Recently Taylor Swift announced that she would be re-recording her earlier albums, from her debut to her fifth album 1989. She will likely re-record her sixth album in 2022, 5 years after the release, or when she is contractually allowed to. This all stems from when, against her wishes, Swift’s former record label sold her back catalogue in a blockbuster deal. That means Swift does not own the rights to Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, or Reputation. She began to remedy this problem by stepping away from the label for her newer albums like Lover, which was the first album she fully owned. These re-recordings would be fully owned by Swift and she would be able to dictate how to use her music and when, without giving the owners of the originals any profit. This power move should not come as a surprise to her former label, because as she once said, there is nothing Swift does “better than revenge.” This unique situation has excited fans who are curious to hear their favorite songs sung just a little differently this time around.
We have a general idea of how the newer version will sound because Taylor released the re-recording of her hit “Love Story” in February. The differences are subtle but undoubtedly there. None of the lyrics changed from the original, but there is a different band playing behind her vocals. Swift wanted to include her touring band in the recording, after all they have probably played the song the most out of anyone. You can hear some other small changes like the overall crisper sound and more distinction between each instrument. Swift’s voice has also obviously changed. She doesn’t have the slight country twang she sported in the original, and her vocals have matured to show more depth. The country sound of the original shifts to more of an indie sound, alike to her newest albums Folklore and Evermore. Most fans expect the rest of the Fearless re-recording to follow the same pattern; the vocals will sound less country and more like her newer style, but the lyrics and the essence of each song will remain the same. Even more exciting, the album is said to contain 26 tracks! The original only had 13, the difference being made up of singles that were released but never put on the album and some new unheard songs that Taylor wrote when she was a teenager. Swift is done recording the new album ad it is set to come out April 9th.

Sources

Capital. “Which Albums Is Taylor Swift Re-Recording? A Guide To The Remake Of Her First Five Albums.” Capital, 11 Feb. 2021, www.capitalfm.com/news/taylor-swift-albums-rerecording-songs.

Savage, By Mark. “Taylor Swift’s Two Versions of Love Story Compared.” BBC News, 12 Feb. 2021, www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56038367.