When it comes to “Fearless,” “Red,” Speak Now,” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” which album has produced the best Vault tracks?
Out of the six “stolen” albums, Taylor Swift has re-recorded four albums with additional tracks “from the Vault” that almost made the original tracklist.
For context, Swift worked with Big Machine Label Group when she began her career at 15 until it was acquired by well-known manager, Scooter Braun, and his company Ithaca Holdings. She had bad blood with Braun calling him an “incessant, manipulative bully” resulting in him denying her from buying the original masters of her first six albums.
She then switched to Universal Music Group’s Republic Records where she started her re-recording journey in April 2021 so that she may own her work, get a say in who can use it and earn the money she is entitled to. So far, rerecorded albums include “Fearless (TV),” “Red (TV),” “Speak Now (TV)” and recently “1989 (TV)”.
With the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” five new tracks were added which begs the question: Which album has the best “from the Vault” tracks? Here are my ranked rerecorded albums from rarely played to overly played.
No. 4: “Fearless”
Growing up, “Fearless” was my favorite album so naturally, when the rerecord came out, I was so excited! To hear “You Belong With Me” and “Fearless” again for the first time, with subtle, yet major, changes intrigued me because I didn’t think the album could get any better!
Six tracks were added to the rerecord. My favorite is “Mr. Perfectly Fine” because it is more pop than country, which I don’t really like. The other five I’m just not into. Maybe I don’t understand the whole story of the song but compared to the other Vault tracks, this one ranks 4th.
No. 3: “Speak Now”
Six Vault tracks were added to the “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” but I wasn’t looking forward to any songs from the beginning. I feel like the album can go from being pop and upbeat to “Dear John” in one shuffle, flipping the whole mood.
What makes “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” better than “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” is that the day it was released, I had just finished watching the first “Twilight” movie starring Taylor Lautner who just so happens to be Swift’s ex-boyfriend. The song “Back to December,” on the album, is also about him. The Vault tracks were okay but once again compared to the other albums, not my absolute favorite. If anything, my favorite is “I Can See You” especially because of the music video with Lautner and Joey King, who played big parts in the inspiration or making of the original “Speak Now” album.
No. 2: “Red”
“RED,” the home of “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault].” Honestly, if she had just used this song as the one and only Vault track, it would still be one of my top two Vault albums. This is an amazing album and the Vault tracks just elevate it to another level. The amount of heart, soul, sweat and tears poured into this album just proves how authentic she is. These Vault songs have just the right amount of country to them to where I like them, but it’s still authentic to the baby Swift who wrote them.
No. 1: “1989”
As someone who is waiting for “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” to come out, I can only hope she goes as hard as she did on the “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” Vault tracks. “Swifties” everywhere were blessed with five new tracks from the Vault of “1989”, my second favorite album, and have been on repeat since the day it was released.
Being the signature pop album for Swift, I was expecting them to be the exact opposite of what they are. These Vault tracks are absolute perfection and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Everything about the album is just better. The re-recorded songs and minor changes are amazing, the album cover warms my heart and the Vault tracks are just the cherry on top.
My favorite at first was “Now That We Don’t Talk” but after some time, it is officially “Is it Over Now?” I’m not sure whether or not they are in fact about her former boyfriend Harry Styles. I don’t pay that much attention to her life outside of her music but regardless of who these songs are about, the vault tracks for “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” are elite!