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Once again, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift set off her always-sleuthing fans with a simple message. Her appearance at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards ignited theories regarding her next re-recorded album drop, which could arrive anytime now. Discover what Swifties figured out.

Taylor Swift is re-recording her first 6 albums

Taylor Swift attends the iHeart Radio Music Festival on September 19, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Taylor Swift attends the iHeart Radio Music Festival on September 19, 2014, in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Michael Tran/FilmMagic

Swift released her first six albums through Big Machine Records, her former label. After Reputation, she signed with Republic Records, along with a deal through Universal Music Group for her songwriting. Her last three albums — Lover, Folklore, and Evermore — she owns outright.

But that’s not the case for albums one through six. Swift’s very public battle with music manager Scooter Braun and former label owner Scott Borchetta to regain control of her master recordings proved fruitless. So instead, she’s re-recording her albums, giving her full ownership over her songs.

Was Swift at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards?

After Swift appeared (live and in-person) at the 2021 BRIT Awards, fans hoped she was back to making in-person award show speeches. However, she didn’t attend the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards. But when she won the award for Best Pop Album for Folklore, a pre-recorded speech played.

“Thank you so much for this award and for honoring an album that I am so proud of,” Swift began her speech. “Folklore was an album that I made in the very beginning of the pandemic I started writing it. I just feel like it became sort of an emotional life raft for me to pour all of my feelings into.”

Fans developed a theory based on her background

It turns out the studio Swift appears to be in during the video may not have been a studio at all. Swifties across the internet matched the background to a stock photo, down to the tiniest details. In other words, the artist may have actually filmed her speech in front of a green screen.

“WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING, FILMING THAT ACCEPTANCE SPEECH WITH A GREEN SCREEN? IGNORE THIS IF YOU’RE UP TO SOMETHING 1989-RELATED,” tweeted one fan. Given the kinds of Easter eggs Swift frequently drops, some determined that the date the photo was taken, June 17, could be her next album release date.

What Taylor Swift album will be the next re-recorded?

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Did Taylor Swift Hint She’s Re-Recording a ‘1989’ Hit Single During a 2020 Interview?

As the Twitter user implied, Swift’s 2014 album 1989, her first official pop record, is likely a contender for next on the docket. Rather than re-release her albums in chronological order, as some believed she would, the artist began her re-recordings with her first Grammy-winning one, Fearless.

In keeping with this pattern, many think Swift will drop 1989 (Taylor’s Version) next. After all, it also won the coveted Album of the Year award at the prestigious award show. And its singles “Wildest Dreams” previewed in a commercial and “Shake It Off” in an episode of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist in 2021. So the fans could be right on track.

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