Back To The Beginning
On June 30, 2019, music manager Scooter Braun bought Taylor Swift’s first six albums. Scott Brechoota, owner of Big Machine Records (the records Swift signed with) sold the company to Braun. Braun profited three hundred million dollars and acquired Swift’s masters as a part of the deal. Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift had been pleading to buy her masters for years but Scott Brochetta had never given her that opportunity. Swift was one of the first clients to sign with Brochetta when he started his company, so discovering he had sold her masters without her knowledge to a man from whom, she claims, she had only received cruelty and “incessant, manipulative bullying” was saddening for her. After Braun’s team denied the request for Swift to buy her music from him, the superstar set off on her re-recording journey.
Re-recording Era
Swift had hinted that she desired to re-release her master albums, “Taylor Swift,” “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989,” and “Reputation,” so she would be able to reclaim her art by owning her work. On April 9, 2021, Swift released her first re-recording, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” adding “(Taylor’s Version)” to signify that she owns the album. She then released “Red (Taylor’s Version)” On Nov. 12, 2021, and “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” on July 7, 2023.
The re-recordings are complete with five to nine additional tracks that Swift wrote for the album but ultimately scratched during the first release, along with the singer’s matured vocals and a brand new album cover. So far, the re-recordings have skyrocketed into success. Some of the achievements include “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” debuting at number one on the Billboard Top 100, and a short film on “Red (Taylor’s Version)” titled “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)(Taylor’s Version)” winning a grammy for “Best music video.”
“My Name is Taylor, And I Was Born In 1989”
After hinting at the re-record with album lyrics as Instagram captions and a sign that says “1989 tv” in the “I Can See You” music video, Swift announced that “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” would be released on Oct. 27, 2023. She revealed this exciting news during a concert on “The Eras Tour” on Aug. 9 in Los Angeles.
“1989,” the fifth studio album, was released in 2014. This album is such a pivotal point in Swift’s career because it was the first time Swift completely abandoned her country roots and transitioned fully into the pop genre. Many fans deemed this album “Pop Perfection” as it birthed timeless and iconic songs such as “Blank Space,” “Shake it Off,” “Style,” and “Bad Blood.” When “1989” was originally released in 2014, it took the world by storm. “1989” stayed in the top ten albums in The Billboard charts for the whole year of 2014. It won three Grammys for “Best Pop Vocal,” “Best Music Video,” and “Album of the Year,” and was nominated for ten.
Karma (Taylor’s Version)
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is already following the success of the other re-recordings. On Oct. 27, 2023, “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” became the most streamed album in a single day with 173 million streams, surpassing Swift’s 2022 album “Midnights” with 165 million streams, crowning Swift as the most streamed artist in one day in 2023. NME gave the album a five-star rating, complimenting the songwriter’s ability to “reinvent herself while honoring her core blueprint.” Rolling Stone UK claims the album could be the best pop album of 2023. The five vault tracks are quickly becoming fan favorites and trending on all forms of social media. The singer also released a deluxe version of the album, featuring “Bad Blood (feat. Kendrick Lamar)(Taylor’s Version).” “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” is predicted to catapult to the top of the Billboard 100 charts. And if it continues increasing its popularity at this rate, it will surpass the original “1989” streams, just like the other released albums have done.
Not Out Of The Woods Yet
Even though Swift has re-recorded four albums, she hasn’t fulfilled her goal yet. She still has two albums left, leaving her sixth album, “Reputation” and her very first album “Taylor Swift.” Many fans theorize that “Reputation (Taylor’s version)” will be the next re-released album, as Swift referenced “Look What You Made Me Do” and “Getaway Car,” both tracks from “Reputation,” in a recent Instagram caption. All Swift has left to do is reclaim her reputation and her name, and her albums will be hers in every respect. Her words, her music, her voice, her name.
