Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ To Be Next Re-Recorded Album

Taylor Swift has announced her next re-recorded album. Following her final night of the U.S, leg of her tour in Los Angeles Wednesday (August 9), the singer-songwriter took to X to make the big news. Swift, 33, tweeted: "Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you [soon]!"

The musician said how the 2014 album changed her life "in countless ways." It will be released nine years to the day after the original: it will be out on October 27 as well. She adds, "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!" The award-winning artist then shared a link to pre-order, which you can find here.

1989 gave us hits like “Shake It Off,” “Blank Space,” “Style,” “Wildest Dreams,” and “Bad Blood.” Swift’s fifth album was her becoming a pop star, with tons of synth-pop and electropop. Max Martin co-wrote and co-produced most of the record. The record won Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2016 Grammys.

Swift released her re-recording of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) in July. Alongside new versions of the 16 tracks originally featured on the 2010 album, the album includes “From the Vault” songs featuring emo legends Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump and Paramore’s Hayley Williams. “I Can See You” was another "From the Vault" song that starred Swift's ex Taylor Lautner in the music video. He even joined her on stage at her Kansas City concert with his wife -- also named Taylor.

As previously reported, Swift confirmed she was re-recording her entire discography back in 2019 following Scooter Braun’s 2019/06/30/taylor-swift-scooter-braun-big-machine-sale/. In September 2022, Braun said he had “regrets” over how the scenario played out, adding that in hindsight, he would’ve handled it differently. Swift's first re-recording was her second studio album, 2008's Fearless, in April 2021. Seven months later came Red, her fourth studio album, in November of that year. Red (Taylor's Version) featured a 10-minute version of “All Too Well,” which was made into a short film directed by Swift. The video earned the artist a record-winning Video of the Year trophy at the 2022 VMAs.

Taylor Swift's recently released version of Speak Now has an emo flair that surprised some fans. Swift has long been a fan of emo music. When Taylor was an aspiring 15-year-old country singer, she said emo bands Paramore and Fall Out Boy "influenced me most powerfully as a lyricist at that time." Now, the singers of both of those bands have offered their vocals for Taylor's "From the Vault" versions of "Castles Crumbling" and "Electric Touch."

Back in 2011, Paramore's Hayley Williams performed "That's What You Get" with Swift on her Speak Now World Tour. This week, Swift announced that Paramore will be opening the 2024 European leg of her Eras Tour, stating that she and Williams have been friends since they were teens in Nashville and now get to “frolic around the UK/Europe next summer.”

Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump offers his vocals on "Electric Touch." He has known Swift for at least a decade when the band performed with Swift at the Victoria’s Secret show in 2013. They played “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)” together. In 2015, the band mentioned wanting to collaborate with her following their performance. “We did this Victoria’s Secret show with Taylor, and she sang ‘Light ‘Em Up’ with us. She is very in demand, though, isn’t she? I wouldn’t hold my breath. She was so sweet,” bassist Pete Wentz said at the time.

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) includes a total of six new "From the Vault" tracks. The remaining new songs include "When Emma Falls In Love," "I Can See You,” "Foolish One," and "Timeless." This will mark the third album released as part of Swift’s mission to re-record her first six albums following her former label Big Machine’s 2019 sale of her catalog’s master recordings. The collection includes 16 songs from the original and deluxe versions.

Take a look below at the entire tracklist for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version):

In this re-recording of one of the original album's favorites, Swift sounds like her voice is one that is reminiscing. Over a decade since Speak Now first came out, you can hear Swift's progression as an artist and as a person.

Though Swift's tone and infliction sounds completely different in the new version, "Sparks Fly" is still the song fans know and love. She even maintains some of that country twang.

This heartfelt breakup song was written about Taylor's ex, Taylor Lautner. The two dated for a few months in 2009, but remained good friends to this day!

Somehow, Swift sounds even more innocent and in love in her re-recording of "Speak Now." She maintains a playfulness throughout the song, especially with the little giggle before the final chorus.

Regarded by Swifties as one of her best songs of all time, the new version is even better than the original. She even changes the final lyrics from "I should've known" to "You should've known," removing the responsibility and blame from herself to her ex John Mayer who is more than ten years her senior.

In "Mean," Taylor sounds like she is singing to her younger self, but from a viewpoint of overcoming being bullied.

As with the previous songs so far on the re-recorded album, Swift's voice clearly has more maturity and confidence, and it is not missed with "The Story Of Us."

This song is meaningful for many Swifties. She dedicated it to her godson and said, "When you’re holding onto something that’s so innocent and so perfect and has no idea what’s coming for it with the world. The world is going to throw so many things at you as we grow up."

Swift's conscious singing of every note in "Enchanted" is more serious yet pure at the same time in this new version.

This song proves Taylor can easily produce a rock album. She changed the controversial lyrics from "she's an actress, whoa / but she's better known for the things that she does on the mattress, whoa." Critics at the time called it "slut-shaming" about her ex Joe Jonas and Camilla Belle. The new version's lyrics are now: "He was a moth to the flame / she was holding the matches."

"Innocent" reminds us to not be so hard on ourselves about our mistakes. Since she wrote this song at 18, you can see how much more Swift has matured in the new version.

Her voice sounds more developed and powerful in this version, giving a completely new vibe to "Haunted."

You can feel Swift's raw emotions and trembling in her voice, but from a version of herself that has moved on from the pain.

This one is for the OG Swifties. The music video shows a young Taylor though the audio is from her new recording in perfect sync.

"Ours" is one of her sweetest, most hopeful songs. You can be sure to turn your day around with this country influenced song.

Taylor's older and deeper voice fits the re-recording of "Superman" better than the original. The wistful song about young love to someone who barely knows you exist.

Giving us all the 2010s nostalgia, fans are calling for Swift to make a rock album. Her and Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump's voices work so well together.

This song is a sweet fairy tale storytelling by Swift. You can clearly imagine a little movie with the way she writes her lyrics for "Emma."

Written and directed by Swift, the video stars her ex, Taylor Lautner, and actress Joey King. They are on a mission to rescue Swift and her art.

This is the Taylor and Hayley collaboration fans always wanted. In return, "Castles Crumbling" blends their voices in this ethereal, haunting song.

Swift does it again, writing a song about another experience that many people have lived through during a time where sending letters through the mail was still a thing.

This song title perfectly encapsulates most of the Speak Now (Taylor's Version) -- it's timeless. Her storytelling is immaculate and this album highlights that.