BY KELSEY PURCELL, FEATURES ASSIGNMENT EDITOR
Taylor Swift is releasing “Red (Taylor’s Version)” on Nov. 12. Swift announced “Red (Taylor’s Version)” on Instagram in June. She wrote “I’ve always said that the world is a different place for the heartbroken… In the land of heartbreak, moments of strength, independence and devil-may-care rebellion are intricately woven together with grief, paralyzing vulnerability and hopelessness. Imagining your future might always take you on a detour back to the past. And this is all to say, that the next album I’ll be releasing is my version of Red.”
Swift re-recorded songs from her album since she does not own the rights to her songs. Her former record company, Big Machine Records, sold the rights to Ithaca Holdings, Scooter Braun’s media company. Swift tried to buy the master rights to her first six albums but the companies refused to sell them back to her.
She is trying to regain the rights to her music by re-recording them and making “Taylor’s Versions” of her old albums. Swift’s first re-recorded album is “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” which was released in April. Swift currently has a contract with Republic Records and she owns the rights to her albums “Lover,” “Folklore” and “Evermore.” The rights to the “Taylor’s Versions” of her old albums are also owned by Swift.
“Red” was Swift’s fourth studio album. It was released in October 2012. There are 16 tracks on the original album, which is around 65 minutes in length. The album incorporates country, rock and dubstep or electronic sounds.
Some hit songs from the original “Red” album include “Red,” “Begin Again,” “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “22,” “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” and “Everything Has Changed” featuring Ed Sheeran.
“We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” hit the number one spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in 2012, “I Knew You Were Trouble” was number two on the chart, “Red” was number six on the chart and “Begin Again” was number eight on the chart.
“Red (Taylor’s Version)” has 30 tracks. Re-recorded versions of the songs on “Red” will be on the new album. Swift is also releasing songs “from the vault” which did not make it onto the original album, but will be included on “Red (Taylor’s Version).” New songs that were recorded after “Red” was released will also be featured as songs on the album. “Nothing New” featuring Phoebe Bridgers, “I Bet You Think About Me” featuring Chris Stapleton and “Run” featuring Ed Sheeran are some of the additions to “Red (Taylor’s Version.)” The entire track list is posted on Swift’s Instagram account.
Swift announced on Instagram that she is also releasing “All Too Well: A Short Film” along with the album. The short film seems to be the music video for her song “All Too Well.” It stars “Teen Wolf” actor, Dylan O’Brien and “Strange Things” actress, Sadie Sink. Swift posted a short video clip of the short film which shows a car heading down an autumn road. She captioned it “November 12. Remember it.”
Listen to “Red (Taylor’s Version)” to hear an album filled with emotion and heartbreak.
