Sad Beautiful Tragic

"I'm a soldier who's returning half her weight"

Red (Taylor's Version)

Taylor Swift

Available on all leading music platforms

12 November, 2021

30 Songs

After releasing the re-recorded version of Taylor Swift’s 2008 Fearless Album, Taylor moves on to her iconic 2012 heartbreak album, Red. Red (Taylor’s Version), released 12 November 2021, includes 9 never before heard From the Vault songs, including the highly awaited All Too Well (10 Minute Version).

Ria: I literally lost my mind yesterday. I was legitimately going crazy on Twitter and singing on the top of my lungs when the album came out. We’ll be focusing more on From the Vault songs since these are songs we’ve never heard before! And of course, we’re not leaving out All Too Well (10 Minute Version). It’s crazy how broken Taylor must have been that she was able to make a song whose length is equivalent to three normal songs.

Just a short talk about the re-recorded songs. Her diction and word clarity are through the roof. I actually prefer most of the re-recorded songs over her original releases. Stay, stay, stay is also a lot less annoying and the emotional depth she’s able to place in it because the song means so much more to her now can also be heard. All Too Well feels less raw because she’s finally moved on, and I’m soooooo happy for her. There is also a song that changed almost entirely (Girl At Home). Overall, Taylor’s a queen and she just nailed everything.

Jhanya: Unlike Ria, I didn’t lose my mind yesterday xD (I never really do when it comes to music tbh). I was pretty chill and silently anticipating the whole Red TV fiasco, but nevertheless, this album is such a beautiful piece. The new 9 tracks (which could be an album nowadays ngl) are as lyrically and emotionally beautiful as the original songs from the album. And it’s great to see how Taylor really has matured and improved even more on her skills and talent as an artist in this album compared to her previous version. Now let’s finally move on to the individual review of the 9 new tracks!

Better Man (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]

Ria: The best part of this song for me is Taylor conveys the emotion of being torn between loving the guy and moving on from him. She knows what she needs to do for her sake but there’s that longing because she still loves him even if it was just a small part. And how she knows she would’ve loved him a lot more if he didn’t make that mistake. I love how Taylor prioritizes herself in the relationship, choosing to break it off and move on because that’s how she can protect herself. That’s the kind of role model we all need.

“And I know why we had to say goodbye, like the back of my hand”

Jhanya: The emotion feels so raw in this song. This song can be an anthem for all those who are struggling to decide whether they should push through with a relationship. As Ria said, Taylor prioritized and chose herself in the relationship, which is just *chef’s kiss*. If we’re talking about the technicalities here, the lyrics are, as usual, beautifully heartbreaking, and the melody fits very well with the theme Taylor wants to go with. But what really caught my attention was the song’s instrumentation and country vibe (maybe it’s why the song wasn’t included originally. It was too country).

Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault] (Ft. Phoebe Bridgers)

“How can a person know everything at eighteen

But nothing at twenty-two?”

Ria: Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor’s voices compliment each other so much that I didn’t expect it. This is a surprisingly mature song written by a twenty-two-year-old. We can see here the fear of Taylor when she was 22 and we can see how she fears getting older and knowing nothing, essentially. The melody and instrumentation are also pretty. Surprisingly, I really like this song even though I don’t relate to it much.

Jhanya: One of my favorite artist collabs in a while. Wow. I really think this song wouldn’t have been as good as it is now if Taylor released it solo. Something about Phoebe Bridgers’ voice just molded well with the track and Taylor’s voice that made it all the more memorable. The highlight of this song has to be it’s masterfully crafted lyrics. This song is definitely a standout for me.

Babe (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]

“What a shame,

Didn’t wanna be the one that got away”

Ria: Honestly, good for Taylor to be the one that got away! This song is sort of a sequel to the previous song Better Man. It’s the continuation of the song which connects also to All Too Well. And it’s kind of paradoxical for me that the beat of this song is a bit more upbeat and lively rather than cold and sad when Taylor’s singing how he basically just blew everything up and they’re broken up.

