Taylor Swift is well known all over the world- with die-hard fans, dubbed “Swifties” from all different countries. Her music stirs up fond memories for many long-time listeners, such as myself. I remember singing and dancing around my living room, four years old, with a karaoke microphone as one of Swift’s biggest hits, “Love Story”, played in the background. I recall the excitement I felt when I was lucky enough to attend her Reputation stadium tour in 2018. Now, I am eagerly awaiting the release of Red – (Taylor’s Version).

For those of you who know Swift’s music, you may know that the album Red was actually released in 2012. So why is it being released again? What does “Taylor’s Version” even mean?

When Swift was 15 years old, she signed a contract with Big Machine Records. The company would produce her music, with the only catch being that she did not own the master’s rights to her music. After producing 6 studio album under this label, Swift left Big Machine and signed with Republic Records and Universal Music Group. Under this label, Swift would own the full rights to any album she produces.

In 2019, Swift discovered through the internet that Big Machine had sold the rights to her music to Scooter Braun of Ithaca Holdings LLC. Feeling betrayed, Swift did all that she could to keep control over her music. While she did not own the master’s rights, she was at least able to stop her music from being used in media, such as movies, shows, and commercials.

In an effort to show other young artists, especially female artists, how tough deals in the music industry can be, Swift is now re-recording the six studio albums she does not own the rights to.

So far, Swift has released one full album of re-recordings: Fearless- (Taylor’s Version). In producing this album, Swift had to conquer many challenges. One of the most difficult things to do was to keep the same sound and technique that she used in her music when she was 19.

Swift has done an amazing job keeping the energy and nostalgic feeling of the album I loved when I was four years old! From the soft guitar picking in “White Horse” to the powerful, angry anthem that is “Forever & Always”, Swift has captured every aspect of the original album that I love so dearly.

In addition to flawlessly executing her original songs, Swift has added an extra prize for her devoted listeners: six “vault tracks” that we have never heard recorded in a studio before. Swift has chosen these songs from a myriad of songs she wrote that she never got around to producing.

My favorite song from the “vault” by far is “Mr. Perfectly Fine.” In this upbeat tune, Swift expresses frustration with an ex-boyfriend who has seemed to move on from her with no difficulty whatsoever, while she is left broken-hearted. This song has quickly made its way onto many of my playlists, and I absolutely love it!

Another gem from the “vault” is “That’s When” (featuring Keith Urban). The soft, fun beat of the song combined with hopeful lyrics offer plenty of serotonin for anyone who listens.

Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is an incredible album, and definitely worth listening to!

Sources Used:

Why is Taylor Swift re-recording her old albums, and what does it mean for the music industry?

https://time.com/5949979/why-taylor-swift-is-rerecording-old-albums/