Not A Lot Going On At The Moment: Sartorial Celebrates Taylor Swift's Re-Recording of “Red”

Written and Illustrated by Sarah Nash

Photographed by Russ Bray

On an autumn day in 2012, I stayed home sick from sixth grade. Unknown to me, Taylor Swift, the then country music star, had released her fourth studio record, “Red.” Like any sane 12-year-old, I listened.

From “Red’s” hit pop singles such as “I Knew You Were Trouble” and “22,” to songs heavy with melancholy, like “Treacherous” and “Holy Ground,” there is a song for everyone. Paralleling Joni Mitchell’s 1971 similarly pigmented album, “Blue,” listeners get a story of new beginnings, fame and most importantly, heartbreak. 

On an autumn day in 2018, Swift left her label Big Machine Records, along with her first six albums. Soon after, she decided to re-record these masters, finally owning the years of work that started in her teens. Nearly a decade after “Red,” Swift is now releasing her version of the album, complete with tracks “from the vault.”

Through this photoshoot, we nod to songs and motifs of the album. With roses from “The Lucky One,” “an indie record much cooler than mine” from “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” the old scarf from the fan-favorite track five “All Too Well” and more. 

On this autumn day in 2021, we celebrate “Red (Taylor’s Version),” reminded that good things always begin again.