Taylor Swift re-recordings: everything we know about the upcoming albums
In just three short years, Taylor Swift released three record-breaking studio albums: 2022’s ‘Midnights’ and 2020’s ‘Folklore’ and ‘Evermore’. Recording, releasing and promoting multiple chart-topping LPs in such a short amount of time would be enough to keep even the average Grammy-winning popstar busy, but this is Swift we’re talking about. Somehow, in between those releases, and the mammoth Eras tour, she’s found time to re-record and re-releasing her early albums as well dubbing them ‘(Taylor’s Version)’ and not only refreshing the classic tracks with new arrangements and vocals but sharing them with previously unreleased songs ‘From The Vault’.
Swift’s re-recording project started back in 2019 when her former label Big Machine Records was sold to Ithaca Recordings which music manager Scooter Braun owned at the time. Even though Swift had made the move to Republic Records by that time, Big Machine still owned the masters for her first six albums that were recorded at the label between 2005 and 2018. When the news broke of the sale, Swift shared a post on Tumblr, referring to the transition of her masters to Braun as the “worst case scenario” and calling out the music manager for “incessant, manipulative bullying”.
By August of the same year, however, Swift announced she’d be re-recording her first albums, noting her desire to have more control of the direction and ownership of her music and plan to give fans the option of streaming versions of her hit songs she had ownership of. She started releasing the rerecorded albums back in April of 2021 and has continued to share her new versions since then.
With fresh takes on her first three album’s out in the world and more ‘TV’ releases to look forward to, here’s everything we know about Taylor Swift’s upcoming albums.
What do we know about the upcoming albums?
Now that Swift has shared three of her re-recordings, we know that her plan for each re-release may vary, but each new version will be a reimagining instead of a replica of the original version. Not only will the production be different on the updated versions, but in some cases there will be lyrical changes, longer versions and even new tracks that have never been heard by fans. Each new version also includes duets and songs with collaborators. Currently, there are no release dates set for her next three re-recordings.
How many albums is Taylor Swift re-recording?
Swift is re-recording all of the LPs she released before 2019’s ‘Lover’. Those six albums include her debut album 2006’s ‘Taylor Swift’, 2008’s ‘Fearless’, 2010’s ‘Speak Now’, 2012’s ‘Red’, 2014’s ‘1989’, and 2017’s ‘Reputation’.
Which Taylor Swift albums have been released so far?
Swift shared her first re-release, ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’ in April 2021. The updated release of her 2008 LP included new songs from the vault like ‘Mr. Perfectly Fine’ and ‘Today Was A Fairytale’ which was written for the 2010 romantic comedy, Valentines Day.
Next, she released ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)‘ in November of 2021, this time with a longer version of her song ‘All Too Well’ called ‘All Too Well (10 Minute Version)’ that came with a Grammy-winning 10-minute music video directed by Swift. Phoebe Bridgers also features on the album’s track, ‘Nothing New (Taylor’s Version)’.
She most recently released ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ in July 2023. Many fans were surprised when she switched up the lyrics to her song ‘Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)’ from the controversial “She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress” to the new, less risque lyrics “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches”.
The album also features collaborations with Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams on ‘Castles Crumbling’ and ‘Electric Touch’ Fall Out Boy. The album features four other ‘From The Vault’ songs, including ‘Foolish One’, ‘Timeless’, ‘When Emma Falls In Love’ and ‘I Can See You’. With ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ Swift officially has more No. 1 albums than any woman in history.
Which Taylor’s Version album will be released next?
Swift has three more re-recorded albums to release, including ‘Taylor Swift’, ‘1989’, and ‘Reputation’. Though Swift hasn’t shared the release dates for the next three albums, in May of last year she released ‘This Love (Taylor’s Version)’ which was originally written for her album ‘1989’, leading many fans to believe that she’ll release ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ this year. She also released ‘Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)’ in 2021, which is also from her acclaimed fifth studio album.
The post Taylor Swift re-recordings: everything we know about the upcoming albums appeared first on NME.
Erica Campbell
NME
