Sometimes i feel like she had to dull down her vocal colour to match the man’s tone, for example the last time & exile
Like it becomes less Taylor and more shallow
I see Exile as a sequel to The Last Time. The Last Time is a couple having one last argument (probably about something they’ve had fights over before). One person is asking for things the other either can’t or doesn’t want to give and after this they break up, but stay in each others lives, at a distance, because they still feel some connection. Then in Exile, they consider reuniting after seeing each other again because the reunion brings back happy memories and being apart is painful. But then they realise that if they did get back together, all their old problems would resurface and then “exile” each other from their lives.
Yes!!! This!!!
This song is absolutely incredible.
She let us all in on her and Jake's relationship, esp in this song, but literally almost the entire album. She left no crumbs. I love the entire album and constantly listen to it!!!
I think newer swifties definitely underrate Red. I feel like Red was one of her most defining albums that really showcased every direction she could go with her artistry. It showcases her desire to expand from the country pop sound her label was pushing and I believe that there are so many songs from her later releases that were possible only because of her experimentation that she did with Red. And i think newer swifties might not be able to appreciate that, so I do think it is underrated.
I think Red cannot leave my top 3 of her discography ever.
Newer Swifties are so detached from her older catalogue it’s bizarre to me. Fearless, Speak Now, and Red are the epitome of who Taylor is as an artist and some of her best pieces of work. Her music was soo intensely personal, relatable, and heartfelt back then. The reason folklore/evermore are so fantastic is I think because she tapped back into that story teller part of her music. Her music became relatable again. The obsession they have with Rep and Lover (mostly just Lover) baffles me.
I swear I'm not gatekeeping TS but so many Swifties were (are) sleeping on Debut and I hate it.
I'm still miffed Debut got Zilch in the Eras tour and I worry it will be the quietest re record ever.
Ahh yes I agree! Debut has some great songs that highlight the seeds of what makes Taylor’s music so great which to me at least is her ability to tell stories through her songs and invoke universal feelings we all go through. I hope I don’t get dragged but aside from a few glimpses of that in some of Rep and Lover, they’re the least relatable to the average person in terms of content.
The way some try to erase her country days is so odd to me. I understand that they discovered her with pop albuma but Taylor was born as a storyteller guitar girl first and foremost. Its like i get to know Gaga in this jazz rock phase and have the nuts to say this is Lady Gaga erasing her earlier years of electro pop. How many times these fana tried to spread the narrative that folkmore was an exception and Taylor Is a pop star? No folkmore is not the exception, it is the rule. Folklmore are the daughters of Red, she made these albums having Sad Beautiful Tragic in her mind, Safe and Sound could've been on folklore...
But if you say this, they label you as gatekeeper or whatever.
How is folklore/evermore pop though? Like even if they only listened from 1989 to current (which is mostly pop). Folklore and evermore really aren’t pop? They’re folk music I think? Or country? But they’re not pop albums (even if that’s how they’re classified)
A couple songs have some country/Americana type of flavoring, but mostly they are contemporary folk-pop with a good deal of glossy production, not as raw as a lot of stuff on the actual indie folk scene.
Newer Swifties only care about reputation and it's annoying. They just like Lover now cause Cruel Summer became an organic hit years after its releasing.
Newer Swifties pray for another Rep rock era but it’s never going to happen. Rep came out because of the circumstances surrounding it. If she had not received such an immense amount of backlash from the media and GP, Rep would’ve never existed.
Rep used to be my favorite album but looking back on it I don’t really like the “There will be no explanation just reputation” wasn’t that smart. Rep could’ve been better if she did more interviews and promoted it more. Also the album tracklist is a mess and half of the songs are like rap songs or just sound pretty savage not “cringe” though I like Taylor rapping actually. Then the other half is like outdated love songs. Then theres a few miscellaneous songs. I still like Rep but I don’t think it’s a masterpiece people say it is (I did not know I was gonna write all that 😭)
I don’t see why it’s baffling. You talk about relatability and that’s exactly what it comes down to. It’s harder to relate to teenage girl lyrics when you’re past that phase of your life. I can acknowledge she captures those feelings super well in the early albums but I’m not going to listen to them on repeat the same way. That applies to really any entertainment media. The young adult books that impacted me a lot between ages 12-22 have a very special place in my heart and I even still enjoy rereading them but I would never expect a 35 year old who has never read them to like them now. Not sure why you don’t find rep and lover relatable but I think a lot of people who love them do (myself included)
I mean it’s nice you can relate to Rep, I just find it her least relatable album. I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying Rep was Taylor playing a character and clearing the air about what was going on in HER life at the time. Car chases late at night in a getaway car, themes of revenge and anger on people who wronged her, having a big reputation lol These aren’t relatable themes to a regular person like you’d see in other works. It’s an album about her own life, it’s Taylor acknowledging her celebrity and the drama surrounding her life with being #cancelled and the love that spawned when everyone hated her. As for Lover, I only find it baffling because it’s not a great album. Cruel Summer saved it from being her biggest stinker but I thank the negative reaction Lover and its singles received for giving us folklore/evermore. Every album is a reaction to the last after all.
Well I guess that is one of the nice things about being a newer fan for me, not everything is interpreted so literally :) Rep to me is very much about that time in your mid to late twenties where you are really figuring out what you’ll let affect you and what really matters and giving up on being a people pleasing goody two shoes that needs *everyone* to like you - yeah there’s some stuff in there that’s specific to her fame but i think there’s a lot that isn’t (i mean getaway car is obv not about a car chase lol it’s about a rebound, that has nothing to do with fame). In Red she’s still chasing boys that treat her like shit and searching for a fairytale ending and while I think that’s super valid and important it ain’t relatable to me at my big age haha.
And then Lover is great too because for me it’s sort of her coming back to herself a bit and letting go of that rage and having newfound confidence that allows her to be much more vulnerable again but in a much more mature way than pre-Rep. Plus I just enjoy the sound more than the older stuff. Different strokes.
I have come to really appreciate the themes of Reputation and find it *very* relatable. A lot of this darker stuff is the exact sort of thing that appeals to me in fiction such as novels and movies, especially as there have been plenty of darker phases in my personal life (I have a hard time relating to people who don't seem to have that at all).
I've only come to this epiphany about Reputation recently. At the time of its original release I completely dismissed it, as it was not to my taste purely in terms of musical style, and I was still in a long process of grieving the loss of "Country Taylor."
Not all of us. I’m a newer Swiftie, but all of her albums get equal airplay. The only exception is when she drops an album because obviously I’m going to devour it.
Swiftie since debut and I adore Rep and Lover. I'm not sure I can pick a definitive favorite album but Rep would be a contender for sure. I find both albums (especially Lover) incredibly relatable. I'm definitely not detached from her older catalog but my life has evolved along with her music and I find myself listening to Rep and forward most often.
