Taylor Swift announces '1989 (Taylor’s Version)'

LOS ANGELES

Taylor Swift closed the 2023 U.S. leg of her landmark Eras Tour Wednesday night in Los Angeles in a big way, announcing the fourth edition of her re-recording project: “1989 (Taylor’s Version).”

After playing a few tracks from her “1989” era live, including an abridged take on “Bad Blood,” the pop superstar approached the center of the stage with an acoustic guitar in hand and suggested to the audience that she had been working on something big.

“Instead of just, like, telling you about it, I think I'll just sort of show you,” she told the crowd as the screen illuminated behind her. “'1989 (Taylor’s Version)' available Oct. 27!” she cheered, pointing out that she was revealing this on the eighth month of the year and the ninth day — a numerical clue.

Then she launched into a surprise performance of the ascendant “1989” track “New Romantics” and the “Reputation”-era piano ballad “New Year's Day” for the first time during her world tour.

Just last month, Swift released her re-recording of “Speak Now” and soon claimed the record for the woman with the most No. 1 albums in history. The “Taylor's Version” projects were sparked by music manager Scooter Braun's purchase and subsequent sale of her early catalog.

Beyond the breaking news, across more than three-and-a-half hours at SoFi Stadium, Swift offered fans a bevy of career-spanning tracks — less a greatest hits collection, and more a live celebration of an artist in her veterancy.