Red (Taylor’s Version) has had the internet in an absolute chokehold since it dropped two weeks ago. Honestly, as it should. I’ve never been a huge Swiftie, but I’ve grown up hearing her songs on the radio, and I greatly appreciate her for the icon that she is. Also, her middle name is Alison, which I always thought was so cool. However, at the latest Her Campus UCSC chapter meeting, it soon became apparent that I was the only one in the entire group who had not, in fact, streamed Red (Taylor’s Version). Shock and horror ensued, and soon I decided—what better way to finally listen to it than to write a whole article detailing the process? Without further ado, here are my thoughts on the album.
- Okay, but the rock guitar in “State of Grace” is honestly such a good way to kick off the album!
- “Just twin fire signs / four blue eyes” oh, I love that.
- “Love is a ruthless game / unless you play it right” honestly hits different.
- The color lyricism in “Red,” hello?
- The lyrics of “Treacherous” remind me of “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. The song feels new (which it technically is), but also nostalgic.
- “I Knew You Were Trouble”! That song, I definitely know.
- I wasn’t looking at my phone while this next song started, and my first thought was that this suits Taylor’s present style so well despite not being a new song. And then I realized it was “All Too Well,” and then I was like “oh, of course.”
- “Break me like a promise” okay, but have you considered that YOUR lyrics are breaking ME like a promise right now? :(
- “22”! This was actually my favorite song for a hot minute when I was in middle school, let’s goooo!
- Listening to Taylor’s Version of “22” feels like seeing an old friend again.
- “Who’s Taylor Swift anyway? Ew” made me laugh.
- “I Almost Do” is such a tender song, wow.
- “We Are Never Getting Back Together” —wow, what an anthem.
- The lyricism of “Stay Stay Stay” struck me as way more simple than the other songs on the album, but that’s honestly part of why I think it’s good!
- Taylor and Gary’s voices together in “The Last Time” were so hauntingly gorgeous.
- Loving the guitar and string background.
- Ah yes, “Holy Ground,” another good lost love anthem.
- Old memories always seem so golden!
- “Sad Beautiful Tragic”: simply, well, sad, beautiful, and tragic. 😭😭😭
- After listening to “The Lucky One,” I queued up the original version of the song to compare the two, and Taylor’s description of show business takes on a different meaning in light of the nearly ten years that have passed since its release.
- Considering this, she seems more pensive and reflective after having spent so long in the public eye.
- “Everything Has Changed” was one of my favorite songs in middle school, so listening to the re-recorded version of the song was a nostalgic look back at my past, and how I’ve grown and changed since then.
- Also, I didn’t know that Ed Sheeran re-recorded his featured part, so that was a nice surprise!
- The imagery of “Starlight” is so beautiful.
- I want to make a moodboard for this song IMMEDIATELY.
- Wait, so in “Begin Again” the terrible boyfriend becomes better after the cafe date?
- Oh, no, it’s about a new and better relationship, hence the title. Duhh
- My reaction after reading the lyrics to “The Moment I Knew”: 😳
- What the heck, this is such a specific and heartbreaking scenario.
- Man, the amount of times! I have told myself “Don’t get attached”! Just like in “Come Back… Be Here”!
- Another specific and heartbreaking scenario in “Girl At Home.”
- That poor girl. :(
- But with that being said, I’m so glad Taylor breaks away from the narrative of trying to compete with another woman for a man’s love, which seems so prevalent in popular media.
- No new thoughts on “State of Grace (Acoustic Version),” except that I love how the stripped-back version sounds.
- So, “Ronan” is about a young boy who died of neuroblastoma at four, and the lyrics were just as devastating as you would expect them to be.
- The way that Taylor’s lyricism encapsulates the different parts of love. 🥺
- Wow, “Better Man” is really the ultimate “I deserved better” anthem.
- Phoebe Bridgers my beloved! “Nothing New” is going to be awesome.
- “How can a person know everything at 18, but nothing at 22?” makes me feel some type of way. I’m in that weird place between those ages, and sometimes I feel like I know everything, but at other times, I’m just like, “what do I even know?”
- “Babe”: cheating. :(
- I really enjoy the juxtaposition between emotional lyrics and upbeat instrumentals in “Message in a Bottle.”
- I don’t know much about Chris Stapleton other than that he’s a big country star, but I find it really interesting that she’s giving a nod to her country roots in their collab for “I Bet You Think About Me.”
- Another great and empowering “I deserve better” anthem, and I am so here for the fourth-wall-breaking in the last lyric: “Oh my God, she’s insane, she wrote a song about me.”
- The lyrics in “Forever Winter” hit HARD..
- Contrary to the really intense last few songs, “Run” had a lot of hopeful themes, which I really liked.
- Again, I loved the emotional lyrics paired with the upbeat tempo in “The Very First Night.”
- I capped this exercise off by watching the “All Too Well” short film, and it’s safe to say that I am a broken woman.
Final thoughts:
Overall, Red (Taylor’s Version) was such an amazing listen. It felt nostalgic, but still fit so well with Taylor’s current style—if I didn’t know better, I would expect this to be something she had written today. Though they were the same songs, I was struck by how mature the re-released songs sound, which really reflects her growth in the industry over the past years. I definitely recommend this album to anyone who wants to get torn apart by some absolutely top-tier lyrics! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be rewatching the “All Too Well” short film and internally bawling in the library.