
On Speak Now 's follow-up, Red, Swift aimed to experiment beyond her previous albums' formulaic country pop sound. The album's sound expands on the country pop sound of her two previous albums, with elements of radio-friendly pop crossover that had been evident on its predecessor Fearless (2008).

She wrote the album entirely by herself and co-produced it with Nathan Chapman, her longtime collaborator. Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her third studio album, Speak Now, in October 2010. A re-recorded version of "Red", titled "Red (Taylor's Version)", was released as part of Swift's second re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version) on November 12, 2021. The single received certifications in Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. In the U.S., it peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Country Songs, on which it stayed for 42 weeks and became Swift's longest-charting song. "Red" peaked within the top 30 on record charts of Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the U.K. The single received mixed-to-positive reviews from contemporary critics some complimented the production for straddling the boundary between country and mainstream pop, while some other deemed it inconsistent and underwhelming. Swift's acoustic rendition of "Red" at the 2013 Country Music Association Awards, featuring Alison Krauss and Vince Gill on background vocals, was released on November 8, 2013. A music video for "Red", a compilation of footage from the tour, was released on July 3, 2013. Swift performed the track on many television shows and included it on the set list of her 2013–14 Red Tour. Lyrically about a tumultuous relationship, the refrain likens the conflicting emotions to a spectrum of colors, including the color red which symbolizes the ensuing intense feelings. Musically, "Red" is a country, soft rock, and pop rock song, using acoustic banjo and guitars, and electronic vocal manipulation. country radio on June 24, 2013, as an official single. Big Machine Records released the song onto the iTunes Store on October 2, 2012, as Red 's second promotional single, and to U.S. It was produced by Dann Huff, Nathan Chapman, and Swift.

" Red" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her fourth studio album of the same name (2012).
