches the song's power. She makes it sound essential, urgent, as though it's literally gushing out of her.

This is also where Antonoff's modernized, Bleachers-style production works best, even though I was originally thrown off by the "Midnights" vibe of the intro. (Was that just an alternate production draft for "Labyrinth" or what?) The stuttering drum beat in the last verse is the ultimate final flourish.

This is the only "1989" vault track that I've had on repeat. As soon as the song ends, I start again from the beginning. After all, that's the danger (and draw) of rhetorical questions. You can ask them over and over and you'll never be satisfied.

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