Shocking Omissions: Taylor Swift's 'Red,' A Canonical Coming-Of-Age Album
The album traverses Swift's country roots and enters proper pop territory while tackling more complicated aspects of love and relationships. Here, an artist grows up alongside her audience.
This essay is one in a series celebrating deserving artists or albums not included on NPR Music's list of 150 Greatest Albums By Women.
When was released in 2012, was unequivocally America's sweetheart. At 22, she had achieved massive country-crossover success with the release of her previous two albums, and , which alone had spawned ten Top 40 hits and earned her six Grammys, including one for album of the year for . Given the commercial and critical acclaim, it was hard to imagine saw Swift seize the moment and embrace her dark horse status. may have established her as a capable teenage singer-songwriter, but is the album that solidified her confidence, sexuality and identity as a bonafide force to be reckoned with.
