Taylor Swift released her new album Red (Taylor’s Version) on November 12. This album was looked forward to by swifties, her dedicated fans, along with many others who simply liked her music. It was a rerecording of the original she wrote in 2012, with a few songs added to it. She did this as a way to defy the patriarchy, which occurred due to issues with owning the original album. 

First, I would like to address the most looked forward to and hyped up song on the album, “All Too Well (Taylors Version) (10 Minute Version).” Fans have been awaiting this moment, since she proclaimed the song on the album was not the original, or full version. The version of the song on the original album is an extensive rollercoaster of emotions, intimacy, anger, depression, and confusion.

This song is an outline of her emotions throughout one relationship, and the intensity within that. The extremely high bar was set for Swift when releasing this song, but sadly the extra five minutes on the song didn’t add much to the original. The more expository details are interesting however, not critical, and not many of the new one-liners provide the same deep heartache. I do like the details that add to the emotional tone of the song.

“They say all’s well that ends well, but I’m in a new Hell every time you double-cross my mind,” Swift wrote. 

But personally, I had higher expectations for this song, so if I had to give it a grade, it would get a B minus. 

The songs Swift had rerecorded were all well done, and she did an effective job with what her goal was, simply rerecording. One song she did add a slight change to that I thought was notable was, “Girl at Home.” The rhythm and beat behind it was uplifting and the contradiction between the anger and the upbeat rhythm added to the tone and attitude she portrayed while singing. 

Swift adds one song titled, “Forever Winter,” which adds a certain depth to the album that it needed to be more complete. It allows the audience to connect with her on a deeper level and in a more emotional, vulnerable manner. Whereas some of her other songs are simply one emotion such as anger or love, this song incorporates both isolation and fear, which forces people to connect to it in a different aspect. Swift sings about her uneasiness in the miscommunications throughout her relationship. She also touches upon mental health her partner was struggling with and how that provoked other issues in the relationship. The content of the song is extremely deep, but she doesn’t pace the song too slowly, which is an indication of her persistence through the difficulties of the relationship. This piece is entrancing. It has light trumpets and an amazing rhythm. All in all, this song adds extreme flavor and connection to the audience that the album lacked. 

In conclusion, the album had a very mediocre impact on her as an artist, the songs from the vault were as good as expected, but the extension of “All Too Well” could have been conveyed in a more effective manner.