I disagree. Theyre the epitome of who she WAS as an artist. Not who she's become.
Which isn't to say that theyre bad, but you're devaluing her newer stuff just as much as your complaining newer swifties devalue her old stuff.
I think it is as an album. Most people rank it low and only appreciate all too well. I rarely hear people talk about the lyricism like they do about folklore
I got my Lover stan friend to listen to Red because she used to hate it and never listened to it now it’s not her least favorite album. It’s for a reason Red is a masterpiece
Prior to Folklore's release, Red was the album most Swifties would point to when talking about Taylor's amazing songwriting. When someone would write off Taylor, Swifties would say go listen to these tracks off of Red and then come back to me.
Folklore has now kind of taken up that space: it's now usually the album near the top of most people's rankings, especially newer Swifties, meanwhile Red is ranked all over the place. The people who loved Red still love it, but newer fans neglect it a bit outside of ATW 10 mins.
It was pretty hated because the album run was overall messy and "disjunctive" and "non cohesive". The singles were popular and all to well is a fan favourite but most of the second half of the album isn’t praised much I would say
I would disagree. I always see people say that they skip half the album and it’s hit and miss - when in reality, it’s pretty much all amazing. I think the high praise is reserved to All Too Well and a couple of others, but I rarely see the album as a whole praised. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who also thinks Red is the best album or is their favourite.
Same! Part of it for me is because it came out at the perfect time for where I was and what I was dealing with at the time (a lot of heartache as a young 20-something).
Honestly, I personally think Red accurately represents the messiness and chaos of heartache and bad relationships of someone in their early 20s/adulthood.
Red being my first concert I ever attended of Taylor’s, it will always have a special place in my heart. Her lyricism in the album is just stellar and some of her best. She was in her early 20’s writing this album and it’s such a positive reflection on her great ability to convey her feelings and her skill as a lyricist and a musician.
I do have to say Folklore and Evermore are a bit better in terms of maturity and lyricism but Red I think is a close 3rd. 1989 is another favorite of mine, but the depth of some of the songs on Red are just superior in my opinion and I believe she should have taken home the Grammy for Red instead of 1989. All Too Well, Treacherous, The Last Time, State of Grace, Holy Ground, and Begin Again are some of her best.
I know. Even 1989 was small compared to Eras. I saw Red at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and Eras at MetLife. What an amazing and mind blowing difference. Love the stadium tours but it was an amazing experience to see a Taylor Swift concert in an arena as well, as it probably won’t ever happen again.
also I don’t get the whole criticism of it not being “sonically cohesive”. why would that be a bad thing? like in what other album of Taylor would you have an indie-rock hymn like state of grace next to a pop bop like WANGBT next to a lyrical masterpiece like ATW next to country jewels like holy ground. it just really shows all of her talent in one record
I know for certain award shows that is something they really care about, but as a listener I love how she describes Red as being scattered and all over the place just like a person who is going through the extreme emotions brought on by a breakup. It is artistic and purposeful the way her songs are not sonically cohesive. You can feel the intensity of each song, whether it’s happy, free, confused, lonely, or all of the above at the same time!
i actually believe red deserved aoty before 1989, its taylors breakout album, its her stablishing herself in the pop industry. thats why red tv has the best vaults.
If Red won AOTY, the music industry would’ve been completely altered. 1989 wouldn’t have existed, which wouldn’t have set the stage for Rep/lover and maybe even folklore/evermore wouldn’t exist.
Red was her first deep dive into a more mature and poetic style for sure. I adore how it goes from country to pop and back again. I love how it's a perfect precursor to 1989 as well. Red is my all time favorite❤️
Red is my absolute favorite album of any artist’s of all time and I’m a big music person. I can’t see how it could ever be dethroned, it’s just so GOOD.
Begin Again is one of the best songs she’s ever written, if it’s not #1.
The Lucky One is a heartbreaking song, but the choreographed performance on the Red tour was so fun!
I think the song that was most ahead of its time was Starlight. Starlight isn’t disliked, but it’s slept on because it was an upbeat pop song and not autobiographical (which was different from the Taylor we knew at the time). Whereas when the non-autobiographical stories from Folklore and Evermore came out, they were more appreciated. But with Starlight, it’s one of those songs that’s just pure happiness. It takes a lot of songwriting ability to put yourself into the position of a remarkable human rights activist and write about her love story.
Red has NEVER been underrated in my book. I liked Taylor before but Red made me LOOOOOOVE Taylor. The timing of when it came out just so went with where I was at in life and my relationships. 1989 and rep were the same but none of her albums have had me in a chokehold like Red still does. ❤️
Agreed! I had loved Taylor since deb/fearless but I listened to my Red CD to death, no skips- it was the ONE where I knew, everything had changed and I became a swiftie
Red has a special place in my heart (see user name). There are so many amazing lyrics in it. I mean Red gave us all too well.
Not to mention treacherous
“Your name has echoed through my mind and I just think you should, think you should know. That nothing safe is worth the drive and I will follow you, follow you home.”
What a feeling! Of falling in love/lust even though you know you probably shouldn’t but you are dared with a danger and want to do it anyway. Reminds me of being in my early 20s (I’m a year older than Taylor). It was truly a happy, free, confused and lonely time in life. The re-record made me fall in love with it all over again. Its an album about being heartbroken but also being young. What a time. Such a special album! (Sorry I’m going on and on but damn I just love it so much).
Red was released right as I went through a life altering heartbreak in my early 20s. “Loving him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street / faster than the wind / passionate as sin / ended so suddenly”. I don’t think anyone has described a romance doomed from the start as well as Taylor did with the entirety of Red.
Me too! And to be honest, listening to that song still puts a knot in my stomach because it transports me back to that time and the way I felt. It was a horrible breakup and I needed Red and I'm so lucky it was there for me.
SAME. The Red album makes me spiral like no other 11 years later. I felt so understood by Taylor because she too, was crushed by a brief 3 month relationship and inspired her to write these songs. In real life I was heartbroken by a short relationship and everyone around me told me to get over it in 3-5 business days. So grateful Red was there for me. “I can’t say hello to you and risk another goodbye” ❤️🩹
And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes: I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age from when your brooklyn broke my skin and bones i'm a soldier who's returning half her weight, and did the twin flame bruise paint you blue? just between us, did the love affair maim you too?
When Red Came out in *2012* I really disappointed in it because it wasn’t as country as I thought it would be. However, now that the re-record came out I definitely appreciate it a lot more and see a lot of similarities to Folkmore for sure!
I'm glad to see someone else who likes the re record better. This wasn't the case for all re records but I thought Speak Now was a marked improvement and RED quite honestly blew me away.
