Sheryl Crow has seen success in the music industry, selling over 50 million albums and winning nine Grammy Awards.

She acknowledges Taylor Swift's early efforts to control her music catalog, despite her own achievements.

Sheryl Crow on Taylor Swift's Re-Recording of Early Works

In an article she wrote for Esquire titled "What I've Learned," Sheryl Crow expressed admiration for the 14-time Grammy winner's accomplishments, describing her as a force to be reckoned with.

"I look at what Taylor Swift has done and think, 'She's a powerhouse.'"

She went on to say, "You and you alone are responsible for your art."

The "Soak Up The Sun" singer expressed excitement over Taylor's creativity in finding ways to protect her music from being exploited by others instead of claiming ownership.

"The fact that she came up with solutions for how to not allow her music to be a moneymaker for other people when she should be owning it."

 

Taylor Swift's Taylor Versions

Taylor Swift's decision to re-record her first six albums meant to proclaim ownership of her music and convey a message. This initiative stemmed from events in 2019, when Ithaca Holdings, led by Scooter Braun, acquired Big Machine Label Group, Taylor's former label, from Scott Borchetta in a $300 million deal.

Once the acquisition was finalized, it granted Scooter ownership of Taylor Swift's entire collection of original studio albums. This included her self-titled debut album, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation, despite the singer's public opposition to the deal.

Upon discovering the sale, the "Lavender Haze" hitmaker revealed her attempts to acquire her master recordings, only to be met with what she deemed unfavorable terms imposed by Big Machine.

READ ALSO: Sheryl Crow Sees Herself in Olivia Rodrigo: 'That Was Me When I Was Young'

Allegedly, the conditions were strategically designed to deter her from switching to a more prominent record label.

Upon discovering that her albums would be sold to a different company, Taylor was taken aback by the unexpected new owner, Scooter, whom she had previously labeled as a relentless, manipulative figure.

In response to inquiries, Scott asserted that the "Style" singer had turned down a chance to buy the rights to her music, despite the fact that she did not confirm this and mentioned that his reported proposal was laden with numerous conditions.

Taylor revealed the real reason she was re-recording her albums in an interview in 2019, "The reason I'm re-recording my music next year is because I do want my music to live on."

"I do want it to be in movies, I do want it to be in commercials," Travis Kelce's girlfriend went on to say. "But I only want that if I own it."

"When I created [these songs], I didn't know what they would grow up to be. Going back in and knowing that it meant something to people is actually a really beautiful way to celebrate what the fans have done for my music."

Taylor Swift has completed the re-recording process for four of the six albums. These newly re-recorded albums feature additional deluxe edition tracks, unreleased From the Vault tracks, and rare content.

READ MORE: Taylor Swift Loves Travis Kelce and His 30lbs Weight Gain During Their 'Nesting' Era: 'Still Isn't a Bad Body to Look At'

Join the Discussion