Red (Taylor's Version)
| Taylor Swift
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. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Pitchfork
Re-recorded in meticulous detail, along with a dozen songs cut from the 2012 original, Taylor Swift’s most pivotal album has still more to say about growing up and moving forward.
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Rolling Stone
This new version of Taylor Swift’s greatest album is 30 tracks — the original 16-song ‘Red’ tricked out with B-sides and vault outtakes, all redone with more boom and detail in the production.
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Spin
But for now, Red 2.0 is another towering victory, which should be coveted by fans as Swift is surely already onto the next re-recording, furthering the worthwhile fight.
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Slant Magazine
Taylor Swift’s Red Redux Flaunts the Singer’s Refined Pop Instincts.
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The Guardian
Swift re-records the 2012 album on which she first embraced synth-pop, tweaking songs and adding others: a mix of saccharine fluff and superb keepers.
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NME
the long-awaited masterpiece worth the wait.
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UT Daily Beacon
Just when I was convinced this album couldn’t get much better, Swift poured her entire heart and soul into these songs, mastering the originals and releasing heart-wrenching new stories.
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AV Club
Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor's Version) is a sweeping, profound time machine of an album.
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The Lantern
Swift has since taken "Red" and transformed it from a heartbroken girl's passion project into something lovingly remade by a woman who seems to have made peace with herself.
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The Diamondback
I know there are other amazing artists that released music on Nov. 12 that I need to listen to, such as Bruno Mars. But I can’t get myself to stop listening to this album. I’m sorry. I’m hooked. And I’m not sure when I will recover.
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Epigram
Far from being a dull repetition, the re-recording of Red has gifted fans with new music and an enriched experience of an already excellent album, presented with the confidence of an artist who now owns her own work.
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Daily Titan
If you’re not convinced to transition to “Red (Taylor’s Version),” listen to the album one time through. Pay close attention to the stories she’s telling and you’ll be sold. Swift phenomenally connects all of the tracks and shows her own vulnerability and growth.
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The Hilltop Monitor
Overall, I don’t think any Taylor Swift fan could be upset with this album. She gave listeners a better version of the original album and she has added to the story that the “Red” era embodies. For those wary of Taylor Swift, it still has many characteristics of an amazing album. She borrows from every corner of the music industry to tell a convincing, profound and invigorating story with every track.
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1883 Magazine
The mosaic of emotions and experiences she blended to create “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is why this record, in particular, will be Swift’s magnum opus; a body of work that details the scope in which Swift not only relates easily to her listeners but to the past versions of herself that still linger inside of her. For 2012 Taylor, love might’ve felt short and forgetting felt even longer. For 2021 Taylor, love means owning one’s truth and, in turn, owning one’s own story with all of its chaos, burning wistful desire, and her once broken mosaic heart.
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Daily Collegian
Red (Taylor’s Version)” is a whirlwind of nostalgia and heartbreak. Even if you aren’t a self-proclaimed “Swiftie” like many others on campus, Taylor’s lyricism will carry you through. Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself singing along too.
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The Independent
A better, brighter version of a terrific pop album.
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The Line of Best Fit
Taylor Swift’s reworking of Red finds even more magic in her pop blueprint.
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The Breeze
'Red (Taylor's Version)' re-recording makes a great album even better.
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Clash Magazine
While some see Taylor Swift’s re-recording efforts as a statement of female empowerment, triumphing over those who have wronged her, really it’s much simpler than that. As ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ shows, this is an exercise in catharsis. Leafing back through the storybook of our own formative years, we feel it all.
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Wayland Student Press
This is the kind of record that is only fully experienced once you listen from start to finish. Whether or not you are a fan of Taylor Swift, this album will make you feel something.
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Atwood Magazine
The re-recording gave me more to love about the record, which, in my opinion, makes the effort successful. It doesn’t overshadow the original, just gives more shades of color to the overall portrait.
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The Young Folks
Regardless of how hard you try to stay stoic, you fall victim to Swift’s magnetism; dreamy, gut-wrenching lyrics thrown around almost casually. And yes, it is one huge blaring red flag when a person still won’t give her music a try.
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Charlatan
The artistry and lyrical genius of this album cannot be ignored. Few artists could manage to re-record their old work at this magnitude. The universal experience that Swift sings about on this record makes it one of the best albums of the year.
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The Bleu Print
Overall, this album was another win for Taylor Swift in the music industry and her fan base can’t wait to see what more she has in store for the music world.
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Consequence
“Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song,” she sings on the title track. For anyone whose favorite song falls here on Red, it might’ve just gotten a little better.
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Tiger Times
In “Red (Taylor’s Version),” Swift took an already phenomenal album and improved it. If you haven’t listened to it yet, find time to.
