Following her departure from Big Machine Records in 2018, Taylor Swift signed a new contract with Republic Records and Universal Music Group that declared that she would have sole ownership of her masters. This stipulation was important to Swift because she did not have the same power under her previous label.
Unfortunately for Swift in 2019, her longtime rival American Executive Scooter Braun gained possession of Big Machine Records—as well as the rights to all of her music—without her consent. In response, Swift is now in the extensive process of re-recording and re-releasing her initial six studio albums.
Earlier this year, Swift re-released her sophomore album Fearless (Taylor’s Version) with an additional six songs from the vault that were originally intended for the album’s initial release but not included. The re-release garnered positive reactions from fans and left them anticipating which album she would re-record next.
In June 2021, Swift announced that her fourth studio album, Red, was set to be re-released later in the fall. Upon its 2012 release, Red earned Swift much acclaim and recognition, including four Grammy nominations. In November 2021, Red (Taylor’s Version) (+ A Message From Taylor) debuted in public.
Swift’s fanbase has particularly loved one of the Red vault tracks: “All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” It is an emotional break-up ballad about the tumultuous love story of a couple with an age difference. The original 5:29 iteration of “All Too Well” secured the fifth slot on Red (Taylor’s Version). Fans have deciphered it as a recounting of Swift’s short-lived fling with actor Jake Gyllenhaal. The track is coupled with a short film that reenacts the events of their relationship, leading up to their eventual separation.
According to People, the re-release of “All Too Well” “is, sonically, faithful to the original,” with “the production and instrumentation” aligning “more with the alt-rock vibe of her latest albums folklore and evermore.” The re-recorded version of “All Too Well” incorporates “verses, narrative heft, and plenty of keenly-observed details” that work to “further cement the song,” Nylon reports.
Swift often captivates her audience with her storytelling abilities and poetic phrasing; this instance was no exception. Northwest High School junior Ashley Gray found the re-release to be “very artistic.” “The input of new lyrics to the song added a nice twist. The song really tells a story that I think a lot of people can connect to,” Gray said.
Two weeks after its release, “All Too Well (10-Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 1, making it the longest song to ever do so. Swift surpassed Don Mclean with his 1971 folk-rock superhit “American Pie (Full-Length Version)”.
Article by Amaya Johnson-McNeil of Northwest High School
Photo courtesy of Taylor Swift