Prince once famously said, “If you don’t own your masters, your master owns you.” 23 years after his 1996 Rolling Stones interview, Taylor Swift announced her intent to re-record her entire catalog.
On April 9, Taylor Swift released “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” the newly re-recorded older and wiser sister of her sophomore studio album, “Fearless,” which was released in 2008.
Although “Fearless” was a massive success — raking in her first No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, selling more than 10 million copies and earning a Grammy Award for Album of the Year — it was owned by Big Machine Records, her former label.
Swift signed her contract with Big Machine Records in 2006, at the age of 15, and released her freshman album “Taylor Swift,” “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989” and “Reputation” with the label.
While the first six studio albums catapulted Swift into a realm of accomplishment unachieved by most, the singer still endured selfish music labels and predatory stipulations. The contract signed with Big Machine Records in the 2000s didn’t allow for her to own her master recordings, which, in its most stripped-down sense, meant that Swift didn’t have complete jurisdiction over what was allowed to happen with her music.
“For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work,” Swift said on her personal Tumblr page. “Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in.”
When Swift’s contract with Big Machine Records expired in 2018, she signed with Universal Music Group — with the negotiated contractual contingency in place that allowed Swift to own each of her future masters. Big Machine retains ownership of each of the first six studio albums created by Swift.
“I walked away because I knew once I signed (a new) contract, Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future,” Swift said. “I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.”
After Swift left Big Machine, Borchetta sold her back catalog to Scooter Braun, owner of Ithaca Holdings and manager to Justin Bieber and Kanye West. Swift has long had a fragile relationship of dislike and hostility towards Braun.
“(Braun’s) client, Kanye West, organized a revenge porn music video which strips my body naked,” Swift said.
After Swift’s entire back catalog was obtained by Braun, she vowed to re-record her first five studio albums. That promise came to fruition as Swift announced she was re-recording “Fearless” first.
The album is re-recorded and produced, with the track list generously expanded beyond that of the original record, including songs from “the vault” such as “You All Over Me ft. Marren Morris” and “Mr. Perfectly Fine” (a crowd favorite, debuting high on the Billboard Hot 100 chart).
Young Swift fans, now college-aged individuals, listened to “Fearless” when it was released in 2008. Now, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” mirrors the same lyrical narratives and complexity as the original album, with the same profound curiosity and wide-eyed outlook on life and love, but with a more mature sound. It’s an emotional underpinning and time capsule of Swift’s wanderings as a young artist — “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is the start of everything new.
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The album sets the stage for a new era of Swift: one where the dignity of women and the rights of artists is prioritized and valued. A new chapter for fans and music industry connoisseurs alike.
With no lyrical alterations, the use of the original keys and tempos, such as the constant, fierce banjo riffs of “Jump Then Fall” and a less-twangy, more controlled voice throughout, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is an ode to her younger self, and a clear demonstration of her experiences and coming-of-age journey.
“Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is a deeply personal, carefully crafted swivel back in time that captures Swift’s encounters with notoriety and cleverly takes control of should’ve been hers to begin with — her musical legacy — by rendering the previous version obsolete.
“Fearless” set the stage for Swift to become to rockstar we know today, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is setting the stage for up-and-coming artists to negotiate fair contracts, and for young listeners to feel the euphoria of this album and ugly-cry to the track “White Horse” all over again.
Rebecca Hobart is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo and can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or Twitter @DailyLobo.