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The News Record
Overall, "Red (Taylor's Version)" is a must-listen for everyone. With 30 unique songs, you are sure to find something for all.
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The Sting
As someone who has grown up with this musician and even attended her Red concert when I was younger, there’s nothing I love more than being part of her fan base and experiencing her new releases. I cannot wait to see what else Swift has in store for us, and I encourage everyone to go listen to Red (Taylor’s Version) yourself.
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The Harbinger
Taylor Swift’s ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ shows artistic growth.
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The University Daily Kansan
All around, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is a deep glimpse into the break-up and recovery process of her music, but it reveals deeper artistic motives. The way she reminisces within the songs with such detail is nothing less than fascinating, as if she remembered every instant of her experiences and relationships exactly how they happened.
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KRNL Magazine
A new sense of self will grow back like the leaves that change colors and fall off the trees. This truly makes "Red (Taylor’s Version)" the ultimate fall album.
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C Net
Taylor Swift's Red (Taylor's Version) is the victory lap her experimental album deserves.
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The Boar
‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ is an ode to heartbreak, freedom and newfound adulthood.
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Holly Spirit
I appreciate almost every song I listen to because I understand songwriters and musicians put a lot of effort into their art – especially to produce it. I am also aware that many people have specific music tastes and judgements. If you were a Swift fan before, you’ll still be a Swift fan after listening to Taylor’s Version of “Red.” If you’re not a fan already, then you will be because of her passion for taking command of her expression is worth listening to.
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The Dartmouth
‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ Reworks a Pop Classic into an Expressive Reflection.
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Off The Record UK
Red (Taylor’s Version) is without a doubt worth the wait, it is an artist truly owing the title ‘superstar’ that can infuse new life into these tracks and pull out even more hits ‘From the Vault.’
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The Review Geek
We get to follow along as she pays tribute to her older self, and gifts us with new songs we can belt at the top of our lungs and new lyrics we can memorize in a heartbeat. Red was a great and fervid love story, but now it’s time to move on, say “we are never ever getting back together”, and watch it begin again with Red (Taylor’s Version).
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The Mirror
“Red (Taylor’s Version)” is unapologetically itself, and Swift owns it.
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Baylor Lariat
“Red (Taylor’s Version)” is filled with nostalgia for Swift herself and for those who grew up with her and her music. In “State of Grace,” she sings, “… this is the golden age of something good and right and real.” That is exactly what this album is for her.
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nzherald
All Too Well is regarded as Swift's magnum opus - but listening to Red (Taylor's Version), it is abundantly clear the entire album will always be some of her best work. Now, her fans finally get to hear it exactly how she wanted them to.
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The Brown Daily Herald
Now she is unapologetically delving into the familiar, and she remains as influential as ever. If there were ever any doubt that Taylor Swift is a driving force in the music industry, the wildly successful release of ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ indisputably eliminates it.
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AllMusic
The highlight of these is a ten-minute version of "All Too Well," a bitter ballad that was already one of the peaks of Red and is now turned into an epic kiss-off. This, along with excavated songs, are reason enough for Swift to revisit Red and they, not the re-recordings, are the reason to return to Red [Taylor's Version].
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County Line
Her songs from the Vault further the story of this breakup, and love story. Her many feature artists on the album also bring a new layer to her story. The lyrics are poignant and show a more raw and vulnerable part of this album than what we first saw in 2012. The perfectly planned transitions show how thought out and well written this album is. She tells a moving yet relatable story.
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The Ithacan
Taylor Swift proves her determination to regain her lost discography while still showing passion and care with her re-releases. While “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” was a war cry, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” is a spirited aria. From energetic serenades to devastating ballads, all of it can be pictured … in burning red.
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The Spartan Shield
Stunning and nostalgic, “Red (Taylor’s version)” is a revisit to some of Taylor Swift’s most heartfelt work.
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Ruby on Music
As a summary, RED (Taylor's Version) is a near-perfect example of exactly how to re-release an album. Songs have changed meanings, and perhaps the emotions aren't as deep anymore, but this new version embraces the beauty of reminiscence in a way that lifts it to a new level, which will hopefully finally give RED the Grammy it deserves.
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The Mary Word
RED (Taylor's Version) is an album worth savouring. It is a testament to how far we have come, and a precursor to what comes next. I can't wait to see what that will be.
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Digital Journal
Swift has shown a substantial amount of growth and maturity as a songwriter, singer, and storyteller on this refreshing musical. It is one of those albums that you can play on repeat all day long without the need to skip any track. This collection is highly recommended for all, and it garners an A rating.
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Vinyl Chapters
Swift took an already brilliant album and turned the quality up to eleven. Nobody will ever do it like Miss Swift.
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