“Fearless: Taylor’s Version”
Ashleigh Scheuneman Approx. 390 words
Danny Walker
Taylor Swift’s April 9 release of her newest album, “Fearless: Taylor’s version” has been making waves in the music world. The new album is a re-release of her second studio album, “Fearless,” which was released in 2008, and won Album of the Year at the 2010 Grammy Awards.
Photo courtesy: Taylor Swift Official Store
Scooter Braun and Taylor Swift. Photo courtesy: Daily News
There are 26 songs in total, with six being released for the first time from The Vault according to Swift’s Twitter feed. The new tracks are ones that almost made it onto “Fearless” but had to be cut for one reason or another.
Swift has now won three “Album of the Year” Grammy awards. Her later two albums to win awards were “1989” in 2015 and “Folklore” in 2020. Swift holds 11 Grammys currently.
A big difference between the original “Fearless” and “Taylor’s Version” is her collaborations with additional artists. Both albums have a collaboration with singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat, but “Taylor’s Version” also features collaborations with Keith Urban, Maren Morris and music producer Elvira Anderfjärd.
Taylor’s Version vs. original cover. Photo courtesy: Insider
According to a letter Swift posted on Twitter, her plans to re-record her first six albums are to regain some ownership over her music and to devalue her older albums in an effort to divert money away from Braun.
According to BBC News, Swift owns some of the publishing rights of her songs, but the original recordings of her music is still not within her control.
Swift’s re-recorded songs highlight her maturity and strength. In her voice, listeners can hear her determination in her battle with Big Machine for ownership of her music, as well as lessons she has learned over the years since “Fearless” was released. The revisit to her first major album emphasizes how Swift has grown with her fans and adds to the nostalgia of the album.
Swift’s ultimate goal is to own her music, not only because it made her famous, but because her past music represents a piece of her, according to npr.org.