Rating: 4/5 stars

Two re-recorded songs from the album “Red,” one from “Fearless” and another unreleased song off of “Lover”: as if she was not busy enough, Taylor Swift (“Midnights”) surprised fans on the opening day of “The Eras Tour” by releasing four new songs.

Everyone is talking about the tour, which kicked off in Glendale, Arizona, temporarily renamed “Swift City” in the singer’s honor, on March 17. But if you got caught up in the excitement of opening night, you may have missed Swift’s surprise release. 

Three of the four songs are re-recordings (known as “Taylor’s Versions”) of previously released songs from earlier in Swift’s career.

“Safe & Sound” featuring Joy Williams (“Front Porch”) and John Paul White (“The Hurting Kind”) and “Eyes Open,” both from the “Red” era, were also a part of the 2012 soundtrack to “The Hunger Games,” a franchise that is having a resurgence in popularity on TikTok. 

“If This Was a Movie,” first released in 2012 on the deluxe version of Swift’s third album, “Speak Now,” has been reassigned to the “Fearless” album. 

The standout of the drop is “All Of The Girls You Loved Before,” a track considered for 2019’s “Lover.” The song leaked on TikTok last month and quickly gained popularity among Swifties for its romantic, classic sound. 

“All Of The Girls You Loved Before” is a love song that gives credit to Swift’s partner’s former lovers for making him the man she fell in love with. Instead of tearing the other women down in jealousy, Swift praises them for teaching her lover, presumably her longtime boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn (“Catherine Called Birdy”), to be a respectful, kind and adoring partner. Of course, Swift directs some of that praise towards her man as well for actually being a great partner for her. 

The melody, instrumentals and lyrics work together to make it the kind of classic love song that sounds like it could be straight from the 1950s. It is the type of song that makes Swifties want to slow dance around the kitchen in the refrigerator light. Plus the messages of fate and women supporting women are refreshingly paired together. 

Still, the other three releases are strong on their own. Swift’s choice to re-record those specific songs has, naturally, fueled fan speculation about what re-recorded album is next. 

Swift wrote “If This Was a Movie (Taylor’s Version)” with a co-writer. If released as a “Speak Now” track, it would be the only song on the album that Swift did not write entirely by herself. Longtime fans are guessing that the singer rebranded the song as a “Fearless” era track so when she does release “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” with additional “From the Vault” songs, it will still be entirely self-written, like the original album. 

The move is all but confirming fan expectations that the re-recorded version of Swift’s third album will be announced next. 

With the surprise song releases, Swift proved her continued ability to surprise and delight her eager fans. Who knows what she has in store next?

Image from Taylor Swift via Twitter