Anyone with a finger on the pulse of popularmusicknows what a whirlwindTaylor Swifthas been on lately. After completing her seemingly endless Eras Tour and embarking on a nearly six-month social media hiatus (beyond the infrequent story post), the only thing on every Swiftie’s mind was the looming confusion about whenreputation (Taylor’s Version)would finally be released.
Fan theory after fan theory snowballed until, on August 03, 2025, everything came to a grinding halt. Swift posted a series of photos on social media that showed her surrounded by and proudly holding the original versions ofTaylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989,andreputationwith the caption “You belong with me. 💚💛💜❤️🩵🖤.” In an exciting turn of events,Swift announced that she purchased all of her musicoutright thanks to the success of her tour.Every demo, original version, and master belongs to her like it should have from the beginning.
This announcement also sheds light on thereputationpurgatory Swifties have been living in for over four years. As it turns out, Swift hasn’t even re-recorded a quarter of it. On a positive note,Swift’s finished re-recording her debut albumand loves how it sounds, so hopefully we can look forward to that and somereputationvault tracks in the future. Now, it’s time to jump back in time and fall back in love with the original versions of her songs that Swifties haven’t heard in years.
10New Romantics
1989 (Deluxe Edition) (2014)
1989 (Taylor’s Version)was the re-recording that reached the highest heights for me originally. (Now, if you asked me, I’d say thatFearless (Taylor’s Version)was obviously her best re-recording.) The original was one that was never at the very top or the very bottom of my Swift album ranking. I’ve always loved certain songs more than others, but the vault tracks on the re-recorded version completely won me over. “New Romantics” was one of those songs that I’ve always loved.
The gravitational pull that each chorus makes me feel never gets old and neither do the lyrics: “‘Cause baby, I could build a castle / Out of all the bricks they threw at me.” When I first listened to the re-recording, I danced along as usual, but upon further inspection, I’ve discovered that it doesn’t contain the same magic as the original.The chorus sinks beneath the weight of the instrumental, making her vocals that deserve to stand out fade into the background. I didn’t know how much I needed the original back into my life until now.
9You Belong With Me
Fearless (2008)
While I’m a firm believer thatFearless (Taylor’s Version)massively improved upon the original album, I can’t deny the nostalgic attachment that remains tied to certain songs. The new version of “You Belong With Me” even includes one of my favorite alterations in all of her re-recordings where, in the second verse, she sings “Hey, what you doing with a girl like that?” in her chest voice rather than flipping it up into her falsetto.
Even then,no one can deny the appeal of Swift’s younger, less polished voice singing such an angsty songabout wondering why your crush doesn’t see all the good that stands right in front of them. It feels more at home on the original album, which is the case with many of her oldest songs that fans grew up listening to.
8We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
Red (2012)
The singles onRed (Taylor’s Version)were immediately lacking for me. These were never my favorites on the original album, but they became frequent skips on the re-recording. Something about the production eitherplaced too much emphasis on one aspect of the instrumental or on her vocals, making either one stand out like a sore thumb.
The original version of “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” is one that I didn’t expect to be so relieved to have back in my life. Suddenly, I’m 12 years old again and this is the most fun song I’ve ever heard. It goes to show just how little some of her original versions needed to be changed, something that many fans are finding out while rediscovering their old favorites.
7Haunted - Acoustic Version
Speak Now (Deluxe Edition) (2010)
It’s one thing for Swift to re-record some of her biggest songs and make them sound unrecognizable. It’s another for her toskip out on re-recording a song altogether. While certain tracks, like “If This Was A Movie,” were released separate from the album they belong on, others, specifically acoustic versions, weren’t included at all. WhenSpeak Now (Taylor’s Version)was released, three songs were missing: “If This Was A Movie,” “Back To December - Acoustic,” and “Haunted - Acoustic Version.”
She re-recorded a fantastic version of “State Of Grace - Acoustic” forRed (Taylor’s Version), so what made her leave theSpeak Nowacoustic versions out? For one, they’re impeccable. She’s proven herself capable of performing these songs acoustically during the Eras Tour’s surprise song section, butthe original version of “Haunted - Acoustic Version” is something that was bottled up and preserved in its original, devastating form. I still wonder why it was left out of the re-recordings, but I can’t complain when I’m able to appreciate it once again.
6Safe & Sound
The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond (2012)
The inclusion of “Safe & Sound” on this list is the most indulgent entry for me. As someone who grew up listening to Swift and losing myself inThe Hunger Gamestrilogy, her penning not one but two songs on the soundtrack for the first movie adaptation was like a completely personal dream come true. Of the two, “Eyes Open” was always my favorite, but even I can admit that the re-recording is somehow even more magical.
