Taylor Swift and the Philosophy of Re-recording: The Art of Taylor's Versions

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Description

When Taylor Swifts record label was sold in 2019, the six studio albums she recorded for them came under the control of a person with whom she has had years of bad blood: Kanye Wests former manager Scooter Braun. But rather than move on, Swift chose to take the unprecedented step of re-recording duplicate versions of those albums. With all of the profits made from selling, streaming, and licensing these Taylors Versions going directly to Swift, she could deprive Braun of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars. The gambit has already paid off. The first two Taylors Versions (of Fearless and Red) debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard charts and have sold over one million copies so far; and four more are still on the way. In this book, nine philosophers and one music producer explore the philosophical richness of Swifts project and the questions it raises: Are Swift's re-recordings new works of art or mere copies of the originals Do the Taylors Versions of the songs have the same meanings as the original versions, or do they now mean something different Is her re-recording project genuinely artistic or merely commercial Is Swift standing up for artists rights or looking out for herself Does the music industry exploit artists, and, if so, how should it be reformed Together they show the philosophical dividends one of the most famous and acclaimed recording artists of her generation is capable of producing. For anyone interested in the complicated relationship between popular art and commerce this book is a must-read.

Author Bio

Brandon Polite is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Chair of the Philosophy Department at Knox College, USA.