It’s the second album Swift has re-recorded in an effort to own her music after a drawn-out dispute with her former label.
That isn’t to say it isn’t good–I just think there’s something much more interesting in Swift’s approach.
That’s a powerful thing for any brand, and Swift has–more than almost any other musician or artist–cultivated an extraordinary level of both affection and loyalty from her fans.
For example, she recorded a short film featuring the 10-minute version of a song that wasn’t even released as a single when the album first came out.
It’s not really complicated–Swift gives her fans exactly what they want, and, in return, she earns their affection.
“Something that happened years ago where I made it very clear that I wanted to be able to buy my music, and that opportunity was not given to me, and it was sold to somebody else,” Swift told Meyers.
Swift’s music has made her and a lot of music executives a lot of money.
Largely because of her entrepreneurial savvy, combined with the loyalty of her fans, Swift is able to go back and rerecord her music knowing that those fans are behind her completely.
Listening to Swift talk about this experience, you get the feeling she’s having fun.
If the thing you’re decided to devote your life to isn’t fun for you, you’re probably doing it wrong.
On the other hand, when you have fun doing whatever it is you do, not only does it make the hard parts a little easier, it also becomes contagious.