Review | Taylor Swift released four songs the midnight before her “Eras Tour” began: mediocre or magnificent?

Taylor Swift released four new songs the night her “Eras Tour” started in Glendale, Arizona. The songs included two re-recordings from her album “Red,” another re-recording from “Speak Now,” and one was a brand new song added to her album “Lover.”

Feb+5%2C+2023%3B+Los+Angeles%2C+CA%2C+USA%3B+Taylor+Swift+at+the+65th+Annual+Grammy+Awards+at+Crypto.com+Arena+in+Los+Angeles+on+Sunday%2C+Feb.+5%2C+2023.

Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY

Feb 5, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Taylor Swift at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023.

Grace Westergaard, Arts Reporter


In light of her first two shows in her “Eras Tour,” Taylor Swift released four new songs on March 17 at midnight. The same day, she played her first show of the tour in Glendale, Arizona.

One of the four songs is “If This Was A Movie (Taylor’s Version),” which is a re-recorded version of the song on her 2010 album “Speak Now.” Notably, this is her only song recorded more than once from “Speak Now.” She has yet to release a full “Taylor’s Version” of this album like she did with “Red.”

As I listened to both versions of “If This Was A Movie,” the first recording almost sounds like a country song. This is unsurprising, as her first few albums parroted themes of country music. In comparison, the newer “Taylor’s Version” contains a noticeable vocal maturity missing from the first version, as “Speak Now” is one of her first albums. I enjoyed both versions of this song thoroughly.

Next, I listened to “Eyes Open (Taylor’s Version).” This song is another re-recorded one, the primary version coming from her first release of the album “Red” in 2012, which was re-recorded in 2021. Notably, “Eyes Open” is in “The Hunger Games: Sound of District 12 and Beyond,” the official soundtrack from the 2012 “Hunger Games” movie.

“Eyes Open” definitely belongs in the Hunger Games soundtrack, presenting themes of fighting, precaution, and weapons to reach safety. In comparison, the newer “Taylor’s Version” of the song sounds a little more mature. However, this song isn’t one I’ll have on repeat, and didn’t stand out to me among her other songs.

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“Safe & Sound (feat. Joy Williams and Paul White) (Taylor’s Version)” is another re-recording from “Red,” and sits alongside “Eyes Open” in “The Hunger Games: Sound of District 12 and Beyond.”

“Safe & Sound” is a melancholic song, combined with soft guitar in the background and a slower rhythm. Compared to her original recording, “Taylor’s Version” is quite similar, save for that same added maturity to her voice. I really like this song, and think it fits well into the collection of her music, reminding me of her other songs like “Soon You’ll Get Better,” from her album “Lover,” and “Willow” from “Evermore.”

Lastly, she released a completely new song: “All Of The Girls You Loved Before.” This song is a new addition to her album “Lover,” released in 2019. “All Of The Girls You Loved Before” didn’t make it onto the first release of the album, and recently began its circulation and rise to popularity on TikTok, so it’s no surprise Swift chose this time to release it to the public.

On my first listen of this song, I noticed it carried themes of happiness, alongside lighter notes paired with stunning vocals. As a Swiftie myself, I thoroughly enjoyed this song and suspect other fans did as well. I see it as the perfect addition to “Lover,” and know it’ll be on repeat for me these next few weeks.