You Know This Album All Too Well.

Red (Taylors Version) featured all sixteen songs that came out in the original version, plus four off the deluxe, Ronan (which was released as a single in 2012), and nine vault tracks. Red has always been a heartbreak album with a mess of sad and angry melodies, but also upbeat tracks. It was also the album where she started to steer away from the country roots of her first three albums and into the pop world.

Red (Taylors Version), continued with the same sense of nostalgia from the original album while improving her vocals and some production elements as well. A notable, but necessary, difference takes place in the opening track “State of Grace”. The refreshing vocals change the perspective a bit, making it seem like older Swift is reflecting on this past experience that is to follow.

The hit “22” also makes a highly noticeable change, specifically in development. This time around, everything sounds a whole lot cleaner — crisp like a fall day. This difference is very impactful for the listener, making it a far more enjoyable experience.

Unfortunately, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together“ would have been better left untouched. The “we” that follows the chorus make the song sound like a KidzBop cover. However, the new maturity in talking moments throughout the song almost fixes the mistakes previously mentioned.

Another plus of the record is that Ed Sheeran came back for his collaboration on “Everything Has Changed”. Both Swift’s and Sheeran’s voices blend together almost effortlessly and their songwriting talents make the collaboration one of the best on the album.

“Begin Again”, has always been a fan favorite – and luckily, the re-recorded version makes it even better. While listening, it is almost like you can picture Swift smiling while she sings, ending the main portion of the album with a breath of fresh air.

Red (Taylor’s Version) is a very full-circle experience. Listeners are able to fully follow along with Swift’s journey. The updated vocals and production elements make the experience and album better than the original.

Back in February, when Fearless (Taylor’s Version) was announced, Swift also announced that there would be never released songs to make an appearance on the album – “From the Vault” songs. It was exciting when this trend was continued onto Red (Taylor’s Version). Fans were thrilled to hear brand new songs and features with other famous artists such as Phoebe Bridgers and Chris Stapleton.

“Nothing New (featuring Phoebe Bridgers)” stole the show. Throughout this collaboration, Swift and Bridgers told a heartbreaking story about the narrator realizing she is not the best next thing in the music industry. This story is similar to Swift’s experience as several rising artists (Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, and Gracie Abrams to name a few) have credited Swift as their inspiration throughout their rising careers.

The solo song, “The Very First Night” is another great show of Swift’s skills. Definitely leaning towards the pop genre over the country genre, she reminisces the time of a past relationship and how there was more to it than shown on the surface. Her vocals throughout the song make it a memorable one for sure.

“I Bet You Think About Me (featuring Chris Stapleton)” is a great addition to the album as well. This song tells a story after being with a guy. The narrator believes that he thinks about her long after the relationship is over. The two are so different from each other in the way they were raised that the relationship went down.

Finally, “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” wraps up the album perfectly. When Swift first released the song in 2012, it was shortened to five minutes from the original ten. Swift mentioned the song was originally ten minutes long in an interview on Good Morning America, and fans have asked for it ever since.

While most of the expanded version is the same, there are a few verses in the song that haven’t been heard before. This version seems to be angrier at ex and inspiration for the song Jake Gyllenhaal. Directly listing examples of things he put Swift through such as “weeping in a party bathroom” and “I’ll get older, but your lovers stay my age”, the newly added verses are both beautiful and heartbreaking to hear. Making this version worth the nine-year wait.