A small number of Swifties got a major surprise when they received their vinyl editions of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), as the vinyls didn’t play Taylor Swift at all and treated listeners to British electronica music instead.
The accidental mis-press of the vinyl was seen in action via a viral TikTok video posted by user @myschief_marauder. “Does anyone else’s ‘Speak Now’ vinyl not have Taylor Swift on it?” she says in her video before playing the record’s “Side A,” which ended up playing Cabaret Voltaire’s “Soul Vine (70 Billion People)” instead of “Mine (Taylor’s Version).”
“We are aware that there are an extremely limited number of incorrectly pressed vinyl copies in circulation and have addressed the issue. If you have purchased one of the affected goods, please contact customer service at your respective retailer for a replacement or refund,” Universal Music Group, which parents Swift’s label Republic Records, shared in a statement to Billboard.
Distribution company Above Board Distribution also addressed the mishap on Instagram, resharing @myschief_marauder’s original video with a Swift pun-filled caption. “Due to a delicate pressing blunder, some Taylor Swift fans received a misprinted copy of ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),’ which we have learned features audio of our in house compilation ‘Happy Land (A Compendium of Music from the British Isles 1992-1996),’” the company wrote. “Never in our wildest dreams could we imagine this situation. While we know all too well this error was beyond our control, we sincerely hope anyone who received what is Not Taylor’s Version of the vinyl is enchanted by the blissful electronica. Keep your eyes peeled for this special edition we’re sure it’s going to be a Discogs rare pressing classic in years to come.”
Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was released on July 7 and earned over 575,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first four days of release (July 7-10), according to initial reports to Luminate — marking the biggest week for any album in 2023.
