Many may have heard about Taylor Swift’s “new” release of the album Red and thought, didn’t she already release that? The answer to that question is yes, she did, and she had a good reason for rerecording it as well. I am here to explain everything that has been going on with Taylor Swift and her album re-recordings, specifically in relation to her second album re-release after Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was dropped in April of 2021.

The big controversy that led to her re-recordings was all surrounding the rights to her masters. Swift joined the Big Machine Record label in 2004 at only the age of 14. From the beginning, Swift developed a close relationship with Scott Borchetta, CEO of Nashville’s hottest record label. 

Going into the music industry at 14, Swift had to learn to deal with fame at a young age. She trusted Borchetta as an influential adult in her life, referencing this in her heart wrenchingly powerful song my tears ricochet. 

Flash forward to 2019 when Swift’s work, along with the entirety of Big Machine, was sold to Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings for $300 million. Braun then proceeded to sell Swift’s masters without providing any notice to the music icon in advance. She was planning on buying her masters from Big Machine but this went sideways due to the sketchiness of Borchetta. 

Swift commented on the matter, “‘This is what happens when you sign a deal at 15 to someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says ‘music has value,’ he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it.” That “someone” most likely being her long-time manager Scooter Braun. After the sales took place behind her back, Swift rightfully felt betrayed and took matters into her own hands to ensure that she was the sole owner of her work. Swift has since joined Universal Music Group, initially signing in 2018. 

She announced in a social media post, “I have recently begun re-recording my older music and it has already proven to be both exciting and creatively fulfilling,” and directly addressing her fans, “I want to thank you guys for supporting me through this ongoing saga, and I can’t wait for you to hear what I’ve been dreaming up.” 

Swift breaks silence on the deals at her former record label. 

As promised, Swift has already dropped her versions of Fearless and Red. Only an artist as big as her can drop an album twice and still break the charts. Though, each rerecording does feature never-before heard songs such as Mr. Perfectly Fine for Fearless and a 10-minute version of the Swiftie favorite All Too Well from Red. These “from the vault” songs continue the empowering stride Swift has taken with her re-recordings. She noted that when the albums were first released, she was unable to add in all the songs she wrote for various reasons. Specifically, the extensive duration of the original All Too Well was the reason the song was cut down to merely 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Swift even commented, “Who thinks that they can put out a 10-minute song?” in an interview with Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show. Fallon swiftly responded with “We want a 10-minute song from you. We want this from you.” The late night show host reflects the attitudes of all swifties. 

This isn’t the first time Swift has tackled injustices in the music industry. Back in 2014 she challenged streaming services, especially Spotify, for profiting from artists’ work and not giving them any of the proceeds. She fought for all artists to make money off of their work’s streams. 

After facing a Treacherous time trying to get the rights to her masters, Swift decided that she was going to be The Man and Fearless(ly) went upon making music history. She has repeatedly been defined as the music industry as she takes on many social and political issues. These important topics include sexism in the entertainment (and corporate) industries, political corruption, mental health, and gun control; topics that her new audience can sympathize with All Too Well. Every artist deserves the right to buy and own their songs that they wrote because it is their story. Too bad Borchetta and Braun failed to see this. In the meantime, Swifties are going to Shake it Off as they anticipate Taylor’s Versions of Taylor Swift, Speak Now, 1989, and Reputation. When faced with the opportunity to leave the toxic Big Machine Label, she could either say goodbye or continue to get stepped on by wealthy men. She left, she decided to Speak Now, doing so in burning red.