Beauty company
Cosmetify reported that Google searches for “red lipstick” increased 669 percent following the release of
Red (Taylor’s Version). Media outlets and fans online dubbed the album as part of a 2021 music trend called “Sad Girl Autumn” or “Sad Girl Fall”, which refers to the release of melancholic and introspective music by female artists during autumn. Taylor herself acknowledged the phenomenon by releasing an acoustic rendition of “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” subtitled “
Sad Girl Autumn Version“.
The Wall Street Journal stated that
Red (Taylor’s Version) is “reshaping the music industry”, highlighting how the re-recorded songs are outperforming their original counterparts on streaming services, going viral on
TikTok, and landing “lucrative” licensing deals for usage in motion pictures. According to the newspaper,
Universal Music Group — the parent company of
Republic Records — implemented stricter terms in recording deals which effectively doubled the time before an artist can rerecord their music. Other changes in the contracts included increased royalty payments to artists following their demands for better revenue shares.
Variety named Taylor the “Queen of Stream” for setting multiple streaming records with the release of
Red (Taylor’s Version).
Rolling Stone opined “it’s no small feat” for a re-released album to score a No. 1 song, and said deluxe or special editions of albums are often “gimmicky”, but
Red (Taylor’s Version) challenged that norm and evolved on the original album rather than attempting to replace it.
Publications described the release of
Red (Taylor’s Version), “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)”, the accompanying short film, and Taylor’s re-recording venture overall as one of the biggest newsmakers and pop culture moments of 2021.
Vogue called it a “multimedia, news-cycle-dominating release” and stated “nobody releases (or rereleases!) an album like Swift.”
The Recording Academy called
Red (Taylor’s Version) a pop phenomenon that defined 2021.
Billboard named Taylor the “Greatest Pop Star of 2021” for her “unequivocal” success that year.
Rolling Stone also reported she was the highest-paid female musician of 2021.