Summary
A tweet from singer Kelly Clarkson inspired Taylor Swift to re-record her first six albums to regain control of her music. Swift took this action after her original recordings were sold twice without her consent, leading to her re-recording project, which achieved significant success.
Key Facts
- In 2019, Scooter Braun bought Big Machine Label Group, including Taylor Swift's master recordings, for about $300 million.
- Taylor Swift learned about this sale the same day it went public and had previously attempted to buy her masters but was unsuccessful.
- Kelly Clarkson suggested on Twitter that Swift re-record her albums to devalue the originals.
- Swift's re-recorded albums, called "Taylor's Version," all debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
- Braun later sold Swift's catalog to Shamrock Capital for over $300 million.
- Swift started her re-recording project in November 2020 and completed it in phases.
- In May 2025, Swift purchased her masters from Shamrock, regaining full control of her early work.
- Two albums, Reputation and Swift's 2006 debut, remain unreleased in their re-recorded versions; however, Swift plans to release them in the future.
