Back when the original 1989 album was released, the opening track for it introduced the world to a brand new Taylor Swift. After experimenting with electronic pop elements on Red, her country starlet persona was all but gone with the release of 1989.

The title is a literal way for Taylor to welcome fans to her new sound. Paralleling her own move from Nashville to New York, 1989 as an album reflects her new lifestyle—moving from her country roots to the big city with all its glitz and glamour. She told Rolling Stone in September 2014: "I really like my life right now…I love the album I made. I love that I moved to New York. So in terms of being happy, I’ve never been closer to that."

Taylor teased the lyrics on Instagram on October 14, 2014, and it premiered on October 20 to everyone who pre-ordered the album.

As proof of her love for her adopted hometown, all proceeds from sales of the single went to New York City Public Schools. The city also showed love back when they made Taylor a tourism ambassador.

Despite all this, the song originally had mixed reviews, even being called “the worst NYC anthem of all time.” This nevertheless did not stop Taylor from re-recording a Taylor’s version that sounds almost exactly like the original version.