As the year comes to a close, music releases have been slowing down, but November of 2021 still offered plenty of worthwhile projects to enjoy. Among the month’s most impressive projects were the sombre indie rock on Snail Mail’s Valentine and Sloppy Jane’s dark art pop on Madison. However, no music this month came close to topping the autumnal pop rock of Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version).
I’ll admit it: Red has always been one of my least favorite Taylor Swift albums. I started listening to her in earnest during the summer of 2020, when Folklore was released, and I was immediately enchanted by her constantly shifting aesthetics, top-tier songwriting, and story-driven lyrics. But despite how much I loved most of her albums, I could never get into Red. I don’t know if it was the grating pop hits like “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” and “I Knew You Were Trouble” (which, for the record, I’m still not totally on board with) or the overly-compressed production, but the record just didn’t click with me like it seemed to click with much of the fanbase. With that in mind, I am so happy that Red (Taylor’s Version) completely changed my mind.
Red is a breakup album. It details the course of an entire relationship, from its bubbly beginnings to its bitter end. The songs are delivered with the passionate energy of someone experiencing the events they’re singing about, and much of the record’s emotional energy derives from this. Red (Taylor’s Version) is also, clearly, a breakup album. Aside from the “From The Vault” tracks, the tracklisting is the same as on the original 2012 record, meaning that the lyrics are exactly the same and the instrumental palette is very similar, albeit much more polished. But there’s a new depth to these songs on Taylor’s Version; they are sung with the simultaneous blessing and curse of retrospection, and this resulting maturity shines through in Taylor’s voice.
The concept of re-recording a breakup album isn’t a completely new idea. In 2011, indie rock band Car Seat Headrest released their lo-fi rock album Twin Fantasy (Mirror to Mirror). The album chronicles frontman Will Toledo’s breakup and is focused on expressing raw emotions through poetic lyrics. Seven years later, in 2018, the band re-recorded the album and released it as Twin Fantasy (Face to Face). Most of the songs are completely revamped, with new musical landscapes and even new lyrics at points. Specifically, the focus is not on expressing the pain of a breakup anymore but exploring how the pain and love helped Toledo grow as a person.
I bring Twin Fantasy up to emphasize the benefit that retrospect can have when crafting a breakup album. Taylor Swift absolutely utilized this power on Red (Taylor’s Version). Though the changes aren’t as drastic as on Twin Fantasy, Taylor’s maturity is apparent in her voice and tone. “All Too Well” is no longer a raw critique of a lover, but an exploration of the relationship’s flaws to find where it all went wrong. “State of Grace” has changed from a conflicted profession of love and hate to a cautious warning of the pros and cons of love. These songs offer new perspectives not present on the original album.
Retrospection can also be a curse, though. Much of Red’s draw stemmed from the viscerality of the lyrics and songwriting. Taylor was experiencing the events and emotions portrayed in the songs as she wrote and sang them; this emotion and pain was clear in the songs and offered the listener something to hold onto. Nine years later, Taylor Swift is in a seemingly happy relationship with Joe Alwyn and is no longer going through the painful breakup she sings about on Red (Taylor’s Version). Unfortunately, many of these songs lose their bite as a result of this. “Stay Stay Stay”, while still a very enjoyable song, lacks the desperation of the original version. “22” just doesn’t hit the same when it’s sung by a 32-year-old.
Nevertheless, Red (Taylor’s Version) is an excellent and emotionally powerful album. The genius of the original tracks shines through with updated instrumentation and Taylor’s matured voice, while the “From The Vault” tracks are consistently stunning and moving. And how could I not mention “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”? (Try saying that five times fast.) This 130-minute behemoth of an album is worth listening to all the way through because of its consistency, but this final track would make it worthwhile on its own. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” is a masterclass in long-form songwriting that will stick in your head long after hearing it. The song’s melodies are impeccable and are different enough to stay interesting without becoming difficult to follow. The lyrics are some of the best Taylor Swift has ever written and contain the perfect balance of anger, hurt, and playfulness. It’s a truly amazing song that ranks among the best “long” songs ever written, on par with tracks like Joanna Newsom’s “Only Skin” and Sufjan Steven’s “Impossible Soul”.
Red (Taylor’s Version) is a near-endless trove of warm melodies and sentimental lyrics, perfect for cool autumn days. For me, it changed my view of Red as a C-tier Taylor Swift album to an endlessly complex exploration of the boundary between love and hate. It’s an album I am sure I will come back to many times in the future, and I cannot wait to see how Taylor Swift’s re-recordings recontextualize the remainder of her discography.
The Verdict: For its warm production, top-tier pop songwriting, and thought-provoking presentation of a past relationship, Red (Taylor’s Version) is November 2021’s Album of the Month.
Listen: Red (Taylor’s Version) – Album by Taylor Swift | Spotify
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