RED (TAYLOR'S VERSION) - A THOUGHT

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift is everything, and everywhere.

As a casual Swiftie (my sister takes the crown for the more dedicated Swiftie), there are select Taylor Swift songs, videos and moments that make me obsess. One of those, being her album Red (Taylor’s Version). When Red originally came out back in October 2012, I was living my best life, aged thirteen visiting New York City for the first time ever.

As a thirteen-year-old, it’s safe to say I had absolutely no experience with romantic love, heartbreak, or any worries of what the future may hold. I had no experience to relate to her, yet still fell in love with the story she was depicting through her lyrics. That, and the fact I was walking through Times Square with every inch of billboard being Taylor Swift.

Now, I’m recently twenty-two. This album is quite a fittingly timed release really, as Taylor’s “22” resides on the track-list. However, I have now experienced love. Heartbreak, heartache and most things in between. Red (Taylor’s Version) has not only revived an album I fell in love with but has given me a second chance to understand, feel and acknowledge that these feelings that Taylor sings about, is what most people feel and go through all the time.

A particular stand-out to me is “Nothing New”, featuring Phoebe Bridgers. It’s a tear-jerker, and probably would be to most women my age. Taylor says about it:

“I've been thinking a lot about getting older and relevancy and how all my heroes have all ended up alone. I wrote a song on it called "Nothing New" and it's about being scared of ageing and things changing and losing what you have.”

Things changing and losing what you have particularly stands out, as I’m a third-year university student who is eventually going to have to face real life and move on. It’s a scary thought. For women especially, as we’re pressured to achieve certain things and be somebody before ‘settling down’ into what society expects of us.

I think when you’re younger it’s a lot easier to dream up a future life for yourself, and don’t get me wrong, I’ll forever chase what I want. But the lyric: “how can a person know everything at eighteen, but nothing at twenty-two?” is just relatable, and I’ve been thinking about it since it was released. I’m in a completely different place, both physically and mentally, to where I was at eighteen. But that’s okay.

The whole album, although described as a sad, heartbreak album, resembles hope to me. It’s been on repeat the whole week it’s been out, and it’s just a reminder of that thirteen-year-old girl wondering through New York City. Her thoughts and aspirations, and what that means now.