Another Taylor Swift re-recording, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) will drop before 2023 ends. When we say it’s Taylor’s year, we’re not joking anymore.
With the release of Midnights last November and the Eras Tour kicking off in March 2023 began with Swifties in their lavender haze. That was all before Swift announced Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) a little over two months before its July 7 release.
The first U.S. leg of the tour is ending not with a surprise song, but a surprise album instead — sort of.1989 is one of only three remaining re-recordings left before Swift officially owns all her music again, leaving reputation and her self-titled album as the final infinity stones in her gauntlet.
It’s her favorite re-recording so far, at least according to the announcement posted across social media. Swifties will have to decide for themselves whether or not they agree when the album releases this October.
The album’s cover is the first of Swift’s re-recordings that doesn’t draw most of its inspiration from the original. Fearless (TV) and Red (TV) shared the same color scheme as their originals, and Speak Now (TV) kept the purple dress from the first cover. But 1989 (TV) shows off a bright blue background. And there are birds? And Taylor is smiling.
This all but proves the final two Taylor’s Version album covers might continue to diverge from their origins. And maybe that’s on purpose. Maybe the closer Swift gets to free herself from her past, the freer her album covers will become.
Maybe Taylor Swift (Taylor’s Version) will simply feature a recent photo of Swift — not as she appeared on her first album cover nearly 20 years ago, but instead just as she is at the time of that final re-recording release.
Wiser. Stronger. Owing nothing to anyone. Owning everything she has ever made.
Ready to move forward. Finally. After all this time.
1989 (Taylor’s Version) releases October 27, 2023.
