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New Romantics

Single | Bonus Track | 1989 (2014) | 1989 (Taylor's Version) [2023]

“New Romantics” is the sixteenth and final track on the deluxe edition of Taylor’s fifth studio album, 1989 (2014). Blending satire with shimmering synth-pop, it explores the carefree, ironic, and at times disillusioned attitude with which young adults in the 2010s navigate love and heartbreak. Despite being a bonus song, “New Romantics” gained significant popularity and was later released as the seventh and final single from the album. Its re-recording, “New Romantics (Taylor’s Version),” was released as part of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in 2023.

Background and Release

Influenced by 1980s synth-pop, in her mid-20s Taylor shifted away from the country-inspired sound of her earlier work and embraced a fully pop-oriented production for her fifth album, 1989. To achieve this sonic transformation, she collaborated with prominent mainstream pop producers, notably Swedish hitmakers Max Martin and Shellback. Martin also served as the album’s co-executive producer alongside Taylor. Together, the duo produced seven of the thirteen tracks on the album’s standard edition, as well as two of the three bonus tracks — including “New Romantics.”

Originally released as one of three bonus songs on the deluxe edition of 1989, “New Romantics” was initially available exclusively through Target stores in the United States. On February 17, 2015, Taylor announced that the deluxe tracks would finally be released individually to the U.S. iTunes Store as promotional singles. “New Romantics” was made available digitally on March 3. Following its release, the song debuted at No. 71 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart dated March 21, 2015. Nearly a year later, on February 19, 2016, Taylor confirmed that “New Romantics” would serve as the seventh and final single from 1989.

Lyrical Theme

“New Romantics” was written by Taylor, Max Martin, and Shellback. The song’s title references the New Romantic cultural movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s, known for its flamboyant fashion, gender-fluid aesthetics, and synth-driven pop music. Artists like Culture Club and its androgynous frontman Boy George embodied the style and spirit of the era. Musically, the song echoes the movement’s signature new wave sound, featuring shimmering synths and an upbeat, anthemic production.

Lyrically, “New Romantics” reflects a shift in Taylor’s perspective on love and relationships. Moving away from the fairytale idealism of her earlier albums, here she adopts a more self-aware and carefree attitude—embracing independence, resilience, and emotional growth. In a 2014 interview with Cosmopolitan, she spoke about her evolving views on dating, saying:

«People will say, 'Let me set you up with someone', and I’m just sitting there saying, ‘That’s not what I’m doing. I’m not lonely. I’m not looking.’ They just don’t get it. I’ve learned that just because someone is cute and wants to date you, that’s not a reason to sacrifice your independence and allow everyone to say whatever they want about you. I’m not doing that anymore. It’d take someone really special for me to undergo the circumstances I have to go through to experience a date. I don’t know how I would ever have another person in my world trying to have a relationship with me, or a family.»

Taylor Swift

Production

In a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Taylor explained that her creative vision for 1989 was to make “blatant pop music” inspired by the experimental spirit of 1980s pop. She described the decade as a time of musical reinvention, when artists broke away from traditional instrumentation and embraced synths, drum machines, and unconventional song structures.

“It was a very experimental time in pop music,” Taylor said. “People realized songs didn’t have to follow the standard drums-guitar-bass formula. You could build a track with synths and a drum pad, use group vocals throughout—it was about freedom and possibility.” She drew a parallel between the era’s music and its bold, colorful fashion trends, emphasizing a cultural mood of limitless self-expression.

Reflecting that ethos, Taylor approached 1989 with a sense of creative liberation: “There are no rules to this,” she said. “I don’t need to use the same musicians, band, producers, or formula. I can make whatever record I want.”

Music Video

On April 6, 2016, Taylor released the official music video for “New Romantics” exclusively on Apple Music, where it was initially available only to paid subscribers. The video features a montage of live concert footage and behind-the-scenes moments from “The 1989 World Tour” (2015), offering a glimpse into her connection with her fans and life on the road. The visuals are accompanied by voice-over narration from Taylor herself, expressing her gratitude and reflections on the tour experience:

«The fans are the best part of this tour. They are the reason the shows are incredible. I don’t want to forget anything that happened on this tour. It was one of those remarkable moments in time when everything felt exciting.»

