Taylor Swift Surprises Fans with Announcement of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” Album
LOS ANGELES — Taylor Swift delighted her fans during her final show on the American leg of the Eras Tour by announcing that her highly anticipated next rerecorded album would be “1989 (Taylor’s Version).” Swift, known for dropping clues and hints about her work, had been building anticipation among her fiercely devoted fan base. The date of the announcement, 8/9, had signaled to fans that something big was on the horizon.
As the 3½-hour concert came to a close, Swift took the stage to express her gratitude to the enthusiastic crowds that had supported her sold-out, record-breaking stadium tour over the past five months. She also acknowledged their support for her decision to rerecord her first six albums, allowing her to regain ownership of her music.
“And so now here we are on the last night of the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour, in the eighth month of the year on the ninth day of the month,” Swift began, only to be drowned out by the deafening screams and cheers of the 70,000-plus attendees at SoFi Stadium.
Swift continued, “You might have noticed there are some new outfits in the show,” referring to the multiple new blue costumes she debuted that night. Blue is a color strongly associated with her album “1989.” “There’s something that I’ve been planning for a really, really, really… embarrassingly long time. And I think instead of just telling you about it, I think I’ll just sort of show you.”
The enormous screen behind Swift illuminated with the cover of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” and revealed an Oct. 27 release date, exactly nine years after its original release in 2014.
The crowd erupted in excitement as Swift then performed an acoustic guitar version of “New Romantics,” a fan favorite from the album’s deluxe edition.
On social media, Swift shared a message about how the original “1989” album changed her life in countless ways. She also confirmed that the rerecorded project would feature five songs “from the vault,” which were not included in the initial release. Swift described this rerecord as her favorite thus far, as the vault tracks are “so insane” and she can’t believe they were left behind.
This will be Swift’s fourth rerecorded album, as she continues her quest to own her masters following a dispute with her former Nashville record label. Her previous rerecords, “Fearless” and “Red,” exceeded expectations in terms of sales, and “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” earned 716,000 equivalent album units in its first week.
The announcement of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was the major surprise of the Los Angeles concert, which marked Swift’s sixth show in seven days at SoFi Stadium and her last scheduled concert in the United States until fall 2024. The night went smoothly as Swift performed her 45-song set list. The concert also attracted a host of celebrities, including Adam Sandler, Emma Stone, and Karlie Kloss.
Although the international leg of the Eras Tour begins later this month, Swift made it clear that this show held special significance for her. She jokingly warned the audience about her emotions, saying, “Because of the decision you have made to attend this concert, you are going to have to deal with my emotions—and I don’t know if you’ve heard about this or not, but I have a lot of them.” Swift described the tour as the most extraordinary, fun, wonderful, and magical experience of her entire life.
Fans eagerly await the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” on October 27 and the opportunity to once again experience the iconic album through Swift’s eyes.