Her 2006 self-titled debut and 2008害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淔earless害羞草研究所� had inspired both acclaim and criticism for her bold bridges and keen lyricism 害羞草研究所� these are masterful country-pop songs, critics argued, but surely a teen idol wasn害羞草研究所檛 responsible for them. Swift proved her detractors wrong on 害羞草研究所淪peak Now,害羞草研究所� an album that arrived just before her pivot from country害羞草研究所檚 youngest hope to pop害羞草研究所檚 freshest voice.

The album served as a close document of her nascent fame and future career ambitions, and now, 13 years on, it害羞草研究所檚 back. released Friday, is the third release of the six albums The Taylor害羞草研究所檚 Version albums, instigated by music manager Scooter Braun害羞草研究所檚 sale of her early catalog, represent Swift害羞草研究所檚 effort to control her own songs and how they害羞草研究所檙e used 害羞草研究所� a fitting ethos for 害羞草研究所淪peak Now,害羞草研究所� a record built exclusively of her own voice.

In preparation for 害羞草研究所淪peak Now (Taylor害羞草研究所檚 Version),害羞草研究所� The Associated Press reached out to Taylor Swift scholars to discuss all the ways listeners can and should think about the release.

ADOLESCENCE TO ADULTHOOD

Before 害羞草研究所淪peak Now害羞草研究所� became 害羞草研究所淪peak Now,害羞草研究所� the working title was 害羞草研究所淓nchanted,害羞草研究所� named after the power ballad of the same name. The mythology ( ) behind the shift is that Swift害羞草研究所檚 label president at the time, Big Machine Records CEO Scott Borchetta, to move on from whimsy and fairytale iconography 害羞草研究所� she was entering her 20s and this LP warranted a more mature title.

Transition creates an interesting framework for thinking about this album: Written largely between the ages of 18 and 20, released when she turned 21, 害羞草研究所淪peak Now害羞草研究所� is a collection of songs on a precipice 害羞草研究所� of adulthood, of fame, of declaring ownership but still concerned with the subject matters that concern a young adult. There are crushes (害羞草研究所淪uperman,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淪parks Fly害羞草研究所�) and bittersweet breakups (害羞草研究所淏ack to December,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚f This Was a Movie害羞草研究所�), alike.

害羞草研究所淵ou hear a youngness when you listen to these songs,害羞草研究所� says musicologist Lily Hirsch, author of 害羞草研究所淐an害羞草研究所檛 Stop the Grrrls: Confronting Sexist Labels in Music from Ariana Grande to Yoko Ono.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 all about these romantic relationships. The world hinges on all of that, which is so typical of that age. So, it is interesting hear the re-recordings bring a more mature voice to those earlier preoccupations.害羞草研究所�

Elizabeth Scala teaches a course on Taylor Swift害羞草研究所檚 songbook at the University of Texas at Austin as an introduction to literary studies and research methods.

害羞草研究所淚 think 害羞草研究所楽peak Now害羞草研究所� is still in the vein of 害羞草研究所業 don害羞草研究所檛 have enough life experience at my ripe age of 18 to give you a fully autobiographical anything, but I害羞草研究所檓 going to use what I read and what I know from other people,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 she says of the songs害羞草研究所� lyrical content, which still manage to 害羞草研究所渕ake really beautiful, coherent things out of the messiness and inaccuracy of our memories.害羞草研究所�

IN CONVERSATION WITH HER CRITICS AND CELEBRITY

Coming a year after Kanye West interrupted at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, 害羞草研究所淪peak Now害羞草研究所� is the moment in Swift害羞草研究所檚 career where she began to use her celebrity as a mirror to her interior life.

害羞草研究所淢ean,害羞草研究所� a takedown of a rock critic, becomes a banjo-led treatise on antagonism of any kind; the blues-y 害羞草研究所淒ear John害羞草研究所� centers on a young woman害羞草研究所檚 tumultuous relationship with an older man.

害羞草研究所淚nsults are everywhere in music, and men don害羞草研究所檛 get the same flak for it,害羞草研究所� Hirsch says, in reference to 害羞草研究所淒ear John害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淢ean.害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 this idea that women especially are supposed to take the high road, turn the other cheek and all of that, and men can get away with the low road, and they certainly do in music. It害羞草研究所檚 a kind of double standard. Women are labeled 害羞草研究所榗atty害羞草研究所� when confronting bad behavior, like in 害羞草研究所楧ear John.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

A common pastime among Swift fans is to unearth the identities of her songs害羞草研究所� subjects. But, to Scala, 害羞草研究所渢he most boring way to think about Taylor Swift is in terms of her biography.害羞草研究所�

At a recent stop of her Eras Tour in Minneapolis, Swift seemed to agree, playing 害羞草研究所淒ear John害羞草研究所� live for the after delivering this introduction:

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 33 years old. I don害羞草研究所檛 care about anything that happened to me when I was 19 except the songs I wrote and the memories we made together. So what I害羞草研究所檓 trying to tell you is, I害羞草研究所檓 not putting this album out so you should feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about 14 billion years ago.害羞草研究所�

Scala sees a throughline between this album and its successors, with 害羞草研究所淒ear John害羞草研究所� as a precursor to and 害羞草研究所淢ean害羞草研究所� as prescient to a song that parodies how she害羞草研究所檚 been portrayed in the media.

