:Suburban Legends (song)

The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her fifth studio album, 1989, in October 2014 by Big Machine Records.{{cite news |last=Talbott |first=Chris |date=October 13, 2013 |title=Taylor Swift Talks Next Album, CMAs and Ed Sheeran |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/taylor-swift-talks-next-album-cmas-and-ed-sheeran |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131026093555/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/taylor-swift-talks-next-album-cmas-and-ed-sheeran |archive-date=October 26, 2013 |access-date=October 26, 2013 |agency=Associated Press}}{{Cite web |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift |date=October 27, 2014 |title=1989 |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/1989/1440935467 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005110614/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/1989/id907242701 |archive-date=October 5, 2016 |access-date=November 8, 2023 |publisher=Apple Music (US)}} Its 1980s synth-pop-inspired production marked a departure from the country sound of her previous releases.{{Cite magazine |last=Eells |first=Josh |date=September 16, 2014 |title=Taylor Swift Reveals 5 Things to Expect on 1989 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-swift-reveals-five-things-to-expect-on-1989-65750/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629045709/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/taylor-swift-reveals-five-things-to-expect-on-1989-65750/ |archive-date=June 29, 2022 |access-date=November 15, 2023 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}{{Cite magazine |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=October 24, 2014 |title=Album Review: Taylor Swift's Pop Curveball Pays Off With 1989 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-1989-album-review-6289405/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221104114329/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-1989-album-review-6289405/ |archive-date=November 4, 2022 |access-date=November 15, 2023 |magazine=Billboard}}{{cite web |last=Hertweck |first=Nate |date=January 18, 2018 |title=Taylor Swift, 1989: For The Record |url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/taylor-swift-1989-record-1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028235929/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/taylor-swift-1989-record-1 |archive-date=October 28, 2020 |access-date=November 15, 2023 |publisher=The Recording Academy}} The album received widespread commercial success, selling over five million copies in the United States within one year.{{Cite magazine |last=Anderson |first=Trevor |date=October 27, 2015 |title=Taylor Swift's 1989 One-Year Anniversary: 13 Impressive Chart Facts for the Blockbuster Album |url=https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-1989-anniversary-chart-facts/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=January 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240128090249/https://www.billboard.com/pro/taylor-swift-1989-anniversary-chart-facts/ |url-status=live }} After a dispute with Big Machine over the sale of the masters of Swift's first six studio albums in 2019, she announced that she would re-record them in November 2020.{{Cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Performs on GMA, Talks Re-Recording Big Machine Songs (Watch) |url=https://variety.com/2019/music/news/taylor-swift-performs-on-gma-talks-re-recording-big-machine-songs-watch-1203310319/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108014115/https://variety.com/2019/music/news/taylor-swift-performs-on-gma-talks-re-recording-big-machine-songs-watch-1203310319/ |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=November 8, 2023 |website=Variety}} The re-recordings featured tracks from the sessions she had eschewed from their original albums, subtitled "From the Vault". One such track was "Suburban Legends", a song written for 1989 but was excluded from the final track list.{{Cite web |last=Ellis |first=Maddie |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Frees 5 Songs 'From the Vault' — but What Does That Mean? |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/music/what-are-vault-tracks-taylor-swift-rcna108022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231101125930/https://www.today.com/popculture/music/what-are-vault-tracks-taylor-swift-rcna108022 |archive-date=November 1, 2023 |access-date=November 11, 2023 |website=Today}}{{Cite magazine |last=Aniftos |first=Rania |date=September 20, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's Full 1989 (Taylor's Version) Track List Is Here With No Features & One More 'Vault' Track |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-track-list-no-features-1235416961/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030113451/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-track-list-no-features-1235416961/ |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |access-date=November 8, 2023 |magazine=Billboard}}

