Taylor Swift is one of the biggest musical stars of this generation. Throughout the years, she has dove headfirst into the sounds of country, pop and folk music. However, over the last couple of years, Swift has been caught in a fight with music industry mogul Scooter Braun.

Through the acquisition of Swift’s previous label, Big Machine Records, Braun obtained licensing rights of all master recordings before the release of “Lover” in 2018. Because of this, Swift began to re-record all of her previous work to gain leverage over Braun.

On Nov. 12, 2021, Swift released “Red (Taylor’s Version),” a re-recorded version of the original album released in 2012. The album contains over two hours of material, with multiple versions of some tracks. Many critics praised the album, and “Swifties” (the name of her fanbase) have been running around social media like crazy. 

The album deserves some credit. Some songs have incredibly catchy hooks and songwriting. The song “Red” is one of the strongest on the album, sounding like a nostalgic trip through the countryside. The best song on the entire album is “Ronan,” a track dedicated to a 3-year-old boy who died of neuroblastoma. The song is the hardest hitting on the album, and the lyrics got to me.

I also admire Swift’s choice of features. Swift brings in the likes of Phoebe Bridgers and Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol to help carry some of the songs. Lightbody has the best chemistry with Swift compared to other features across the album. The track “The Last Time” truly sounds like the two are coming to terms with their relationship breaking apart.

However, the rest of the album is flat and lacks anything to compete with other releases from 2021.

While listening to most of the songs, I kept asking myself if I had heard these songs before. They had no qualities that I found interesting: basic production, basic instrumentation, basic singing. I heard all about “All Too Well” and how people broke down to it, but it sounds so melodramatic. Not only could I name songs that can cause a more severe mental breakdown, but “Ronan” is 10 times as sad.

Bringing Ed Sheeran on not one but two songs was a terrible mistake. Anything Sheeran is a part of brings an aurora of mediocrity. Sheeran is like a leech that sucks up Swift’s potential. If anything, Lightbody deserves to have another feature on this album more than Sheeran. 

While the album has a consistent sound, the tracks “22,” “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” are massive speed bumps that send the album careening off course and into a ditch of disappointment. To go from heartfelt acoustic production to obnoxious pop within two tracks is a jarring juxtaposition that does not work at all. It would not be so bad if the songs were catchy and entertaining. Instead, the three songs sound hamfisted and corny.

While there are some positives to take into account, I don’t think the praise critics have been giving the album is justified. Most of the album fails to accomplish anything new. Yes, shoving a middle finger into Braun’s face is justified, but the album still does not hit the mark in terms of quality.

Despite my distaste for most of the album, Swift could easily use this as a stepping stone for future releases. If she works on her acoustic sound and songwriting, I could see her making a captivating album shortly. 

Score: 5.7/10