red

Red is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on October 22, 2012, by Big Machine Records. Inspired by past romantic relationships evoking intense, tumultuous "red" emotions that Swift was experiencing during the conception of the project, Red touches on the themes of romance and heartbreak, but represents a mature perspective, while exploring the pressure of being in the public eye. Red is a pop, country, and rock album that experiments with arena rock, alternative rock, dance, dubstep, electronic, folk, and heartland rock; many critics called it Swift's dip into pop, while others regarded it her venture beyond traditional country styles.

The album contains two duets featuring guest acts: "The Last Time" featuring Irish singer Gary Lightbody, and "Everything Has Changed" featuring English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. Preceded by two singles, Red was supported by seven singles in total, four of which became top ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100-the lead single "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" topped the chart for three weeks, marking Swift's first number-one single in the United States; the second single "Begin Again" arrived at number seven, while its follow-up "I Knew You Were Trouble" reached number two on the Hot 100; the fifth single "Red" reached number six on the chart.

Red received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised Swift's songwriting craftsmanship, but were divided on the incorporation of various genres-her emerging versatility was praised but met criticism for being inconsistent. The album appeared in several publications' lists of the best albums of the 2010s, and ranked at number 99 on the 2020 revision of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Red received nominations for Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards, and for Album of the Year at the 2013 Country Music Association Awards.

Red debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 1.2 million copies, giving Swift her third consecutive chart-topper in the US, making her the first female artist to have two million-selling album openings; it went on to spend seven weeks atop the chart. It was also Swift's first chart-topper in the UK, and topped charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported Red as the second best-selling album of 2012, with sales of 5.2 million copies globally. To support the album, Swift embarked on The Red Tour, which ran from March 2013 to June 2014 and grossed over $150 million. As of July, 23, 2018, Red had been certified 7× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, for moving over seven million units in the US. The album has sold over 7 million copies worldwide as of 2020.