In addition to re-recorded versions of songs from the original album,Red (Taylor's Version) includes the re-recording of the 2012 charity single "Ronan" and nine tracks denoted as "From the Vault":[a] six unreleased songs, a10-minute-long version of "All Too Well", and Swift's solo versions of "Better Man" (2016) and "Babe" (2018), which she had written for other artists. Swift and most original producers reprised their works on the re-recorded tracks with additions fromChristopher Rowe, and the vault tracks were produced byAaron Dessner,Jack Antonoff,Elvira Anderfjärd, andEspionage. Featured artists includePhoebe Bridgers,Chris Stapleton, andEd Sheeran, with the lattermost contributing vocals to two tracks.
Red (Taylor's Version) is a genre-blending album that combinespop,country,rock, andelectronic, featuring acoustic instruments,strings, andelectronic keyboards. Its songs address the different dynamics of love and heartbreak. The album received unanimous acclaim for Swift's vocals, its enhanced production quality, and the vault tracks.Red (Taylor's Version) topped the charts in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, and the United Kingdom. In the United States, it was Swift's fourth number-one on theBillboard 200 in less than 16 months, registering the shortest time span for an artist to collect four number-one albums. It wascertified six-times platinum by theRecording Industry Association of America.
Taylor Swift signed a recording contract with Nashville-basedindependent record labelBig Machine in 2005.[1] As part of the contract, Big Machine released Swift's first six studio albums, fromTaylor Swift (2006) toReputation (2017).[2] Her fourth studio album,Red, was released on October 22, 2012. It expanded beyond thecountry stylings of her past albums and explored styles of mainstreampop and other genres.[3][4] The album's lead single, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", was Swift's first number-one song on theBillboard Hot 100.[5] Other singles, "I Knew You Were Trouble" and "22", were commercially successful and propelled Swift towards pop stardom.[5][6] Although critical reviews ofRed were generally positive, its eclectic musical influences led to critics questioning Swift's country music identity;[7] the album was retrospectively regarded as a testament to Swift's artistic versatility.[8]Rolling Stone placed it at number 99 on its 2021 revision of the500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[9]
By August 2018, Swift's contract with Big Machine had expired; she signed a new contract withRepublic Records, a division ofUniversal Music Group, which secured her the rights to own themasters of the new music she would release.[10] In 2019, the talent managerScooter Braun and his company, Ithaca Holdings, acquired Big Machine Records. The masters of Swift's Big Machine-released albums, includingRed, were effectively transferred to Braun, which resulted in apublic dispute between Swift and Braun.[11] Swift denounced the purchase and beganre-recording her first six studio albums, includingRed, in November 2020.[12] By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs forcommercial use and therefore substituted the Big Machine–owned masters.[13]
The first in Swift's re-recording series wasFearless (Taylor's Version), which was released on April 9, 2021.[14] It is the re-recording of her second studio album,Fearless (2008). In addition to re-recordings of the originalFearless album tracks,Fearless (Taylor's Version) includes several unreleased tracks denoted as "From the Vault".[15][a]Fearless (Taylor's Version) became the first re-recorded album in history to top the USBillboard 200.[5] Two months after the release ofFearless (Taylor's Version), on June 18, 2021, Swift announcedRed (Taylor's Version) as her second re-recorded album; it is the re-recording ofRed.[5] In addition to the re-recordings of the original album tracks,Red (Taylor's Version) also includes nine vault tracks.[16]
In a social media post, Swift wrote that re-recordingRed made her think of the album, both musically and lyrically, as "resembling a heartbroken person [...], all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end".[16] Music critics mostly characterizedRed (Taylor's Version) as a pop album with eclectic musical styles, as with the original album.[17][18][19][20] It also echoes thearena rock sound of its original recording,[21] with songs that draw oncountry pop[19] andpop rock styles.[22] All songs feature the additional "Taylor's Version" moniker;[23] they incorporate diverse sounds, includingsynth-pop,indie rock,electronic,dubstep, andfolk,[24][25][26] using both acoustic and electronic instruments.[17][27] Tracks 1–20 are re-recordings of the originalRed album songs, and they are country pop and experimental tracks intertwined between one another.[19][25] Track 21 is the re-recording of "Ronan", a 2012 standalonecharity single inspired by a four-year-old boy, Ronan Thompson, who died from cancer complications.[28][29]Gary Lightbody of the rock bandSnow Patrol andEd Sheeran returned to feature on "The Last Time" and "Everything Has Changed", respectively.[30]
