For the past five years now, Taylor Swift has been facing a lawsuit over “Shake It Off.” It started in 2017, when songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler filed a lawsuit accusing Taylor Swift of copyright infringement, claiming the “Shake It Off” chorus copies 3LW’s “Playas Gonna Hate,” which they wrote. Things have gone back and forth since then, with the latest news being Swift’s failed attempt at getting the lawsuit dismissed in September.
Now, though, there’s a significant update: Ahead of the scheduled trial in January 2023, Swift and the songwriters reached an agreement and the lawsuit has been dropped, Billboard reports. Their joint filing asks the judge for an order “dismissing this action in its entirety.”
This clears the way for Swift to re-record the song as part of a 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, so naturally, Swifties are convinced that the next “Taylor’s Version” rerecording will indeed be 1989.
“I CANT BELIEVE IT REALLY MEANS 1989 TAYLOR S VERSION IS COMING ??????,” one excited fan reacted on Twitter. Another referenced Swift’s new “Directors On Directors” interview with Martin McDonagh, writing, “imagine at the end of the directors interview she randomly says oh btw 1989 Taylor’s version out at midnight.”
I CANT BELIEVE IT REALLY MEANS 1989 TAYLOR S VERSION IS COMING ?????? pic.twitter.com/55ugfrihVe
— cel 🦢 (@celestialswiftt) December 12, 2022
https://twitter.com/misamericana/status/1602375665952620549
Check out some other reactions to the “Shake It Off” news below.
https://twitter.com/taylorfan00/status/1602377050890944513
shake it off copyright lawsuit has been dropped which means taylor can release 1989 tv in any minute!!!!!!!!!!
— Taylor Throwbacks (@ThrowbackTaylor) December 12, 2022
WHO’S READY TO SHAKE IT OFF
— eternal sunshine World Tour (@ESWorldTour) December 12, 2022
taylor swift's birthday post is about to be like "so it's my birthday, you know the day I was born back in 1989 😉 1989 (my version) is out at midnight est" https://t.co/PRBwR53tA5
— 🪩 eME!rald 🍉✍️ iso any eras tour tickets (@hushmirrorball) December 12, 2022
1989 TV IS FREE. TAYLOR’S VARIETY DIRECTORS INTERVIEW JUST CAME OUT. TAYLOR WAS ACTIVE ON TUMBLR. TAYLOR MADE SURE THAT BOOSTED FANS WILL GET REMAINING ERAS TICKETS. WHAT A DAY THIS HAS BEEN ALREADY
— ✨michaela✨ (@hauntedmichaela) December 12, 2022