If you’ve been paying even half attention to the internet (and the T-Party segment of OTF) then you probably know that Red (Taylor’s Version) is dropping tomorrow. This will be the second re-recorded album Taylor Swift has released and is the follow up to her 2012 album Red, which was nominated for Album Of The Year at the 56th Grammy Awards.
In 2012, Taylor Swift released the original recording of her album Red. In her own words, “Musically and lyrically, Red resembled a heartbroken person. It was all over the place, a fractured mosaic of feelings that somehow all fit together in the end. Happy, free, confused, lonely, devastated, euphoric, wild, and tortured by memories past.” Lead singles included the poppy hit “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together”, the quietly romantic “Begin Again”, and the dub-step dance track “I Knew You Were Trouble”. The album largely documents her short lived relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal, 9 years her senior.
A song that was notably absent from any kind of marketing or press release was “All Too Well”, a song widely regarded to be her best songwriting to date, which took on a life of its own. Taylor Swift herself has said it was the most difficult song to write on the album and that she didn’t perform it for a long time because of how raw and sad it was for her. But fans took to it and made it this larger than life experience that now when she thinks of it she associates it with a very magical and beautiful experience with her fans. I think it’s safe to say this is the most anticipated re-recording of Taylor’s career for one very small reason: “All Too Well”.
“All Too Well” is the stuff of legend in the Taylor Swift fandom because according to Miss Swift herself, the original recording was 10 minutes long (and according to her co-writer it was more than 20 minutes long). The 10 minute “All Too Well” has haunted fans for years, especially after Taylor popped into a fan’s Instagram live where she was asked where the lengthy version is and she said she lost it in a drawer. We thought it was lost to time until earlier this year when it was announced that the extended version of the song would appear on the upcoming re-recording.
“All Too Well” is special because in a lot of ways it belongs to the fans. Taylor Swift has said that she never expected the song to go anywhere, let alone as far as it has. "It wasn't a single, and it didn't have a video — all these ways that I was taught music permeated culture," she said. "I didn't see that happening with that song."
"I can't believe it now when I play it live and everybody in the crowd knows every word. I'm truly astonished by it, and I think that's one of the most beautiful things about this album for me when I look back on it," she went on. "I really didn't pick that one. I thought it was too dark, too sad, too intense. It's fun when things surprise you like that."
“All Too Well” is a testament to the strength of the songwriting to take it farther than marketing ever could, and it’s a testament to the way fans relate to her music. We took a song that is very, very sad and not only made it mean something to us, but we changed its meaning for Taylor Swift. Objectively, “All Too Well” is one of the saddest songs to ever be written. No one writes the bridge of “All Too Well” when they’re just a little bummed. This song is truly one that belongs to the fans. It wasn’t going to get radio play, it wasn’t going to be heard by the casual listener, it wasn’t supposed to live anywhere except nestled between “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “22”. But it went farther than any of her other songs ever could.
That is why the inclusion of the 10 minute version is so important: it’s for the fans. It’s a thank you to us for taking something painful and turning it into one of the strongest bonds between fan and artist. So that begs the question: do I listen to the leaked 10 minute version?
For context, there is a full leak of the album in my possession right now. Many people got their vinyl and cd pre-orders early and the album is out in other countries already. This happens with every release she does and it is unavoidable. I’ve only ever listened to the leaked album once before, for Lover, but Taylor hasn’t released anything for Red and it is killing me. So I caved and listened to the leaked version of the album, with one notable exception: All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).
It seems wrong to listen to it early. It’s too special. It means too much. It should be a universal experience for fans. Listening to it early cheapens it. Taylor Swift did not write “and you call me up again just to break me like a promise, so casually cruel in the name of being honest” just for me to listen to the extended song a day early. The 10 minute version isn’t just a song from the vault. It is representative of 15 years of being a fan. It is mythological. It is something we never, ever, ever thought we’d hear. I can’t bring myself to cheapen that experience by listening to it early.
That begs the other question: how do we listen to it? In addition to the extended song, we are also getting a short film starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien (fun fact: the age difference between the actors is the same as that of Taylor and Jake Gyllenhaal). Do I wait and listen to it for the first time watching the film? Do I listen to the sing in preparation for watching the film so I can catch whatever easter eggs are bound to be in the film? Only time will tell…
All I know is Red (Taylor’s Version) is not just a move for Taylor to regain control of her life’s work. It is a deep and sincere thank you to the fans. I’ve already listened to the entirety of the album, except for the 10 minute version of “All Too Well” and what she has given us is nothing short of spectacular.
Shit We’re Loving: EXPERIENCE
Sydney’s Pick: Being a Swiftie
One of the exceptionally beautiful things about being a Swiftie is being on the internet as a Swiftie. We are an extremely funny, inquisitive, and supportive group of people. We are fiercely protective of Taylor and each other. We are borderline sociopathic in our search for easter eggs. We are hilarious.
This is something Taylor learned very early on and has capitalized on through social media. Originally it was tumblr where “Taylurking” was coined. Taylor Swift would quite literally lurk on our social media and confirm theories by either directly replying or liking certain theories. This gave birth to the Secret Sessions where she would find fans on social media to invite to her home for listening parties.
More recently this has moved to TikTok where Taylor is commenting on fan’s videos. This is just another example of how different it is to be a fan of Taylor Swift. She joins our conversations and quite literally rewards us with her time and attention. She is one of us.
Show Your Support: Donors Choose
Donors Choose as a platform makes it easy for anyone to help a teacher in need. Their mission is to move us as a nation closer to the point where every student’s needs are met and great education is being had. Donors Choose is committed to leading with empathy to combat systemic racism and socioeconomic inequity in our school system. Since 2000, Donors Choose has supported over 5 million people and over 2 million classroom project requests that range from butterfly cocoons, to robotics kits, to books with diverse characters, and classroom basics like tables and chairs.
Donors Choose works simply: Find a classroom project that inspires you and give as little as $1—since Donors Choose is a public charity, all donations are tax-deductible! When the project is fully funded, Donors Choose purchases all the requested items and ships them directly to the teacher. Every donor gets a thank-you from the teacher, photos of the project in action, and a detailed report of how each dollar was spent.
For all the devil’s advocates out there (like myself) this totally does not take away from the horrible fact that our education system needs some serious reform and our teachers should not have to set up a donations page to get supplies. The system is wrong. But until it changes, we have the power to help those who can’t wait. And if you’re a teacher (like Aimée!), you and your classroom have the opportunity to get funded. Check out the teacher process here.
Daily Intention:
Today I will…
be grateful.
Here’s some nifty buttons for you to press, enjoy: