Taylor Swift released her first remade album ‘Fearless’ on April 9th, and fans were taken on a rollercoaster filled with nostalgia. This re-recorded studio album added ‘Taylor’s Version’ at the end of the title, reflecting on the dispute with Big Machine Records, specifically Scooter Braun, regarding ownership.
In August, 2019, Taylor announced her intention to re-record her first six albums. This thought stemmed from the “incessant, manipulative bullying” she said she experienced from Braun and his team. The storyline behind this fall-out came about from the master-recordings Taylor left behind after signing with a new label in 2018. Braun’s possession to her masters meant that anytime Swift’s music was streamed or licensed, he would benefit and gain profit.
Refusing To License Her Music
Taylor Swift made a bold decision of refusing to license her original music to be played in TV shows, movies, and advertisements. This way, Braun and his company would automatically lose many earnings. Instead, she announced her plans to release re-recorded versions of the albums Braun owned in order to diminish any profit he could be making from her work.
Making The Songs Sounds As Close As Possible To The Original
The challenge Swift faced within this execution was to make the newly recorded songs sound as similar to the originals. Fans know the music well and love it for what it is, therefore the aim was to keep the sound the same, with only a twist of growth within her music.
In an interview with People (The TV Show) she expressed how she wanted to stay true to the originals.
“In terms of production, I really wanted to stay very loyal to the initial melodies that I had thought of for these songs.”
Fearless ‘Taylor’s Version’ is so well made that the differences are highly unrecognizable, besides the hardcore fans who can identify each track in their sleep. For those who are able to tell the difference, it is evident that Taylor’s voice has matured since she recorded these songs back in 2007-2008 when she was only 18 years old. In ‘Taylor’s Version’ the instrumentation is crisper, with an addition of harmonies in some segments of the tracks. As a whole, this remake offers fans a fresh perspective of an album they love, marking 13 years since its release.
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Taylor’s Interview With People (The Tv Show)
During her interview with People, she revealed how she went as far as going through each song “line by line” in order to stay true to the originals.
“We really did go in and try to create a ‘the same but better’ version,” Taylor said.
“We kept all the same parts that I initially dreamed up for these songs, but if there was any way that we could improve upon the sonic quality, we did,” she continued. “We just kind of took all the knowledge that we’ve acquired over decades of playing this music and applied that to it.”
“I did go in line by line and listen to every single vocal and think, you know, what are my inflections here?” Taylor added. “If I could improve upon it, I did.”
The Fans’ Reactions
Swifties were thrilled with the release of Fearless ‘Taylor’s Version,’ as they felt a sense of justice for their favorite artist, following the situation with Braun.
owned by taylor swift pic.twitter.com/8HvtZAxWNV
— brandon (@brando_swift) April 11, 2021
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https://twitter.com/romaricharlz/status/1380894590044004352?s=20
???? Taylor Swift's "Fearless #TaylorsVersion" (104.8M in 3 days) breaks the record for the Biggest Weekly streams by a country album on Spotify in History surpassing “Dangerous” by Morgan Wallen. pic.twitter.com/rJgbKyJYvI
— Taylor Swift Facts (@TSwiftFTC) April 12, 2021
I’ve been listening to fearless (Taylor’s version) and it was a nostalgia trip down my teen years #TaylorsVersion #TaylorSwift #comic pic.twitter.com/s23Fg3HKNg
— SaDeLionne ???? (@sadelionne) April 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/jennaaratcliffe/status/1380608719185190918?s=20
Fans around the globe anticipate the release of the next remade albums, seeking the same, fresh vibe Fearless ‘Taylor’s Version’ had to offer.
