Recently, music and pop culture icon Taylor Swift announced that she will be re-recording and releasing her 2008 hit album Fearless, with the first single, “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” debuting on February 12th. So far, the hype surrounding this news has resulted in the first 9 albums in Swift’s discography charting in the US top 200 on the iTunes album chart, with the original Fearless album climbing all the way to iTunes US Top 40. For those unfamiliar with her battles regarding the rights to her music, the concept of re-recording an entire, successful album from 12 years ago may seem a bit odd. However, this step towards reclaiming and attaining full ownership of her records is an astoundingly liberating feeling for any artist who has faced the challenges she has within the music industry.
For the sake of time (it’s a pretty detailed and complicated situation), here’s a quick rundown of the longstanding fight Taylor Swift has been in with her former record label, Big Machine Records: In November of 2019, Swift took to Twitter to vent about her frustrations with Big Machine Records founder, Scott Borchetta, and music executive/well-known manager to the stars, Scooter Braun. Her post explained that Borchetta and Braun had forbidden her from performing her music during her television appearance on the American Music Awards, claiming that “(performing) would be re-recording my music before I’m allowed to next year”. Borchetta and Braun later denied this claim and essentially blamed the issue on their inability to reach a common-ground regarding the price of her masters. Essentially, Swift wanted to gain full control of her masters, the music that she had been recording with Big Machine Records since her self-titled album in 2006, however a price couldn’t be settled on between both parties, resulting in her masters being sold to an anonymous investment fund for anywhere between $300 and $450 million.
Taylor Swift’s response to this? Re-record each and every song from her first 6 albums, starting with Fearless. This time around, all production, writing, and recording credits are listed under her name, giving her full control over her music for the first time. While this is a huge happy-ending moment for Swift and her dedicated fans, this is also a case that should be closely monitored by any other musician looking to break free from the grasps of their record label and take full control over their writing and sound. While the idea of buying back your own work may seem daunting and almost impossible for some artists, the option to take Taylor Swift’s route and re-record the albums of your choosing may just be the new thing. Not only does this give the artist more say in when and where their music is released, but it also gives them the option to re-write lyrics and give the songs a more updated and personal touch.
In the end, Taylor Swift’s decision to re-record her classics is the best possible ending to the tumultuous relationship with her record label. It couldn’t have come at a better time, considering her latest albums, Folklore and Evermore, have received an overwhelming amount of high praises from fans and critics alike. While her display of courage by speaking out against the music industry isn’t new by any means, it adds to the accumulating stories of stars who were able to break free from their creative restraints, providing up and coming musicians with a way “out of the woods” (1989, anyone?)