(Single from album, “Red”)
One more (quick) review to go before we reach #50, already penned as an important review for this writer...you will all be very surprised, I guarantee...right...ok this is a big one (kind of)...
As requested, this is Taylor Swift's "Red", the third of 5 singles released from the album of the same name, each of which have had critical acclaim and charted modestly in the UK, with the earlier reviewed, "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", having the most success upon reaching #4, and being labelled the song of summer 2012. Both singles "Begin Again" and "State Of Grace", similar country/indie/pop songs have impressed, with "I Knew You Were Trouble" integrating an eclectic mix of acoustic guitars and dubstep-style synthesisers, the single, which has perhaps left the greatest impression. "Red" however, is the best of the 5...
Opening with a banjo strumming pattern, joined quickly by rhythmic, top-tapping drum tracks and finished by the smooth beauty of Swift's candid, emotional lyric, littered with metaphors and riddled with heartfelt pain, "Red" is brilliant from the beginning. As the track goes on the sound builds in layers and complexity before culminating at 2:10 in a bright, exciting bridge section, which, at 2:25, leads into an out-of-character but nonetheless stylish and talented electric solo.
That's pretty much it. I'm not going to go on about it, because the beauty with this one, is in the listening. Below is the first ever life performance at the BBC Radio1 Teen awards, earlier this month. The introduction is great, and the way the electric sound is eased into the beginning of the song as Swift struts down the stage is stylish and cool; she's the pop star whose songs some of us love to hate, always very catchy and memorable - for some of us though, she's just the pop star we love to love...
★★★★★
Versions of "Red"
Album/Single Version - 3:41