The Re-Recording Saga (Taylor’s Version)
Taylor Swift / Beth Garrabrant
Taylor Swift has been re-recording her original six albums since signing with Universal Music Group in 2018 after her contract with Big Machine Records came to an end. As a part of her contract with Big Machine Records, Swift does not own any of her master recordings. After signing with Universal Music Group and an ongoing battle with Big Machine Records owner Scooter Braun, Taylor Swift’s master recordings were sold for an estimated $300 million to Ithaca Holdings.
Why doesn’t Taylor Swift own the master rights for her original six albums?
Upon signing with Big Machine Records in 2005, part of the contractual agreements stated that Big Machine would own the master recordings of the music released by them. This is a typical practice of many recording companies when signing an artist. Because she wanted to own her work, Taylor Swift attempted to undergo a series of negotiations with Big Machine and its owner, Scooter Braun. Big Machine offered to allow Swift to reacquire her albums by resigning with the label and releasing one new album per her old ones. In other words, in order to attain ownership of her original six albums, she needed to release six new ones under Big Machine. The efforts were fruitless, seeing as Scooter Braun ended up selling Swift’s catalog to Ithaca Holdings. However, because Swift wrote every song in her catalog, she owns the “sync rights” and has the ability to re-record her albums once the five-year mark has passed.
Which album comes next?
So far, Taylor Swift has re-recorded new versions of her Grammy Award winning albums Fearless and Red. Under her new label, these versions have “Taylor’s Version” to signify her ownership of these newer versions. However, the release dates for the remaining four original albums remain unknown. Swift is known for leaving clues around her social media accounts for her fans to use and try to decipher what comes back next. These clues show up in captions, posts, tweets, and even in Swift’s outfit choices. Fans are currently debating whether 1989 (Taylor’s Version) or Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is coming next. After the Red (Taylor’s Version), avid Swifties picked up on a number of clues hidden in the “I Bet You Think About Me” music video that point to Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), such as the iconic red dress worn in the video. However, the music video also seemed to provide a number of references to 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Additionally, Swift surprise dropped “Wildest Dreams (Taylor’s Version)” back in September of 2021, leading fans to believe that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) would be coming soon. Though the video is inundated with hints and the surprise drop, fans have also taken into consideration the ongoing lawsuit against Swift for her 1989 song “Shake it Off,” making the release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) less likely.
What albums does Taylor Swift currently own?
@heartbreakprince13 / Reddit
Since joining Universal Music Group and Republic Records in 2018, Taylor Swift has released three new, original albums: Lover (2019), Folklore (2020) and Evermore (2020). Swift dubbed her first fully owned album, Lover, a “love letter to love itself”. The bright colored and sounding album came two years after her release of the polar opposite album, Reputation, in response to the feud between Swift and Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. True to Taylor Swift fashion, the tracks reflect on love, equality, stereotypes and relationships in a mix of acoustic and pop-sounding melodies. In 2020, when COVID-19 was making its way across the world, Swift made a switch in genre. From pop princess to soft, indie chords telling the story of made up characters. She released both Folklore and Evermore in 2020, barely five months apart. Following the release of two surprise albums full of new music, Swift came back stronger than a 90s trend and released the Taylor’s Version of her acclaimed albums Fearless and Red, both in 2021. In these re-recordings, Swift included vault tracks, unreleased songs that did not make the cut the first time around.
Taylor Swift’s re-recordings have proven to be a success in the process the renowned star is going through to reclaim her work. Her drops have broken records, attracted a new wave of listeners, provided new music along with beloved favorites, among many other accomplishments. The ongoing re-recording of Swift’s past albums allow for criticism on how the music industry takes advantage of artists and their work by trapping them in contracts that claim ownership of original work. This case serves as an example of the importance of revising contracts and most importantly, standing up for what is rightfully yours in the eyes of the law.
