Taylor Swift's re-release of her "1989" album is officially on its way to your ears.
The multi-hyphenate musician announced on Aug. 9 during a concert at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, that the next "Taylor's Version" re-recording will be of her "1989" album, which was originally released in October 2014.
During the surprise song portion of the show, at 11:09 pm PT, Swift announced to the audience that she was going to re-release the "1989" album, before launching into a rendition of "New Romantics."
She gestured to the screen behind her, which showed the new art for the record and added that it will drop on Oct. 27.
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A few minutes later, Swift's official social media accounts shared the news as well.
"The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27," she posted. "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 ever left behind. But not for long!"
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Each of Swift's new versions of her classic albums has featured several new songs "from the vault" that didn't make the original cuts.
Why Taylor Swift is re-recording albums
Swift has been re-recording and releasing her first six albums in a mission to fully own her music. Big Machine Records sold the masters from the first six albums in 2019 to Scooter Braun, who later sold them to a private equity firm. Swift was vocal about her disapproval of the sale, and announced that she would re-record all those albums she initially made with Big Machine.
“I have recently begun re-recording my older music and it has already proven to be both exciting and creatively fulfilling,” she said in a statement posted on social media in 2020. “I have plenty of surprises in store.”
And she has certainly delivered on those surprises: In addition to the "from the vault" tracks and new album art, she's even made music videos.
Which albums she's recorded so far and which are left
She has been accomplishing just that and marking each re-release as "Taylor's Version." So far, she's released:
- "Fearless (Taylor's Version)" (2021)
- "Red (Taylor's Version)" (2021)
- "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" (2023)
The only re-releases that remain after "1989" will be her debut album, "Taylor Swift," originally released in 2006, and her 2017 album, "Reputation."
How fans knew "1989 (Taylor's Version)" was next
Fans had a clue in early July 2023 that "1989 (Taylor's Version)" was on its way. Shortly after she released "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)," she debuted a music video for one of the new songs, "I Can See You." In the final seconds of the video, she is seen driving off with stars Taylor Lautner and Joey King, crossing a bridge that has a sign at the top reading "1989TV."
Some Easter egg-hunting Swift fans also thought her July 7 Instagram post documenting her "belated Independence Day" party at her Rhode Island beach house hinted at a "1989" re-record.
In the post, Swift posed with Selena Gomez, the Haim sisters and more friends in a series of Polaroid images. Swifties were quick to point out that the album cover for the original "1989" album is a Polaroid pic of Swift. Her July Fourth parties at her summer home were also a staple of her "1989" era.
On July 28, Swift's Taylor Nation account re-shared one of her Fourth of July pictures, with the singer posing in a blue dress in front of the ocean, sending fans spiraling due to the cryptic message, "the air is getting pretty salty."
Fans got increasingly excited ahead of and throughout the Aug. 9 concert as Swift dropped more hints — most notably swapping out four of her previous outfits worn on the tour for blue versions.
"You might've noticed there's some good outfits in the show," she quipped during the Aug. 9 announcement.
Blue is the color most often associated with the album. Her website also became blue ahead of the announcement; it had previously been purple as the singer promoted her “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” album.
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