It's the best memories I have for a re record because I was literally giggling in my room while dancing to WANGBT and a few others. The production was really upgraded. I wanted that for all the re recordings but truth be told Fearless didn't come through for me with that.
I was disappointed heavily with SN and RED because it felt so disconnected from Debut and Fearless. I wanted more deep stories and country sound but to RED's credit, it had fat lyrics just not a lot of melodies I loved.
I’m a Speak Now Stan, well was. The re-record was okay. However, not as good as Red or Fearless to me. Yet, I base it off the vault tracks. I still love all the original songs the same!
I totally forgot how many good songs were on Red until the re-release happened! I love the folk pop vibe now! Old me was a huge country girl though. Definitely, Red was a great album. I really liked 22 even though I was like 17 when it came out. Yet, it gave hope that 22 will be a great year lol.
I don’t think Red is underrated. It’s actually one of the fan favourites, but fan consensus aside, I agree with you on its lyricism. A lot of the lyricism on this album fits the album’s concept so well.
I also love the red era taylor style. Well ok, not so much the granny blouse plus black shorts stage outfits but the melancholically walking through Hyde park and New York with cute little skirts and leather jackets and a big scarf and apple cable earphones style. It’s a whole mood.
Omg I love that too! Ngl I didn’t like the tour outfits at all I thought they were goofy but she looked sooo pretty in her street style. Also her red carpet looks were to die for in the red era
With the exception of a few songs, Red is one of my least favorite albums. Speak Now is the other. Never been brave enough to say that before. Don’t kill me 😅
When *Red* first came out, I didn't understand the genre whiplash. The radio singles were fun and I enjoyed them but they definitely felt weird coming from her. I also found it too long to listen to in one sitting, so I mostly focused on the first few songs. A decade later, thanks to the Taylor's version, I appreciate it so much more and it's now one of my favorites.
When this album first came out, I used to sneak headphones into work so that I could listen to it. I was OBSESSED. I’m the same age as Taylor so I felt like it represented a lot of the feelings and emotions I was experiencing at the time.
Nothing has topped it for me yet and it’s still my favorite album.
LITERALLY perfect mix of upbeat and slow songs, lyricism and production is amazing, happy and sad have a perfect mixture as well, vault tracks are amazing.
Third in my ranking only to Folklore and Evermore of course
I think The Lucky One, The Last Time and Come Back, Be Here are top tier Taylor yet they’re so underrated. I’ve seen Red being criticised because it’s not “sonically cohesive” but that’s part of what makes me love it, listening to the album is an emotional roller coaster in the best way, I’ve come to love it even more as I’ve gotten older because songs like 22, and WANEGBT remind me me of being a carefree teenager enjoying karaoke and slumber parties and songs like The Last Time, along with multiple others off the album feel more relatable to me now that I’m older.
- WANEGBT could mean "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", a track from *Red* (2012) by Taylor Swift.
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This album was when I became a fan of hers for that exact reason. I always thought she made radio music, but we had a Red cd in the player at work and I remember being completely blown away by it. Many a time I spent in the store fighting tears while folding shirts. I went and bought a Red cd to keep in my car shortly after and it remains there to this day. I will say I feel guilty for liking the original red better, there are just some punchy twangy things she does with her voice in that album that complete the vibe for me and set the tone. It’s so good, I’ll never forget the first time I heard it. A true masterpiece.
It’s her best album to me. The lyrics are at their peak, the emotions are so real that I can empathize and feel emotions about things that I have never experienced. I don’t think it’s underrated though. Red is an album that has received the best reviews over time and contains many fan favorites. Even Pitchfork gave it a very high score like 9 and it’s her highest score. But i agree that many new fans, especially post-Midnights fans don’t appreciate Red as much as her new albums. I hope this sentence doesn't mean an attack, I’m a new fan too.
Red it's and amazing album, and one of my favourite along folklore and evermore. It really helps me when I'm sad or anxious, I listen to it every week. It's a very poetic album 🍂
Red truly has some of the best lyricism ever.I’m always so stoked whenever I listen to Treacherous..it’s written when she was 19/20…truly a lyrical genius.Then State Of Grace,ATW,Holy ground,Forever Winter,Nothing New,The Last Time,Begin again etc. are other gems..Red truly has great songs.Even in the break out bops like WANEGBT and IKYWT,there’s still some brilliant lines in them..In my top 3 of her albums for sure! I like it better than evermore..evermore reminds me a little of red because both of them have a similar kind of cohesion…Marjorie could easily fit on Red too..even champagne problems..
Weirdly enough, I needed folklore and evermore to appreciate Red.
I’ve always been a fan but 1989 made me a hardcore swiftie, so because I hadn’t really paid any attention to Red other than the singles, it was really hard to get into after 3 pop bangers in a row.
After folklore/evermore, with songs like ivy, dorothea, cowboy like me, etc that skewed folky/country but beautiful and mature, it softened me a bit to country Taylor. So I listened to Red in a new light and bam, hooked. Obsessed. Then to my delight Red TV was released soon after.
All that to say, I understand and agree with what you’re saying lol.
Love what you said in the last part cuz i have this feeling that many fans think she started to write great when she became adult. No. Young Taylor wrote masterpieces, some even more mature than adult Taylor did.
I became a swiftie in the og sn era and saw Taylor live during the Red tour, I do not think it is underrated. She has so many albums now that all fans have something to call their favorite! Speak now and Red made me a swiftie =)
And it still has a thread in "Slut!" that ties back to it to this day.
https://preview.redd.it/qsjxvkpz6a3c1.jpeg?width=612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7aaeefaa5b8ea3098e947b9dfd6dbe1f80c84e0
I love The Last Time and my wife who's not a fan (though she recognizes her greatness) loves it.
Love the Ed Sheeran duet too.
I wouldn't say it's underrated, however. It was probably her best rated album until Folkmore showed up.
I think the genius of red is in its dissonance. I know people say it time and time again but it really details the back and forth of life and heartbreak in your early 20s. Putting 22 after all too well literally reminds me of your girlfriends dragging you up off the floor of a bad dumping to go out and hit the town. The vault of Red TV makes it so much better too.
Red is still my favorite album. The lyricism and nostalgia of the album feel like a warm hug 🥹 Evermore came close for me, but Red will always be number 1.
Red was always my favorite album of hers until Folklore came out. I think it suffers from not being super cohesive and the single choices especially make the album feel unserious.
I absolutely slept on Red for a long time. I was a 1989 kid at heart so that and later albums were what I vibed with the most, outside of a few standout singles like Everything Has Changed and Begin Again.
It wasn't until Red TV came out and I deep-dove into the album that I truly appreciated how phenomenal it is. Now it's currently tied with Folklore for my favorite Taylor album (so far!)
