Taylor Swift Red Review
Red (Taylor’s Version) Originally Released October 22, 2012 (Taylor’s Version) Released November 12, 2021.
Red is when it starts to get real. Taylor Swift is already a genuine global superstar after her first three albums but Red would catapult her to the next level big time. While she is still working with previous collaborators that made her first three record country hits, Red began to have songs firmly rooted in pop. Even the title track which has banjo/twangy guitars up top, quickly pivots to a pop friendly arena anthem.
I love this record. I recall specifically MTV making a big deal out of the debut of the video for I Knew You Were Trouble. Clearly this song showed Taylor’s future aspirations in both sonic tone and visuals in the video. Listening to these songs then made me a super fan and revisiting them on the definitive Taylor’s Version is a thrill.
The hits here are big and hit hard. The aforementioned I Knew You Were Trouble, the title track, and the legendary ballad All Too Well would be enough to make this Taylor’s best album to date but for me it’s the poppy, sing along tracks 22, and We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together that really drive this album and put it over the top. One of my favorite live performances ever is a decidedly not country performance of 22 from the Billboard Music Awards. It’s such a fun song that just captures the energy of being young and living your best life.
It’s amazing that we’ve touched on some really monster songs and haven’t even yet mentioned Everything Has Changed, her powerful duo with Ed Sheeran, the bouncy, fluffy ear worm Stay, Stay, Stay or her collab with Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol (an early indication of her future indie rock aspirations perhaps?)
Taylor’s Versions bring more depth and maturity to the performances here as well as of course the legendary All Too Well (10 Minute Version) [Taylor’s Version] [From the Vault]. Despite the awkwardly punctuated and lengthy title, this legendary song lives up to the hype expanding on the response to her breakup with Spider-Man: Far From Home’s Jake Gyllenhaal in spectacular fashion.
Red is a ridiculously good album, full of pop hits, powerful introspective ballads, and just incredibly fun songs that instantly became classics in the Taylor Swift catalogue. Taylor’s Version of this album puts it among some of the best albums of the century. 10/10 Highlights: Red (Taylor’s Version), I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version), 22 (Taylor’s Version), We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor’s Version), Stay Stay Stay (Taylor’s Version), All Too Well (10 Minute Version) [Taylor’s Version] [From the Vault]
