It's time for Red (Taylor's Version)
There's always a hum of excitement surrounding a new Taylor Swift album release. I find myself buzzing with anticipation the night before and debating whether to stay up late to take a quick listen to a few songs. Either way, I pop out of bed in the morning to listen to the album start to finish as soon as humanly possible. But what happens when it's a re-release? While I was excited for Fearless (Taylor's Version) when it came out earlier this year, there was something different about the hype around Red (Taylor's Version), which features some of Taylor Swift's most powerful early work, including the masterpiece that has long topped my ranking of favorite Swift songs, All Too Well.
When it first came out in 2012, Red was a turning point for Swift. The album not only features perfectly crafted heartbreak ballads but also pop bops like 22 and I Knew You Were Trouble. It was the first time she openly experimented with different genres (in present day, she now dips in and out of different musical styles with ease). It was famously snubbed for an Album of the Year Grammy. It tackled one of her first adult heartbreaks, which in a talk show appearance earlier this week, Swift admits made it difficult to plaster a smile on her face and promote ten years ago. Red featured her trademark vulnerability and powerful lyrics, but this album dug deeper and hit harder. Looking at it now, Red was a peek into the future, combining the pop genius of 1989, escapist vignettes of folklore and aching (mostly fictional) heartbreak of evermore.
Friday felt like a brand new album release day. It was filled with "OMGGGGG," "are you listening to this," "Jake Gyllenhaal is shaking," "have you heard this one yet," "are you listening to the 10-minute version first or waiting until the end?" text messages and tweets. It felt like the first time we were all hearing Red. It speaks to the power of Taylor Swift that she's able to build excitement this big for an album that isn't even largely new. Spotify announced over the weekend that Taylor Swift broke her own record (previously held for evermore) of most streams in a single day. One of the most hyped parts of the new Red was the release of the 10-minute version of All Too Well (Taylor's Version) that has been whispered about for years. This version of the song allows fans to revisit a more detailed account of her breakup with even more specificity than the original ("They say all's well that ends well, but I'm in a new Hell / Every time you double-cross my mind / You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine"). She performed the song in its entirety on Saturday Night Live last night, combining the traditional two musical performances into one, and on Friday she released an accompanying short film/extended music video version starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. Red (Taylor's Version) also features more brand new tracks, including the first formal releases of Better Man (Taylor's Version) and Babe (Taylor's Version) with Swift's vocals. Two of my new favorites are Nothing New (Taylor's Version), featuring Phoebe Bridgers, a really beautiful song about growing up in the limelight ("Lord, what will become of me / Once I've lost my novelty?"), and Sometimes You Think About Me (Taylor's Version), a catchy, biting country tune featuring Chris Stapleton ("Now you're out in the world, searchin' for your soul / Scared not to be hip, scared to get old"). Taylor Swift has always been magical, but this week she pulled off yet another impressive move by taking an album we know all too well and making it new again.