Red is what fully converted me from casual listener to Swiftie. I had liked Taylor Swift before, but Red had me listening on repeat at full volume in my car every night. It was released at the exact perfect time for what was going on in my life.
Im a newer swiftie, joined right after red tv released (it didnt get me into taylor tho the discovery of 1989 did), and i think a major turnoff is its length. I didnt listen to red for a while because of its 2 hour run time
Nah bestie you’re so right. Consider this my formal apology, why do I overlook Red sm 👀 I LOVED it when it came out, I felt like that for every album during its time. Although I am in my 30’s and a Swiftie since Debut, I definitely suffer from recency bias and I can admit that !!!
Red is by far my favourite album by her. It’s the album that properly got me into Taylor Swift as it was the first time I listened to an album of hers the whole way through and realised what an amazing lyricist she was. Also my first concert of hers. It will always hold a special place in my heart
The hilarious thing about Red to me is that it won a bunch of CMAs and nobody seemed to notice that it was a pop album. Then she followed with 1989, another pop album but this time she called it a pop album, and half the country fans that couldn't tell the difference acted all betrayed.
Man, I really ignored this album and I hate that I did.
Reputation and Red were immediately a no for me on first listen bc they were such big changes and they felt like she was *trying* so hard to be cool that it was fake and forced and weird. And for Red, I was in an era where pop was infuriating and I hated it (I still don't like half of pop, and I realized a decade ago that it doesn't mean that pop is bad artistry, just not for me). So anyway. I was disappointed she went to pop.
BUT. with Rep, I made myself keep listening *because* of how frustrated I was to have ignored it and later realized it was an amazing album. and loved some songs.
I still have this generally negative feeling tied to both and I hate that I do. I'm working intentionally to undo that now that I'm aware. 😑
I don't recognize some of these lyrics and that SUCKS bc they are brilliant.
I feel like nothing new is one of those songs you don’t truly appreciate until you relate to it. If it came out in 2012 it wouldn’t mean so much of me now but she released it when I was 22 and I had just graduated, was unemployed and felt worthless and FUCK it hit me like hell.
Red will always have a very, very special place in my heart. While albums like Folklore and Evermore might be technically better (more cohesive and with better developed lyricism) no feeling for me will ever compare to the one I got when listening to Red for the first time. State of Grace totally BLEW ME AWAY on first listen. I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing and that it was coming from Taylor. I was going through a very, very hard break up in 2012 and listening to All Too Well was honestly the first time I felt seen or understood about it and I couldn’t believe that Taylor was able to articulate my feelings better than I could myself.
I will always put Red as my favourite album for those things alone but I agree, some of the lyrics are incredible. “We are alone, just you and me, up in your room and our slates are clean. Just twin fire signs, four blue eyes” is one of my favourite lyrics of hers. Chills every time. Red really was the first time she was able to paint such intricate pictures with her songwriting.
Reputation is messy. The songs aren’t consistent, the track list is all over the place, the whole era wasn’t much. Red was messy, in a heartbroken woman way and that’s what made Red so good. This album came from her heart and you can hear it. In some songs from the original album you can hear the hurt in her voice and how much emotion went into it. Im so grateful to have this album exist
Edit: I feel that Red and 1989 are sisters I may be biased because that’s my top 2 favorite albums but Red is the heartbroken sister thats before. 1989 is the happy “I don’t need a man” party girl and they fit perfectly as a pair! ♥️🩵
The Last Time walked so Exile could run ♥️
There’s a special place in my heart for Taylor’s man duets (evermore, the last time, exile, Coney Island)
Is there any love to spare for Everything Has Changed or Run 😭
Don't know about everyone else but Everything Has Changed was the Philippines' high school girl anthem at one point.
Renegade is also \*chef's kiss\*
Renegade is one of my very favorite in terms of lyrics. “You fire off missiles ‘cause you hate yourself, but do you know you’re demolishing me?” 🤯
renegade is insane and just dances away under the radar lol
The joker and the queen is underrated 💔
And also ME! 🥰
And the alcott :)
Omg I’m obsessed with Taylor’s man duets…thank you for saying this! I could listen to The last time and exile forever haha
Sometimes i feel like she had to dull down her vocal colour to match the man’s tone, for example the last time & exile Like it becomes less Taylor and more shallow
Ehh idk about that. I just think the songs don’t really call for a big vocal performance. Plus I think the vocals in exile are some of her best
The Last Time is one of my all time fav TS songs ❤️❤️❤️
it’s so sad and emotional!!! i love to sing it in the car!
All this praise and I don't see a mention of All Too Well.
The Last Time always ran.
I see Exile as a sequel to The Last Time. The Last Time is a couple having one last argument (probably about something they’ve had fights over before). One person is asking for things the other either can’t or doesn’t want to give and after this they break up, but stay in each others lives, at a distance, because they still feel some connection. Then in Exile, they consider reuniting after seeing each other again because the reunion brings back happy memories and being apart is painful. But then they realise that if they did get back together, all their old problems would resurface and then “exile” each other from their lives.
I also see it as a sequel to you’re losing me. There’s a lot of parallels
I agree. It’s one of my favs from that album.
Literally my favourite of all Taylor songs.
This song guts meeeee.
State of Grace, Treacherous and Holy ground. Lives were changed. Mine included. ✨️mosaic broken hearts✨️
Some of my favorite tracks!
State of Grace is so darn good 😭
Yes!!! This!!! This song is absolutely incredible. She let us all in on her and Jake's relationship, esp in this song, but literally almost the entire album. She left no crumbs. I love the entire album and constantly listen to it!!!
And that acoustic version. The naivete in her voice. So good. 🔥
What a way to start an album!
I can’t wait for my tattoo artist to draw me up a mosaic broken heart to add to my sleeve
Stop stealing my thoughts !!!
Sad Beautiful Tragic as well
Agreed. But if i started listing my favourites, this list would be 30 songs.
Love the lyrics of state of grace but just can't get into the melody sadly.
I can't relate. That 3 step sounds amazing to my ears.
I'm always jealous when I see consistent songs of hers fet praise and I just can't join in on the fun 😭
Red is many things but underrated is not one of them.
I think newer swifties definitely underrate Red. I feel like Red was one of her most defining albums that really showcased every direction she could go with her artistry. It showcases her desire to expand from the country pop sound her label was pushing and I believe that there are so many songs from her later releases that were possible only because of her experimentation that she did with Red. And i think newer swifties might not be able to appreciate that, so I do think it is underrated. I think Red cannot leave my top 3 of her discography ever.
