It has only been a week and we can’t stop playing “All Too Well (Ten Minute Version)”. Is it any surprise we cannot get enough of “Red (Taylor’s Version)”? From the re-recording of all of our favorite classics to the outstanding new additions from the vault, this album is all we can think about this week.
“Red (Taylor’s Version)” is everything we could have wanted and more, from only her second re-recording of her first six albums. One of her most iconic break-up albums, the re-release of “Red” had her fans excited to see which new tracks she would unveil “from the vault,” and she did not disappoint. Her vault tracks were each interesting and well done, and in our opinion, better than the vault tracks she released with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)”. From songs she wrote that originally went to other artists, like “Better Man” and “Babe”, to brand new songs, like “The Very First Night” and fan favorite “Nothing New (featuring Phoebe Bridgers)”, the vault tracks blew us away. Each song had a unique feeling and really fit the vibe of the rest of the songs on “Red”.
Fans also were excited to hear some of her older songs with new vocals almost ten years after the original release, and she certainly delivered. Right off the bat with “State of Grace”, you can hear the changes in her voice from the original recording. From the first track to the last, you can tell that Taylor genuinely enjoyed doing these re-recordings, and you can hear the little spin she put on her old songs while still keeping true to their original form.
It was extremely heartwarming to see “Ronan” find a permanent home in her discography. Originally released as a charity single, “Ronan” tells the story of a little boy who died of cancer. Some of the lyrics are actually direct quotes from his mother’s blog telling his story, and she herself is happy to see “Ronan” on this album, as well as hearing the song recorded again for the first time. It’s impossible to finish this song with dry eyes, but we are so happy to see her continuing to honor him and his family.
Original tracks met the vault with the long awaited release of the ten minute version of “All Too Well’. Already a fan favorite, the originally five minute long track got even longer as Taylor finally released the ten minute version she has teased for years and years. It was a little risky touching a song that was already at the top of so many fan rankings, but she somehow managed to make the track even better. For a song that reaches ten minutes long, we have really been spending all of our time going back to this song and playing it over and over. The raw emotion felt through each of the new added lyrics keeps us coming back, not to mention the release of the short film she released set in the world of the song that adds a whole new dimension to her lyrics. If you thought she couldn’t possibly do any more with the song, this past week she also released the “Sad Girl Autumn” version of the song recorded at the well known and loved Long Pond Studios. This acoustic, raw version of the song lets you really feel the heartbreak, and leaves you more sad than angry in comparison to the original.
It’s no shock that this is our first weekly pick, as it has taken the world by storm. We have spent all week falling back in love with everything that is “Red”, and it is so much sweeter knowing that Taylor once again owns her own songs. By getting this massive album of 30 songs, it has been more than enough to get us through the week and we are beyond excited to see what she gives us next, but for now, we are gonna keep on feeling 22!