Photo Courtesy of The Ringer
In late 2019, country-turned-pop sensation Taylor Swift announced she would re-record her first six studio albums in lieu of the purchase of her album masters by record executive Scooter Braun. Swift set out on a mission to recreate the albums she no longer owned, beginning with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” in April 2021. With her first re-release of “Fearless,” Swift brought new life to her sophomore album and added improved vocals and wildly detailed instrumentation to classics like “Love Story” and “You Belong with Me.” So, did Swift do the same with her re-recorded “Red” album? The answer – a resounding yes.
“Red (Taylor’s Version)” boasts an epic 30-song tracklist, with 21 re-recorded songs from the album’s first release in 2012 and features nine brand-new tracks that are “from the vault” – or, in other words, tracks that were meant to be on the original “Red” album but were ultimately cut from the tracklist.
Each song represents a different aspect of the feeling of heartbreak, as “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is a classic break-up album. Swift’s abilities as an accomplished songwriter shine bright on this record, where she showcases some of her most honest, raw and blunt lyrics ever.
However, not only is a wide range of emotions displayed throughout the album, but the record is also sonically diverse. Ranging from pop classics like “I Knew You Were Trouble” to country ballads like “Better Man,” “Red (Taylor’s Version)” truly has something for everyone.
Each of the re-recorded songs on the album is mostly faithful to the original. It’s a bit of a shame that some of the classics like “22” and “Everything Has Changed” have a bit of a different sound now that Swift’s vocals have become much deeper and mature, but the difference is worth it for her to own her music again. Not every song on the record has stayed the same or worsened – in fact, a good majority of them have vastly improved. The album’s title track in particular has many layers of added instrumentation and production elements such as sharp violin and twangy pop-rock guitar, making the listening experience of a classic song even more enjoyable than before. Other lesser-known deep-cuts such as “Treacherous,” “Holy Ground” and “Starlight” see improvement as well, benefitting from Swift’s deeper 2021 vocals.
The “From the Vault” tracks, however, are the highlight of the record. In both lyricism and production, Swift adds a handful of excellent new tracks to an already strong album. The vault tracks have a wide range of diversity as well, from the sunny and poppy “Message in a Bottle” to the harmonica-filled country tune “I Bet You Think About Me,” featuring country superstar Chris Stapleton. “Nothing New,” featuring alternative artist Phoebe Bridgers, also provides a different sense of heartbreak than previous songs on the album, discussing Swift’s fear that no one will love her again when she’s “nothing new.” However, there’s one vault track in particular that stands out from the rest.
“All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” is Swift’s magnum opus re-imagined to the fullest extent. The grand five-minute heartbreak ballad from Swift’s original album now doubles in length, with new lyrics expressing the singer’s everlasting pain from a shattered relationship. Swift becomes brutally honest on this track, belting lyrics like “But all I felt was shame and you held my lifeless frame.” The song truly needs to be heard in its entirety to appreciate Swift’s expression of her feelings.
Overall, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” offers a wonderful listening experience, even if the tracklist is a bit lengthy. The classics are just as good as they were before, and Swift’s new material elevates the feelings you experience. Once again, Swift proves that she is one of the greatest songwriters of our time, and it’s impossible to not be excited to see what she does next with the rest of her early discography.
