By Lucy Hubbard
From WMUC
Taylor Swift released a re-recording of her 2008 song “Love Story” on February 12th, ushering in a new musical era for the country-turned-pop-turned-alternative star. The single is the first of the re-recording. Along with the its release, Swift has revealed she will release a re-recording of the entire Fearless album as well as six unheard songs from the vault on April 9th.
The single debuted at no.1 on the Billboard Country charts, marking a first for the 31-year-old singer-songwriter.
The re-recording is noticeably different from its 2008 counterpart. Swift’s voice is mature and fuller and her country twang is absent- further solidifying her departure from country music. The recording features many of the musicians who played on the original 2008 track. The composition of the re-recording varies significantly with higher precision and starker contrasts between the instruments. The re-recorded track also features a more prominent bass section and a toned-down electric guitar section.
The album is the first of six albums Swift plans to re-record. This move comes after music mogul Scooter Braun gained the rights to Swift's master recordings when he bought Big Machine Records. Braun went on to sell the masters to an investment fund for 300 million dollars. Unable to buy them back, Swift decided to re-record her expansive catalog, which spans eleven years and three genres.
The re-recording of Swift’s catalog follows her two 2020 albums, Folklore and Evermore. Written and recorded during the pandemic, the albums exhibit Swift’s skill as a songwriter, as well as her versatility as she transitions into the alternative genre. These albums signify Swift reaching artistic maturity, ushering in a new era of artistic exploration for Swift.
Swift’s continuous genre hopping paired with her gift for songwriting show great promise for the re-recordings and her future musical endeavors.
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