Red (Taylor’s Version) is the Red that you never knew you needed
Veronica Lenard knows all too well why you need to be listening to Red (Taylor’s Version).
“I want to still have a sharp pen and a thin skin and an open heart.” - Taylor Swift, Miss Americana
Packed with sincere emotion, enchanting depth and brilliantly crafted lyrics, Red (Taylor’s Version) is the manifestation of this hope. The result is an irresistible and spellbinding album for fans and new listeners alike, full of Swift’s distinctive diaristic storytelling.
On the 12th of November, Taylor Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her fourth studio album originally released in 2012.The album includes tracks from the original Red album including a poppier version of “Girl at Home” (which originally was a bonus track in the deluxe version) and the single “Ronan” (written in honour of a four year old who passed away from childhood cancer after Swift was inspired by his mother’s blog), and nine tracks originally written for but not included in the album shared ‘from the vault’ including collaborations with Phoebe Bridgers, Chris Stapleton and Ed Sheeran.
The thirty track album is Swift’s second re-recording in the process to gain ownership over the masters of her albums produced with Big Machine Records. Her masters (the original recordings) were acquired by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings before being sold to Shamrock Holdings without Swift having a chance to purchase them. So by producing new versions, essentially Taylor’s Version of these songs, Swift can create an album that she owns under her control. Building from the success of Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version) demonstrates the strength of this strategy: Swift broke the Spotify records for the most-streamed album in a day by a female and most-streamed female in a day on its release.
This success is well deserved. Swift skilfully navigates the thin line between creating accurate re-creations of the originals and offering something new. Seamlessly weaving between the more upbeat tracks, like “State of Grace”, “Holy Ground” and the new “Message in a Bottle”, and the slower more emotional songs, like “All Too Well”, “The Last Time [feat. Gary Lightbody]” and “Sad Beautiful Tragic”, Swift creates an album that is about heartbreak and happiness, and the roads in between. The re-recorded songs in Red (Taylor’s Version) shine with this gained depth, through the combination of Swift’s vocal maturity and their intricate production.
The ‘From the Vault’ songs offer new insight into Swift’s early twenties, from the wistful portrait of the expectations of young women in “Nothing New [feat. Phoebe Bridgers]” to the electro-pop upbeat and catchy “Message In A Bottle.” Some of these songs have appeared in prior collaborations of Swift’s, with quartet Little Big Town releasing “Better Man” in 2016 and duo Sugarland releasing “Babe” in 2018 with Swift contributing background vocals. Swift’s renditions let you hear how these songs were originally intended to be, an insight into a Red that could’ve been but wasn’t, until now.
The new “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” is a return to the original version of the fan favourite, before it was cut down to what at the time was a more suitable length. Released with its own short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien, its existence had been teased over the years but never fully revealed. The short film is another triumph for Swift, who wrote and directed it, demonstrating her creative strengths beyond songwriting. The extended version of the already highly revered ballad offers even more vivid detail entwined in its piercing lyrics, whilst maintaining the parts from the original that just made you need to scream along. It feels like a gift from Taylor to fans, who finally get the chance to hear the real “All Too Well”, the way it is meant to be, and for that I have to say thank you.
There’s a certain magic summoned when listening to this album. Maybe it’s in the new depth that makes each track feel utterly special in its own way. Maybe it’s that this time I’m getting closer to actually being twenty-two, and the re-releases give fans the chance to consider their own growth alongside Taylor’s. Maybe it’s a mix of it all.
With the inclusion of the ‘From The Vault’ tracks, Red (Taylor’s Version) is a lovingly stitched patchwork of genre, stories and feelings. It is a version of Red that may not have otherwise existed, one that embraces what really distinguished Red from Swift’s other albums: its range. In 2012, the album was critiqued for not being sonically cohesive. In 2021, Swift reminds us that this very variety is what offers the album strength. Red (Taylor’s Version) earnestly displays its blended mixture of sounds and stories, full of sharp lyrics, feelings and open hearts.
Red (Taylor’s Version) is there for you, whether you are happy, free, confused, lonely or all of those things at the same time.