taylor
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Post by taylor on Dec 11, 2023 1:33:31 GMT -5
“Message in a Bottle” is another one of the Carly Rae Jepsen-esque songs on Red that I’m still STUNNED was left in the Vault for nearly a decade!!! There’s no way this wouldn’t have been an inescapable SMASH in 2012!!! I’m certain this would have been a huge #1 for her. A certified BOP!!!
RECAP:
Songs revealed 6. Message in a Bottle (From the Vault) 7. Treacherous (Taylor’s Version) 8. Better Man (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) 9. I Bet You Think About Me (From the Vault) (ft. Chris Stapleton) 10. Holy Ground (Taylor’s Version) 11. I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version) 12. The Last Time (Taylor’s Version) (ft. Gary Lightbody) 13. Starlight (Taylor’s Version) 14. The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) 15. Come Back…Be Here (Taylor’s Version) 16. Nothing New (From the Vault) (ft. Phoebe Bridgers) 17. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor's Version) 18. Babe (From the Vault) 19. 22 (Taylor's Version) 20. I Almost Do (Taylor's Version) 21. The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version) 22. The Lucky One (Taylor’s Version) 23. Everything Has Changed (Taylor’s Version) (ft. Ed Sheeran) 24. Forever Winter (From the Vault) 25. Sad Beautiful Tragic (Taylor’s Version) 26. Girl At Home (Taylor’s Version) 27. Stay Stay Stay (Taylor’s Version) 28. State of Grace (Taylor’s Version) (Acoustic Version) 29. Run (From the Vault) (ft. Ed Sheeran)
The Top 5!!! State of Grace (Taylor’s Version) Red (Taylor’s Version) All Too Well (Taylor’s Version) Begin Again (Taylor’s Version) All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (From the Vault)
Stay tuned for the grand finale soon, where we’ll be revealing the Top 5 songs of the rankdown!!! What order do you think it’ll all go down?!
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schnetzka
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Post by schnetzka on Dec 11, 2023 7:43:43 GMT -5
I am honestly surprised "Message in a Bottle" lasted that long because I've seen many comments since it's release about how bad of a song it is. Of course, I disagreed with all of the negativity but still, I find it surprising giving those comments. Thank you taylor for your wonderful writeup of "Ronan". I am glad Taylor re-recorded the song to bring light again to his life that was cut way too short.
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 11, 2023 7:58:26 GMT -5
Solid top 5! I'm so glad "Treacherous" ended up being so high. I love the explosive bridge and think it's one of her most underrated songs, so I'm glad taste was served here!
Can't wait for the final reveals! My prediction for the top 5 would be:
5. Begin Again 4. State of Grace 3. Red 2. All Too Well 1. All Too Well (10 Minute Version)
These are the ranks I have remaining: 1, 3, 5, 6, 14
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jasper0102
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Post by jasper0102 on Dec 11, 2023 8:34:23 GMT -5
Omfg imagine losing your #1 and #4 right before the top 10 and then having them get beat by one of your bottom 2s, and then having your #5 be the first top 10 out But yeah The Last Time is her best ballad outside of Folklore or Speak Now, and Holy Ground and Starlight are great damn pop songs. All 3 got robbed af. Anyways i feel we all know what's gonna win but i hope Red upset wins this anyways (or maybe gets to #2).
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bat1990
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Post by bat1990 on Dec 11, 2023 9:02:49 GMT -5
I have 1, 3, 10, 13, 14 left so not too bad. My top 5 took a beating in 10-6.
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PREDS PRIDE
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Post by PREDS PRIDE on Dec 11, 2023 10:17:15 GMT -5
extremely unfortunate to see MIAB just barely miss the top 5, love that song so much and I think it's modern pop perfection.
2, 4, 7, 9, 23
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austin
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Post by austin on Dec 11, 2023 11:49:36 GMT -5
The hits on Red are so good but other than 22 her versions are really lackluster IMO. Same with Holy Ground.
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Leo ✔
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Post by Leo ✔ on Dec 11, 2023 14:03:57 GMT -5
Im so glad Better Man made it to the top 10.
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Dec 11, 2023 22:29:15 GMT -5
"Bottle" is a bop and all, but just outside top 5 on this RD is... a choice, lol.
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Mylo13 💜
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Post by Mylo13 💜 on Dec 13, 2023 21:33:47 GMT -5
Great top 5 (obviously) but I'm very lost as to why Message in A Bottle nearly made it in. That song is clearly a first test for much better pop music for her down the line.
