Singer-songwriter and 12-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift reinvented her stardom by rerecording and rereleasing four out of her 10 pre-existing albums.
Although it’s uncommon for artists to release the same songs, musicians including Echosmith and Def Leppard have because of a song’s popularity resurging or issues with record labels.
As a teenager, Swift signed her first six albums to record label Big Machine Records who resold her label in 2020 without her consent. Swift, wanting to own her music, rerecorded her albums “Fearless,” “Red” and “Speak Now” using the same title followed by “(Taylor’s Version)” to show she proudly owns them. Her fourth rerelease, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” came out on October 27 with the remaining two albums, “Taylor Swift” and “Reputation,” speculated by fans to release soon. The rerelease albums contain the songs from her original tracklist along with unreleased songs that were archived from the album. These song titles are called “(From The Vault)” songs.
The first thing I noticed when listening to her rereleases was how much her voice has matured. Growing up with Swift on the radio, I was used to her squeaky, slightly Southern accent that’s now smooth and professional. In “Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)” from “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” her vocals are strong and show her confidence in singing compared to the first recording where she sounded tentative and brittle.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” includes 21 songs with five being “(From The Vault).” I had high expectations since the fun pop genre in “1989” made it my favorite album of Swift’s. Most of her rerecorded songs sound similar to the originals with the exception of “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version),” “I Know Places (Taylor’s Version)” and “I Wish You Would (Taylor’s Version).” Swift showcases her vocal range and ability to hit higher notes better than her younger self. However, “Style (Taylor’s Version)” disappointed me because she sounds unenergetic and robotic compared to the original “Style” which was iconic for Swift’s enthusiasm.
This is shown in many of her rerecorded songs, specifically from the album “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” Given how long ago she originally sang these songs, she isn’t the star-crossed lover or vengeful teenager like she was at the time. Even if it shows how she’s moved on from her past, I dislike her mellow vocals. “Haunted (Taylor’s Version)” and “Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)” has an almost emotionless voice, especially at the bridge which goes against the teenage angst the originals have.
The “(From The Vault)” songs are my favorite part of the rerelease albums because they introduce songs that are new but similar to their original album. My favorites are “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” from the album “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” from “Red (Taylor’s Version).” I liked Swift’s use of imagery by incorporating the five senses and clever allusions and metaphors as her lyricism is fully displayed. The “(From The Vault)” songs on “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” exceeded my expectations even if the rerelease didn’t. “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” and “Suburban Legends (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” stood out to me for their creative and catchy bridges. Even if some of the vault tracks sounded similar, I found the instrumental and lyrics enjoyable.
Though Swift’s lack of emotion in some of her rerecordings were disappointing, she makes up for it with her “(From the Vault)” songs and impressive vocal range. I enjoyed listening to the rereleases and look forward to what steps she’ll take in the future as she explores different aspects of music.
