If you are a devoted Taylor Swift fan like me, then you have likely been preparing all week for her latest re-recorded album, “Red”, dropping on November 12th. Personally, “Red” is one of my absolute favorite albums from her discography, so I can’t wait to hear “Taylor’s Version” on Friday. Now, if for some reason you aren’t a crazed fan like me and don’t follow her every move, no need to worry. Here are a few things you need to know before “Red (Taylor’s Version)” drops on Friday.
First, you may be asking yourself, “Why is she re-releasing an album from 2012?” The release of “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is one phase in a massive re-recording of her first five albums, including: “Taylor Swift”, “Fearless”, “Speak Now”, “Red”, and “1989”. Her sixth studio album, “Reputation”, will only be eligible for re-recording in November 2022. This is because of a clause in contracts stating that the album can only be re-recorded five years after its original release, which was in 2017. “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” was released earlier this year and is only adding to the excitement for the latest re-recording.
At the beginning of her career, Taylor Swift signed a record deal with Big Machine Records giving the label ownership of her first six albums. From my research, this is common for young, emerging artists to sign contracts of this manner due to wanting a record deal and the perks that would come with signing with a major label. However, many of these artists rarely reach the level of success that Taylor Swift has. She has cemented herself as a household name and is truly a historic artist that will be remembered for years to come. Shortly before Big Machine was purchased by Ithaca Holdings in 2019, Taylor decided to sign with Universal Music Group. In this new contract, she would own the masters for all her albums released under the new label. Unfortunately, she still wouldn’t have ownership of her first six albums as they were still owned by Big Machine/Ithaca.
Just last year, her masters were sold once again for greater than $300 million. As she was not consulted before the sale or offered the chance to buy them herself, Taylor Swift made the decision to re-record all six of the albums in a new light known as, “Taylor’s Version.”
For fans this was incredible news since it meant we would be getting six new albums from her, all with songs we already know and love, in addition to brand new songs “from the vault.” This gives fans a chance to hear songs that may have not made the album when it was first released. Another great thing about the re-recording is we get to hear some of her earliest work transformed by her older, mature voice. It is no secret that Taylor Swift’s style has changed significantly over the years, from switching genres to new sounds, so seeing her revisit her first albums will be very interesting sonically.
“Red (Taylor’s Version)” will consist of 30 songs, featuring artists like Chris Stapleton, Phoebe Bridgers, and Ed Sheeran. The album will also feature a new 10-minute version of beloved track, “All Too Well”, which will probably destroy me. In addition to this new rendition of arguably one of her best songs, a short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien will release on YouTube at 7pm ET the day of the release.
Personally, I am most excited to hear some of these new songs from the vault, as well as my personal favorites: “22”, “Red”, and “All Too Well”. Especially since I turn 22 in April, so I will be captioning all my Instagram posts with lyrics from the song. I am also really looking forward to seeing everyone’s reactions to the album on social media. The Taylor Swift fanbase is incredible and I know the energy on TikTok and other platforms will be insane.
The time is almost here for us to finally hear Taylor Swift’s latest rerecorded album, “Red (Taylor’s Version)”, so grab your fellow swifties and have a listening party to celebrate!