Taylor Swift fans all over the world were jumping for joy when Taylor herself posted a groundbreaking announcement on February 11th, 2021. Swift posted a picture of her wearing a “vintage” shirt and falling in dramatic fashion with the caption: “I’m thrilled to tell you that my new version of Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is done and will be with you soon. It has 26 songs including 6 never before released songs from the vault. Love Story (Taylor’s Version) will be out tonight.”

As soon as the post hit the internet, crazed fans started to look deeper into her announcement. Fans came to the conclusion that the shirt she was wearing in the photo resembles Romeo’s shirt from the 2009 music video for Love Story. Like many of Taylor’s other music videos, Love Story has become a huge part of popular culture and is known by many. In the video, it shows a recreation of the iconic tale of Romeo and Juliet, with Taylor’s song playing in the background. The lyrics tell the intriguing story of a modern-day version of a young romance, similar to the Shakespearean play. Taylor could now be proposing the message that all these years later she is her own Romeo, she is her own knight in shining armor. 

The groundbreaking post led others to speculate why exactly Taylor was re-recording her old songs. Does she just want to simply give fans what they have been asking for? Or is there more to this unsolved mystery? Well, in November 2020, two years after Swift’s initial 13-year obligation to Big Machine Records expired, her re-record clause expired as well. This means that she is free to re-perform and record every song from the six albums she released while at Big Machine (L’OFFICIELUSA). Previously Taylor could not do something like this because of the contract she was under. Now she has the freedom to go back to her roots and justify the sweet fan, giving the fans what they have been wishing for over the years, service that we have been anticipating for years. 

One thing is for sure, fans are on the edge of their seats and cannot wait until April 9th when they finally get to hear the re-recordings! One student, Sarah Richey (9) who is a big fan of Taylor Swift, stated that “Taylor Swift was my favorite artist growing up and even though I don’t remember it since I was only 1 or 2, Fearless was the first album I listened to because my mom would play it for me so I’m really excited for her to re-record!” This sentiment echoes the thoughts of fans worldwide.

With everyone adjusting to a new normal, Taylor Swift’s exciting news and new album release serve as a bright spot. The countdown is on for the April 9th drop date, and one thing is for certain, this new album is sure to rekindle feelings among old fans and help ignite and create new Taylor Swift enthusiasts.