REVISIONIST HISTORY

Much surrounding the re-recording of 害羞草研究所淪peak Now害羞草研究所� has centered on 害羞草研究所淏etter Than Revenge,害羞草研究所� a pop-punk song that takes aim at another woman instead of the man that wronged them both. It takes both sonic and thematic cues from Paramore害羞草研究所檚 2007 pop-rock hit 害羞草研究所淢isery Business,害羞草研究所� a similar song . (In fact, on 害羞草研究所淪peak Now (Taylor害羞草研究所檚 Version),害羞草研究所� Paramore singer Hayley Williams lends vocals to a 害羞草研究所渧ault害羞草研究所� song, 害羞草研究所淐astles Crumbling.害羞草研究所�)

In the original chorus of 害羞草研究所淏etter Than Revenge,害羞草研究所� Swift sings, 害羞草研究所淪he害羞草研究所檚 an actress / She害羞草研究所檚 better known for the things she does on the mattress,害羞草研究所� a rare lyrical misstep in a career underscored by poetic turns of phrases (in the opener 害羞草研究所淢ine,害羞草研究所� she sings 害羞草研究所淵ou made a rebel of a careless man害羞草研究所檚 careful daughter害羞草研究所�). In her 2023 害羞草研究所淏etter Than Revenge害羞草研究所� version, the lyric becomes 害羞草研究所淗e was a moth to the flame / She was holding the matches.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚f we think about 2010, slut-shaming rhetoric certainly existed in movies and shows. She害羞草研究所檚 certainly not the only one who has done this at that time,害羞草研究所� Hirsch argues, quick to point out that Swift has also been the target of sexist vitriol.

Swift害羞草研究所檚 alteration of the song in her re-recording follows a lineage of other pop stars doing the same. and to songs deemed offensive. Weird Al no longer performs his Michael Jackson parodies. And because Swift hasn害羞草研究所檛 performed 害羞草研究所淏etter Than Revenge害羞草研究所� live for well over a decade, she hasn害羞草研究所檛 needed to confront this particular song, in this particular way.

害羞草研究所淲e are willing to replace the old version with Taylor害羞草研究所檚 Versions because they are exact replicas, as much as they can be,害羞草研究所� Scala argues. 害羞草研究所淚f she does something different, it becomes a different song.害羞草研究所� A different song, this time, owned by Swift.

ART EVOLVES WITH TIME

害羞草研究所淔rom a literary historian害羞草研究所檚 point of view, when you first hear 害羞草研究所楽peak Now,害羞草研究所� you could only look at her career up to that point: It meant something in her creative timeline,害羞草研究所� says Scala. 害羞草研究所淎nd now we have the rest of her career to compare it to, so it害羞草研究所檚 hard to listen to the record the same way. You can compare it to the older recording, but its deeper and richer.害羞草研究所�

Technology has changed from 2010. So has Swift: Her voice has matured, no longer possessing the sweet self-restraint that colored her earliest releases.

Each release comes with a few 害羞草研究所淔rom the Vault害羞草研究所� tracks, unreleased songs from each album害羞草研究所檚 period reimagined for the current moment. They, too, give a fuller picture.

AN EXERCISE IN ARTISTIC AUTONOMY

Beyond all of the music and cultural considerations, the fact is: Taylor Swift is re-recording this album to own her work, like she is doing with so many of her records 害羞草研究所� but this is the only album in her discography that is entirely self-penned, the one celebrated for its dismissals of exploitative male characters and poetic embrace of girlhood.

In fact, it害羞草研究所檚 hard not to think of 害羞草研究所淐ould害羞草研究所檝e, Would害羞草研究所檝e, Should害羞草研究所檝e害羞草研究所� from her where Swift sings 害羞草研究所淕ive me back my girlhood, it was mine first,害羞草研究所� as a self-reflection of her 害羞草研究所淪peak Now害羞草研究所� self. That track is a creative reclamation of the teen who wrote 害羞草研究所淒ear John害羞草研究所� as an adult; 害羞草研究所淪peak Now (Taylor害羞草研究所檚 Version)害羞草研究所� is the literal reclamation.

害羞草研究所淥wning these masters, she decided to take back that control,害羞草研究所� Hirsch says. 害羞草研究所淚 love what it communicates: that we all have power, we don害羞草研究所檛 have to just sit back and take these situations, especially when it concerns our own voice.害羞草研究所�

Maria Sherman, The Associated Press

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