Taylor Swift released the newest of her re-recorded albums, “Red” on November 19, 2021. This release was the second of her re-recordings, after “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” which was previously released on April 6, 2021. The album includes 20 of her original tracks, along with ten unreleased tracks from “the vault,” Taylor’s collection of songs she wrote when she was younger, but never released.
The song that has “Swifties” going crazy is “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” an extended version of one of Taylor’s greatest hits. With lyrics like, “you said if we had been closer in age it would’ve been fine, and that made me want to die,” targeting ex-boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal, Taylor didn’t hold back. Not only does this dig at Gyllenhaal show Taylor’s confidence and radiance, it shows her ability to still have a bit of fun with the immature and clearly targeted breakup songs she wrote a whole decade ago.
Just as fans wipe their tears, we get a taste of what makes a Taylor Swift album complete: a little bit of pettiness. With one of Taylor’s newly released songs, “Babe,” she calls out a cheater for all of his slip-ups. She emphasizes her self worth with lyrics such as, “How could you do this, babe? You really blew this, babe. We ain’t getting through this one, babe. This is the last time I’ll ever call you, babe,” reminding this ex that she will never fall for his tricks again. What makes the song truly great, though, is the truth and rawness of the lyrics that show how she really was feeling at the time. Such as, “I’m here on the kitchen floor. You call, but I won’t hear it. You said no one else. We ain’t getting through this one, babe. I break down every time you call. We’re a wreck, you’re the wrecking ball,” emphasizing the reality of being cheated on, and how the cheater isn’t the only one facing the emotional consequences.
Although Taylor is known for her gut-wrenching breakup songs that somehow capture exactly how everyone is feeling, she releases a new, upbeat and peppy song named “The Very First Night.” The song is about wishing you could go back to the very first night you met someone and do things differently. This song does a great job of capturing missing even just a moment with someone. Taylor sings, “I wish I could fly. I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time. I’d write this in the sky: I miss you like it was the very first night,” encapsulating missing the way someone was in the beginning of meeting them. Taylor does a fantastic job of expressing such real, hurt feelings in such a happy and catchy tune.
Another fan-favorite Taylor blew people away with is “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” one of Taylor’s most famous songs from her original album. The song is known for the monologue Taylor has following the bridge of the song: “Ah, so he calls me up and he’s like, “I still love you” And I’m like, I’m just, I mean this is exhausting, you know? Like we are never getting back together, like, ever.” Hearing the difference in Taylor’s voice speaking this in the original song versus the re-recorded ones warms fans’ hearts, showing how far she has come as an artist. This song is also just another fun, trivial breakup song that every teenager can’t help but sing along to.
Overall, Taylor Swift’s “Red (Taylor’s Version)” gives a good reason for fans to be happy after the long wait they went through. The album didn’t disappoint whatsoever and was a fabulous mix of pettiness, heartbreak, innocence, and even healing. Taylor managed to capture all five stages of grief within one album, and nobody could’ve done it better.