All but one re-recorded tracks feature the same arrangements as their original versions;[31] they were produced by their respective original producers, exceptMax Martin,Dann Huff, andNathan Chapman, whose production was conducted by Swift andChristopher Rowe.[32] "Girl at Home" was reworked from an acoustic number into a synth-pop track produced byElvira Anderfjärd.[33] The re-recorded tracks feature Swift's mature, deeper, and more resonant vocals,[25][28][34] and a subtly sharper production that either tweaks or emphasizes certain instruments.Pitchfork's Olivia Horn wrote that the melody of "Sad Beautiful Tragic" might have tweaked "a note or two",[33]USA Today's Melissa Ruggieri found the drums on "I Knew You Were Trouble" sharper and the guitars on "22" more defined,[35] andNME's Hannah Mylrea described the opening drums on "State of Grace" as "crisper", thesoft rock guitars on "Red" as "a little brighter", and themandolin on "Stay Stay Stay" as "lifted".[28] According to Carrie Battan fromThe New Yorker, some of the stronger instrumentation made the re-recorded album resemble a live performance.[36]
Tracks 22–30 are labeled "From the Vault", which are songs Swift had written but did not include in the 2012 album. Two vault tracks—"Better Man" and "Babe"—are songs that had been written by Swift and recorded byLittle Big Town in 2016 andSugarland in 2018, respectively.[28] The closing track, "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)", is an unabridged version of "All Too Well" that contains lyrics Swift wrote in 2011 before trimming down the track.[37] Carson Mlnarik fromMTV News wrote that some vault tracks featured Swift's country songwriting, which was a reminder of how "Red is a country album at its core".[38] The vault tracks were produced by Swift,Shellback, Anderfjärd,Espionage,Jack Antonoff, andAaron Dessner.[32]
"Better Man" is abanjo-led country ballad that incorporates mandolin andstrings[17][28] with lyrics about the aftermath of a painful breakup.[39] "Nothing New", a folk duet withPhoebe Bridgers, is about insecurities around aging and the social perceptions of young women.[17][39] "Babe", whose version by Sugarland is a country song, is reworked into a pop-ska and country-pop arrangement[26][39] consisting ofslide guitar,keyboards,brass, and percussion.[28] Its lyrics describe the missteps in a dissolving relationship.[39]
"Run" is an acousticindie folk-leaning duet with Ed Sheeran, who wrote the track with Swift the same day they wrote "Everything Has Changed".[17][27] The production of "Run" is driven by a twiddling guitar and orchestral compositions, while its lyrics consist of romantic gestures.[39] "The Very First Night" is an uptempobubblegum and country pop song that sees Swift reminiscing about the first moments of a blossoming romance.[38][39][42] "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" is a slow ballad with apop rock sound driven by a thudding and insistentbassline.[17][44] It features additional verses that provide a richer context to the original song.[27]
On June 18, 2021, Swift released the cover art ofRed (Taylor's Version) and initially announced that the re-recorded album would be released on November 19, 2021.[5] Alongside the announcement,pre-orders for the digital album were made available.[45] The cover depicts Swift wearing red lipstick, a beigepeacoat, and a burgundy-colored "Matti" fisherman velvet cap, seated in a vintage 1932Chevrolet Cabrioletconvertible with an autumnal background. Janessa Leoné designed the cap which quickly sold out on Leoné's website.[46][47] The customized ring that Swift wears on the cover was designed by one of Swift's real-life friends.[48] On August 5, 2021, Swift posted a video across her social media, teasing aword puzzle for the fans to solve; it spelled out "Chris Stapleton", "Phoebe Bridgers", "Babe", "Better Man", and "All Too Well Ten Minute Version".[49][50] Concurrently, pre-orders for the album's CDs went up on Swift's website.[49] She posted the official track listing on August 6.[51]
On September 30, Swift announcedRed (Taylor's Version) would be released on November 12, a week earlier than scheduled.[16] She used social media to release snippets of several re-recorded songs prior to the album release: "22" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" via anInstagram story on August 5,[49] "Red" via an Instagram video on October 24,[52] and "Babe" viaTumblr on November 11.[53] Via Republic Records,Red (Taylor's Version) was released forstreaming,download, and physical formats of CD andvinyls, including limited editions with customized merchandise for the retailersTarget Corporation,Walmart, andUrban Outfitters.[54][55] In January 2022, five streaming "chapters" containing tracks fromRed (Taylor's Version) were released:Could You Be the One Chapter,She Wrote a Song About Me Chapter,The Slow Motion Chapter, andFrom the Vault Chapter.[56][57]
Starbucks partnered with Swift to commemorate the release ofRed (Taylor's Version), which coincided with the company's "red cup holiday season".[58] The fitness equipment manufacturerPeloton announced an exclusive collaboration with Swift to use songs from the album for their on-demand fitness classes.[59] Swift promotedRed (Taylor's Version) via twoNBC late-night talk shows,The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon andLate Night with Seth Meyers, which aired back-to-back on November 11.[60] Concurrently with the album's release on November 12, she premieredAll Too Well: The Short Film, which accompanied "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" and stars herself,Sadie Sink, andDylan O'Brien; she also performed the song at the premiere.[61][62] The following day, she appeared as the musical guest and performed "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" on aseason 47 episode ofSaturday Night Live.[63] The song was a number-one hit on theBillboard Hot 100, becoming the longest number-one song in history, surpassing the 8-minutes-and-37-seconds "American Pie" (1971) byDon McLean.[64] The vault tracks "I Bet You Think About Me" and "Message in a Bottle" were promoted as singles, respectively, tocountry radio[65][66] andpop/adult contemporary radio formats.[67]
Red (Taylor's Version) received universal critical acclaim.[73] AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received aweighted mean score of 91 based on 16 reviews; it is Swift's highest-rated project on the site.[69]
Lydia Burgham ofThe New Zealand Herald wrote that listening toRed (Taylor's Version) made her reflect on the originalRed as Swift's "magnum opus".[72] Many critics opined that the re-recorded tracks had better production with more emphasis on the instrumentation, includingRob Sheffield ofRolling Stone,[27] Helen Brown ofThe Independent,[17] and Hannah Mylrea ofNME.[28]Under the Radar's Andy Von Pip[74] and Melissa Ruggieri ofUSA Today[35] highlighted Swift's vocals as being more mature and warmer.The Line of Best Fit's Paul Bridgewater wrote that they were "subtly bolder and more assertive",[71] and Kate Solomon of thei wrote that they had "newly limber muscles".[75] Some critics, such as Bobby Olivier ofSpin[76] and Laura Snapes ofThe Guardian,[26] thought that the changes in production and vocals brought forth a less intense listening experience than the original album, but Ruggieri opined that they "don't diminish the spirit of the 2012 edition".[35]
The lyricism of Swift's songwriting was particularly well received.Red (Taylor's Version) wasPitchfork's "Best New Music" of its release week; Olivia Horn summed up the album as a representation of Swift's "ecstatic, expressive vocals, tart humor, vivid imagery, and tender attention to the nuances of love and loss".[33] Von Pip wrote that the re-recorded album made the original's lyrical sentiments more lingering.[74] Anna Leszkiewicz of theNew Statesman describedRed (Taylor's Version) as a masterful recount of complicated early-adulthood feelings,[77] and Ana Clara Ribeiro ofPopMatters wrote that the re-recorded album upheld the enduring lyrical sentiments that stood the test of time.[78] In theFinancial Times, Ludovic Hunter-Tilney wrote, "the songs' carousel of romantic drama still spins vibrantly, constructed with a winning mix of wit, design and sincerity."[30] Beth Kirkbride ofClash said,Red (Taylor's Version) is a "medley of genres" toying with various styles and "an exercise in catharsis".[70]
Some critics highlighted Swift's insight and musicality. Bridgewater opined thatRed (Taylor's Version) "balances fan service alongside an insightful documentation of one of modern pop's best songwriters at a key juncture in her career", and added that Swift has carefully curated the expanded tracklist without devolving from the album's original appeal.[71]Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe,[79]The Atlantic's Spencer Kornhaber,[80] andConsequence's Mary Siroky felt the expanded album testifies to Swift's musical growth, exuding "a stronger emotional resonance".[31]Variety's Chris Willman appreciated the vault tracks.[81]
Upon release,Red (Taylor's Version) broke the record for the most-streamed album created by a woman in a single day, surpassing Swift'sFolklore (2020), and became the first female artist to amass over 100 million streams in a day onSpotify.[96] The album sold over 1.2 millionalbum-equivalent units globally in its first week.[97] By December 2021, Spotify announced that Swift was the most-streamed woman on the platform of the year, and the second-most-streamed act overall, behindBad Bunny.[98] TheInternational Federation of the Phonographic Industry recognized Swift as theGlobal Recording Artist of 2021, marking the third consecutive time.[99]Red (Taylor's Version) sold 1.14 million copies globally in 2021.[100]
Red (Taylor's Version) helped Swift become the female artist with the most weeks at number one onTop Country Albums, surpassingShania Twain (pictured).
