Fearless (Taylor's Version)
Katie Young
Staff Writer
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Just a few weeks ago, Taylor Swift announced on Good Morning America the release of her re-recorded album, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) coming April 9th. Although no one is complaining about new releases from the queen herself, many were confused by this.
Being only her second album released, Fearless is her most successful album, with over 17 million albums sold. But why would Taylor take the time, risk, and money to re-record an already successful album, not to mention that was made 13 years ago?
For those who haven't heard or weren't aware of the many scandals of the music industry, lots of groups and artists have fought tirelessly over the rights to their own music. Whether they don't own their songs due to contracts, or because of the record company who signed the artists in the first place, it seems to be a frustrating ordeal trying to gain legal rights to your own work.
Because Taylor’s fan base is one of the most loyal and dedicated, she can easily persuade her fans to forget her original albums completely, and listen to these new ones that she now owns. Swift does not own the master recordings to any of her songs prior to her “Lover” album, but she has already announced her plan to re-record the entirety of her first six albums.
Re-recording is definitely a strategic move for Swift, as she is as popular as ever, with not one, but two albums released during quarantine. This is about more than money, though. Taylor made it clear that the most “screamingly obvious” reason behind re-recording is that no one other than the artist truly knows the body of work they have created; an idea that is shown through all of her work.