So obviously Red (Taylor’s Version) came out today and as an avid Taylor Swift fan, I felt the need to share my reactions with all of you, so without further ado, I present Red (Taylor’s Version):
1. State of Grace
State of Grace is the PERFECT opener for this album. First, it makes you feel like the main character in a way that I can’t fully explain, like you’re in the opening credits of a movie and you know something exciting is about to happen. It also perfectly encapsulates what the Red Era is: it’s messy, it’s passionate, it’s exciting, it’s painful. You can also tell that this album is going to sound different than old Red, which makes it kind of exciting.
Favorite Lyric: We learn to live with the pain/mosaic broken hearts
2. Red
Despite thirty-one-year-old Taylor Swift knowing that love is “golden,” she brings back the full brunt of the emotions that nineteen-year-old her felt, in a way that is so difficult to even express, let alone execute. Even though it seems kind of on the nose for this song, it truly feels like a song you sing while speeding down a deserted highway in the fall. Full of colors, freedom, and excitement.
Favorite lyric: Remembering him comes in flashbacks/in echoes
3. Treacherous
This was my favorite song from Red (not Taylor’s Version) and it did not disappoint. The remixing of the sound quality was even better than the original and there were multiple times that I was so overcome with how in love I am with this song, that I physically couldn’t speak. The song perfectly goes through that early stage of a relationship where everything is so tenuous, you feel like one wrong move could snap it. My favorite part of the song was the song building on the “I-I-I”s in the bridge to take us back to the chorus. It was perfect and I almost crashed my car when it happened.
Favorite Lyric: All we are is skin and bone trained to get along
4. I Knew You Were Trouble
I’m not going to lie. When this song first came out, I wasn’t that big of a fan. This is my formal apology for my past mistakes because OH MY GOD I WAS WRONG, this song slaps. This song specifically, showed the maturity of her voice, especially on those higher, longer notes and I was absolutely blown away.
Favorite lyric: A new notch in your belt/ is all I’ll ever be
5. All Too Well
After listening to this song, my best friend, who I was listening with, looked up at me through her tears and sobbed “I should’ve gone to therapy today.” This rerecording cemented “All Too Well” as one of Taylor’s best song of all time, and I don’t make the rules. I have never even been in a relationship and yet every single line landed like a punch in the gut. I feel like trying to describe the emotional journey it took me on would only diminish the song’s impact so I only have one thing left to say: “Jake Gyllenhal, give Taylor her scarf back!!!”
Favorite lyric: And you call me up again just to break me like a promise
6. 22
This version of “22” was really fun. I noticed that there was more guitar in it and that while “All Too Well” seemed less country, “22” included more guitar and seemed more connected to Tayor’s country roots. I will say, that while the vibe shift from “All Too Well” to “22” is jarring, it was still a fun time. As a whole, this album has increased its level of production in comparison to the original, and this can be seen in the background vocals, especially for this song. Seriously, the background vocals were carrying the team, it’s so cool. While I was still depressed from “All Too Well” this song was still a bop and now I’m patiently waiting for my 22nd birthday.
Favorite Lyric: And end up dreamin’/ instead of sleepin’
7. I Almost Do
This song is so underrated and I’m here to fix that. I adore this song and, according to my best friend who was struggling to speak through it, being in love with someone after a break-up sucks. The way that Taylor’s voice cracks during “I almost do” in the first chorus made me want to cry, it just felt so small and hopeless. It truly dragged me right back down to “All Too Well.” This album is not for the faint of heart.
Favorite Lyric: And I confess babe/ In my dreams you’re touching my face
8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together
To be honest, I don’t have that much to say about this song. It’s just fun, and Taylor’s sass is immaculate. It made me just want to have a dance party where I got to trash things. It’s truly the best rage-dancing song, and Taylor once again delivered.
Favorite Lyric: Like, we are never ever getting back together, like, ever
9. Stay Stay Stay
This song is just cute. It’s not one of my favorites, but I still like it. Overall the sound quality on this song was WAY better than the original and it allowed me to appreciate Taylor’s vocal maturity that much more. It also comes into the album at the point where I stopped believing in love, so it was comforting to remember that this kind of solid, puppy-dog love still exists out there. Also, the cute little laugh at the end is my favorite thing and I’m so glad she kept it in.
Favorite Lyric: All those times that you didn’t leave, it’s been occurring to me/I’d like to hang out with you, for my whole life
10. The Last Time (ft. Gary Lightbody)
This was one of my favorites from the original version, and this rerecording only improved the quality. Gary Lightbody’s voice comes through SO CLEARLY and after getting to hear all of the little nuances, I’m in love with it. The harmonies are especially arresting and make the listener feel so enveloped in their story. The way the chorus builds each time only furthers this effect. This song should literally be at the top of people’s rerecord rankings, I do not care what anyone else has to say.
Favorite Lyric: You wear your best apology/but I was there to watch you leave
11. Holy Ground
All I wanted to do during this song was dance around an abandoned city block at 2 am. It feels like being in love and just wanting to have those little midnight adventures with the person that you care most about in the world. It shot serotonin straight into my veins and if you’re not jumping in time to the beat or fist-bumping, then you’re listening to this song incorrectly.
Favorite Lyric: Spinning like a girl in a brand new dress/we had this big wide city all to ourselves
12. Sad Beautiful Tragic
I don’t know if anyone has ever read Atonement by Ian McEwan or has seen the movie with Kiera Knightly, but this song reminds me of that story, every single time. The trapped nostalgia of the song reminds the listener of a passionate love gone grey with age and neglect. The bridge of this song does its job well and brings the song to an emotional climax that, when the music cuts out, makes you feel like your stomach has hollowed out when you realize how the relationship ended.
Favorite Lyric: And you’ve got your demons/ and darling, they all look like me
13. The Lucky One
I promise I will stop with the literary references after this, but if anyone has read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, then you get it. This song is especially impactful when I think about the degree to which Taylor Swift was publicly shamed in the press for anything she did and how severely it impacted her mental health. The final harmonies, especially, encapsulate this idea because it feels like you can hear all the past versions of famous women telling you that this life is not what you think it is.
Favorite Lyric: Another name goes up in lights/ you wonder if you’ll make it out alive
14. Everything Has Changed (ft. Ed Sheeran)
I loved that the remixing of this track let Ed Sheeran’s vocals stand out more from Taylor Swift’s. If you know Ed Sheeran’s music, then you know that he used to play music by using his guitar as all of his instruments (guitar, drum, etc.,). The riffs of the guitar that led this song’s melody reminded me of organic, old Ed Sheeran and his style when he and Taylor first started to collab together, which took me all the way back to 2012.
Favorite Lyric: All my walls stood tall, painted blue/ but I’ll take ‘em down, take ‘em down/ and open up the door for you
15. Starlight
This song just feels like pure joy and optimism. It reminds me of one of those nights where you’re with someone and then, all of a sudden, you feel swept up by them in the best possible way. I didn’t get these feelings from her old recording, but hearing the song again made me want to get up and start dancing at the Panera I was writing this article in. I also wanted to mention that there’s a super cool electric guitar that leads the outro, which I absolutely loved.
Favorite Lyric: He was trying to skip rocks on the ocean, saying to me/ “Don’t you see the starlight, starlight?/ Don’t you dream impossible things?”
16. Begin Again
Connor Kennedy is the hero of the Red era. Overall, this song just feels like a warm hug after a rough day, especially the moment where Taylor Swift’s new love interest is laughing because she thinks she’s funny. That made me teary, I can’t lie. The improved control of her voice on this song is particularly noticeable, and it almost reinforces that she’s come so far from the version of herself that was heartbroken and confused. In rerecording her music, she truly is beginning again.
Favorite Lyric: ‘Cause you throw your head back laughing like a little kid/ I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny ’cause he never did
17. The Moment I Knew
I hope Jake Gyllenhaal entered the witness protection program because after this, he really should consider it. I feel like every single person can relate to the feeling of someone not showing up, and the way that you can feel the hopelessness in the lyrics only further cemented that feeling of dread in my gut. The cello was especially beautiful and the background vocals during the second verse were absolutely shattering.
Favorite Lyric: And what do you do/ When the one who means the most to you/ Is the one who didn’t show?
18. Come Back…Be Here
The build-up to this chorus is unmatched. Every single time I hear it, I end up dancing without conscious thought. I noticed that Taylor Swift changes the “o” in “come” to be a shorter sound which helps it fit the rhyme a little better than the original. To be honest, I would haved loved this song if it were exactly the same, nothing hits harder than this bridge. I would 100% recommend belting this out in the shower, friends.
Favorite Lyric: But you’re in London, and I break down/ cuz it’s not fair that you’re not around
19. Girl At Home
This rerecord was VERY different from the original and I was completely unprepared. My jaw literally dropped open. The original is backed by a guitar, similarly to the rest of the songs on the album. This version was backed by a 1989-esque, synth beat that invoked the music that would play at a party. In retrospect, this makes so much more sense, as it literally drops you into the scene as this man approaches Taylor Swift, while in a relationship.
Favorite Lyric: And yeah I might go with it/ if I hadn’t once been just like her
20. State of Grace (Acoustic Version)
I absolutely adored this song. The acoustic version brought forth the vulnerability of the lyrics that the original is able to hide a little more. If the original “State of Grace” is the opening sequence to a movie, then the acoustic version is the montage of those quiet small moments that endear the main character to the audience.