"Suburban Legends" was included on Swift's fourth re-recorded album, 1989 (Taylor's Version), which was released on October 27, 2023, by Republic Records. On November 7, Swift sang the song with a piano during the Rio de Janeiro stop of her Eras Tour (2023–2024).{{Cite magazine |last=Iasimone |first=Ashley |date=November 19, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Performs 'Suburban Legends' Live for the First Time in Rio de Janeiro |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-suburban-legends-live-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-eras-tour-1235491862/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=May 22, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240522180705/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-suburban-legends-live-rio-de-janeiro-brazil-eras-tour-1235491862/ |url-status=live }} It charted within the top 10 in the countries of Australia (8), New Zealand (9), and Canada (10). In the United States, the song debuted and peaked at number 10 on the US Billboard Hot 100 with 20.2 million streams, extending her record of most top-10 entries by a female artist on the chart.{{Cite magazine |last=Trust |first=Gary |date=November 6, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Is It Over Now? (Taylor's Version)' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-is-it-over-now-number-1-hot-100-debut-1235464462/ |access-date=March 26, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106195809/https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-is-it-over-now-number-1-hot-100-debut-1235464462/ |url-status=live }} In the United Kingdom, it reached the OCC's streaming (16), downloads (61), and sales charts (72) and peaked at number 14 on Billboard{{'s}} U.K. Songs. Elsewhere, "Suburban Legends" peaked at number 14 on both Billboard Global 200 and Ireland, number 18 in Singapore, number 25 in the Philippines, number 61 in Portugal, and number 87 in Sweden.

{{Listen

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| description = A sample of "Suburban Legends", presenting the synth-pop production with the 1980s-inspired synthesizers, disco groove, and gentle pulse}}

"Suburban Legends" is 2 minutes and 51 seconds long.{{Cite web |last=Swift |first=Taylor |author-link=Taylor Swift |date=October 27, 2023 |title=1989 (Taylor's Version) |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/1989-taylors-version/1708308989 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231024235308/https://music.apple.com/us/album/1989-taylors-version/1708308989 |archive-date=October 24, 2023 |access-date=March 26, 2023 |publisher=Apple Music (US) }} Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff, who recorded it with Laura Sisk at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, and Rough Customer Studio and Electric Lady Studios both in New York City. Antonoff provided programming, background vocals, and instruments, including DX100, Juno 6, and synthesizers. Other musicians on the track were Evan Smith (guitar, synthesizers, saxophones), Michael Riddleberger (drums, percussion), Mikey Freedom Hart (Farfisa, guitars, synthesizers), Sean Hutchinson (drums, percussion), and Zem Audu (synthesizers). It was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach and mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound in Edgewater, New Jersey.

