Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) has encountered an unexpected production mishap, resulting in an intriguing mix-up. Rather than featuring her own songs, the vinyl pressing of the album mistakenly contains a compilation of rare UK electronica tracks from the 1990s.
The mix-up came to light when a TikTok user named @mystic_marauder uploaded a video showcasing her newly purchased Swift LP. In the clip, she humorously expresses confusion, exclaiming, “What is this?” while the unmistakable sounds of Cabaret Voltaire’s Soul Vine (70 Billion People) and Thunderhead’s True Romance play in the background.
The compilation album responsible for the error is titled Happy Land: A Compendium Of Electronic Music From The British Isles 1992-1996 Vol. 1. Released by the label and distributor Above Board in March, it features tracks from renowned artists such as Aphex Twin, Matthew Herbert, and The Black Dog.
Dan Hill, the founder of Above Board, acknowledged the mix-up, stating, “I dunno what the hell has happened, but Taylor Swift’s records seem to have been mispressed with our album.” Hill further described the unusual convergence of musical styles, noting, “It’s a massive collision of worlds as the music featured is from such different musical spheres.” Despite the unexpected turn of events, Hill expressed hope that fans would find enjoyment in the surprise blend of electronic music. He even speculated that the mispressed version might become a coveted rarity among collectors, saying, “I’m sure it’s going to be a Discogs rare pressing classic in years to come.”
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), released on July 7th through Republic Records, is Taylor Swift’s re-recorded edition of her 2010 album of the same name. The album has already achieved a remarkable feat by breaking Spotify’s record for the most single-day streams of any album in 2023. Additionally, it’s worth noting that Taylor Swift accounted for an impressive one out of every 25 vinyl LPs sold in the United States last year. The exact number of mispressed records from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is yet to be determined.
