Hello everyone! For today’s Blogmas post, I wanted to share my thoughts on Red (Taylor’s Version).

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I’ve done album reviews on many of her albums now, I think starting with reputation and then continuing on since then!

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Red (Taylor’s Version) Album Review

So Red is an album that I’m not super familiar with. I know the big songs from it, but overall, the album is still pretty new for me. The songs I do know from the album I do like, so I was excited for this album to be rereleased. I have heard that this album got criticism originally for not being cohesive enough, which is so silly because this album embodies the early 20’s perfectly, which are just so chaotic and very much not cohesive.

With the addition of the vault songs though, it does bring the album to a whole new level and makes it much more of a mature and reflective album. In my opinion it does anyway! I do enjoy the album overall and I’m enjoying it quite a bit!

1. State of Grace (Taylor’s Version) – I really like the opening song of the album! It’s a really cool sound, although I am not entirely sure I know what it’s about since all I hear is the background vocals lol.
2. Red (Taylor’s Version) – I actually already knew this song! It’s super fun and catchy, so I really enjoy it, although it is a bit basic lyric-wise compared to most of her songs now.
3. Treacherous (Taylor’s Version) – This song was pleasant enough! I thought it was also a bit basic, both in terms of lyrics and the actual music as well.
4. I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version) – I did know this song already and it isn’t one of my favorites but overall I do enjoy it.
5. All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) – I also knew this song! One of my former coworkers really enjoyed this song so she told me I had to listen to it a few years ago, after I admitted I didn’t know too many of her early songs. I loved it and it’s one of the best songs I’ve ever heard honestly!
6. 22 (Taylor’s Version) – This song always makes me smile! For one, it’s honestly the perfect way to describe those early 20’s years. “Happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time. It’s miserable and magical” is LITERALLY the age 22. Plus, my sister used to sing this to me all the time when I was 22 so it’s a great memory.
7. I Almost Do (Taylor’s Version) – I didn’t know this song before the album but I do like it. I tend to let it play in the car after 22 so that’s how I know I do enjoy it!
8. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor’s Version) – I’ve always enjoyed this song! It’s so fun and upbeat, even if the song is about breaking up. Still, it’s so fun and enjoyable to hear.
9. Stay Stay Stay (Taylor’s Version) – This song confuses me if I like it or hate it. I think overall I like it but in general I don’t like when songs repeat the same bit too much. Listening to the word “stay” so many times is quite annoying! But the melody is so fun!
10. The Last Time (Taylor’s Version) – This song is pretty nice to listen to. It reminds me of songs like “Exile” or “Coney Island” on folklore and evermore, respectively. It’s a lovely melodic and reflective piece.
11. Holy Ground (Taylor’s Version) – This song is so interesting and I did really enjoy listening to it! I love the fun, story telling songs Taylor does and I felt like I could picture it so clearly!
12. Sad Beautiful Tragic (Taylor’s Version) – I love the melodic and lovely sound of this song! It feels like something Taylor would write now, although she would probably add some harder vocabulary to it first.
13. The Lucky One (Taylor’s Version) – This song is so weird! I remember the first time I heard it a few years ago when I did try to listen to some earlier songs I was like “wait… is she complaining about being famous in a song?” It just isn’t my favorite and I can’t get past how weird it is.
14. Everything Has Changed (Taylor’s Version) – I do enjoy this song, the guitar here is incredible! I think Ed Sheeran is in the song as well, which is cool I suppose!
15. Starlight (Taylor’s Version) – I actually really like this song! Again, it’s such a great story it tells and I feel like I can see the scene unfold before my eyes from it. I love it!
16. Begin Again (Taylor’s Version) – I was surprised how much I enjoyed this song as it went on. It’s such a sweet song and I really enjoyed it.
17. The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – I really like this song! I don’t know why it wasn’t included in the rest of the album before this, since it’s really good and fits the album so well. It does almost feel like a nod to the Fearless album, so maybe that’s why?
18. Come Back… Be Here (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – This song is okay. Not my favorite but it does fit with the rest.
19. Girl at Home (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – It seems a little strange that the Taylor who wrote this one then went on to eventually write Illicit Affairs, but that’s just how it goes I suppose! I do think this song helped give the album a more mature feel with it’s inclusion.
20. State of Grace [Acoustic Version] (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – Without the background vocals I was finally able to focus on what the song is about! Haha, it’s a pretty song!
21. Ronan (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – This song is such a sweet little song!
22. Better Man (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – This song felt a bit basic compared to most of the album, so it was a bit disappointing. Maybe not lyrics wise necessarily, but just in the general sense of the song.
23. Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – This song made me think more about the reputation era or even 1989. It does certainly feel like a song that was written closer to the end of Red at least since it references how she was criticized so much for dating “a lot”. I also loved the line of “how can a person know everything at 18 and nothing at 22”. Like, a perfect 22 year old’s perspective!
24. Babe (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – I totally didn’t realize that this song was on this album! I remember it being so hyped up at the time of the reputation tour! It’s such a fun throwback to this song and I like that it was included in Red.
25. Message in a Bottle (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – This song seems pretty fun and the imagery is pretty strong with this one as well.
26. I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – Honestly, this song feels more like a debut song to me, or at least a vault song for the debut album. It’s still an enjoyable song though and I really liked the story of it.
27. Forever Winter (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – This song was pretty fun and the tune was catchy. This song does also seem closer to the 1989 album than it does to Red, but it was also a great inclusion here to lead into the next (original) album.
28. Run (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – I do like the melody of this song quite a bit. It does remind me of several albums of Taylor’s, so I Iike that she brought it out of the vault.
29. The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – This song felt more like another debut song, but it’s fun and upbeat. Of course, the song wouldn’t make sense in debut as that album she was a young teen, but it does have that feel to it.
30. All Too Well [10 Minute Version] (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) – I know this song was super hyped up and I can see why! The original five minute song is already a gorgeous, emotional, story-telling masterpiece and the ten minute version is also amazing. Now, I do think there are parts of it that isn’t as strong as the rest, while some parts are much, much stronger and add a ton more to the story. It’s so crazy what a journey this song takes you on as a listener, and it’s absolutely one that I do put on quite a lot. I will add, the ten minute version sounds more like 2-3 songs put together than one cohesive song, told from the same perspective at various points of time, but isn’t that the point of the album anyway?

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So those are my thoughts on Red (Taylor’s Version)! Let me know what your favorite songs from this album are. Also, my guess for the next Taylor’s Version album is going to be Speak Now, so let me know what your guess is!

Thanks for reading!

Pamela

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