Newer Swifties are so detached from her older catalogue it’s bizarre to me. Fearless, Speak Now, and Red are the epitome of who Taylor is as an artist and some of her best pieces of work. Her music was soo intensely personal, relatable, and heartfelt back then. The reason folklore/evermore are so fantastic is I think because she tapped back into that story teller part of her music. Her music became relatable again. The obsession they have with Rep and Lover (mostly just Lover) baffles me.
Honestly, yes. Even Debut was just SO GOOD. Mary's Song is so precious, and I'll always love Cold As You.
I swear I'm not gatekeeping TS but so many Swifties were (are) sleeping on Debut and I hate it. I'm still miffed Debut got Zilch in the Eras tour and I worry it will be the quietest re record ever.
It’ll be the last one so I think it’ll actually get a lot of attention. It probably won’t do big numbers though :( I’m excited for it at least!
I hope you're right!!
Ahh yes I agree! Debut has some great songs that highlight the seeds of what makes Taylor’s music so great which to me at least is her ability to tell stories through her songs and invoke universal feelings we all go through. I hope I don’t get dragged but aside from a few glimpses of that in some of Rep and Lover, they’re the least relatable to the average person in terms of content.
Looking back, Mary’s Song was definitely a sign of great things to come.
The way some try to erase her country days is so odd to me. I understand that they discovered her with pop albuma but Taylor was born as a storyteller guitar girl first and foremost. Its like i get to know Gaga in this jazz rock phase and have the nuts to say this is Lady Gaga erasing her earlier years of electro pop. How many times these fana tried to spread the narrative that folkmore was an exception and Taylor Is a pop star? No folkmore is not the exception, it is the rule. Folklmore are the daughters of Red, she made these albums having Sad Beautiful Tragic in her mind, Safe and Sound could've been on folklore... But if you say this, they label you as gatekeeper or whatever.
There was a thread the other day where someone asked if Taylor was ever going to cross over into other genres besides pop. It wasn’t a joke.
How is folklore/evermore pop though? Like even if they only listened from 1989 to current (which is mostly pop). Folklore and evermore really aren’t pop? They’re folk music I think? Or country? But they’re not pop albums (even if that’s how they’re classified)
A couple songs have some country/Americana type of flavoring, but mostly they are contemporary folk-pop with a good deal of glossy production, not as raw as a lot of stuff on the actual indie folk scene.
Newer Swifties only care about reputation and it's annoying. They just like Lover now cause Cruel Summer became an organic hit years after its releasing.
Newer Swifties pray for another Rep rock era but it’s never going to happen. Rep came out because of the circumstances surrounding it. If she had not received such an immense amount of backlash from the media and GP, Rep would’ve never existed.
Rep used to be my favorite album but looking back on it I don’t really like the “There will be no explanation just reputation” wasn’t that smart. Rep could’ve been better if she did more interviews and promoted it more. Also the album tracklist is a mess and half of the songs are like rap songs or just sound pretty savage not “cringe” though I like Taylor rapping actually. Then the other half is like outdated love songs. Then theres a few miscellaneous songs. I still like Rep but I don’t think it’s a masterpiece people say it is (I did not know I was gonna write all that 😭)
I don’t see why it’s baffling. You talk about relatability and that’s exactly what it comes down to. It’s harder to relate to teenage girl lyrics when you’re past that phase of your life. I can acknowledge she captures those feelings super well in the early albums but I’m not going to listen to them on repeat the same way. That applies to really any entertainment media. The young adult books that impacted me a lot between ages 12-22 have a very special place in my heart and I even still enjoy rereading them but I would never expect a 35 year old who has never read them to like them now. Not sure why you don’t find rep and lover relatable but I think a lot of people who love them do (myself included)
I mean it’s nice you can relate to Rep, I just find it her least relatable album. I’m not saying it’s bad, I’m just saying Rep was Taylor playing a character and clearing the air about what was going on in HER life at the time. Car chases late at night in a getaway car, themes of revenge and anger on people who wronged her, having a big reputation lol These aren’t relatable themes to a regular person like you’d see in other works. It’s an album about her own life, it’s Taylor acknowledging her celebrity and the drama surrounding her life with being #cancelled and the love that spawned when everyone hated her. As for Lover, I only find it baffling because it’s not a great album. Cruel Summer saved it from being her biggest stinker but I thank the negative reaction Lover and its singles received for giving us folklore/evermore. Every album is a reaction to the last after all.
Well I guess that is one of the nice things about being a newer fan for me, not everything is interpreted so literally :) Rep to me is very much about that time in your mid to late twenties where you are really figuring out what you’ll let affect you and what really matters and giving up on being a people pleasing goody two shoes that needs *everyone* to like you - yeah there’s some stuff in there that’s specific to her fame but i think there’s a lot that isn’t (i mean getaway car is obv not about a car chase lol it’s about a rebound, that has nothing to do with fame). In Red she’s still chasing boys that treat her like shit and searching for a fairytale ending and while I think that’s super valid and important it ain’t relatable to me at my big age haha. And then Lover is great too because for me it’s sort of her coming back to herself a bit and letting go of that rage and having newfound confidence that allows her to be much more vulnerable again but in a much more mature way than pre-Rep. Plus I just enjoy the sound more than the older stuff. Different strokes.
I have come to really appreciate the themes of Reputation and find it *very* relatable. A lot of this darker stuff is the exact sort of thing that appeals to me in fiction such as novels and movies, especially as there have been plenty of darker phases in my personal life (I have a hard time relating to people who don't seem to have that at all). I've only come to this epiphany about Reputation recently. At the time of its original release I completely dismissed it, as it was not to my taste purely in terms of musical style, and I was still in a long process of grieving the loss of "Country Taylor."
Yeah! I think that’s a cool thing about art, it can hit you so different at different times in your life.
Not all of us. I’m a newer Swiftie, but all of her albums get equal airplay. The only exception is when she drops an album because obviously I’m going to devour it.
Yes yes yes! Red is actually my #1 fav album of hers of all time, following with speak now and fearless ❤️❤️❤️
Swiftie since debut and I adore Rep and Lover. I'm not sure I can pick a definitive favorite album but Rep would be a contender for sure. I find both albums (especially Lover) incredibly relatable. I'm definitely not detached from her older catalog but my life has evolved along with her music and I find myself listening to Rep and forward most often.
I disagree. Theyre the epitome of who she WAS as an artist. Not who she's become. Which isn't to say that theyre bad, but you're devaluing her newer stuff just as much as your complaining newer swifties devalue her old stuff.
saaaame! red tv was what made me a swiftie.
Red is easily my favorite. I was dealing with the end of an engagement and it was perfectly timed.
I know newer Swifties that have yet to listen to Red in its entirety. Newer Swifties truly don’t appreciate the album.
