Taylor Swift continues to pump-out music like nobody’s business. As a matter of fact, between the years 2020 and 2021, she has released four studio albums. Folklore, released in July 2020, broke Spotify records by racking up upwards of 80 million streams on its first day, and won Swift her third Album of the Year Grammy. Taylor Swift has met her own match with the recent release of Red (Taylor’s Version), which is set to become her most critically acclaimed work yet.
The Rolling Stone has rated the project five stars, a very rare honor, and has seen “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” soar to the top of charts despite its length. “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” debuts on this week’s Hot 100 at No. 1, becoming another chart-topper for the superstar. The song opens in first place with 57,800 pure sales, 54.4 million streams and 286,000 impressions at radio across the U.S.” Forbes reported.
Red (Taylor’s Version) is the second installation of “Taylor’s Version”, a six-album rerecording project that Swift is endeavoring on in order to regain ownership of her own music. The original Red, released in 2012, was sold by Swift’s former record label, Big Machine Records, for $300 million dollars without Swift’s consent.
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Swift’s efforts in obtaining the rights to her music have not gone unnoticed by her fans. “She’s a queen, for lack of a better word, and I love her.” says freshman Maureen Mellett. “The vault tracks have changed the game.”
Despite her re-recording project receiving a wave of approval, she has received some criticism in her rerecordings. “I don’t like “Starlight (Taylor’s Version)” as much,” says junior Reilly Gleason.
As of November 2021, Swift owns over half of her catalog. This includes Lover (2019), folklore (2020), evermore (2020), Fearless (Taylor’s Version)(2021), and Red (Taylor’s Version)(2021). She is yet to regain ownership of Taylor Swift (2006), Speak Now (2010), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017).
While most artists garner attention and praise from breaking the mold and doing something new, Taylor has proven that resurrecting well-loved songs can also strike a chord with audiences. Given the success of her rerelease, listeners can expect more rereleases and revisits to Taylor’s older projects.
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