"Suburban Legends" is a midtempo{{Cite web |last=Hopper |first=Alex |date=2023-12-02 |title=The Unique Songwriting Vernacular of Taylor Swift: Her Many Takes On Love |url=https://americansongwriter.com/the-unique-songwriting-vernacular-of-taylor-swift-her-many-takes-on-love/ |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=American Songwriter |archive-date=January 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106102055/https://americansongwriter.com/the-unique-songwriting-vernacular-of-taylor-swift-her-many-takes-on-love/ |url-status=live }} synth-pop{{Cite web |last=Kurp |first=Josh |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Every Taylor Swift 'From the Vault' (Taylor's Version) Song, Ranked |url=https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-taylors-version-from-the-vault-songs-ranked/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Uproxx |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104202516/https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-taylors-version-from-the-vault-songs-ranked/ |url-status=live }} ballad.{{Cite web |last=Shah |first=Furvah |date=October 27, 2023 |title=The New Songs on 1989 (Taylor's Version) Explained |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a45665003/1989-taylors-version-new-songs-explained/ |access-date=May 28, 2024 |website=Cosmopolitan |archive-date=May 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240528155934/https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a45665003/1989-taylors-version-new-songs-explained/ |url-status=live }} The production has 1980s-inspired synthesizers{{Cite web |last=Smyth |first=David |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor's Version) Album Review: Nostalgic Electro-Pop |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-album-review-b1115964.html |access-date=May 25, 2024 |website=Evening Standard |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027070655/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-album-review-b1115964.html |url-status=live }} that critics described as "sparkly",{{Cite web |last=Ruggieri |first=Melissa |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 1989 Rerelease Is Here! These Are the Two Songs We Love the Most |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/10/27/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-best-vault-songs/71249645007/ |access-date=December 22, 2023 |website=USA Today |archive-date=November 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115095606/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/10/27/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-best-vault-songs/71249645007/ |url-status=live }} "swirling", and "cinematic". The outro features the synths making a dissipating sound, according to Billboard{{'s}} Jason Lipshutz.{{Cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=November 2, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 'Taylor's Version' Songs: Every 'From the Vault' Track Ranked (So Far) |url=https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-taylors-version-songs-ranked-from-the-vault/ |access-date=March 28, 2024 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=July 21, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230721105337/https://www.billboard.com/lists/taylor-swift-taylors-version-songs-ranked-from-the-vault/ |url-status=live }} The track also contains a gentle pulse and a swelling disco groove.{{Cite web |last=Wood |first=Mikael |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 1989 (Taylor's Version): The Five New Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-10-26/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-new-songs-ranked |access-date=March 28, 2024 |website=Los Angeles Times |archive-date=October 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028052909/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-10-26/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-new-songs-ranked |url-status=live }} Jeff Nelson from People described the production as "driving, sometimes wind chime-y".{{Cite web |last=Nelson |first=Jeff |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Shines On Twinkly, Dreamy 1989 (Taylor's Version): Breaking Down the 5 New Vault Tracks |url=https://people.com/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-vault-tracks-review-8383507 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029111826/https://people.com/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-vault-tracks-review-8383507 |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |website=People}} The lyrics recount a faded romance set in a small town.{{Cite web |last=Viswanath |first=Jake |date=2023-10-27 |title=Taylor Swift Revisits Her Small Town Roots In 'Suburban Legends' |url=https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-suburban-legends-from-the-vault-lyrics-explained |access-date=2023-12-22 |website=Bustle |archive-date=December 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231222092012/https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/taylor-swift-suburban-legends-from-the-vault-lyrics-explained |url-status=live }}{{Cite magazine |last1=Gutterman |first1=Annabel |last2=Mendez II |first2=Moises |last3=Sonis |first3=Rachel |last4=Cooney |first4=Samantha |date=October 27, 2023 |title=The Best Taylor Swift Vault Songs, Ranked |url=https://time.com/6327597/taylor-swift-best-vault-songs/ |access-date=March 30, 2024 |magazine=Time |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105054343/https://time.com/6327597/taylor-swift-best-vault-songs/ |url-status=live }} In the song, Swift's character is skeptical to her lover ("[U]nmarked numbers popping up on her beau's phone are caught in her peripheral vision") but also has the inability to let go ("You were so magnetic it was almost obnoxious"). She expresses her commitment to maintaining the romance ("I didn't come here to make friends" / "We were born to be suburban legends") and knows that a single kiss could hypnotize her for a long time ("You kissed me in a way that's gonna screw me up forever"). The song addresses the burgeoning side and the breakup of the relationship using both fantasy and nostalgia imagery.{{Cite news |last=Miyashita |first=Nina |date=November 2, 2023 |title=1989 (Taylor's Version) Is a Treasure Trove of Hidden Meanings |url=https://www.vogue.com.au/culture/features/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version/image-gallery/ba00a9642bc4b1288df7fe26878cddbd |access-date=December 22, 2023 |website=Vogue Australia}} In the second verse, she imagines herself walking to a high school reunion with a classmate who is now her partner, hoping to get the reactions of everyone. The relationship ends in the bridge as Swift finds out herself because the partner was "too polite to do it" and accepts what happened in the end.{{Cite web |last=Maher |first=Dani |date=October 27, 2023 |title=1989 (TV) Revisits the Time Taylor Swift Truly Stepped into Her Own |url=https://harpersbazaar.com.au/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-review/ |access-date=March 30, 2024 |website=Harper's Bazaar Australia |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027101638/https://harpersbazaar.com.au/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-review/ |url-status=live }}

