With “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” Swift is working to release new versions of her older albums, after losing her masters to record executive Scooter Braun. Photo from pitchfork.com.
Just when you think Taylor Swift has reached her peak, the renowned artist made her first step towards reclamation on Friday with the release of “Love Story (Taylor’s Version).”
Swift has been under a strict contractual agreement with record executive Scooter Braun, meaning the masters from the first six of her critically-acclaimed albums have been owned and controlled by a third party. After acquiring them in June 2019, he sold her masters to an unnamed investment fund last November.
In a Tumblr post following his acquisition, Swift described how Braun and the rest of his team were bullying and “controlling a woman who didn’t want to be associated with them” by manipulating the sound and sales of her music. Braun made millions off of Swift’s work, despite the two having a hostile relationship.
This past year, Swift released two intimate surprise albums after her legal agreement with Braun was squashed. “folklore” and “evermore” were curated for Swift to truly express herself and break free from the shackles of Braun’s administration; the process of recording her eighth album was detailed in the documentary “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions” released on Disney+.
Swift decided that releasing new music was not enough to regain her freedom. On Thursday, Feb. 11, she announced that all of her former albums will be re-recorded as “Taylor’s Versions,” beginning with a single release remake of her popular 2008 hit “Love Story.”
Being a lifelong fan of Swift’s music, I was thrilled to hear the news, yet was originally apprehensive of her approach. After all, how much would a re-recording truly change about her old music? What type of excitement is there in the same songs?
Long story short (no pun intended), my assumptions were far from correct.
There is no doubt that Swift strategically chose to release “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” as the first single to this project. The opening and closing lyric, “we were both young when I first saw you” sets the stage for an emotional, personal collection of her work. She speaks to her fans who have stuck with her through it all.
In terms of the music itself, this version shows Swift’s maturation over the past decade, especially with her vocals. Each verse is crisp and diminished of her amateur twang from the past. My favorite part of this song’s restored vocals are the harmonies. Unlike the original “Love Story,” which used the voices of additional singers to fill the chords, Swift decided to use her own voice for each harmony. This is a true representation of her newfound individuality.
Another impressive aspect of this single is the instrumentation, which consists of the same musicians who recorded with Swift in 2008. Each guitar riff, fiddle line and cymbal crash is more noticeable than the original, alluding to her highly sophisticated producing process.
Still, the overarching similarities to the original recording capture Swift’s 18-year-old innocence. It’s bittersweet for her Swiftie superfans, now watching their idol’s legacy come full circle. Swift has always been a strong-willed, freethinking artist. These new editions of her past tunes are sure to heighten this independent aura which inspires millions of women across the globe.
The remainder of re-recorded songs off of “Fearless” are set to be released in early April, while the details for her remaining six albums have yet to be announced.