Better Man is excellent, really pushing up as one of my absolute all-time favourites from her. I'm expecting an All Too Well to win but I'll root for Begin Again to sneak into the top 3 at least. State of Grace, while being one of her best openers, isn't up there as one of her better songs so hope that leaves first.
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 19:17:09 GMT -5
Who's ready for the top 5?I'm back from being sick for over a week (fuck bacterial infections) and ready to finish this up!
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 19:29:46 GMT -5
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Leo ✔
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Post by Leo ✔ on Dec 17, 2023 19:32:35 GMT -5
nooooooooooooooo
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 19:36:26 GMT -5
"Begin Again" kicks off the top 5. It managed to pass "I Knew You Were Trouble" compared to the OG rankdown but got passed up by "State of Grace" and also pushed down by the two versions of "All Too Well", making it finish one spot lower than in the original rankdown (granted the number of songs in this one are higher). I personally think this was a great rerecording, preserving what made the original recording so great in the first place. HamedM1 💔 is now no longer an R&B hoe and officially a tractor having ranking this at #1. There is a huge gap of 78 points between "Begin Again" and the #4 song.
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 19:42:29 GMT -5
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 19:47:41 GMT -5
#4 is "State of Grace", which finishes one spot higher than the OG Red rankdown. This is another one where I felt the rerecording did the song justice and it seems like many of you agree. It did sneak into the top 3 a couple of times, but it was pretty much destined for #4. Despite that, it was only 17 points behind the #3 song, so a list or two could've made the difference.
In the OG rankdown "All Too Well" and "Red" tied in points but the former was crowned the winner because it had more #1s, but do you think "Red" stands a chance against either versions of "All Too Well" here?
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 19:55:14 GMT -5
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 20:01:55 GMT -5
Finishing at #3 is "Red", once again stuck behind "All Too Well". It did manage to break into the top 2 for a moment, but when all is said and done, it finished 65 points behind one of the "All Too Well"s (the version at #2) and 101 points behind the other "All Too Well" (the version that became the winner). "Red" is a song that combines her pop sensibilities with her country origins very well, and in that sense I feel that this song is one of the songs that represents who she is an artist.
Now for the grand finale, it's "All Too Well" versus "All Too Well"! Which "All Too Well" will win? Stay tuned to find out.
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 20:12:59 GMT -5
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fearlessarrow
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Post by fearlessarrow on Dec 17, 2023 20:18:41 GMT -5
And there you have it! "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" or ATWTMVTVFTV never let go of the #1 spot and claims a total victory. 17 participants ranked it at #1; that is 40% of all participants (17/42=0.40476....)! I personally think both versions of "All Too Well" have something great that the other version doesn't have but I believe ATWTMVTVFTV is her magnum opus to date (or one of, the likes of "Style" and "Cruel Summer" are up there as well). Thank you for following along and I'm so sorry about the delayed reveals because of me getting sick. I also want to thank my co-hosts born and taylor for being so patient with me, I feel like I say this every single rankdown I host with you but it truly is a joy to be able to host rankdowns with you two! I can see you waiting down waitin' down the hall from me for another Taylor rankdown, but I'm signing off for now! Until we meet again! RECAP:1. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (From the Vault) 2. All Too Well (Taylor's Version) [LOWEST SD] 3. Red (Taylor's Version) 4. State of Grace (Taylor's Version) 5. Begin Again (Taylor's Version) 6. Message in a Bottle (From the Vault) 7. Treacherous (Taylor’s Version) 8. Better Man (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault) 9. I Bet You Think About Me (From the Vault) (ft. Chris Stapleton) 10. Holy Ground (Taylor’s Version) 11. I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version) [HIGHEST SD] 12. The Last Time (Taylor’s Version) (ft. Gary Lightbody) 13. Starlight (Taylor’s Version) 14. The Very First Night (Taylor’s Version) 15. Come Back…Be Here (Taylor’s Version) 16. Nothing New (From the Vault) (ft. Phoebe Bridgers) 17. