Global musician and artist Taylor Swift has taken on re-recording her first six studio albums in order to regain ownership of her music.  

Swift is notorious for taking hate and incorporating it into her brand. After a scandal with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift went into hiding, later releasing her album Reputation. Let’s just say, snakes and the new “bad girl” persona struck the attention of listeners and put a twist on Swift’s previous style and artistry. 

Back in 2004, Taylor Swift started working for Big Machine Records at the age of 14 as an aspiring country singer. The six-album record deal stated that all ownership to her songs belonged to Big Machine Records, initiating their right to license the songs however they pleased without Swift’s permission.  

This all changed in 2019 when Ithaca Holdings bought Big Machine Records, therefore gaining ownership of Taylor Swift’s six albums. Swift claims to have had no say in the matter, and she was unable to require the albums back, despite having  written all the songs herself. 

Swift has since announced her idea to re-record and release all six albums with bonus “from the vault tracks” to effectively gain ownership of the songs. As of this year, Swift has re-released two of her older albums: Fearless and Red along with the song “Wildest Dreams” from the album 1989. 

Notorious for leaving Easter eggs and hinting at upcoming events, Taylor Swift has kept her fan base on their toes with hints and puzzles leading up to her next re-release. Currently, Speak Now and 1989 seem to be the two contenders.  

Whatever the next album will be, Swift will most likely post a video on Twitter as she did alongside the other re-released albums. The videos showcase the “out of the vault” songs all scrambled up for fans to solve for the correct song names. Fans are observing every outfit, post, video and move of Taylor Swift, trying to figure out what could possibly be the next release. 

Some fans have even started getting mathematical with their search, using previous dates to calculate when and what the next album will be. 

In several Instagram polls, Loudoun Valley students were asked about their feelings on this topic. Out of 26 students, 12 students consider themselves Taylor Swift fans and 14 do not. In another poll of 26 students, 19 students have heard of Taylor Swift re-recording her first 6 albums and 7 have not. In a final poll of 24 students, 11 students are excited for the next album re-release and 12 are not. 

One student thinks the next album release will be 1989 in May. Another student wants the next re-release to be Reputation. Two others anticipate Speak Now. For right now, there doesn’t seem to be a definitive answer as to what album will be next. 

Taylor Swift has always been globally recognized for her artistry and marketing. Considering everything she has done, it seems like Swift will continue to make headlines and grow in popularity for years to come.