It’s one of her only songs that hinted at what Swift would prove herself capable of in folklore and evermore.
“Safe & Sound,” featuring The Civil Wars, is a haunting acoustic lullaby undoubtedly from the perspective of Katniss Everdeen lulling her sister, Primrose, to sleep. Looking back,it’s one of her only songs that hinted at what Swift would prove herself capable of infolkloreandevermore. Her voice sounds perfectly pure in the original,capturing the youth of the character she’s embodying and the children at the heart of this dystopian world.The re-recording is beautiful, but the original holds a special place in my heart that makes me elated to have it back in my life.
5I Knew You Were Trouble.
Similar to “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “I Knew You Were Trouble.” was another song where fans quickly noticed differences from the original afterRed (Taylor’s Version)came out. It’s yet another case where many of us didn’t notice just how perfect the original version was while we had it.
The issue is never her vocals, but the production of them. The mixing of her voice in the re-recording and the grating “trouble, trouble, trouble” partmake the song almost unbearable to listen to.In the original, the instrumental is much easier to swallow, and the chorus feels like a refreshing upgrade from the version we received in 2021. Among songs like “All Too Well” and “Begin Again,” it’s easy for a single to get brushed aside, but “I Knew You Were Trouble.” proves itself to be a hit all these years later.
4Mean
Speak Now (2010)
With many of Swift’s original versions being swept up by fans due to her vocal delivery, production changes, or specific nostalgic reasons, “Mean” falls into an entirely different category. The re-recording of this single fromSpeak Nowisa wonderful reminder of how direct the pop superstar has always been in her lyrics. She’s never shied away from calling out those who have wronged her or publicly insulted her, but the original brings that fact home.
Someday, I’ll be livin’ in a big, ole city
And all you’re ever gonna be is mean
Someday, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me
Why you gotta be so mean?
Speak Nowremains the only album where she’s the sole writer on every song. Among other things, that makes every song mean so much more, knowing that she wrote “Dear John” or “Back To December” on her own. It alsomakes a song like “Mean” sound so much more genuinein its original recording.As a teenager, she felt confident enough in her artistry to call hateful people out on her third studio album. Something about hearing a younger Swift sing these lyrics from the past feels much more impressive when comparing the two.
3Better Than Revenge
Be honest: once you squinted your way through the entirety of Swift’s letter and realized what it all meant, did you run to your streaming service of choice and play the original version of “Better Than Revenge?” Even beforeSpeak Nowwas re-recorded,fans wondered what Swift would do about the misogynistic lines in one of the album’s angriest tracks. For some, it was obvious that they would be replaced, much like Hayley Williams of Paramore alters the iconic lines of “Misery Business” while performing.
Others couldn’t even begin to imagine a world where one of the most prominent chorus lines was replaced by another. After all, she was still a teenager while writingSpeak Now, and the brutal honesty she gets across to listeners is incredibly relatable. To me, what makes “Better Than Revenge” so iconic is the fact thatshe was so young when writing and recording it. She wrote this song by herself, channeling all that teenage angst into a pure rock tune that, thankfully, we can finally appreciate all over again.
1989 (2014)
Upon listening to the original version of1989and the re-recorded version back to back, there seems to be a trend. A lot of them sounded very similar at first, but that was without an immediate comparison. In most of the songs, especially the singles, the mixing doesn’t sound completely right. Her vocals often overpower the instrumentals or vice versa. On the original version of “Bad Blood,“everything sounds well-balanced.
Oftentimes, I’m the first to say that “Bad Blood” is one of my least favorite songs by Swift. She has much better songs on either side of this one on the1989track list alone. However, I’m ready to enter a phase of my life where I appreciate “Bad Blood” for the banger it is. After going years without hearing the original, it’s clear that nothing could beat its raw anger and magical production, even if her voice does sound amazing on the re-recording.
1Girl At Home
Red (Deluxe Edition) (2012)
After listening to the re-recorded version of “Girl At Home,” produced by Elvira Anderfjärd, I kept it off my playlist and never went back to it.I was never a die-hard fan of the original, so it’s probably best that I didn’t remember what it sounded likeby the timeRed (Taylor’s Version)was released in 2021. All I knew was that the experimental, beat-driven production didn’t belong on this album.
The original version fits right in on the deluxe edition of Red with its youthful naivety and acoustic guitar.
When the news of Swift buying all of her music finally sunk in, my sister was stressing about what she was going to do with her playlists. Would she keep the re-recordings or do a process of elimination to finally figure out which version was better? Luckily, “Girl At Home” was the easiest decision she had to make. The original version fits right in on the deluxe edition ofRedwith its youthful naivety and acoustic guitar.Taylor Swift’s 22-year-old voice gives it every finishing touch it needs to prove itself superior.