Critics commented that "Suburban Legends" would have been for her album Midnights (2022){{efn|Attributed to John Wohlmacher of Beats Per Minute,{{Cite web |last=Wohlmacher |first=John |date=November 16, 2023 |title=Second Look: Taylor Swift – 1989 (Taylor's Version) |url=https://beatsperminute.com/second-look-taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version/ |access-date=May 25, 2024 |website=Beats Per Minute |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208032646/https://beatsperminute.com/second-look-taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version/ |url-status=live }} Jeff Nelson of People, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone,{{Cite magazine |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |author-link=Rob Sheffield |date=April 25, 2024 |title=All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked: 'Suburban Legends' (2023) |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/suburban-legends-2023-1234863416/ |access-date=May 25, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |archive-date=March 28, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240328085905/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/suburban-legends-2023-1234863416/ |url-status=live }} Annabel Gutterman of Time, and Chris Willman of Variety{{Cite web |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 1989 (Taylor's Version) Vault Tracks Bridge the Gap Between 2014 and the Midnights Era: Album Review |url=https://variety.com/2023/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-album-review-1235769881/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029140550/https://variety.com/2023/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-album-review-1235769881/ |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |website=Variety}}}} and perceived similarities with the album's closing track, "Mastermind".{{efn|Attributed to Furvah Shah of Cosmopolitan, Mary Sirosky of Consequence,{{Cite web |last=Sirosky |first=Mary |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Is Reborn with 1989 (Taylor's Version) |url=https://consequence.net/2023/10/taylor-swift-1989-album-analysis/ |access-date=May 25, 2024 |website=Consequence |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525143525/https://consequence.net/2023/10/taylor-swift-1989-album-analysis/ |url-status=live }} and Gutterman}} Mike DeWald of Riff Magazine opined that the song had "a more defined [...] bounce" from the album,{{Cite web |last=DeWald |first=Mike |date=October 27, 2023 |title=ALBUM REVIEW: Taylor Swift Turns Back the Clock to 1989 (Taylor's Version) |url=https://riffmagazine.com/album-reviews/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version/ |access-date=May 25, 2024 |website=Riff Magazine |archive-date=March 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329101339/https://riffmagazine.com/album-reviews/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version/ |url-status=live }} while Furvah Shah from Cosmopolitan wrote that it was "Midnights-esque". Shaad D'Souza of Pitchfork believed it had the "dense, largely rhymeless run-on style" that defined the album and Folklore (2020).{{Cite web |last=D'Souza |first=Shaad |date=October 30, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift: 1989 (Taylor's Version) |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030073002/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version/ |archive-date=October 30, 2023 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |website=Pitchfork}} Critics also found similarities from "Suburban Legends" to Swift's other works. In NJ.com, Bobby Olivier opined that the song had high school imagery that reprised those from "You Belong with Me" (2009) and "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince" (2019).{{Cite web |last=Olivier |first=Bobby |date=October 27, 2024 |title=Ranking the 5 Vault Tracks on Taylor Swift's 1989 (Taylor's Version) |url=https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2023/10/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-album-review-ranking-all-5-vault-tracks.html |access-date=March 28, 2024 |publisher=NJ.com |archive-date=November 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105054343/https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2023/10/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-album-review-ranking-all-5-vault-tracks.html |url-status=live }} Jake Viswanath from Bustle felt that the songwriting was similar to "{{ '}}Tis the Damn Season" (2020). Harper's Bazaar Australia{{'s}} Dani Maher believed that the track's aesthetic recalled "New Romantics" (2016). For NME, Hollie Geragthy thought its lyricism had the "evocative detail" of her previous works.

