reliving 22 with taylor

By: Isabella Morhaim

Taylor Swift has done it again. Swift has released her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor’s Version), originally released on October 22, 2012. Swift also released eight new songs from the vault, which is making fans go crazy. 

​Taylor Swift started her music career at the age of sixteen, releasing her debut album, Taylor Swift. Swift got into country music, although, around the age of seventeen, Swift wanted a change; Swift wanted to make a cautious entry into pop music without alienating her country fans. Swift released Fearless on November 11, 2008, which quickly became a pop-country icon and expanded Swift’s signature sound. Music critics found more interest in Swift’s music knowing that she had the capability to create a successful country-pop album. However Scooter Braun, a record executive, and her record label, Big Machine, would go on to take advantage of Swift by restricting her right to her own music, while simultaneously profiting off of it themselves. In order to reclaim her music, Swift began to re-record previous albums, showing fans and the world that present day Swift knows exactly what she is doing.

Red (Taylor’s Version) highlights Swift growing into her freedom by officially taking control of her old music. Fans have the chance to see how Swift has grown into her voice, especially when hearing "All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)," which is one of the re-recorded songs on the album. Swift gives her fans everything they want and more with her ten minute track, originally a five minute song. In this song, Swift does not sugarcoat her feelings, making her lyrics so much more relatable than previously. 

In "I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version)," long-time listeners are still amazed at how Swift is able to hit all of the notes, especially in the climax, which contains one of her highest notes. Considering the mellow and laid back tone of Swift’s recently released albums, Folklore and Evermore, fans would have never thought Swift would still be able to execute the high energy, youthful sound of "22" and "We Are Never Getting Back Together." However, Swift is now thirty years old, and she is still able to bring the same spark she brought when recording "I Knew You Were Trouble" for the first time eight years ago. 

​Listening to Swift infuse her maturity and life experience into her newly released songs, was quite the euphoric experience that brought along with it a few tears. A personal favorite has to be "Nothing New (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)," especially when Swift’s voice lightens on the line, “How can a person know everything at 18 but nothing at 22?” Swift truly brings her story to life in songs both new and old that will surely become favorites, all thanks to Swift becoming twenty-two again.