On Nov. 12, Taylor Swift dropped her re-recorded version of her 2012 album Red, now called Red (Taylor’s Version).
This is her second time releasing a rerecorded album as Swift vowed to do with each of her first six albums under the Big Machine Records label, the first being her re-recording of Fearless. This came after an intense legal dispute over Swift’s master recordings, of which the label did not grant her possession.
Due to this, Swift has begun the process of rerecording all of her past songs initially under the Big Machine Records label, rerecording the same lyrics, instrumentals and even getting the same backup singers and featured artists to return.
However, Swift has also included special tracks that were never previously released during the respective albums’ eras. These tracks are referred to as “From The Vault” tracks that were intended for the albums but did not make it onto them.
Swift first announced she was going to rerelease Red in June, which came as a surprise to her fans as she is often known for her meticulous details and her inclusion of Easter eggs in her social media posts, music videos and public appearances.
Elizabeth Amstutz, a freshman studying acting, was shocked when she found out Red was going to be next. This curveball in her prediction, Amstutz said, made her all the more excited for the new release.
“I was so excited because (Red) was my album,” Amstutz said. “I was eight years old, going to the concert pretending like I had experienced heartbreak. And even as a kid, I was like, ‘Oh my god, ‘All Too Well’ is the best song ever written.’ And so I was just in tears. I think I was in the Starbucks drive-thru when she posted that Red was next, and I was sobbing.”
After its release, Red (Taylor’s Version) broke two significant records for Spotify. The first is the biggest single-day streams for a female-made album on Spotify, surpassing her own previous record made with Folklore. Additionally, Swift became the most streamed female artist in a single day in Spotify’s history.
Red (Taylor’s Version) also remained in the top trending topics on Twitter all of Friday.
One of the most highly anticipated songs on the album was the 10-minute version of the fan-favorite “All Too Well,” which uncovers new lyrics and imagery never heard before. The song, which is iconically about a never-returned scarf, autumn leaves and the not-so-subtle Jake Gyllenhaal, has remained number one on Spotify since Nov. 12. Additionally, Swift directed an accompanying short film that premiered Nov. 12.
Grace Palmatary, a sophomore studying film, listened to the album at midnight when it was released and watched the accompanying short film the following day. Palmatary said the newly uncovered tracks were the most exciting to listen to.
“‘All Too Well,’ the 10 minute version, was so good,” Palmatary said. “It definitely met my expectations, and my expectations were high. And I mainly just listened to the vault tracks instead of touching on the songs that were already released, and my favorites were definitely ‘Better Man’ and ‘Babe.’”
Amstutz said she also appreciated the inclusion of the vault and deluxe tracks the most when listening to the new album.
“I love Phoebe Bridgers so ‘Nothing New’ is amazing for me,” Amstutz said. “Like when they first announced that they were doing a song together, it was like screaming, crying, throwing up. But my favorite has always been the acoustic version of ‘State of Grace’ because those lyrics are just so pretty, and when it's slowed down, and it's just her and the guitar, I think it's really meaningful.”
While there were many songs, whether brand new or remade, that Swift fans were obsessed with, Amstutz said there were a couple that missed the mark.
“I’ve always loved ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ … I think it's so fun,” Amstutz said. “The ‘we’ in it, it's so weird and auto-tuned in her version. It's not a deal-breaker, I just wish it would have felt more like the original.”
Caroline Rhude, a sophomore studying Spanish and mathematical statistics, stressed the significance in listening to these rerecorded versions is the sentimental value they possess that allows her to reminisce the memories associated with the song at a different phase of her life.
“Sometimes I associate certain albums with certain areas of my life,” Rhude said. “But for the most part, I see them as her maturing as I'm maturing. It's kind of interesting to hear them again. But now that I'm older, it's like hearing them again for the first time.”
Despite the legal dispute not being an ideal situation for Swift, Rhude said she has curated the best possible outcome given the circumstances.
”I think she's gone about it in a very mature way,” Rhude said. “And the fact that she is adding all these additional songs and can still make something of them like the short film … that's perfect.”
With four more albums left to re-release, Amstutz said she is excited for the remaining albums to roll out and is consistently inspired by Swift’s determination and confidence in reclaiming her music.
“I think it's so inspiring, not only (as) a woman in the music industry but as a woman in business in general,” Amstutz said. “She's taking back everything that was supposed to be hers that was stolen from her. And it's so inspiring to watch her decide ‘I'm not going to take anyone’s s--- anymore, and I'm just going to do this, and it's going to be for me now, I own everything that I've worked on my whole life.’ It's so inspiring and iconic.”
