Taylor Swift has released her re-recorded version of her 2014 album ‘1989’, which includes a bonus remix of ‘Bad Blood’ featuring Kendrick Lamar. The pop superstar announced the surprise collaboration on social media on Friday, October 27, 2023, and thanked the rapper for re-recording his verse for her.
Swift reclaims her music with ‘Taylor’s Version’ albums
Swift has been re-recording her first six albums after her former label, Big Machine Records, sold the master recordings to her music in 2019. She has already released ‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’, ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ and ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ earlier this year, and plans to re-record ‘Reputation’ and her self-titled debut album in the future.
The singer has said that re-recording her old music is a way of reclaiming her artistic ownership and giving her fans the most authentic versions of her songs. She has also added previously unreleased tracks, dubbed ‘From the Vault’, to each of her re-recorded albums, which offer a glimpse into her creative process and evolution as a songwriter.
‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ features five new ‘Vault’ tracks and a remix
‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ is Swift’s fourth re-recorded album and contains 21 tracks, including 16 songs from the deluxe edition of the original album and five new ‘Vault’ tracks. The album also features a remix of ‘Bad Blood’ with Kendrick Lamar, which was originally released as a single in 2015 and won a Grammy Award for Best Music Video.
The new ‘Vault’ tracks are titled ‘Slut!’, ‘Don’t Say Go’, ‘Now That We Don’t Talk’, ‘Suburban Legends’ and ‘Is It Over Now?’. Swift has said that these songs are some of her favorites that she wrote during the ‘1989’ era but did not make the final cut. She has also released a sixth bonus track, called ‘Sweeter Than Fiction’, which is only available on the tangerine edition of the vinyl at Target stores.
Swift praises Lamar for his contribution to ‘Bad Blood’
Swift revealed that Lamar agreed to re-record his verse for the remix of ‘Bad Blood’, which she described as “surreal and bewildering” in a note posted on social media. She praised the rapper for his talent and generosity, and said that he is one of her favorite artists of all time.
She also shared a snippet of the remix, which features some changes in Lamar’s lyrics and delivery. The remix has received positive feedback from fans and critics, who have applauded Swift and Lamar for their chemistry and creativity.
Swift is currently on tour promoting her re-recorded albums, and is expected to perform songs from ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ at her upcoming shows. The album is available to stream and purchase on various platforms now.