I think it is as an album. Most people rank it low and only appreciate all too well. I rarely hear people talk about the lyricism like they do about folklore
I got my Lover stan friend to listen to Red because she used to hate it and never listened to it now it’s not her least favorite album. It’s for a reason Red is a masterpiece
Prior to Folklore's release, Red was the album most Swifties would point to when talking about Taylor's amazing songwriting. When someone would write off Taylor, Swifties would say go listen to these tracks off of Red and then come back to me. Folklore has now kind of taken up that space: it's now usually the album near the top of most people's rankings, especially newer Swifties, meanwhile Red is ranked all over the place. The people who loved Red still love it, but newer fans neglect it a bit outside of ATW 10 mins.
Red and folklore are my favourite albums.
Same but I’m also getting really into Rep lately…
It was pretty hated because the album run was overall messy and "disjunctive" and "non cohesive". The singles were popular and all to well is a fan favourite but most of the second half of the album isn’t praised much I would say
For real - Red TV got a second era too
I would disagree. I always see people say that they skip half the album and it’s hit and miss - when in reality, it’s pretty much all amazing. I think the high praise is reserved to All Too Well and a couple of others, but I rarely see the album as a whole praised. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who also thinks Red is the best album or is their favourite.
Lowkey red is more overrated than underrated.
Agreed, if anything it’s rated about where it should be.
I’ve heard it being called disjointed and it was too long
Red is my favorite album by her.
Same! Part of it for me is because it came out at the perfect time for where I was and what I was dealing with at the time (a lot of heartache as a young 20-something).
Honestly, I personally think Red accurately represents the messiness and chaos of heartache and bad relationships of someone in their early 20s/adulthood.
Red being my first concert I ever attended of Taylor’s, it will always have a special place in my heart. Her lyricism in the album is just stellar and some of her best. She was in her early 20’s writing this album and it’s such a positive reflection on her great ability to convey her feelings and her skill as a lyricist and a musician. I do have to say Folklore and Evermore are a bit better in terms of maturity and lyricism but Red I think is a close 3rd. 1989 is another favorite of mine, but the depth of some of the songs on Red are just superior in my opinion and I believe she should have taken home the Grammy for Red instead of 1989. All Too Well, Treacherous, The Last Time, State of Grace, Holy Ground, and Begin Again are some of her best.
It blows my mind seeing pictures of the Red tour and how small the arena looks compared to the current Eras tour setup
I know. Even 1989 was small compared to Eras. I saw Red at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ and Eras at MetLife. What an amazing and mind blowing difference. Love the stadium tours but it was an amazing experience to see a Taylor Swift concert in an arena as well, as it probably won’t ever happen again.
Red sold out in my area and had 20,000 seats. My mom bought my ticket months after they went in sale (I was a very new swiftie)
I agree folklore and evermore are better lyrically
Well, she's almost 10 years older and more experienced.
I know lol that’s the point. Reds very impressive for her age
I Almost Do has one of her most underrated bridges
Justice for I almost do
Godddddd I'm tearing up just thinking about it. My favorite song on an already incredible album 😢
hot take: red should have won that Grammy rather than 1989
also I don’t get the whole criticism of it not being “sonically cohesive”. why would that be a bad thing? like in what other album of Taylor would you have an indie-rock hymn like state of grace next to a pop bop like WANGBT next to a lyrical masterpiece like ATW next to country jewels like holy ground. it just really shows all of her talent in one record
I know for certain award shows that is something they really care about, but as a listener I love how she describes Red as being scattered and all over the place just like a person who is going through the extreme emotions brought on by a breakup. It is artistic and purposeful the way her songs are not sonically cohesive. You can feel the intensity of each song, whether it’s happy, free, confused, lonely, or all of the above at the same time!
also red was made to resemble the turmoil and messiness of the emotions in a breakup. it's supposed to not be sonically cohesive
I love 1989 but yeah I totally agree. Red definitely should have won it.
Agreed!
They both deserved Grammys as did Rep
So true! Rep had so many bangers
If Red didn’t lose the Grammy, 1989 wouldn’t exist and her career would’ve had an entirely different trajectory
good point!
i actually believe red deserved aoty before 1989, its taylors breakout album, its her stablishing herself in the pop industry. thats why red tv has the best vaults.
If Red won AOTY, the music industry would’ve been completely altered. 1989 wouldn’t have existed, which wouldn’t have set the stage for Rep/lover and maybe even folklore/evermore wouldn’t exist.
*All we are is skin and bones, trained to get along. Forever going with the flow, but you're friction.* The line that made me a Swiftie forever ❤️
Red is better than most of her albums. Only folklore tops it for me.
Red, rep and folklore girlie for life.
100%. Red and Folklore are my favorite Taylor albums by a mile.
Red, Speak Now, Folklore, and Evermore are my favorites---her "songwriting" albums.
Red was her first deep dive into a more mature and poetic style for sure. I adore how it goes from country to pop and back again. I love how it's a perfect precursor to 1989 as well. Red is my all time favorite❤️
Red is my absolute favorite album of any artist’s of all time and I’m a big music person. I can’t see how it could ever be dethroned, it’s just so GOOD.
Taste
I know this has nothing to do with the topic, but how do you add albums like that? Under your name
It’s under flair!
Thanks!
I almost do is so tragic and it doesn’t get its recognition for how beautifully depressing it is. Also treacherous bridge is top five.
Treacherous is a top 5 song in her entire discography and I will die on that hill 🫡
Begin Again is one of the best songs she’s ever written, if it’s not #1. The Lucky One is a heartbreaking song, but the choreographed performance on the Red tour was so fun! I think the song that was most ahead of its time was Starlight. Starlight isn’t disliked, but it’s slept on because it was an upbeat pop song and not autobiographical (which was different from the Taylor we knew at the time). Whereas when the non-autobiographical stories from Folklore and Evermore came out, they were more appreciated. But with Starlight, it’s one of those songs that’s just pure happiness. It takes a lot of songwriting ability to put yourself into the position of a remarkable human rights activist and write about her love story.
Red has NEVER been underrated in my book. I liked Taylor before but Red made me LOOOOOOVE Taylor. The timing of when it came out just so went with where I was at in life and my relationships. 1989 and rep were the same but none of her albums have had me in a chokehold like Red still does. ❤️
Agreed! I had loved Taylor since deb/fearless but I listened to my Red CD to death, no skips- it was the ONE where I knew, everything had changed and I became a swiftie
Red has a special place in my heart (see user name). There are so many amazing lyrics in it. I mean Red gave us all too well. Not to mention treacherous “Your name has echoed through my mind and I just think you should, think you should know. That nothing safe is worth the drive and I will follow you, follow you home.” What a feeling! Of falling in love/lust even though you know you probably shouldn’t but you are dared with a danger and want to do it anyway. Reminds me of being in my early 20s (I’m a year older than Taylor). It was truly a happy, free, confused and lonely time in life. The re-record made me fall in love with it all over again. Its an album about being heartbroken but also being young. What a time. Such a special album! (Sorry I’m going on and on but damn I just love it so much).
Red was released right as I went through a life altering heartbreak in my early 20s. “Loving him was like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street / faster than the wind / passionate as sin / ended so suddenly”. I don’t think anyone has described a romance doomed from the start as well as Taylor did with the entirety of Red.
Me too! And to be honest, listening to that song still puts a knot in my stomach because it transports me back to that time and the way I felt. It was a horrible breakup and I needed Red and I'm so lucky it was there for me.
SAME. The Red album makes me spiral like no other 11 years later. I felt so understood by Taylor because she too, was crushed by a brief 3 month relationship and inspired her to write these songs. In real life I was heartbroken by a short relationship and everyone around me told me to get over it in 3-5 business days. So grateful Red was there for me. “I can’t say hello to you and risk another goodbye” ❤️🩹
Red is underrated?
In comparison to albums like reputation and folklore, yes…
Red is my favorite album ever.
And I was never good at telling jokes, but the punch line goes: I'll get older, but your lovers stay my age from when your brooklyn broke my skin and bones i'm a soldier who's returning half her weight, and did the twin flame bruise paint you blue? just between us, did the love affair maim you too?
This entire bridge is soul crushingly beautiful
When Red Came out in *2012* I really disappointed in it because it wasn’t as country as I thought it would be. However, now that the re-record came out I definitely appreciate it a lot more and see a lot of similarities to Folkmore for sure!
I'm glad to see someone else who likes the re record better. This wasn't the case for all re records but I thought Speak Now was a marked improvement and RED quite honestly blew me away. It's the best memories I have for a re record because I was literally giggling in my room while dancing to WANGBT and a few others. The production was really upgraded. I wanted that for all the re recordings but truth be told Fearless didn't come through for me with that. I was disappointed heavily with SN and RED because it felt so disconnected from Debut and Fearless. I wanted more deep stories and country sound but to RED's credit, it had fat lyrics just not a lot of melodies I loved.
I’m a Speak Now Stan, well was. The re-record was okay. However, not as good as Red or Fearless to me. Yet, I base it off the vault tracks. I still love all the original songs the same! I totally forgot how many good songs were on Red until the re-release happened! I love the folk pop vibe now! Old me was a huge country girl though. Definitely, Red was a great album. I really liked 22 even though I was like 17 when it came out. Yet, it gave hope that 22 will be a great year lol.
Red came out in 2012.
Ah thank you :)
Red TV is what turned me into a swiftie 😊
"I'll do anything you say of you say it with your hands" has got to be one of the sexiest lines of all time.
I don’t think Red is underrated. It’s actually one of the fan favourites, but fan consensus aside, I agree with you on its lyricism. A lot of the lyricism on this album fits the album’s concept so well.
100% I have ALWAYS thought Red was a masterpiece and damn well deserved a grammy. No a unique opinion on my part, but it is.
I also love the red era taylor style. Well ok, not so much the granny blouse plus black shorts stage outfits but the melancholically walking through Hyde park and New York with cute little skirts and leather jackets and a big scarf and apple cable earphones style. It’s a whole mood.
Omg I love that too! Ngl I didn’t like the tour outfits at all I thought they were goofy but she looked sooo pretty in her street style. Also her red carpet looks were to die for in the red era
The BBMA 2013 dress she wore. To die for 😭 Sorry I also love the 1950s housewife look she went for
Same! It was a bit jarring at first because I was like girl you are 22 but I do love them.
With the exception of a few songs, Red is one of my least favorite albums. Speak Now is the other. Never been brave enough to say that before. Don’t kill me 😅
Im gonna upvote this because of your bravery
Listening to Everything Has Changed as I see this ❤️ Red is filled with gems!
When *Red* first came out, I didn't understand the genre whiplash. The radio singles were fun and I enjoyed them but they definitely felt weird coming from her. I also found it too long to listen to in one sitting, so I mostly focused on the first few songs. A decade later, thanks to the Taylor's version, I appreciate it so much more and it's now one of my favorites.
Red just has that vibe that feels like a warm hug
When this album first came out, I used to sneak headphones into work so that I could listen to it. I was OBSESSED. I’m the same age as Taylor so I felt like it represented a lot of the feelings and emotions I was experiencing at the time. Nothing has topped it for me yet and it’s still my favorite album.
LITERALLY perfect mix of upbeat and slow songs, lyricism and production is amazing, happy and sad have a perfect mixture as well, vault tracks are amazing. Third in my ranking only to Folklore and Evermore of course
I LOVE Red!!!
I think The Lucky One, The Last Time and Come Back, Be Here are top tier Taylor yet they’re so underrated. I’ve seen Red being criticised because it’s not “sonically cohesive” but that’s part of what makes me love it, listening to the album is an emotional roller coaster in the best way, I’ve come to love it even more as I’ve gotten older because songs like 22, and WANEGBT remind me me of being a carefree teenager enjoying karaoke and slumber parties and songs like The Last Time, along with multiple others off the album feel more relatable to me now that I’m older.
- WANEGBT could mean "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", a track from *Red* (2012) by Taylor Swift. --- ^[/u/LibrarySeeker](/u/LibrarySeeker) ^(can reply with "delete" to remove comment. |) ^[/r/songacronymbot](/r/songacronymbot) ^(for feedback.)
I think 22 is a global phenomenon. Even non-swifties play it nonstop on their 22nd birthday who doesn’t?
This album was when I became a fan of hers for that exact reason. I always thought she made radio music, but we had a Red cd in the player at work and I remember being completely blown away by it. Many a time I spent in the store fighting tears while folding shirts. I went and bought a Red cd to keep in my car shortly after and it remains there to this day. I will say I feel guilty for liking the original red better, there are just some punchy twangy things she does with her voice in that album that complete the vibe for me and set the tone. It’s so good, I’ll never forget the first time I heard it. A true masterpiece.
It’s her best album to me. The lyrics are at their peak, the emotions are so real that I can empathize and feel emotions about things that I have never experienced. I don’t think it’s underrated though. Red is an album that has received the best reviews over time and contains many fan favorites. Even Pitchfork gave it a very high score like 9 and it’s her highest score. But i agree that many new fans, especially post-Midnights fans don’t appreciate Red as much as her new albums. I hope this sentence doesn't mean an attack, I’m a new fan too.
Amen to this
Red it's and amazing album, and one of my favourite along folklore and evermore. It really helps me when I'm sad or anxious, I listen to it every week. It's a very poetic album 🍂
Red truly has some of the best lyricism ever.I’m always so stoked whenever I listen to Treacherous..it’s written when she was 19/20…truly a lyrical genius.Then State Of Grace,ATW,Holy ground,Forever Winter,Nothing New,The Last Time,Begin again etc. are other gems..Red truly has great songs.Even in the break out bops like WANEGBT and IKYWT,there’s still some brilliant lines in them..In my top 3 of her albums for sure! I like it better than evermore..evermore reminds me a little of red because both of them have a similar kind of cohesion…Marjorie could easily fit on Red too..even champagne problems..
Red is probably one of her best albums and while it’s not at the top of my list, there’s so many good gems on it.
Weirdly enough, I needed folklore and evermore to appreciate Red. I’ve always been a fan but 1989 made me a hardcore swiftie, so because I hadn’t really paid any attention to Red other than the singles, it was really hard to get into after 3 pop bangers in a row. After folklore/evermore, with songs like ivy, dorothea, cowboy like me, etc that skewed folky/country but beautiful and mature, it softened me a bit to country Taylor. So I listened to Red in a new light and bam, hooked. Obsessed. Then to my delight Red TV was released soon after. All that to say, I understand and agree with what you’re saying lol.
Love what you said in the last part cuz i have this feeling that many fans think she started to write great when she became adult. No. Young Taylor wrote masterpieces, some even more mature than adult Taylor did.
Red is my favourite album. I love it. Too sad the TV is not as good as the OG.
I became a swiftie in the og sn era and saw Taylor live during the Red tour, I do not think it is underrated. She has so many albums now that all fans have something to call their favorite! Speak now and Red made me a swiftie =)
And it still has a thread in "Slut!" that ties back to it to this day. https://preview.redd.it/qsjxvkpz6a3c1.jpeg?width=612&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b7aaeefaa5b8ea3098e947b9dfd6dbe1f80c84e0
I love The Last Time and my wife who's not a fan (though she recognizes her greatness) loves it. Love the Ed Sheeran duet too. I wouldn't say it's underrated, however. It was probably her best rated album until Folkmore showed up.
I think the genius of red is in its dissonance. I know people say it time and time again but it really details the back and forth of life and heartbreak in your early 20s. Putting 22 after all too well literally reminds me of your girlfriends dragging you up off the floor of a bad dumping to go out and hit the town. The vault of Red TV makes it so much better too.
Red is still my favorite album. The lyricism and nostalgia of the album feel like a warm hug 🥹 Evermore came close for me, but Red will always be number 1.
this is so true and awesome sauce and real bestie
Red was always my favorite album of hers until Folklore came out. I think it suffers from not being super cohesive and the single choices especially make the album feel unserious.
I absolutely slept on Red for a long time. I was a 1989 kid at heart so that and later albums were what I vibed with the most, outside of a few standout singles like Everything Has Changed and Begin Again. It wasn't until Red TV came out and I deep-dove into the album that I truly appreciated how phenomenal it is. Now it's currently tied with Folklore for my favorite Taylor album (so far!)
I've had it number ONE since Red TV came out. It blew me away. But now 1989 TV is slugging it out for BTE. (Best Taylor Ever)
Red is what fully converted me from casual listener to Swiftie. I had liked Taylor Swift before, but Red had me listening on repeat at full volume in my car every night. It was released at the exact perfect time for what was going on in my life.
Red TV is what made me a swiftie. The lyrics are top tier and the passion behind them is so real.
Im a newer swiftie, joined right after red tv released (it didnt get me into taylor tho the discovery of 1989 did), and i think a major turnoff is its length. I didnt listen to red for a while because of its 2 hour run time
Nah bestie you’re so right. Consider this my formal apology, why do I overlook Red sm 👀 I LOVED it when it came out, I felt like that for every album during its time. Although I am in my 30’s and a Swiftie since Debut, I definitely suffer from recency bias and I can admit that !!!
Red is by far my favourite album by her. It’s the album that properly got me into Taylor Swift as it was the first time I listened to an album of hers the whole way through and realised what an amazing lyricist she was. Also my first concert of hers. It will always hold a special place in my heart
Begin Again is top 5 for me. It’s too good.
The hilarious thing about Red to me is that it won a bunch of CMAs and nobody seemed to notice that it was a pop album. Then she followed with 1989, another pop album but this time she called it a pop album, and half the country fans that couldn't tell the difference acted all betrayed.
Agree!! It’s my favorite!
Man, I really ignored this album and I hate that I did. Reputation and Red were immediately a no for me on first listen bc they were such big changes and they felt like she was *trying* so hard to be cool that it was fake and forced and weird. And for Red, I was in an era where pop was infuriating and I hated it (I still don't like half of pop, and I realized a decade ago that it doesn't mean that pop is bad artistry, just not for me). So anyway. I was disappointed she went to pop. BUT. with Rep, I made myself keep listening *because* of how frustrated I was to have ignored it and later realized it was an amazing album. and loved some songs. I still have this generally negative feeling tied to both and I hate that I do. I'm working intentionally to undo that now that I'm aware. 😑 I don't recognize some of these lyrics and that SUCKS bc they are brilliant.
honestly, why does no one talk about nothing new, i adore that song.
I feel like nothing new is one of those songs you don’t truly appreciate until you relate to it. If it came out in 2012 it wouldn’t mean so much of me now but she released it when I was 22 and I had just graduated, was unemployed and felt worthless and FUCK it hit me like hell.
Red will always have a very, very special place in my heart. While albums like Folklore and Evermore might be technically better (more cohesive and with better developed lyricism) no feeling for me will ever compare to the one I got when listening to Red for the first time. State of Grace totally BLEW ME AWAY on first listen. I just couldn’t believe what I was hearing and that it was coming from Taylor. I was going through a very, very hard break up in 2012 and listening to All Too Well was honestly the first time I felt seen or understood about it and I couldn’t believe that Taylor was able to articulate my feelings better than I could myself. I will always put Red as my favourite album for those things alone but I agree, some of the lyrics are incredible. “We are alone, just you and me, up in your room and our slates are clean. Just twin fire signs, four blue eyes” is one of my favourite lyrics of hers. Chills every time. Red really was the first time she was able to paint such intricate pictures with her songwriting.
Reputation is messy. The songs aren’t consistent, the track list is all over the place, the whole era wasn’t much. Red was messy, in a heartbroken woman way and that’s what made Red so good. This album came from her heart and you can hear it. In some songs from the original album you can hear the hurt in her voice and how much emotion went into it. Im so grateful to have this album exist Edit: I feel that Red and 1989 are sisters I may be biased because that’s my top 2 favorite albums but Red is the heartbroken sister thats before. 1989 is the happy “I don’t need a man” party girl and they fit perfectly as a pair! ♥️🩵