When Taylor Swift's 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 West's 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 "Taylor's 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 Taylor's 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 Swift's project and the questions it raises: Are Swift's re-recordings new works of art or mere copies of the originals? Do the Taylor's 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.
The Art of Taylor's Versions
- ISBN:
- 9781350421561
- 9781350421561
- Category:
- Popular music
- Format:
- Paperback
- Publication Date:
- 20-02-2025
- Language:
- English
- Publisher:
- Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Country of origin:
- United Kingdom
- Dimensions (mm):
- 215.9x137.92x25.4mm
- Weight:
- 0.45kg
This title is not yet published. It is available for purchase now and should arrive at our Sydney warehouse from our Australian supplier within 1 - 2 weeks of the release date listed above.
Once received into our warehouse we will despatch it to you with a Shipping Notification which includes online tracking.
Please check the estimated delivery times below for your region, for after your order is despatched from our warehouse:
Click on Save to My Library / Lists
Click on My Library / My Lists and I will take you there
Share This Book: