Red (Taylor's Version)
Red (Taylor's Version) is the second re-recorded album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on November 12, 2021, through Republic Records. It is a re-recording of Swift's fourth studio album, "Red" (2012), following her first re-recorded album, "Fearless (Taylor's Version)", which was released in April 2021. The re-recording venture is Swift's countermeasure against the changed ownership of the masters to her first six studio albums. The album encompasses re-recorded versions of 20 songs from the "Red" deluxe edition and Swift's 2012 charity single "Ronan"; the  10-minute-long, unabridged version of "All Too Well"; Swift's own recordings of "Better Man" (2016) and "Babe" (2018), both of which she wrote but gave away to other country artists; and six new "From the Vault" tracks that were intended for the 2012 album. Swift and Christopher Rowe produced most of "Red (Taylor's Version)", while Aaron Dessner, Jack Antonoff, Paul Mirkovich, Espionage, Tim Blacksmith, Danny D, and Elvira Anderfjärd handled the rest. Shellback, Dan Wilson, Jeff Bhasker, Jacknife Lee, and Butch Walker also returned to produce the re-recordings of tracks they had worked on in 2012 . Phoebe Bridgers and Chris Stapleton joined the album as guest vocalists alongside original features from Gary Lightbody and Ed Sheeran. "Red (Taylor's Version)" was met with widespread acclaim from music critics who admired Swift's vocal performances, the production quality, and the new tracks. Reviews described it as a classic pop record expanding from Swift's country roots into electronic, synth-pop and rock flairs, whilst chronicling various dynamics of love, life, loss and heartache. The album broke a string of commercial records, such as the Spotify feat for the largest single-day streams for an album by a  female artist and the biggest vinyl sales week in MRC Data history. It topped the charts in Argentina, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland and the United Kingdom, as well as the United States where Swift surpassed Elton John's 46-year-old record to become the fastest soloist in "Billboard" 200 history to collect four number-one albums, doing so in under 16 months. Swift promoted the album with televised appearances on NBC. The songs "I Bet You Think About Me" and "Message in a Bottle" were released as country and pop radio singles, respectively. "All Too Well  (10 Minute Version)" became Swift's eighth number-one song on the US "Billboard" Hot 100 and the longest number-one song of all time—a "Guinness World Record." Twenty-five other tracks from the album also charted on the Hot 100 the same week, setting the record for the most single-week new entries ever by an artist. Swift wrote and directed "", a romantic drama starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien, released on November 12 to rave reviews as well. Various publications have identified the roll-out of "Red (Taylor's Version)" as a key pop-culture moment of  2021. Background. Taylor Swift's fourth studio album, "Red," was released on October 22, 2012, by American independent record label Big Machine Records. It witnessed Swift expand beyond her country roots and explore mainstream pop, incorporating a variety of genres. The effort was met with generally positive reviews and widespread commercial success. It garnered Swift's first number-one song on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, the album's lead single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", and other successful singles in 2012 and 2013, such as "I Knew You Were Trouble", "22" and "Everything Has Changed". "Red" became  Swift's first number-one album in the UK, and her album with the most UK top-10 singles so far. Over the years, the album collected critical praise for showcasing Swift's artistry and versatility. It became one of the most acclaimed albums of the 2010s decade, appearing on many decade-end best-music lists. "Rolling Stone" placed it at number 99 on its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. As of June 2021, "Red" has moved over 7.5 million album-equivalent units in the US alone. As per her contract with Big Machine, Swift released six  studio albums under the label from 2006 to 2017. In late 2018, the contract with the label expired; she hence withdrew from Big Machine and signed a new recording deal with Republic Records, a division of Universal Music Group, which secured her the rights to own the masters of the new music she will release. In 2019, American businessman Scooter Braun and his company Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine. As part of the acquisition, ownership of the masters to Swift's first six studio albums, including "Red", transferred to Braun. In August 2019, Swift denounced Braun's purchase of the  label, and announced that she would re-record her first six studio albums, so as to own their masters herself. In November 2020, Braun sold the masters to Shamrock Holdings, an American private equity firm owned by the Disney estate, under the conditions that Braun and Ithaca Holdings will continue to financially profit from the albums. Swift began re-recording the albums in November 2020. "Fearless (Taylor's Version)", the first of her six re-recorded albums, was released on April 9, 2021. It achieved critical and commercial success, and debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200 chart as  the first re-recorded album in history to top the chart, a return to the number-one spot 13 years after the original release in 2008. All of its singles, "Love Story (Taylor's Version)", "You All Over Me", and "Mr. Perfectly Fine", peaked inside the top 10 of the "Billboard" Hot Country Songs, the first of which was her first number-one on the chart since "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and made her only the second artist in history to top the chart with both the original and re-recording of the same song, after "I  Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton. Music and lyrics. "Red (Taylor's Version)" has been labeled as a pop and country album driven by organic instruments and electronic elements, further containing synth pop and arena rock songs. All of the album's tracks, excluding the "from the Vault" tracks, are musically identical to their original 2012 recordings, except "Girl at Home", which now has an electropop production, compared to its original country pop counterpart. Songs "From the Vault". Tracks 22–30 are denoted as the "From the Vault" tracks, the newly added songs to the re-recording of "Red". "Better  Man" is a country ballad set to a banjo. It sees Swift detail her post-breakup pain. "Nothing New" is a folk duet with Phoebe Bridgers, with lyrics dealing with insecurities around aging, growing old, and the "unfair social expectations on young women". "Babe" is a ska pop song with slide guitar, keys and percussion. Its lyrics describe the missteps in a dissolving relationship. "Message in a Bottle" is a dynamic, dance track about the beginnings of a romantic connection. "I Bet You Think About Me" is a country pop song featuring background vocals by Chris Stapleton, and a prominent  harmonica. It addresses a "high tone" love interest. "Forever Winter" is a power pop song opening with energetic brass. Swift's vocals in the song are characterized by "nuanced, wide-ranging", fast paced, breathy notes of syllables, set to horns, flutes and guitars. Lyrically, "Forever Winter" is directed to a friend of Swift with mental health struggles. "Run" is an acoustic, indie folk-leaning duet with Ed Sheeran. It is guided by a twiddling guitar and orchestral compositions, while its lyrics consisting of romantic gestures. "The Very First Night" is an uptempo dance-pop song driven by electronic programming and  banjo in which Swift wishes she could go back in time to make a moment perfect. "All Too Well (10-Minute Version)" is a slow ballad driven by a thudding and insistent bass guitar, and additional verses, chorus with a downtempo outro. Its lyrics take a more feminist proposition compared to the five-minute version, and incorporates the popular William Shakespeare quote "All's Well That Ends Well". Marketing. Artwork. The cover artwork of "Red (Taylor's Version)" depicts Swift wearing red lipstick, a beige peacoat and a burgundy-colored "Matti" velvet fisherman's cap, seated in a vintage 1932  Chevrolet Cabriolet convertible against an autumnal background. Janessa Leoné designed the cap, which quickly sold out on Leoné's website. Swift also wears a customized "Red" ring on the cover, designed by jeweler Cathy Waterman; she wore Waterman's signature "Love" ring, gifted to her by Waterman's daughter Claire Winter Kislinger in 2011, while writing the original "Red" (2012). Release. On June 18, 2021, Swift revealed that "Red (Taylor's Version)", the re-recorded issue of "Red," would be released on November 19, 2021, and would contain all 30 songs that were meant to be on the 2012 version . She also teased the highly requested, original 10-minute-long version of the fan-favorite track "All Too Well" as part of the track listing, which was "probably a 20-minute song" according to American songwriter Liz Rose, who had co-written some tracks on Swift's first two studio albums, "Taylor Swift" (2006) and "Fearless" (2008). Alongside the announcement, pre-orders for the digital album were made available. On June 27, English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran appeared on "The Official Big Top 40", where he confirmed his involvement with "Red (Taylor's Version)", saying he re-recorded "Everything Has  Changed"—his duet with Swift on "Red". Three days later, Swift's 2012 charity single, "Ronan", was also confirmed as a track on the album by Swift's co-writer and the mother of the song's subject, Maya Thompson, via her blog. On August 5, Swift posted a cryptic video across her social media, teasing a word puzzle for the fans to solve; it spelled out "Chris Stapleton", "Phoebe Bridgers", "Babe", "Better Man", and "All Too Well Ten Minute Version". Concurrently, pre-orders for the album's CDs went up on Swift's website. She posted the official track listing  on August 6. Before releasing any song from "Red (Taylor's Version)", Swift released "Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)" on September 17, a track set to appear on the re-recording of her 2014 studio album, "1989". She said she saw "Wildest Dreams" trending on TikTok and thought fans should have her version. On September 30, Swift announced "Red (Taylor's Version)" would be released on November 12, a week earlier than scheduled. She confirmed the album's vinyl LPs would also be shipped the same week. A snippet of the title track, "Red (Taylor's Version)", featured in a  teaser video posted by Swift on October 24, sporting a red dress, the "Red" ring from the album cover, alongside an array of red clothes and accessories. On November 5, via "Good Morning America", Swift revealed a teaser for "", which is based on and titled after the namesake song, screening on November 12 alongside the album. The teaser showed a vintage car driving past a road bounded by autumnal woods, and that it was written and directed by Swift, starring herself, Sadie Sink, and Dylan O'Brien. On November 11, the official film poster was revealed on her social media, followed  by a short teaser of the album's 24th track, "Babe (Taylor's Version)", on Tumblr. Swift released four six-song compilations, "Red (Taylor's Version): Could You Be the One Chapter", "Red (Taylor's Version): She Wrote a Song About Me Chapter", "Red (Taylor's Version): The Slow Motion Chapter" and "Red (Taylor's Version): From The Vault Chapter" on January 13, 18, 25 and 31, 2022, respectively. Promotion. Swift promoted the album on all three late-night shows of American television network NBC, all of which were taped at 30 Rockefeller Plaza; she appeared on the talk shows  The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and "Late Night with Seth Meyers" that aired back-to-back on November 11, followed by the album's release at midnight. She appeared as the musical guest of the live sketch comedy show "Saturday Night Live" on November 13, her fifth appearance on the show, where she performed the 10-minute version of "All Too Well". The first live performance of "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) was at Lincoln Center, New York City, on November 12, following the premiere of Swift's self-directed "", which stars Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien. Starbucks  partnered with Swift to commemorate the release of "Red (Taylor's Version)", which coincided with the company's "red cup holiday season"; customers were able to order Swift's favorite coffee drink by simply ordering a "Taylor's Latte", whereas her music, including the album, were played inside Starbucks stores. Singles. On November 15, 2021, "I Bet You Think About Me" featuring Chris Stapleton was serviced to U.S. country radio stations as a single from the album. On the same day, "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" with a digital cover artwork was made available for download on Swift's  webstore as a promotional single. The song debuted atop the "Billboard" Hot 100. It became Swift's eighth number-one on that chart and the longest number-one song in history, surpassing the previous record-holder Don McLean's "American Pie (Parts I and II)". "Message in a Bottle" impacted U.S. pop radio later that month. Critical reception. "Red (Taylor's Version)" received widespread acclaim from music critics, with emphasis on the evolution of Swift's vocals and the layered instrumentation. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a  weighted mean score of 91 based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim"; it is Swift's highest-rated project on the site and the second-highest rated album of 2021, behind "Carnage" by Australian musicians Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. In a rave review, Lydia Burgham of "The New Zealand Herald" hailed "Red (Taylor's Version)" as Swift's magnum opus. "Rolling Stone" music critic Rob Sheffield wrote "the new "Red" is even bigger, glossier, deeper, casually crueler", powered by Swift's adult voice. Helen Brown of "The Independent" stated "Red (Taylor's Version)" is a "better, brighter version of  a terrific pop album". "NME" Hannah Mylrea praised the album's newly added tracks, and highlighted the sharper production quality and the "instrumentation being brought further into focus". Beth Kirkbride, writing for "Clash", said that, with the new additions, "Red (Taylor's Version)" is a "medley of genres" toying with various styles. She described its subject matter as "an exercise in catharsis" that retreads like a storybook of Swift's formative years. Kate Solomon of "i" wrote that Swift's voice is "leagues better now" and "the vocal furniture that she adds to the songs are like her revelling in  that knowledge, flexing newly limber muscles." "Under the Radar" reviewer Andy Von Pip commended "Red (Taylor's Version)" for having a sharper production and "richer" vocal performances than "Red" without losing the seriousness and emotional heft of its subject matter. "Variety" Chris Willman called its vault tracks "a collection of songs that doesn't have a real dud". Reviewing for "The Line of Best Fit", Paul Bridgewater opined that "Red (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 track-list without devolving from the album's original appeal. "Slant Magazine" critic Jonathan Keefe stated that "Red (Taylor's Version)" is a testament to the growth of Swift's musicality and praised the album's instrumental quality for giving its songs "a stronger emotional resonance". Calling "Red (Taylor's Version)" a "highly rewarding listen" for both fans and causal listeners and "another towering victory" for Swift after "Fearless (Taylor's Version)", Bobby Olivier of "Spin" praised all aspects of the album—the vocal performances, songwriting, and production. "Consequence" Mary Siroky felt the expanded record functions  as a closure to the original album, allowing Swift to "finish the story on her terms". Receiving the coveted "Best New Music" honor from "Pitchfork", critic Olivia Horn said "Red (Taylor's Version)" contains Swift's signature "ecstatic, expressive vocals, tart humor, vivid imagery, and tender attention to the nuances of love and loss", and makes an artistic statement about revisiting the past, "both the flattering and the less flattering bits". "The Atlantic" Spencer Kornhaber said Swift "continues to push herself to new places as she doubles down on the things that make her beloved". Melissa Reguieri, in her "USA  Today" review, appreciated the versatile musicality, strong vocals, meticulous replication, and enhanced production quality of "Red (Taylor's Version)", as well as regarding the album an "intriguing study" of Swift's lyrical proficiency. Sputnikmusic called the album "an absolute triumph" for the insight of its musical and lyrical approach, and criticized their own "immature" review of the album in 2012, confirming "Swift's observations about love and life at age twenty-two were simply amazing". "The Guardian" writer Laura Snapes stated that Swift's voice is richer and more mature in the re-recorded album, but its lack of twang  slightly blunts the rabid, deliciously vindictive edge that fuelled the original's tumultuous depiction of heartbreak. Accolades. "Red (Taylor's Version)" received many accolades of the music industry, such as placements on best-of lists. At the forthcoming 2022 "Billboard" Music Awards, Swift has acquired seven nominations, including a Top Country Album nomination for "Red (Taylor's Version);" she is also contending for Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Country Artist, Top Country Female Artist, and Top "Billboard" 200 Artist. Commercial performance. Upon release, "Red (Taylor's Version)" broke several streaming records. It became the most-streamed album in a  day from a female artist on Spotify, with more than 90.8 million global opening-day streams, surpassing the previous record of 80.6 million by Swift's own "Folklore" (2020). Bolstered by the album's strong performance, Swift also became the most streamed woman in a single day—with more than 122.9 million global streams on the platform across her entire discography—and the first woman in Spotify history to amass 100 million streams in a day. The album moved over 1.2 million copies globally in its first week. All of the album's tracks appeared on the "Billboard" Global 200  chart as 28 new entries, alongside "Enchanted" (2010), "Blank Space" (2014) and "Wildest Dreams (Taylor's Version)" (2021), giving Swift a sum of 31 songs charting in the same week (November 27, 2021); 25 of those were in the top 100 region. At the end of the year, Swift was the most streamed woman on Spotify in 2021, and the second most streamed act behind Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that Swift was the world's best selling soloist and female artist of 2021, for a third consecutive year. United States . Within five days of its release, "Red (Taylor's Version)" sold over 500,000 album-equivalent units, including 325,000 album sales, which marked 2021's largest sales week for an album already, surpassing Swift's own "Evermore" (2020). Of those sales, 112,000 were in the vinyl LP format, breaking the record for the largest vinyl sales week for an album in the history of MRC Data (also held previously by "Evermore"). Concurrently, Swift had three of the four largest album sales weeks of 2021, with "Red (Taylor's Version)", "Evermore" and "Fearless (Taylor's Version)". Upon completion of its full tracking  week, "Red (Taylor's Version)" debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200 with 605,000 units, marking the then-second largest week of 2021, behind Drake's "Certified Lover Boy" (613,000). The first-week sum consists of 303.23 million on-demand streams, the largest streaming week of 2021 for an album by a woman, the second-largest ever after Ariana Grande's 2019 album "Thank U, Next" (307.1 million streams), and the biggest for a country album, surpassing Morgan Wallen's 2021 album "" (240.18 million). The album opened with 369,000 pure album sales, of which 114,000 were vinyl LP sales , and marked the largest sales week for a country album since Luke Bryan's "Crash My Party" sold 528,000 copies in 2014. It marked Swift's tenth "Billboard" 200 chart-topper, making her the second woman to score that many number-one albums after Barbra Streisand, who has 11. Swift also became the fastest soloist to earn four number-ones on the "Billboard" 200 (less than 16 months), breaking Elton John's 46-year-old record. The album further topped the Top Country Albums as Swift's seventh number-one and spent 7 weeks at the top, helping Swift surpass  Shania Twain as the longest reigning female artist of the chart with 98 weeks atop it. "Red (Taylor's Version)" ranked second on the best-selling albums list of 2021, alongside "Fearless (Taylor's Version)", "Evermore" and "Folklore" in the top 10. 26 of the album's tracks entered the "Billboard" Hot 100 simultaneously, setting the records for the most debuts on the Hot 100 in a single week and the most simultaneous Hot 100 entries by a female artist, both of which were held by Swift herself with the release of "Lover" (2019). Her career total entries increased to  164, extending her record for the most Hot 100 entries by a female artist. Four of those tracks landed inside the Hot 100's top 40 region, bringing Swift's sum of top-40 entries to 85—the third highest sum in history, surpassing Elvis Presley. "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)", carried by the success of its 10-minute rendition, arrived atop the Hot 100 chart as Swift's eighth number-one song in the US. Swift became the first act in history to debut at number-one on both the "Billboard" 200 and Hot 100 charts simultaneously in three  different occasions, following "Cardigan" and "Folklore" in August 2020 and "Willow" and "Evermore" in December 2020. Elsewhere. "Red (Taylor's Version)" opened at the number one spot of the "Billboard" Canadian Albums, scoring Swift her tenth consecutive number-one album in Canada. All of its tracks debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 chart together, with "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" at number one, "State of Grace (Taylor's Version)" at number 9, and nine other tracks in the top 40. "Red (Taylor's Version)" was the best-selling country album in Canada by a female artist in 2021. Overall , it was the fifth best-seller across all genres, and one of the top 10 best-selling digital, CD and vinyl albums. In the United Kingdom, the album debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and moved over 72,000 units within its first week. It became Swift's eighth consecutive number-one album, tying her with Kylie Minogue as the female artists with the second most number-one albums in the UK, only behind Madonna (12). "Red (Taylor's Version)" earned the highest opening-week sales for a female artist in 2021, eclipsing "Sour" by Olivia Rodrigo (51,000  units). It also topped the Irish Albums Chart as Swift's seventh number-one album in Ireland—the most for a female artist this millennium. The album debuted atop the chart alongside "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" debuting atop the Irish Singles Chart, marking a "chart double". Additionally, "State of Grace (Taylor's Version)" and "Red (Taylor's Version)" arrived at numbers 7 and 9 on the singles chart, respectively. In Australia, Swift achieved a chart double by topping both ARIA Albums and Singles charts simultaneously; she scored her ninth number-one album on the former with "Red (Taylor 's Version)" and her second of 2021 following "Fearless (Taylor's Version)". Swift became the first artist in the history of the ARIA Charts to have four number-one albums in a span of two years. Additionally, she tied Eminem for the most consecutive number one albums on the ARIA Albums Chart, at nine each. "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" debuted atop the singles chart as Swift's eighth Australian number-one song. It marked the fourth time she achieved a chart double, after "1989" and "Blank Space" in 2014, "Folklore" and "Cardigan", and "Evermore" and "Willow". Eleven other  tracks from "Red (Taylor's Version)" also entered the ARIA Singles Chart the same week. The album debuted at number one on the New Zealand Albums Chart as well, as Swift's tenth number one album there. In Japan, the album debuted at number 15 on the Oricon Albums Chart, and on the Japanese Hot Albums "Billboard Japan" at number 16. Impact. Various brands and companies used their social media accounts to endorse the album; some of them added "(Taylor's Version)" to their Twitter usernames during the release week"." Fitness equipment manufacturer Peloton announced that the album's songs  will be used in their on-demand classes, such as of cycling, running, and yoga, upon popular demand. "Paper" wrote that Swift's impact was "felt across social media", with the brands "capitalizing on her momentum". "Inc." said the companies leveraged the album's cultural relevance. Beauty company Cosmetify reported that Google searches for "red lipstick" increased 669 percent following the release of "Red (Taylor's Version)". Media outlets and fans online dubbed "Red (Taylor's Version)" as 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, such as Adele's "30" and Mitski's "The Only Heartbreaker"; it is a counterpart to "Hot Girl Summer", a catchphrase coined by American rapper Megan Thee Stallion with her 2019 song of the same name. Swift herself acknowledged the phenomenon by releasing an acoustic rendition of "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" subtitled "Sad Girl Autumn Version". "The Wall Street Journal" stated that "Red (Taylor's Version)" is "reshaping the music industry", highlighting how the re-recorded songs are outperforming their original counterparts on streaming services, going viral on TikTok, and landing  lucrative licensing deals for usage in motion pictures. According to the newspaper, Universal Music Group—the parent company of Republic Records—implemented stricter terms in recording deals which effectively doubled the time before an artist can rerecord their music. Other changes in the contracts included increased royalty payments to artists following their demands for better revenue shares. "Variety" named Swift the "Queen of Stream" for setting multiple streaming records with the release of "Red (Taylor's Version)". "Rolling Stone" opined "it's no small feat" for a re-released album to score a number-one song, and said deluxe or  special editions of albums are often "gimmicky", but "Red (Taylor's Version)" challenged that norm and evolved on the original album rather than attempting to replace it. Publications described the release of "Red (Taylor's Version)", "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)", the , and Swift's re-recording venture overall as one of the biggest newsmakers and pop culture moments of 2021. "Vogue" called it a "multimedia, news-cycle-dominating release" and stated "nobody releases (or rereleases!) an album like Swift." The Recording Academy called "Red (Taylor's Version)" a pop phenomenon that defined 2021. "Ms." and "Slate" journalists stated  Red (Taylor's Version) is a testament to "Red" legacy, highlighting how critics in 2012 called "Red" a sub-par album citing its "hyper-emotionality and obsessive romanticism" but eventually saw it as a "masterclass in pop songwriting and poetry ahead of its time". "Ms." wrote the period's sexist scrutiny downplayed her artistry; "Slate" stated the media had no sympathy for Swift, painting her as a "boy-crazy, vengeful ex" and failing to assess "Red" without prejudice. "Billboard" named Swift the "Greatest Pop Star of 2021" for her "unequivocal" success that year. "Rolling Stone" reported she was the highest -paid female musician of 2021.