Taylor Swift

A week later, on April 13, 2016, the video was made available to the general public via her official YouTube channel, lifting the subscription requirement.

Live Performances

Taylor included “New Romantics” in the set list for “The 1989 World Tour”, which ran from May to November 2015. She later performed the song at her only concert of 2016, the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas on October 22, and again during her headline appearance at DirecTV’s “Super Saturday Night” concert on February 4, 2017 — part of a series of events leading up to Super Bowl LI.

Six years later, Taylor chose “New Romantics” as the first surprise song for the final show of the US leg of her record-breaking “The Eras Tour” (2023–2024), performing it acoustically on guitar in Los Angeles on August 9, 2023. The performance coincided with her highly anticipated announcement of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). On May 19, 2024, during her third “Eras Tour” show in Stockholm, Taylor performed “New Romantics” as part of a special “Max Martin Medley.” The acoustic mashup featured two additional Martin co-writes: “Message In A Bottle” and “How You Get the Girl.”

«One thing that I have always been a huge fan of, in terms of Sweden’s most incredible export, is the genius pop songwriters and producers. And so in 2012, my life changed for the better because I started working with two genius Swedes named Johan Shellback and Max Martin. And Max is actually here tonight, and he is a shy genius, so I’m not going to bring him out onstage. But I am going to do what I am calling the 'Max Martin Medley.'»

Taylor Swift

During the final night of “The Eras Tour” on December 8, 2024, in Vancouver, Taylor selected “New Romantics” as one of the evening’s surprise songs, pairing it with her early track “A Place in This World” (2006). Introducing the last-ever acoustic set of the historic tour, she reflected on the significance of the moment, telling the audience: “Because we had so long to prepare for the end of this tour, I was trying to think about what songs really encapsulate how I feel about tonight.”

Critical Reception

Many critics lamented the exclusion of “New Romantics” from the standard edition of 1989, praising its infectious energy and vibrant production. The track was widely celebrated as one of the standout moments of the 1989 era, with some even ranking it among the best songs of Taylor’s career.

Upon the album’s release, Corey Beasley of PopMatters argued that “New Romantics” and the other deluxe tracks were more “compositionally daring” than any of the songs on the standard edition. Carl Wilson of Slate described it as “manifesto-toned,” while Pitchfork’s Vrinda Jagota called it a “surging, euphoric” track that encapsulates the spirit of the album.

Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone ranked “New Romantics” as the second-best song of 2014, writing: “I have no idea why she left a song this urgent and glittery and perfect off her album…but geniuses are weird.” In a 2019 career-spanning ranking, Sheffield again placed the track at No. 2, calling it “a work of genius, exceeding even the wildest hopes any fan could have dreamed.” Rolling Stone also included “New Romantics” at No. 58 on its list of “The 100 Best Songs of the 2010s,” with critic Brittany Spanos praising it as “the type of relieving dance floor soul purge that the best pop can be.”

In retrospective reviews, critics such as Alexis Petridis (The Guardian), Hannah Mylrae (NME), and Jane Song (Paste) echoed the sentiment that “New Romantics” deserved a place on the standard edition of 1989.

Commercial Performance

Upon its release as a single, “New Romantics” debuted at No. 28 on Billboard’s Mainstream Top 40/Pop Songs airplay chart, eventually peaking at No. 18. On the Billboard Hot 100, the track reached a peak position of No. 46 on the chart dated April 30, 2016, and remained on the chart for a total of eight weeks.

Internationally, the single charted within the Top 40 in several countries, including Lebanon (No. 18), Belgium’s Flanders region (No. 33), Australia (No. 35), and Scotland (No. 40). “New Romantics” also earned a nomination for “Choice Song – Female Artist” at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards.

Taylor's Version

The re-recorded version of the song, “New Romantics (Taylor’s Version),” was officially released on October 27, 2023, as part of 1989 (Taylor’s Version)—Taylor’s reimagining of her landmark 2014 pop album. The track was included among the re-recorded deluxe bonus songs, recreating the sound and spirit of the original. Its release was part of Taylor’s broader effort to regain control of her back catalog following the 2019 dispute over the ownership of her original master recordings.