“Your secret has its consequence and that's on you, babe”

Jhanya: This song is pretty similar to Better Man in terms of meaning, but not as memorable as the former. Despite being livelier and more upbeat than Better Man, Babe was just OKAY as a song. I’ve heard Sugarland’s version of it and tbh, I prefer Jennifer Nettles’ voice for the song. It had more of an edge than Taylor’s. The added use of trumpets and saxes were a very good addition to the song though, which really helped to “up” the song a bit.

Message in A Bottle (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]

Ria: One of my favorite new songs!!! The song is upbeat and Taylor’s vocals and technique really shine. Just that “I-i-i-i-i” at the end of almost every line shows how much her voice has matured, and beautifully. Additionally, this song encompasses how you send a message to someone and hope that maybe, one day, the person would hear about it.

“But time moves faster, replaying your laughter, disaster”

Jhanya: I still don’t understand why this song wasn’t included in the original album. It’s such a bop. I already added this song to my running playlist LOL. As generic of a pop song it is, Message in a Bottle deserved to be in one of Taylor’s og albums, whether it be Red or 1989, I’m not picky xD. The song has such a wholesome, yet heartfelt meaning that will have you banging your head and be emotional at the same time.

I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault] (Ft. Chris Stapleton)

Ria: Oh man, this song is just a huge slap to whoever this is about. I mean, Taylor’s moved on and left you but you still think about her. And the fact that she incorporated some country tone in the song indicates a bit of how she’s gone back to her roots and found herself after being broken by him. She’s like “bye b*tch”.

“I bet it's hard to believe

That it turned out I'm harder to forget than I was to leave”

Jhanya: If this song was a real life scenario, it’s the part where the person has to finally confront their toxic ex after moving on from them. Taylor’s tone during this song just hits different. You can feel the anger and disappointment in every word and together with the instruments, they all just take this song to another level. The loudness and the country vibe of I Bet You Think About Me also just matches the message Taylor wants to go with.

Forever Winter (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]

Ria: The irony of an “upbeat” ballad to its actual meaning. Similar to Babe the instrumentation really leads you away from the lyrics. Looking closely, this upbeat ballad talks of constant worry and stress and lack of communication which disrupts her mental health as well. With a meaning like this, I didn’t expect something as “upbeat” as this. Or I’m probably just obsessed with depressing songs with slow, depressing sounds.

“I'll be summer sun for you forever

Forever winter if you go”

Jhanya: The melody of this song really matches the feeling of stress and frustration of Forever Winter. Not as memorable or impactful as the other songs so far, but personally one of my favorite instrumentations so far. It’s a very fun song that will lift up one’s mood and instill hope for a friend in need.

Run (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault] (Ft. Ed Sheeran)

Ria: Taylor and Ed are meant to be forever best friends, they just fit each other so well with banger songs and euphoric lyrics. The song is, I think, so relevant to anyone who’s famous, anyone who’s always being chased, anyone who needs to run. It doesn’t necessarily have to be running from the paps, or spotlight, it can be running from someone, responsibilities, obsessive thoughts, or even yourself. So this song’s relevance is just top tier and it’s understandable being written by these two artists.

“There's a chain 'round your throat, piece of paper where I wrote

"I'll wait for you”

Jhanya: For some weird reason, I have this attachment to songs with the word “run” in their title and this song isn’t an exception LOL. Anyway, Taylor and Ed Sheeran have ANOTHER collab song, and I am not complaining. I still haven’t gotten over Equals (check our review on this album here), so this track is a very welcomed bonus. Run isn’t really anything new when it comes to music, but it’s such a relaxing track that it makes you wanna keep listening to it. Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran are also a huge factor in making the song even memorable. You can really feel their emotions in the song and how they personally relate to the meaning of it.

The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]

Ria: The mix of drums, acoustic guitar, and vocals, the tone of the song is rush and haste which images what young love felt like. The rush of everything, the flutters, and the want to do everything together. The song is entirely reminiscent of past relationships which she looks back fondly, now having accepted all that happened.

