Why is Taylor Swift re-recording her old albums?

Buy 1989 (Taylor's Version)

Taylor Swift has released today the re-recording of her 2014 album 1989, which is titled 1989 (Taylor's Version).

The acclaimed musician has been busy remaking several of her old albums by re-recording old tracks, adding unreleased songs and also making new collaborations with artists, much to the delight of Swifties across the globe.

Swift made plans to re-record her first six albums in 2020, and 1989 (Taylor's Version) is the fourth one she has re-recorded.

When will 1989 (Taylor's Version) be released?

1989 (Taylor's Version) is out now, after being released on Friday, 27 October, exactly nine years after the original album was released.

The 2014 album saw her win several accolades, including Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards, and spawned hit singles including Shake It Off, Style and Blank Space.

The re-recorded album will include five unreleased tracks: 'S**t!', Say Don't Go, Now That We Don't Talk, Suburban Legends and Is It Over Now?

Swift announced the album on 10 August, writing: "Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you!

"The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th.

"To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVOURITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!"

Why is Taylor Swift re-recording her old albums?

Swift began remaking her old albums when Scooter Braun, the talent manager who previously owned the masters of her first six albums, sold them in 2020 for $300m.

The musician had tried to buy the masters herself when she left Big Machine Label Group, a record label she'd been signed with since she was 15, in 2018, but despite the fact she "pleaded" to own her work she was denied.

Swift previously explained that Big Machine offered her to "earn" back her albums one at a time in exchange for one new album each time, she refused.

Braun came to own the masters in 2019 when he and his company Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine, and at the time Swift issued a statement on Tumblr to call out Braun's "manipulative bullying" as well as previous label head Scott Borchetta for selling the company and her masters with it.

She said: "This is my worst case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15 to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says ‘music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it.

"When I left my masters in Scott’s hands, I made peace with the fact that eventually he would sell them. Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter.

"Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words ‘Scooter Braun’ escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them. In perpetuity. That means forever."

At the time she urged her fans to focus on her future work, which is what she said she planned to do. Then in November 2020 she announced her decision to re-record her old albums.

Which albums has Taylor Swift re-recorded?

So far Swift has released three new versions of her past albums: Fearless and Red in 2021, and Speak Now in July this year.

1989 (Taylor's Version) will be her fourth album to be re-recorded, and so that leaves her 2018 album Reputation and her 2006 self-titled album.

1989 (Taylor's Version) is out now.

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