Reilly Hall couldn’t wait for the release of Taylor Swift’s 2012 album, “Red”.
”I definitely like the ten-minute version. It’s so dramatic, and I get lost listening to it” says Hall on the re-recorded version of Swift’s “All Too Well”.
We asked students who self-identified as “Swifties” about their perspective on the controversy. Taylor Swift set pop culture and social media ablaze when she re-released her “Red” album in early November. The album release comes after a lengthy dispute with her (now former) manager Scooter Braun.
This controversy has become a hot topic for many students on Hawk Hill.
Many highlighted their preference of the re-recorded album to the original, expressing support for the artists’ decision. One student said she prefers the newly released version “…because it’s more authentic to Taylor Swift as an artist”.
Braun took ownership of Swift’s music catalog when he acquired Big Machine Records for a reported $330 million in 2019. Swift eventually brought the feud into public light via a Tumblr post in June of that year, accusing the music executive of bullying and manipulation.
“Artists should own their own work for so many reasons, but the most screamingly obvious one is that the artist is the only one who really knows that body of work,” Swift wrote in the caption of a March 2021 Instagram post.
Swift has since been re-recording her first six albums with new lyrics and songs in order to regain ownership of her music.
Her latest release titled “Red (Taylor’s Version)” includes a 10-minute version of her 2012 hit song “All Too Well”, as well as guest appearances from Phoebe Bridgers, Chris Stapleton, and Ed Sheeran.
Many fans and supporters at SJU and around the world are excited by the artist’s newfound freedom and inspiration. One student remarked: “I think everyone who is a Taylor Swift fan would want her to have the power to make her own decisions and do what makes her happy.”
