This strange thing happens when teens or 20-something aged people, usually women, really love something in pop culture. It happened with One Direction, Justin Bieber and obviously Taylor Swift. When women of this age group are really enthusiastic about something, the rest of the world seems to scoff at it. Assuming that we are simply overreacting, and that it’s just another silly obsession that’s far too childish. It seems that the things we like are just not cool enough for everyone else. Instead, we are shamed for liking it, shamed for spending money and time on it, and labelled as immature.
If you look at the public’s history with Taylor Swift specifically, it’s laced with misogyny and a hatred that doesn’t really have an origin. Taylor was hated for years just for writing songs about her relationship experiences… like every man was also doing at that time. Now, as she is re-recording her old music to regain ownership, people continue to turn their noses up at those who find so much joy in these releases. This time around, it thankfully seems like more people are along for the ride.
Red, initially released in 2012, is an album about coming of age, growing up and heartbreak. Taylor wrote and released it between the ages of 20 and 22 – as she was growing out of her teen years and feeling her first heavy heartbreaks. Personally, I was about 11 years old and thought the songs sounded super good, but I couldn’t totally relate. Based on my conversations with friends and reading people’s takes online, it seems like this is a pretty universal experience. Now, I’m 20 going on 21, I have finally experienced the heartbreak that Taylor is talking about, and I’m entering an entirely new stage of my life.
For many gen Z’s, Red (Taylor’s Version) is the first time we get to listen to this album with the life experience to relate to it. I’m finally listening to All Too Well and relating to being unable to forget everything that happened in a horrible relationship, or 22 and feel the excitement of growing up and changing with some of my best friends. While we have a deep nostalgia for the songs, this new release allows us to experience the album the way Taylor did when she created it. On top of all of that, the release of songs from the vault makes this re-release all the more exciting. As someone who has grown up with Taylor’s music as the soundtrack to my life, her re-releases are a really big deal for me. They remind me of my younger self, just thinking about how much has changed since then and make me excited for the future. Gen Z is finally able to feel the heartbreak and change embedded in these songs we have loved for so long. Of course, we are going to be excited, and maybe we are going to cry a bit about it. So, blast All Too Well (10 Minute Version obviously), cry to Nothing New, and dance to 22 because we finally get to feel this album. It’s time to let ourselves obsess, without being embarrassed, and let ourselves soak this moment in.