By Olivia Mangelli, Staff Writer
Taylor Swift has become a common household name. With teens idolizing her, older women wanting to be her, and dads and boyfriends frustrated that she is now associated with the NFL for her new found worldwin romance with Travis Kelce- it’s fair to say she may be the most famous singer in the world right now.
Four years ago Taylor Swift was advised by friend and singer Kelly Clarkson to re-record her own music. While she is not the first artist to do this, nor will she be the last, Swift has definitely broken music barriers with her re-recorded and self-owned renditions of her albums “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” and as of Oct. 27, the much anticipated “1989” album has also been converted. Fans have been patiently waiting since it was announced on the last leg of Swift’s “Eras Tour” in Los Angeles on Aug. 9.
Questions have been raised surrounding the significance of listening to the re-recorded versions if they sound identical to the original versions.
Junior graphic art and design major Taylor Hall shared her thoughts on the matter.
“I know the music sounds the same, but that’s not really the point,” Hall said. “The point is sticking it to the recording studios and owners who think they can control her stylist input and refuse to give her master rights over her work. As fans, we should support the creator, not the people who steal from her. What difference does it make if I click “Taylor’s version” or not? Like you said, it sounds the same so I’d rather just support the artist so she can continue to grow and produce the work her fans enjoy,” Hall shared.
Senior nursing major Fiorella Delgado echoed this sentiment
“To put it in terms of college, it’s like plagiarism- you know taking someone’s work and not giving them credit for it. If professors and universities teach us that we shouldn’t be plagiarizing, why is it right for managers and recording studios to take control of the work Taylor created and produced and not give her credit for it? I simply don’t see the equity in that,” Delgado said.
“1989 (Taylor’s Version)” has earned Taylor 288,000 SEA (streaming equivalent album) units, which equates to 375.49 million on-demand official streams of her 21 songs on the album. This is Swift’s biggest streaming week for any of her previously re-recorded albums, proving that the anticipation has only made her fans more eager. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with the biggest week for any album in nearly a decade according to Billboard charts and her biggest sales week ever.
Swift, who has been criticized extensively by the media throughout her career for various reasons, has always been strongly supported by her fans.
“Fans are my favorite thing in the world. I’ve never been the type of artist who has that line drawn between their friends and their fans,” Swift said in a statement.
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