T-Swift’s “Love Story” Release, Secret Message, and Re-Recordings Explained

Recently, we were all brought back to 2008 – and no, I’m not talking about Kim Kardashain beginning back velour tracksuits. Taylor Swift has finally released the first of her long-anticipated re-recordings, the smash single off of her second studio album, “Love Story.” While I’m sure we’re all excited for the opportunity to have “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” on repeat, many people are wondering: Why is Taylor Swift releasing her old music? And, what Taylor-typical hints has she given us about future albums? 

It all started in June 2019, when Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings acquired Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group. Big Machine had signed Taylor when she was just 15 years old, seeing her through her first six studio albums, until she switched over to Republic Records in 2018. Calling the deal her “worst case scenario,” Swift was devastated to learn that the rights to her masters were going to Braun, with whom she held a long and complicated history (i.e. the major drama and “incessant, manipulative bullying” from his clients Kanye West and Justin Bieber). 

Taylor Swift references the drama with Scooter Braun in “The Man” music video, as the male version of swift urinates on a wall spray painted with her first six albums and a convienent “No Scooters” sign, referencing Mr. Braun himself ​  

In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning in August, 2019, Taylor Swift revealed that she had every intention of re-recording her first six studio albums as soon as she was legally able to do so. Swift has long been a vocal advocate of artists’ ownership of their work, declaring that “I just think that artists deserve to own their own work. I just feel very passionately about that.” In November 2020, two years after her Big Machine contract expired, Taylor was finally able to start re-recording her masters – that is in addition to the two full albums she surprised with in that year. 

That brings us to February, 2021: just last week, Taylor finally released her first re-recorded single “Love Story (Taylor’s Version).” While reminiscent of (and very similar to) the original 2008 hit, “Taylor’s Version” excludes supporting vocals (it’s all her) and includes her matured tone which strays from her country music roots. Swift also surprised us all by announcing along with the single that her new version of her second studio album, Fearless, would be released soon with 6 additional songs “from the vault.” In her announcement she notes, “fearless was an album full of magic and curiosity, the bliss and devastation of youth,” and nods to her passion for artists’ rights: “artists should own their own work for so many reasons, but the most screamingly obvious one is that the artist is the only one who really *knows* that body of work.”

While this major announcement was exciting on its own, keen-eyed fans may have noticed a secret message hidden within it. Certain letters throughout the announcement are capitalized, even in the middle of words – and we all know Taylor does not make mistakes. The pop icon is known for her Easter eggs and hidden messages (see “The Man” above), and this announcement was no exception. The capitalized letters come together to spell “APRIL NINTH,” leading fans to speculate that the full Fearless album will be released on April 9, 2021. Swift has not yet confirmed this theory, but either way, it looks like we have something to look forward to in April! 

The deep-seated and contentious history between Braun and Swift is important contextually, and has served as a platform for Taylor to speak on artists’ rights. It may have seemed like Taylor Swift owned 2020 with two studio albums and two full documentaries, however it looks like we’ll be seeing a lot more of her in 2021!

 

You can listen to “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” here, and read her announcement with the secret message here.

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