Favorite Lyric: We learn to live with the pain/mosaic broken hearts
21. Ronan
This song is really personal for me, as I have a relative who died of cancer a few years ago, and I haven’t listened to it since he passed. This song was written by Taylor Swift after she read the blog of Maya Thompson, who was chronicling her son Ronan’s battle with cancer, and the aftermath of her grief. I’m not going to pick a favorite lyric, rather I will be linking to Maya’s website, which you can find here.
22. Better Man
Both this song and “Babe” were actually written back in 2012 when the old album came out. However, Taylor Swift’s producers wouldn’t let her put it on the album and she ended up giving the songs to Little Big Town and Sugarland, respectively. To be honest, I was so overwhelmed that we finally got to hear this song when I never thought I would get to. The belted “you never thought I’d run” was so powerful and I felt it all the way down to my toes. I spent the entire song jumping and punching the air with righteous indignation.
Favorite Lyric: We might still be in love if you were a better man
23. Nothing New (ft. Phoebe Bridgers)
For a while, there was some controversy over the fact that Taylor Swift, when she collaborates with female artists, tends to have them sing background vocals. So let me tell you, when Phoebe Bridgers came in, I was jumping and screaming. In an interview with Seth Meyers, Taylor Swift explained that the song was written about the feeling of being a new artist, where everyone is obsessed with you, and the slow diminishing of praise where everyone slowly begins to ignore you. As a burnt-out perfectionist, I felt this song with my whole chest, and I did cry.
Favorite Lyric: She’ll know the way and then she’ll say she got the map from me/ I’ll say im happy for her and then I’ll cry myself to sleep
24. Babe
The “babe” in the bridge was so powerful, please play it at my funeral. As with “Better Man,” I never thought I would get to hear Taylor Swift sing these songs, so I’m just so happy that I get to. This song is the epitome of screaming with righteous indignation on your floor while chugging a bottle of wine, and I love that for both Taylor and myself.
Favorite Lyric: What a waste/ takin’ down the pictures and the plans we made, yeah
25. Message in a Bottle
Not going to lie, I wasn’t expecting this song, but I loved it. It had a more pop-y sound than I would have expected for this album, but it’s an instant classic. It kind of reminded me of a song that would play at a school dance in a Disney Channel Movie, but in the best possible way. I will be singing this song at my next karaoke night.
Favorite Lyric: But time moves faster, replaying your laughter, disaster
26. I Bet You Think About Me (ft. Chris Stapelton)
My first thought when I heard this song was “it’s the return of the fake country twang” and we love to see it. I also immediately noticed the harmonica and got way too excited. I was also so excited to see the return of “angry, wronged, country Taylor” who was coming for the man that not only belittled her but treated her like garbage. Once again, if this was Jake Gyllenhal, I hope he is hiding.
Favorite Lyric: When you realized I’m harder to forget than I was to leave/and I bet you think about me
27. Forever Winter
This song marks the return of classic Taylor Swift songs that are very upbeat but are SO FREAKIN SAD. It almost felt like the happy-sounding music was her trying to convince the person she loves that she can be their “summer sun,” which broke my heart. Her begging them to stay with her while she tries to keep everything bright and happy for them was almost too much for me.
Favorite Lyric: I’ll be summer sun for you forever
28. Run (ft. Ed Sheeran)
This was one of my new favorites. Listen, I am an Ed Sheeran fan, and I recognize that he’s gotten some hate recently, but this song is perfect. I love “Everything Has Changed,” but I’m a little sad it was on the album when we could have had this adorable song. In terms of musical style, I loved the acoustic guitar and Taylor Swift’s and Ed Sheeran’s voices blended so perfectly together. I will be listening to this song on repeat for the foreseeable future.
Favorite Lyric: There’s a heart on your sleeve/ I’ll take it when I leave/ And hold it for you
29. The Very First Night
This song feels like dancing in your kitchen and using your rolling pin as a microphone. It feels like falling in love for the first time. Honestly, this song, more than “Stay Stay Stay” makes me want to be in love. Overall, it was just super cute and I loved it.
Favorite Lyric: I’m the one on the phone as you whisper/ “Do you know how much I miss you?
30. All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
Once again, I hope for Jake Gyllenhaal’s sake, that he entered the witness protection program. In contrast to the original “All Too Well,” this version opened with a piano backing, which I loved. I don’t want to spoil it for everybody, so here’s what I’ll say: Taylor finally says the f-word; “you never called it what it was”; he met her parents (?!?); OH GOD, OH GOD; how dare this man breathe air; give her the damn scarf back!!!
Favorite Lyric: Just between us, did the love affair maim you, too?