Successful PR in the Music Industry (Taylor’s Version)
Published on April 7, 2021 at 4:23 p.m.
by Lawson Colgate.
“There is nothing I do better than revenge” is more than a simple line from Taylor Swift’s 2010 album, “Speak Now.” Although “Better Than Revenge” was written in terms of a romantic relationship, these words speak the same truth now as Swift rerecords not only “Speak Now,” but all of her first six albums.
After years of begging for the chance to own her work, and being counteracted with an offer to get one album back for every new one she produced, Swift left Big Machine Records in 2018 and signed a deal with Universal Music Group. In 2019, Swift became aware, at the same time as the rest of the world, that Scott Borchetta, founder of Big Machine Records, sold her album masters for over $300 million to Scooter Braun.
As Swift said herself, revenge is what she does best. What better way to get revenge than to use her loyal fanbase and brand built on authentic storytelling to release her version of her first six albums? Swift has faced various stages of her life, keeping her listeners’ needs and values in mind while also being unapologetically herself. Through many genres, love stories and public feuds, Swift’s music is a reflection of her. Likewise, her music has formed her reputation.
Swift’s vulnerability and openness allow for a mutual understanding with her fans. Her relatability has helped grow her fanbase and simultaneously made her songs the big hits they are. Swift’s followers both support her and connect to her songs, and will love her newly recorded biggest hits even more than the ones Braun is still earning money from.
Along with the rerecordings, Swift is releasing six never-before-heard songs in “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” to complete the full album. Swift’s crisis is allowing her to bring back her old hits and promote her new ones. Using her social media, Swift has released video content and personal statements that allow her audience to feel like insiders throughout this process. In the face of hardship, she is making past songs relevant again and reinventing herself while staying genuine.
From years of silence before releasing “reputation” to the Easter eggs, as Swift calls the hidden messages in her “folklore” album, she continues to keep her fans engaged through her version of strategic communication and campaigns.