In the United States,Red (Taylor's Version) debuted atop theBillboard 200 with 605,000 first-week units that consisted of 303.23 million on-demand streams—surpassing the largest streaming week for a country album previously held byMorgan Wallen'sDangerous: The Double Album (2021). The album opened with 369,000 pure album sales—the largest figure for a country album sinceLuke Bryan'sCrash My Party (2014). It marked Swift's tenthBillboard 200 chart topper, making Swift claim the fastest duration to earn four number ones on theBillboard 200 (less than 16 months), breakingElton John's 46-year-old record.[101]Red (Taylor's Version) spent seven weeks atopTop Country Albums, which brought Swift's number of weeks at number one to 99, surpassingShania Twain's 97-week record for a female artist.[102] It was the second-best-selling album of 2021 in the United States[103] and had surpassed 3.32 million US units by July 2023.[104]
On theBillboard Hot 100, 26 of the album's tracks debuted in the same week—"State of Grace (Taylor's Version)" and "State of Grace (Acoustic Version) (Taylor's Version)" were counted as one entry, as were "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" and "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)". This set the records for the most simultaneous debuts overall and chart entries by a female artist, both of which were previously set by Swift'sLover (2019). Four of those tracks reached the top 40 region, bringing Swift's sum of top-40 entries to 85—the third-highest sum in history, surpassingElvis Presley.[105] "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" debuted at number one, marking the third time Swift debuted at number one on both theBillboard 200 and Hot 100 charts the same week—following "Cardigan" andFolklore in August 2020 and "Willow" andEvermore in December 2020—a record for any artist.[64]
Red (Taylor's Version) peaked atop the albums charts in theAnglosphere countries, including Australia,[106] Canada,[107] Ireland,[108] New Zealand,[109] and the United Kingdom.[110] In Canada, it was the fifth-best-selling album of 2021, ranking within the top 10 across digital, CD, and vinyl sales metrics.[111] The album brought Swift's number of chart-topping albums to eight in the United Kingdom,[110] nine in Australia—making Swift the first artist in history to have four number-one albums within two years,[106] and seven in Ireland—the most for a female artist this millennium.[108]
During the release week ofRed (Taylor's Version), numerous brands and organizations—such asM&M's,Skittles, theKansas City Chiefs,Olive Garden,Teletubbies,Taco Bell,Oreo,Sour Patch Kids, and theFrench Embassy in the United States—used their social media accounts to endorse the album; some of them added "(Taylor's Version)" to their Twitter usernames.[112][113]Paper wrote that Swift's impact was "felt across social media", with the brands "capitalizing on her momentum,"[112] whileInc. said that the companies leveraged the album's cultural relevance.[114] Some media publications deemedRed (Taylor's Version) part of a 2021 music trend called "Sad Girl Autumn" or "Sad Girl Fall", which refers to the release of melancholic and introspective music by female artists during autumn.[115][116][117] Swift released an acoustic rendition of "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" subtitled "Sad Girl Autumn Version";[118]The Independent's Meredith Clark said that "we must thank [Swift] for originating the season", citingRed (Taylor's Version) as the chief reason.[119]
The Wall Street Journal's Anne Steele highlighted the commercial performance ofRed (Taylor's Version)—particularly how its tracks were outperforming the original recordings on streaming platforms and wentviral on social media—to say that the album was "reshaping the music industry" and landing "lucrative" licensing deals for usage in motion pictures. Steele opined that the re-recorded album's success influenced Republic Records' parent companyUniversal Music Group to implement stricter terms in recording deals by doubling the time before an artist can re-record their music, but they also increased royalty payments to artists following their demands for better revenue shares.[120]Variety named Swift the "Queen of Stream" after the album broke streaming records,[121] andRolling Stone India opined that "it's no small feat" for a re-released album to score a number-one song.[122]
Various publications consideredRed (Taylor's Version) one of the biggest popular culture and music moments of 2021.[123][124][125][126]The Recording Academy deemed it a defining factor for pop music within the year.[127]Ms. andSlate opined thatRed (Taylor's Version) ushered in a critical reevaluation for the originalRed, as the initial reviews were influenced by thesexist scrutiny on Swift's image and dating life.[19][73]Billboard named Swift the "Greatest Pop Star of 2021",[128] and she was the highest-paid musician of 2021 globally.[129]
Clifton Harrison, Matthew Kettle, Stephanie Edmundson, Zoe Matthews – viola
Anna Ovsyanikova, Anna de Bruin, Antonia Kesel, Charis Jenson, Charlotte Reid, Eloisa-Fleur Thorn, Guy Button, Natalie Klouda, Nicole Crespo O'Donoghue, Nicole Stokes, Zara Benyounes – violin
^abThis article refers to these tracks as "vault tracks" hereafter for concision.
^AfterRed (Taylor's Version) was released in 2021, the originalRed appeared on the Austrian and German charts with statistics combined with the re-recording. The re-recording was separated into its own chart history in November 2023.
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