At midnight on Friday, Taylor Swift dropped her version of 1989, a re-recording of her Grammy-winning fifth studio album 1989, originally released exactly nine years ago on October 27, 2014.
The 1989 era was a major turning point in Swift’s career. The album made everyone a Swiftie and solidified her status as a pop superstar, selling over 10 million copies worldwide and spawning hits like Blank Space, Shake It Off, Bad Blood, Wildest Dreams, and more.
In August, Swift announced that 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is already in the works, recalling that the album transformed her 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. I can’t believe they were left behind. But not for long.”
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Now, the 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which is her fourth re-recorded album, consists of 21 tracks. It includes 13 re-recorded songs from the standard edition, three re-recorded bonus tracks from the original deluxe edition, and five unreleased “From the Vault” tracks.
According to data tracking firm Luminate, as reported by Billboard, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) sold 250,000 copies on its first day of release on Friday in the United States alone, making it the third-largest sales week of 2023.
Celebrating the release of her new album in style, the 33-year-old award-winning singer stepped out for dinner at 4 Charles Prime Rib in Manhattan’s West Village wearing fall’s signature color.
Taylor Swift celebrates the release of her re-recorded 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album at 4 Charles Prime Rib in Manhattan’s West Village on October 27, 2023 (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages)
Taylor, whose estimated net worth is $400 million, looked chic as usual while parading her long, lean legs in a speckled brown corduroy mini skirt by Acne Studios, currently on sale for $266 (from $380) at Mytheresa.
Putting on a busty display, Swift, who’s currently dating NFL star Travis Kelce, paired her miniskirt with a strapless black top that emphasized her slender frame. She then layered the look underneath a brown leather jacket to keep her warm, while a pair of Bordeaux-colored Gianvito Rossi ankle boots completed her stylish autumnal outfit.
The $548 Madewell “The Larsen” blazer was cut from buttery-soft brown lambskin leather and had a boxy silhouette, natural horn buttons, two front flap pockets, and a sleek welt pocket on the chest.
Taylor Swift parades her long, slender legs in a brown corduroy miniskirt by Acne Studios teamed with a strapless black top, a brown leather Madewell jacket, and Gianvito Rossi ankle boots (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages)
Lending her neutral-colored fall ensemble some glitz, Taylor accessorized with multiple gold and diamond rings and earrings that included a $2,250 Jacquie Aiche 3 Graduate Teardrop Sophia Diamond Chain Double Stud Earring and a $3,250 Sophia 2 Diamond and Pave Marquise Center Flying Thunderbird Drop Stud Earring.
Harry Styles’ ex drew attention to her cleavage by layering two gold chain necklaces around her neck, including a $70 Mazin Jewels Toggle Clasp Necklace and a $12,865 Foundrae Sister Hook Necklace.
She carried her essentials in a black and red Hunting Season Square Leather-Trim Satin Crossbody bag, which complemented her bright red lip color.
Highlighting her blue eyes, Taylor gave herself winged eyeliner and a hint of mascara. She then pulled her blonde hair back into a low ponytail with her signature fringe skimming her eyebrows.
Taylor Swift completes her stylish fall look with gold jewelry, a low ponytail, and vibrant red lipstick (Credit: Roger Wong / INSTARimages)
Earlier that day, Swift shared with her Instagram followers some photos of herself, captioned: “My name is Taylor and I was born in 1989.”
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Why Is Taylor Swift Re-Recording Her Music?
Taylor Swift has vowed to regain control of her music, particularly songs from her first six albums, following a highly publicized legal dispute with her former record label Big Machine Records, its founder Scott Borchetta, and new owner Scooter Braun, who controversially bought the record label for $330 million, funded by private equity firms, in June 2019.
As a result, Braun became the owner of all the masters, music videos, and artworks copyrighted by Big Machine, including Swift’s first six studio albums.
In November 2019, Swift claimed that Borchetta and Braun blocked her from performing her old songs at the American Music Awards, where she was honored with the Artist of the Decade Award.
Most critics have agreed that the only sonic difference between 1989 and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is Swift’s vocals, which have become more technically stronger and richer. Clash Music also noted that the re-recording has a “cleaner” instrumentation, which allows Swift’s vocals to… https://t.co/lzA8Rlh1Gn
— Your Next Shoes (@yournextshoes) October 30, 2023
Nearly a year later, in October 2020, Scooter Braun sold the masters to Shamrock Holdings, an investment firm owned by the Disney family, for $405 million on the condition that he would continue to profit from the masters.
Swift, who has the sole or lead writing credit on every song she has dropped, announced in November of that year that she intended to re-record her songs and create new versions of her previous albums to reclaim ownership of her music.