Taylor Swift Drops Original Version of “The Lakes” to Celebrate Folklore's Anniversary

It’s the one-year anniversary of folklore, and in true Taylor Swift fashion, she’s celebrating with a surprise for fans.

On Saturday morning, the singer-songwriter dropped the original version of “The Lakes,” which was a bonus track on folklore. “It’s been 1 year since we escaped the real world together and imagined ourselves someplace simpler,” she wrote on Twitter, looking back to the release of her eighth studio album on July 24, 2020. “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.”

Taylor went on to say that, as a thank-you to fans, she’s sharing the original version of “The Lakes,” which features a grand orchestral backdrop. “Happy 1 year anniversary to Rebekah, Betty, Inez, James, Augustine and the stories we all created around them,” she added. “Happy Anniversary, folklore.”

Producer Jack Antonoff recently hinted at the origin of the bonus track, telling Billboard that Taylor had initially vetoed his first version of the song. “On one of my favorite songs on ‘Folklore,’ ‘The Lakes,’ there was this big orchestral version, and Taylor was like, ‘Eh, make it small,’” Jack recalled. “I had gotten lost in the string arrangements and all this stuff, and I took everything out. I was just like, ‘Oh, my God!’ We were not together because that record was made [remotely], but I remember being in the studio alone like, ‘Holy sh*t, this is so perfect.’”

Taylor’s decision to drop the original version of “The Lakes” isn’t all that surprising, given the singer’s affinity for sharing old songs “from the vault” — like the handful of previously unreleased tracks that are set to accompany her re-release of Red later this fall.

And the orchestral version of “The Lakes” isn’t the only way Taylor is celebrating her special album’s first birthday. The singer also released a limited edition folklore anniversary collection on her website, featuring sweatshirts, pants, a keepsake box, jewelry, notebooks, and more.

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Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue