It’s a crisp fall day in 2012, the blue sky is clouding over and the sun is going down as I run home from school. I’d been waiting all day to finally hear the new Taylor Swift album, Red. As I walk through the door, I fling my backpack onto the ground and sprint to my room.
The second I grabbed the CD, it felt surreal.
The plastic wrapping crinkles as I struggle to tear it away. Breathing heavily from the cold, my fingers are fumbling from the frigid outdoor air. It took me a minute, but the CD is finally in and about to play on my speaker. I stand huffing, waiting for it to start – that’s when I hear it… the three chords at the start of “Red.”
The leaves dance outside my window and I am full of joy. As the album comes to a close I’m laying on the floor, eyes closed picturing the lyrics like a story as they are sung. I feel free, I feel careless.
After the album Red was released, I fell in love with Taylor Swift.
I listened to her almost exclusively throughout my childhood. To be completely honest, as I got older, I listened to her songs here and there but none of them compared. I had forgotten about just how important the album Red was to me. But as most of you know, Red, Taylor’s Version recently came to life on November 12, 2021. And that very day, I was ready to make new memories with Red (Taylors Version).
Swift has an amazing connection to her fans and I am undoubtedly one of them. The way she describes her emotional experiences builds a connection between artist and listener. She offers a glimpse into her life, not only as a songwriter, but as a human being. It is easy to make connections to her music through similar emotional experiences. The meaning behind each lyric is so intentional it feels like you are going through what Swift is, experiencing those same emotions but just in different contexts. She reassured me that I wasn’t alone and maybe I wouldn’t feel like this forever.
The first Red album guided me through a very tough time in my life. Despite it being a ‘breakup’ album, I don’t think you need to have had a relationship to really connect with the music. Even though I was in grade four at the time Red debuted and had never had a romantic partner, I took the lyrics seriously. It is not only about the loss of a romantic relationship but also losing yourself, which was certainly something I could relate to.
Listening to Red (Taylors Version) was a cathartic experience. As the music began, I was laying on my bed but this quickly turned into a dance party (sorry not sorry downstairs neighbours) and a grand finale of laying on the floor crying.
Now in my sophomore year of university, Swift is back once again to help me through another difficult time in my life. She has been coming with me everywhere I go just like she used to in elementary school. She used to help me get through early morning wake ups, school bus rides and after school cries. She now walks with me to school, helps me with homework, goes to the dentist with me when I have to get fillings, and let’s be honest, we still cry together. This album is like a security blanket for me, something I can cozy up to when I am homesick or struggling. That warm cozy feeling the album gives off is probably the reason why this album is considered a fall essential and is loved by so many.