How Taylor Swift Reclaimed Her Music

To reclaim her music, Taylor Swift first needed to re-record it. After a consortium led by Scooter Braun acquired the rights to the masters of her first six albums in 2019—an event that disappointed Swift—she devised a straightforward yet labor-intensive strategy: release new Taylor’s Versions of her catalog and encourage her vast fanbase to stream those instead of the originals.

This unprecedented approach saw fans rallying by the millions. It was a calculated success, effectively diminishing the value of the masters in anyone’s hands except Swift’s, while simultaneously amplifying the buzz around Taylor’s Versions and broadening her already substantial fanbase. The triumph of the Eras Tour generated sufficient revenue to make a $360 million acquisition possible.

Last week, Swift revealed that she had regained her masters—which also included the disclosure that the re-record of Reputation may never be released, and that she has already completed the Taylor’s Version of her debut album. In a new episode of Rolling Stone Music Now, we explore her announcements and reflect on the Taylor’s Versions era, featuring Brittany Spanos and Rob Sheffield alongside host Brian Hiatt. To catch the full episode, go here for your preferred podcast platform, or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or simply press play above.

In another part of the episode, Sheffield suggests that Swift might want to consider a countrified or solo acoustic version of Reputation, while Spanos anticipates the new rendition of the debut will debut in time for its 20th anniversary next year. The duo also speculates that Swift’s follow-up to The Tortured Poets Department could arrive before the year concludes. Additionally, they delve into the best vault tracks, ranging from “Mr. Perfectly Fine” to “When Emma Falls in Love.” Sheffield even posits that the bonus tracks from 1989 stand as a “great album in themselves.” The discussion also covers whether all vault tracks genuinely date back to the original albums or if some might be more recent creations.

Subscribe to Rolling Stone‘s weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (and most other podcast platforms). Explore eight years of episodes in the archive, featuring in-depth interviews with artists like Mariah Carey, Bruce Springsteen, SZA, Questlove, Halsey, Neil Young, Snoop Dogg, Brandi Carlile, Phoebe Bridgers, Rick Ross, Alicia Keys, the National, Ice Cube, Taylor Hawkins, Willow, Keith Richards, Robert Plant, Dua Lipa, Killer Mike, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Kirk Hammett, Coco Jones, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello, John Legend, Donald Fagen, Charlie Puth, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, the Zombies, and Gary Clark Jr. Look forward to numerous episodes covering a wide range of discussions, debates, and insights with Rolling Stone’s critics and reporters.