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (Taylor's Version) 18. Babe (From the Vault) 19. 22 (Taylor's Version) 20. I Almost Do (Taylor's Version) 21. The Moment I Knew (Taylor’s Version) 22. The Lucky One (Taylor’s Version) 23. Everything Has Changed (Taylor’s Version) (ft. Ed Sheeran) 24. Forever Winter (From the Vault) 25. Sad Beautiful Tragic (Taylor’s Version) 26. Girl At Home (Taylor’s Version) 27. Stay Stay Stay (Taylor’s Version) 28. State of Grace (Taylor’s Version) (Acoustic Version) 29. Run (From the Vault) (ft. Ed Sheeran) RD Closeness:1 (tie). Mayman - 3.793103448 1 (tie). neverduplicated - 3.793103448 3. joshtheking - 4.137931034 4 (tie). austin - 4.551724138 4 (tie). bboat11 - 4.551724138 6. samo🦕 - 4.620689655 7. reputainbow - 4.75862069 8. fearlessarrow - 4.827586207 9. jodakyellow - 5.034482759 10. Normi - 5.172413793 11 (tie). born - 5.310344828 11 (tie). schnetzka - 5.310344828 13. tim - 5.379310345 14 (tie). rnb - 5.448275862 14 (tie). nick64 - 5.448275862 16. twigs - 5.517241379 17 (tie). jasper0102 - 5.586206897 17 (tie). GrinningLikeADevil - 5.586206897 19. HamedM1 💔 - 5.655172414 20 (tie). SabrinaFan - 6 20 (tie). Fire - 6 22 (tie). khan - 6.068965517 22 (tie). willapted33 - 6.068965517 24 (tie). taylor - 6.206896552 24 (tie). bat1990 - 6.206896552 24 (tie). Leo ✔ - 6.206896552 27. recordyear - 6.275862069 28 (tie). .indulgecountry - 6.413793103 28 (tie). Mylo13 💜 - 6.413793103 30. PREDS PRIDE - 6.482758621 31. Troublemaker - 6.75862069 32. †ealsünset - 6.827586207 33. TheOutcast - 7.034482759 34. someguy - 7.103448276 35. Anthony !!!!!! - 7.24137931 36. wyckyd - 7.448275862 37. God - 7.586206897 38. kimberly - 7.724137931 39. MOWE - 8.068965517 40. wobb2254 - 8.206896552 41. 🌺CountryLineDancer - 8.344827586 42. CagedJuggalo The Third Tanker - 10.06896552
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Post by Mayman on Dec 17, 2023 20:22:16 GMT -5
State of Grace and Red are so good they both are near perfection for me tbh.
While the original All Too Well is obviously fantastic, the 10 minute version takes it to an even higher level. Every section of the song is great and the additions are well worth it. A #29 for this though... why ???
Thanks for hosting once again!!
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Fire
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hi :)
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Post by Fire on Dec 17, 2023 20:22:28 GMT -5
shocker lol both versions of atw are 10/10 imo but i revisit the 5 min version more often. but def not complaining about the 10 min version winning! thanks for hosting you three, as per usual, you guys slayed!!!
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 17, 2023 21:21:52 GMT -5
Can't wait for the final reveals! My prediction for the top 5 would be: 5. Begin Again 4. State of Grace 3. Red 2. All Too Well 1. All Too Well (10 Minute Version) Oh wow, I completely nailed it with my top 5 prediction! 4. This song has a very special place in my heart, and it's not only my fave on this album; it's actually my favorite song of Taylor's entire discography. Her vocals are absolutely beautiful here, and I felt this is one example where the re-recording really elevated the original song. 1. Of course, I love both versions of "All Too Well," but the 10-minute version really elevates it for me and it's the one I return to most often. None of the additions felt tacked on at all and each new lyric felt very purposeful in aiding the storytelling. Thanks so much for hosting fearlessarrow, taylor and born! You all did a wonderful job, as always
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willapted33
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Post by willapted33 on Dec 17, 2023 22:03:42 GMT -5
title track has grown on me but its nowhere near begin again or state of grace level
10 min ATW is as strong as the original, the obvious winner was the correct one
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jasper0102
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Post by jasper0102 on Dec 17, 2023 22:31:52 GMT -5
I would’ve loved if Red upset won this whole thing but no complaints with this top 5 (even if ATW (TV) shorter version has a better instrumental than the 10 minute version sorry not sorry)
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taylor
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Post by taylor on Dec 18, 2023 0:37:53 GMT -5
***WORD WALL WARNING*** “Begin Again” was one of my absolute favorite country songs of 2012 without question. It’s such a gorgeous arrangement, and the blind optimism is relatable to me. It’s nice to see proof encapsulated in a song of love showing its good side again, after so much misery. Love it to pieces. I think we all know what I think about ATW10MV. Magnum opus. Deserved to finally be her first SOTY Grammy. Enough said.
