Get ready to cry: Phoebe Bridgers joins Taylor Swift’s reimagining of ‘Red’
Swifties, prepare to feel blue like you’ve never known while listening to “Red (Taylor’s Version),” featuring none other than the current queen of sad-girl rock, Phoebe Bridgers.
In a cryptic, encoded message to fans, Taylor Swift announced Thursday on social media that the rerecorded edition of her fourth studio album will include collaborations with Bridgers, Chris Stapleton and Ed Sheeran — who previously joined forces with Swift for the original “Red” track “Everything Has Changed.”
Alluding to her fan-favorite “Red” ballad “All Too Well,” Swift labeled the enigmatic announcement “casually cruel in the name of being honest” in terms of difficulty. Why? Because the attached video is nothing but a series of jumbled letters emerging from a vault to the tune of eerie, unintelligible sounds.
Of course, hordes of loyal fans familiar with the prolific singer-songwriter’s penchant for mystery made quick work of the puzzle and discovered a word-search grid consisting of various Easter eggs.
Pop star Taylor Swift announced Friday that ‘Red (Taylor’s Version)’ will be the highly anticipated follow-up to her rerecording of ‘Fearless.’
In addition to the names of Bridgers, Stapleton and Sheeran, the cipher contains a bunch of random words likely comprising the titles of tracks soon-to-be resurrected “from the vault” — a.k.a. unreleased music that didn’t make the cut when the original “Red” came out in 2012.
When decoded, the 30-second clip also confirms that the rumored 10-minute version of “All Too Well” is on its way. Plenty already suspected as much after Swift revealed in June that “Red (Taylor’s Version)” would include a whopping 30 songs.
“And hey, one of them is even ten minutes long,” she hinted at the time.
Album review: Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’ burns with confidence
Upon its October 2012 release, “Red” landed at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Country Albums charts while signaling the country powerhouse’s gradual crossover to the pop genre.
Standout numbers from the studio collection included the title track, “I Knew You Were Trouble,” “All Too Well,” “Begin Again,” “Everything Has Changed” and the certified birthday anthem, “22.”
Out Nov. 19, the new-and-expanded version of “Red” marks the second installment in Swift’s quest to retrace her entire back catalog, which music mogul Scooter Braun acquired in 2019 against her wishes and then resold in 2020.
In April, the pop superstar dropped her new take on”Fearless”; its original version won the 2010 Grammy for album of the year.
Following a public dispute with super-manager Scooter Braun, who purchased her master recordings in June, Taylor Swift plans to record new versions of her old songs.
“Red (Taylor’s Version)” will feature Swift’s first collabs with country singer Stapleton and “Punisher” artist Bridgers, who scored a coveted 2021 Grammy nomination for best new artist. (That trophy ultimately went to rap sensation Megan Thee Stallion.)
But wait, there’s more ...
According to Swift’s latest tweet, “Your next clue will be in the spot where you hear red” — whatever that means. Happy decrypting, Swifties!
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