On November 12, we will be getting the long-awaited re-release of Taylor Swift’s album Red. As a fan, this is huge. We knew this day was coming in July, but now that it is only a few weeks away, the anticipation is growing. Red came out in 2012 when I was in 7th grade. I specifically remember hearing “I Knew You Were Trouble” at the Halloween dance for the first time and immediately loving it. Back in the day, the singles were my life. “We Are Never Getting Back Together” sends me straight back to middle school, dancing with my friends and forgetting all my worries. The real core memory for me, however, lies in “22”. My best friend and I performed in our school talent show to the song, showing off our dance moves and tricks we practiced over the summer. At the time it was a BIG deal for us. We made sure we bought the perfect costumes, and we even went last in the whole performance. To be honest, it’s what made me love the stage and I think it was the first piece I ever “choreographed”.
Fast forward to 2018, Taylor played at Gillette Stadium just after I graduated high school, and I was able to get tickets for the Reputation Tour. I had never seen her live and I could instantly feel the amazing energy of her concerts as soon as I walked in. During every show, she played a surprise song. This obviously was known by the fandom due to the countless tweets from previous concert dates, revealing what the song was in their city. For some odd reason on the way there, I told my friend in the car that I knew she was going to play “22” and sure enough, she did.
It definitely was luck and also that the song was a staple from the Red era, but I like to think it was just another sign that the song had an important meaning. I also turn 22 this year and am a member of the graduating class of 2022. C’mon, it can’t get better than that. As I’ve gotten older, I have grown to love the album and everything that comes with it. My hometown friends and I always scream sing “All Too Well” together on late-night drives, yelling the bridge at the top of our lungs. The singles from the album definitely are nostalgic still, but 21-year-old me leans towards tracks like “The Lucky One” and “Treacherous”. I could go on about every song, but we would be here for hours. The point is that this album is going to bring out the inner country rockstar that we all have in us as Swifties.
On top of each song being a story on its own, this album brings us into the fall mood. Driving down the New England streets, watching the colored leaves fall, and testing the speed limit is the perfect way to listen to “Starlight”. Who knows, maybe the new songs and collaborations will also make us feel new moments and new emotions. Until November 12, I will be waiting patiently to put on the 10-minute version of “All Too Well” and scream out my car window feeling the adrenaline and magic that I did in 2012.