Critics generally praised "Suburban Legends" for its songwriting and production. Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times ranked it first in his list of the album's "From the Vault" tracks, and the newspaper included it at number 26 on their list of the best 100 songs of 2023.{{Cite web |last1=Brown |first1=August |last2=Draughorne |first2=Kenan |last3=Exposito |first3=Suzy |last4=Wood |first4=Mikael |date=December 6, 2023 |title=The 100 Best Songs of 2023 |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-12-06/best-songs-2023-boygenius-peso-pluma-shakira |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231225221604/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-12-06/best-songs-2023-boygenius-peso-pluma-shakira |archive-date=December 25, 2023 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times}} Geraghty thought that the song displayed a "sweeping, evocative storytelling".{{Cite web |last=Geraghty |first=Hollie |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift - 1989 (Taylor's Version) Review: Her Best Album Will Never Go Out of Style |url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-review-lyrics-tracklist-3522001 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027055855/https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-review-lyrics-tracklist-3522001 |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |website=NME}} Melissa Ruggieri of USA Today believed that it featured some of her "most vivid" lyrics. Fred Thomas from AllMusic wrote that the track had a subdued production that differed it to the "overenthusiastic electro-pop exclamation" of "New Romantics".{{Cite web |last=Thomas |first=Fred |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift - 1989 (Taylor's Version) Album |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/1989-taylors-version--mw0004067309 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231103083512/https://www.allmusic.com/album/1989-taylors-version--mw0004067309 |archive-date=November 3, 2023 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |website= |publisher=AllMusic}} In a ranking of all Swift's "From the Vault" tracks, Annabel Gutterman of Time included the song at number eight and called it a "total bop" where Swift was at her best being nostalgic. Nina Miyashita from Vogue Australia believed that the track was tender and that its theme of nostalgia was matured by her self-awareness. Kelsey Barnes of The Line of Best Fit labeled the song as "sprawling" and felt that its rhyme schemes were simple yet effective.{{Cite web |last=Barnes |first=Kelsey |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift: 1989 (Taylor's Version) Review - Reigniting Pop Passion |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/taylor-swift-1898-taylors-version-reignites-sleek-pop-passion |access-date=May 29, 2024 |website=The Line of Best Fit |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027055859/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/albums/taylor-swift-1898-taylors-version-reignites-sleek-pop-passion |url-status=live }} Rolling Stone{{'s}} writer Rob Sheffield found the track witty, while Mark Sutherland from the magazine's UK edition thought it was "superb" and had "classically Swiftian one-liners".{{Cite web |last=Sutherland |first=Mark |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift, 1989 (Taylor's Version) Could Be the Best Pop Album of 2023 |url=https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-could-be-the-best-pop-album-of-2023-33809/ |access-date=May 29, 2024 |website=Rolling Stone UK |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029065149/https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-1989-taylors-version-could-be-the-best-pop-album-of-2023-33809/ |url-status=live }} Rachel Martin of the Notion said that the song showcased Swift's ability of making "a pop song [that is] full of unequivocal storytelling".{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Rachel |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Album Review: 1989 (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift |url=https://notion.online/album-review-1989-taylors-version-by-taylor-swift/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240525154833/https://notion.online/album-review-1989-taylors-version-by-taylor-swift/ |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |website=Notion}}

Some critics were more reserved in their praise. Olivier placed the song last on his list of the album's "From the Vault" tracks and wrote that it was fun but not "especially memorable". Atwood Magazine{{'s}} review felt that "Suburban Legends" had awkward lyrics and attributed it to the track's underdevelopment.{{Cite web |last=Writer |first=Guest |date=December 4, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 1989 (Taylor's Version) Is a Swiftie's Wildest Dreams |url=https://atwoodmagazine.com/1989-taylors-version-taylor-swift-album-review/ |access-date=May 29, 2024 |website=Atwood Magazine |archive-date=May 29, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529102919/https://atwoodmagazine.com/1989-taylors-version-taylor-swift-album-review/ |url-status=live }} Three journalists of the BBC{{Cite news |last1=Glynn |first1=Paul |last2=Savage |first2=Mark |last3=Youngs |first3=Ian |date=October 27, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift's 1989: What's New on Taylor's Version and Why Has She Re-recorded It? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67237220 |access-date=December 22, 2023 |publisher=BBC |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027120736/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-67237220 |url-status=live }} and D'Souza said that the lyrics and melody were not as sharp compared to the songs on 1989. D'Souza, however, thought it showcased Swift's skill of "channeling the cocktail of victimhood and superiority" that happens following a breakup. Ranking all her "From the Vault" tracks, Josh Kurp of Uproxx listed the song at fourteenth and felt that its production was too similar to the fellow album track "Now That We Don't Talk". John Wohlmacher from Beats Per Minute believed that it was not that engaging and that the composition was derivative.

Credits are taken from the liner notes of 1989 (Taylor's Version).

{{div col}}

• Taylor Swift – vocals, songwriting, production
• Jack Antonoff – songwriting, production, programming, DX100, Juno 6, synthesizers, background vocals, recording
• Evan Smith – guitar, saxophones, synthesizers, recording
• Michael Riddleberger  – drums, percussion, recording
• Mikey Freedom Hart – Farfisa, guitars, synthesizers, recording
• Sean Hutchinson – drums, percussion, recording
• Zem Audu – synthesizers, recording
• David Hart – recording
• Laura Sisk – recording
• Jack Manning – additional engineering
• Jon Sher – additional engineering
• Meagan Searl – additional engineering
• Serban Ghenea – mixing
• Bryce Bordone – engineer for mix
• Randy Merrill – mastering

{{div col end}}

{{Notelist}}

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Category:2023 songs

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Category:American synth-pop songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift

Category:Breakup songs

Category:Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff

Category:Synth-pop ballads