Sheryl Crow can’t help but sing the praises of fellow musician Taylor Swift.
“I look at what Taylor Swift has done and think, ‘She’s a powerhouse,’” Crow, 62, explained in an Esquire piece she wrote titled, “What I’ve Learned,” which was published on Thursday, March 28.
While discussing her thoughts on the past, what’s coming next and things she’s discovered along her own journey, she applauded the “Anti-Hero” singer for figuring out a way to regain some control over her own material, especially as a woman in the entertainment field.
“You and you alone are responsible for your art,” she shared. “The fact that [Taylor] came up with solutions for how to not allow her music to be a moneymaker for other people when she should be owning it.”
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She added, “There’s not a handbook for how to navigate, as a woman, a business that is predominantly run by men. Or for when you have a strong woman, how that challenges men and their feelings of importance.”
Crow was referring to how Swift, 34, is currently reclaiming her music one album at a time by releasing new versions of her discography, complete with expanded tracks. She’s titled the project “Taylor’s Version.”
Swift was prompted to kickstart the rerecording process after it was announced in 2019 that Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings company had acquired Scott Borchetta‘s Big Machine Label Group, which was Swift’s former label, for $300 million. Braun, 42, subsequently became the owner of Swift’s masters, which included her first six albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation.
At the time, Swift revealed why she decided to remake all of her songs. “The reason I’m rerecording 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. But I only want that if I own it,” she said in a 2019 interview with Billboard. “It’s going to be fun, because it’ll feel like regaining a freedom and taking back what’s mine. 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.”
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In April 2021, Swift re-released her first album, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), which was followed by Red (Taylor’s Version) a few months later in November 2021. Two years after that, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version), released in July 2023 and October 2023, respectively.
All four albums Swift has released so far have hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) was even named the bestselling vinyl album of 2023 globally.