“I'm the one on the phone as you whisper

"Do you know how much I miss you?"”

Jhanya: Quite the generic pop song (but also another bop) similar to Message in a Bottle. The instrumentation in this song is something I definitely miss. It gives such a strong feel of nostalgia, especially those bass lines ugh. I don’t really have much to say about this song, but OH MY GOSH, what a song to put before the emotional downfall that is All Too Well (10 min ver.).

All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) [From the Vault]

“You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath

Sacred prayer and we’d swear

To remember it all too well”

Ria: Can you hear me sobbing? I am sobbing. I honestly would have given this a perfect rating but I just can’t listen to this on loop because I can’t take breaking my heart over and over. It hurts too much. Feelings aside, the lyricism that Taylor showed here is phenomenal. She just has a way with words that can either really break your heart or bring you back to life, in this case, it’s the former. It’s also especially mind-blowing how she was able to come up with these lyrics by ad-libbing and jamming with her band. Her mind. Furthermore, did you guys catch the change of instrumentation? And that heavy pause before near the end. I mean it happened unexpectedly but in such a right place. I have lots more to say but all I’m just going to say is I honestly can’t wait for her to perform this live.

“But maybe this thing was a masterpiece

'Til you tore it all up”

Jhanya: I told myself I won’t cry, but I did anyway. This is the heartbreak song of all heartbreak songs. It hurts huhuhuhu Taylor really showed the world how the past isn’t over, and maybe it never is. The lyrics, the melody, the emotions, and the instrumentation were all just too good to not get chills and cry over. If you add in the short film, it just really hits even more than it already does. This version of the song is, of course, even more personal and has a lot of references to one of the MCU villains, specifically the one who has a fish bowl on his head. One can see that Taylor really poured her heart out for this song and the production of Antonoff made the song feel more dreamlike, which really just makes the song even better than it already is (like HOW FAR can this song go???). All Too Well (10 Minute Version) is the perfect song to end this album, encapsulating the heartbreak theme of the whole thing.

Final Thoughts

Ria: Taylor Swift = Queen. The whole album is just *chef’s kiss*. The maturity of her vocals clearly showed and her own style shone through. It’s clear how she has also grown and matured as a person. From twenty-two, now in her thirties, she’s been through so much and I’m really glad that she’s able to show us all her works. And her lyricism, as we can see, was just as good as when she was younger as she is now. Maybe a wee bit better now. But honestly, what can beat All Too Well (10 Minute Version). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. DON’T FORGET YOUR TISSUES. And be emotionally prepared to listen to the last track.

Jhanya: Red has always been my favorite Taylor Swift album because of all the emotions and creativity it has, so this is an absolute gem and one I’ve been waiting for ever since Taylor announced that she will be rereleasing her albums. This album is, once again, a lyrical masterpiece from the queen herself and the fact that she continues to improve with every single release is just insane at this point. Personally, it’s not something that I’d put on loop, given how emotional it is, but it’s definitely something I’d always want to go back to listening to when I’m in the mood. Red (Taylor’s Version) really showed the world how much of a hold Taylor Swift has on all of us. Especially after leaving everyone that listened to the album an emotional wreck after finishing it xD

The Vault Song Rankings

	JHANYA	RIA
1	All Too Well (10 Minute Version)	All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
2	Run	Message in a Bottle
3	I Bet You Think About Me	Nothing New
4	Nothing New	I Bet You Think About Me
5	Better Man	Run
6	Message in a Bottle	Better Man
7	Forever Winter	Babe
8	The Very First Night	Forever Winter
9	Babe	The Very First Night

Rating

Criteria	Jhanya	Ria
Lyrics (2)	2	2
Melody (2)	2	2
Instrumentation (1.5)	1.4	1.5
Meaning (1.5)	1.5	1.5
Originality (1)	0.9	1
Relevance (1)	1	1
Loop Value (1)	0.7	0.9
TOTAL	9.5	9.9
Final Score	97