Taylor Swift's Record Label Went Into Panic Mode After She Switched From Country To Pop For Her 1989
Highlights
- Taylor Swift announces the re-recording of her album "1989" during her "Eras Tour," expressing gratitude towards her fans for their support.
- Swift is re-recording her albums to regain ownership of her master recordings after they were sold to Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings LLC.
- Swift's transition from country to pop music with "1989" caused conflict with her record label, but the album ultimately became her most successful.
Taylor Swift has been re-recording her past albums in order to regain ownership of her master recordings. The most recent re-recording announcement came during the final Los Angeles stop on her "Eras Tour." Swift told the crowd that her version of the mega-hit album "1989" will be released October 27.
The album featured the hits "Shake It Off," "Blank Space," "Style," and "Wildest Dreams." It saw Swift moving from country to pop and, as a result, earning the most successful album of her career. However, not everyone was convinced the album would do so well.
In fact, Swift faced conflict with her record label over the album long before there was any dispute over her masters.
Taylor Swift Announced The Re-Recording Of '1989' Live On Stage During Her 'Eras Tour'
Swift stopped the final Los Angeles show on her "Eras Tour" to speak to the audience. She began by thanking them for their support, particularly in regard to the recent re-recordings of her past albums.
"Since I was a teenager, I wanted to own my music," Swift told the crowd. "The way to do it was to re-record my albums, and the way that you have embraced ... that you have celebrated, that you really decided that it was your fight too, and that you were 100% behind me ... I will never stop thanking you for that."
Then, Swift announced something Swifties everywhere had been awaiting a long time.
"There's something I've been planning for a really, really, really, ridiculously, embarrassingly long time. And instead of telling you about it, I think I'll just sort of show you," she said before the screen behind her revealed the cover art and release date for "1989 (Taylor's Version)."
Swift continued to discuss the re-recording on Instagram, writing that the album "changed my life in countless ways."
"To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I've ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane," she teased. "I can't believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!"
"1989 (Taylor's Version)" will be released on October 27, 2023.
Swift's Beef With Scooter Braun Is The Reason She Is Re-Recording Her Albums
Swift wants to finish re-recording her first six studio albums due to the original master recordings being sold. Swift vowed to re-record all six albums in order to regain ownership of her music. She also aired her grievances with Scooter Braun, the talent manager and record executive, on social media.
Braun was part of Ithaca Holdings LLC, who purchased Swift's master recordings in 2019, although they have since been sold to Shamrock Holdings.
Swift explained in a Tumblr post that she was given the opportunity to sign back to Big Machine Records and earn each album back for every new album she delivered. She refused the deal, saying she knew the label's CEO Scott Borchetta would sell it. Swift said she was upset with Braun being the new owner, as she claims they have a painful history. Swift considered it to be a betrayal by Borchetta, whom she says knew her feelings toward Braun.
In November 2020, Braun sold the master recordings of Swift's first six albums to a then-unknown investment fund. Swift released a statement via her social media identifying them as Shamrock Holdings. She further stated that she has no affiliation with the fund, wasn't part of the deal, and still didn't own her original masters. She also announced she planned to re-record her first six studio albums.
Swift's Move From Country To Pop Caused Her To Butt Heads With Her Record Label
Prior to her album "1989," Swift had already been delving into pop territory. Even though her brand of country music always incorporated pop elements, she was starting to stray away from country with her album "Red" in 2012. She scored big hits with the singles "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together," "22," and "I Knew You Were Trouble."
Among her collaborators on "Red" was pop songwriting genius Max Martin. Swift enlisted him again for "1989," as she told Billboard in 2014.
"Max Martin and [Karl Johan] Shellback [Schuster] were the last people I collaborated with on 'Red,' and I wished we could have done more and explored more," Swift said. "So going into this album, I knew that I wanted to start with them again."
She continued, "Then I thought, 'Wouldn't it be amazing to work with Ryan Tedder?' And then I was with Jack Antonoff and Lena Dunham at the beach, and we started talking about our favorite ’80s music. All of this started happening organically, and I found myself gravitating toward pop sensibilities, pop hooks, pop production styles."
While Swift was happy with the album, not everyone on her team was as enthusiastic. This conflict came way before there was any dispute over her masters.
"When I knew the album had hit its stride, I went to Scott Borchetta and said, 'I have to be honest with you: I did not make a country album. I did not make any semblance of a country album,'" she said. "And of course he went into a state of semi-panic and went through all the stages of grief — the pleading, the denial."
Ultimately, Swift stuck to her guns and "1989" became the most successful album of her career.
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