Taylor Swift’s Re-Recordings: Source or Symptom of her Exponential Popularity?

On Friday 7th July, Taylor Swift released Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the third of six albums she is in the process of re-recording and re-releasing in a trailblazing effort to own the rights to her own masters. Just days after its release, the album reached number one in the most countries in iTunes history – with 122 countries around the world declaring Taylor Swift supremacy. So how does Swift’s fan base continue to grow exponentially, even now, 17 years into an illustrious career?

Taylor Swift’s rise to the top has been a steady one, and despite her youthful image encouraging some to initially cast her as an underdog, there are no real surprises in her continued success. From the release of her self-titled debut album onwards, she has been well-liked, charming, inoffensive and, most importantly, her music generally well received by audiences and critics alike. With each album, Swift’s image and her music evolved just enough to continue to turn heads. In 2015, upon the release of her fifth studio album 1989, Taylor Swift shook off the label of country-pop, and adorned the title of pop star with pride, excitement and a staggering amount of ease. 

Despite Swift’s accolades, there was often an accompanying implication that pop music more generally, especially that made by young women, is only fit for a superficial teenage audience. Swift’s music was praised for not only appealing to this demographic, but also having enough merit to impress discerning music journalists – raising the outdated sentiment that these two things must be mutually exclusive.

The albums that followed, Reputation and Lover, saw enough praise to keep Swift’s name on people’s lips, but it wasn’t until surprise releases Folklore and Evermore where Swift, now in her thirties, temporarily stepped completely away from full-blown pop-production. The change of genre and pace in this new music, away from the marketing fanfare of her previous releases, ironically allowed some audiences to find an appreciation for Swift’s work for the first time.

Having further diversified her sound, expanded her audience and proven her genre-spanning songwriting talents, the stage was set for Swift to bring her existing albums back into the limelight. When comparing the sales and streaming figures of Fearless and Red with that of their “Taylor’s Version” counterparts, it’s clear that the re-recordings outperformed the original albums in their initial reception – early figures suggest Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) will uphold this trend.

The recipe for this success goes beyond audience numbers, and stretches into audience mentality. Swift’s fans are notoriously passionate, dedicated and loyal. Since the beginning of her career, this has been encouraged and rewarded by Swift with artist interaction, clues to future releases, access to pre-sales and a general feeling of proximity to their idol. Casual fans may not consider re-purchasing music they already own – but there is nothing casual about being a Taylor Swift fan. By supporting this effort, not only are fans supporting their favourite artist, but also the noble notion that artists should be entitled to own their work. Imperatively, Taylor Swift’s team are also some of the most business savvy in the industry. Along with loyal fans, clever marketing helps ensure that the album’s releases are surrounded in such hype that they become full-scale events.

Most crucially, the success of the re-recordings relies on the fact that the music holds up – and it does. When you see these albums (Fearless, Red and Speak Now) as not just the building blocks that led to the triumphant 1989 or the game-changing Folklore, you can recognise how the honesty, sincerity and depth of these earlier works affords their own substantial merit. The re-recorded songs, and accompanying previously unreleased “vault tracks”, are not merely an exercise in nostalgia, but Swift’s opportunity to fiercely stand-by the choices, perspectives and voice of a younger woman, given another chance to shine in front of her biggest audience yet.

In the prologue to Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) Swift writes “I know now that one of the bravest things a person can do is create something with unblinking sincerity, to put it all on the line”. While the re-recordings are rich with the sincerity present in the original releases, at this stage of her career she needs to put much less on the line. An easier to underestimate Swift has already taken the risks and put in the work, to earn the esteem she can now more comfortably enjoy. In their new form, Swift’s re-recorded albums are no longer a race to the top, but a victory lap for a race already won.

Swift continues to break records previously held by some of history’s most adored, acclaimed and respected artists, none more so than with her 2022 album Midnights. In this legacy, we see how her re-recordings are simultaneously contributing to her ever-growing popularity, and evidence of it. Her current tour, a celebration of her musical legacy so far, is set to be one of the highest grossing of all time. The complexity of the ticket buying process alone is evidence of unparalleled demand. Once you reach the top, the only way is down? Not if you’re Taylor Swift.

Words by Lena Moss

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