I want to thank you all for following along with us and being so patient with us, as always! Your commentary and participation is always appreciated, even if we don’t always get the chance to interact with it. Without you and your interest, there really is no point in these rankdowns, so I just want to make sure you all know how much we love that we’re still doing this and that you guys keep coming back. I want to also thank my lovely co-hosts and good friends fearlessarrow and born for once again slaying!!! We say this to each other every single rankdown because it’s true—you guys are SO MUCH FUN to host rankdowns with, and this team of ours that we’ve had going for years now (have we seriously been #TeamTaylor since the OG folklore rankdown in 2020?!?! Could we check that, cause like…wow. What is time.) is the perfect blend of taste and talent. And I’m so grateful that we’ve become so tight-knit. I guess this has gotten really sentimental, and I think that now is a good time to say why. If there’s one thing that Taylor, her music, and the past few years in general have taught me, it’s that you need to find what it is you love most in this world and go do it. That you shouldn’t let anyone deter you from your dreams, or dictate your chances of obtaining them. That you only have so much time on this earth—you should do the things you want to do, while you have the chance to do them. As you all know by now, I’ve had a dream of being a writer for my entire life. There’s not much on this earth that I want more than to see my name on a bookshelf in a bookstore. To be able to hold a novel that I brought into the world. To be able to look inside its pages and think to myself… “I wrote these words.” It’s what I went to college—twice—to try and do. I was taking classes—that I sadly ended up dropping out of—that were meant to help me hone my craft. But when I had to drop out the second time, I was devastated. It made me think that everyone was right—maybe I wasn’t good enough. Maybe I wasn’t meant to do this. So I stopped writing…the novel I wanted to have written by this point in the year never had a single new word put in. Now that I’ve been able to get myself out of that mindset of letting uncontrollable factors and outsiders sway me, I’m more determined than I ever have been. I WILL write that damn book. And then another. And another….and another…you get the idea. By this time next year—and I really do mean it this time—at least one of my novels will be written. At least the first draft…if I’m lucky, maybe even more. So with that said…I was going to say this after hosting the PMAs as well, but I want to tell you all now that I will be signing off of Pulse indefinitely in 2024. If I’m going to realize my lifelong dream, I simply have to be committed. I need to be fully grounded in the moment, and every single ounce of my energy needs to be focused on this one thing…because it’s such a big, important deal to me. I can’t do this if I’m distracted by other things…and no hard feelings, but Pulse is a distraction. fearlessarrow and born, I want to emphasize how much I appreciate you two. For putting me on to doing that special album covers rankdown for folklore. For letting me practice what I love to do more than anything by doing these prologues to the rankdowns. But most importantly, for being such joys to be around. I really was enchanted to meet you. You are two of my absolute favorite people on Pulse, and I truly do think of you as friends. (It’s hard to do with different time zones, but I’d like us to continue getting to know each other somehow.) I genuinely consider #TeamTaylor—along with this audience, and these labors of love we call rankdowns—the best thing that’s ever been mine. Until I return, I’ll remember this all too well. Long live the magic we made. ❤️❤️❤️❤️Love, Taylor 💜💜💜 (P.S. this isn’t goodbye forever to #TeamTaylor!!! Even though I’m leaving, I might find a way to still be involved… ) (P.P.S. If you actually read this whole post…you’re a real one. I appreciate you so much.)
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Fire
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hi :)
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Post by Fire on Dec 18, 2023 0:50:50 GMT -5
awwww, gl taylor on all your future endeavors! i look forward to kids in the future reading your novels in english class!!❤️❤️ you have been a constant joy on pulse your entire stay here and i wish you nothing but the best!
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wyckyd
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Post by wyckyd on Dec 18, 2023 2:12:43 GMT -5
PERFECT TOP 4, LET’S GOOO! taylor I wish you the best with your novel & your writing career and thank you, born & fearlessarrow so much for hosting these great rankdowns!
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recordyear
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Post by recordyear on Dec 18, 2023 8:05:17 GMT -5
Original State of Grace is easily #1 on original Red album. However, the guitar in new version lacks a bit of power. Also slightly prefer original Begin Again to new version, particularly the bridge where the accordion is more in focus in original version. Title track feels like least changed among the best cuts, so it is my #1 here. Just a great pop rock song. Not surprised both versions of All Too Well are top 2. Thanks to born , taylor and fearlessarrow for hosting, and good luck to making the dream come true taylor .
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SabrinaFan
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Post by SabrinaFan on Dec 18, 2023 8:27:50 GMT -5
Best of luck with the book and your writing career, taylor! <3
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