On April 9, 2021, Taylor Swift did something that caught the attention of the world. She released an album for the second time. Only this time, she could consider it her own. But why would a globally revered singer need to do such a thing? The answer lies in the dark side of the music industry, that so few know about.
Image from: https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-five-burning-questions-1235002061/
History
It all began in 2005 when Taylor Swift was signed to Big Machine Records, a contract that the young woman didn’t realize would rob her of ownership royalties. The catch, she did not own any of the work she created until 2018 when this contract ended. Unfortunately, before the contract ended, she had six albums and had a frequent stream of number 1 hits, like the famous “Shake it Off”, or the classic “You Belong with Me”, and so many others. Big Machine Records was owned by Scooter Braun, who proceeded to sell her albums to Shamrock Holdings in 2019, the price being $300 million. Recently, she revealed that she tried to work with Big Machine Records but was met with nothing. This was incredibly offensive to Swift after he had already allegedly bullied her, to rob her of profits from her own work. Even now, all monetary gain from these first six albums all goes into Scooter Braun’s pockets.
Variations from the Original Versions
Although the point of the re-recordings is to stay true to the original albums, Swift still made some adjustments. Evidently, the new Swift has a more mature voice, demonstrating a sense of growth for her, and also many of her fans who have grown up with her. She also added new songs that are “From the Vault”, meaning she has never before released them. Fans absolutely love them, “You All Over Me”, being a fan favorite. However, the real difference between the two versions is what they represent for Swift. The right to own her own work and that is the true virtue here.
What Has and What Will Be Done
As of the moment, only Fearless (Taylors Version), and Red (Taylor’s Version), has been released. However, Swift plans to release her own versions of her debut album, Taylor Swift, Speak Now, 1989, and the last album she recorded with Big Machine, reputation. That being said, reputation, comes with some added complexity, as it cannot be released until November of 2022 because it must be exactly five years or more after the release date of the album, which was in 2017. This tells us that fans of Taylor Swift have an exciting journey ahead of them.
Summary
In summary, Taylor Swift signed a contract in 2005, that would make her next thirteen years’ worth of work belong to Big Machine Records. Now, Swift is re-releasing the six albums she released over the course of those thirteen years, but this time she will actually own her work. Fans still have to wait until late 2022, before they get the four remaining Taylor’s Versions, which is both exciting and upsetting. What we can all take away from Swift is trusting in yourself, knowing what you are worth, and fighting for it.
Written by Orange Juice Stan
The Anonymous Helpers (TAH)