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July 24, 2021

Taylor Swift releases original version of 'The Lakes' on Folklore's one year anniversary

The original version of the song featured "orchestral" background music that Swift decided to strip down for its initial release

Music Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift Folklore The Lakes PA Images/SIPA USA

Taylor Swift released the original version of "The Lakes" on the anniversary of her surprise album "Folklore."

Taylor Swift dropped another surprise for her fans this weekend on the one year anniversary of her surprise album, folklore.

The singer-songwriter dropped the original version of the album's bonus track, "The Lakes," to celebrate the milestone. The song's original recording was a "big orchestral version," co-writer and producer Jack Antonoff told Billboard, before Swift decided to strip it down.

After hearing of the lost version of the songs, fans asked the Berks County native to release it. 

Swift later posted the news that she unveiled the song to social media Saturday, July 24.

“It’s been 1 year since we escaped the real world together and imagined ourselves someplace simpler. With tall trees & salt air. Where you can wear lace nightgowns that make you look like a Victorian ghost & no one will side eye you cause no one is around. To say thank you for all you have done to make this album what it was," she continued, "I wanted to give you the original version of The Lakes. Happy 1 year anniversary to Rebekah, Betty, Inez, James, Augustine and the stories we all created around them. Happy Anniversary, folklore."

Swift released her eighth studio album Folklore on July 24, 2020, in her first step towards indie-folk. The album won album of the year at the Grammys and topped the Billboard 200 albums chart for eight nonconsecutive weeks last year.

It’s been one year since we escaped the real world together and imagined ourselves someplace simpler. With tall tall...

Posted by Taylor Swift on Saturday, July 24, 2021

"The Lakes" was originally an exclusive bonus track on the physical version of the album and later hit streaming services in August 2020.


She released the sister album, "evermore," in December, which earned rave reviews as well. 

Swift released the re-recorded version of "Fearless" in April of this year and promised a rerecording of her hit album "Red" later this year.


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