Taylor Swift finally owns all the music she’s ever made, and it proves something about her Taylor’s Version re-recordings.

In 2019, Swift announced that her former record label president had sold the label to Scooter Braun, which included the master recordings of her first six albums. Swift made it clear she did not like Braun and was devastated he now owned all her work.

She soon revealed that she would be re-recording and re-releasing all of her music in an effort to own a version of those songs again.

This became the highlight of her career in the last few years. However, as Swifties were awaiting Reputation (Taylor’s Version) and Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version), Swift announced she had purchased all her music back. Her new purchase and the excitement around it now says a lot about Taylor’s Versions.

It Was Hard For Taylor Swift To Outdo Herself With Her Taylor’s Versions

Swift’s Original Recordings Are Unbeatable

While Taylor Swift’s Taylor’s Versions were exciting for her and her fans, she could never really beat her original albums. There were a few songs that outdid the originals, like “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” However, most of the songs, especially on albums like Speak Now and 1989, were hard to recreate. Part of what makes the original recordings so special is that they represent what Swift was going through at the time of writing and recording those songs.

Many fans have pointed out that in the re-recordings, Swift doesn’t sound as sad or angry as she did in the originals. In “The Way I Loved You” and “Last Kiss,” there are parts where Swift’s voice noticeably shakes or cracks. While she did a great job with the re-recorded versions, she couldn’t mimic every aspect because she’s so far removed from her teenage emotions.

Taylor Swift has a new plan for releasing the Reputation and Taylor Swift Taylor’s Versions now that she finally owns all of her own music.

Also, even though Swift owned her new recordings, it wasn’t the same as owning her original work. As she mentioned in her letter, there were so many memories attached to her original recordings. She put so much effort into her work throughout the years, and nothing can compare to her owning everything she’s created throughout her career.

The Taylor’s Versions Still Accomplished Something Important

Swift’s Hard Work Wasn’t For Nothing

Now that Swift owns all her work, some have wondered if the Taylor’s Version re-recordings were all for nothing. This is not the case, as they actually contributed to Swift being able to buy back her original work. When Scooter Braun bought Swift’s work, and she vowed to re-record all her albums, his sly business move turned into a disaster. As Swift’s loyal fans swore to only listen to her re-recordings, and she blocked her old work from commercial use, Swift purposely devalued her catalog.

She then amassed a fortune by releasing her re-recordings and embarking on her record-breaking Eras Tour. She was able to use all the money she made in these last few years to buy back her life’s work. Now that she owns it again, Swifites are back to listening to the original recordings, and the value has gone up again. While Swift has made a lot of smart business moves throughout her career, this is one of her best.

Also, not only did the re-recordings lead to the Eras Tour, but they also allowed Swift to release her vault tracks, giving fans new music to fall in love with. Also, just because fans can listen to the original recordings now doesn’t mean they have to. The Taylor’s Versions now act as updated, refreshed versions of songs, a lot of which drastically improve upon Swift’s vocals. However, one of the most important effects of the re-recordings is that Swift drew attention to the importance of artists owning their own work.

Several artists have followed in her footsteps, like Aly & Aj re-recording their old hits and calling them A & A’s Versions. She also inspired a new generation of singers, like Olivia Rodrigo, to carefully read their contracts and make sure their labels aren’t claiming ownership of their music. While Taylor Swift no longer needs to rely on her re-recordings, the journey was worth it.