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"Forever Winter"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Red (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedNovember 12, 2021 (2021-11-12)
Studio
Genre
Length4:23
LabelRepublic
Songwriters
Producers
Lyric video
"Forever Winter" on YouTube

"Forever Winter"[a] is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her second re-recorded album, Red (Taylor's Version) (2021). It was intended for but excluded from her fourth studio album, Red (2012). Swift wrote the song with Mark Foster and produced it with Jack Antonoff. "Forever Winter" is an alternative, folk-pop, and power pop track that features an upbeat arrangement, saxophone and trumpet notes, and acoustic guitar strums and arpeggios; the refrain incorporates horns, flutes, and guitars.

The lyrics depict Swift's concern for her friend's mental health challenges and suicidal tendencies, assuring him of her unwavering support. Some music critics praised the song for its production and Swift's vocal performance, while others considered the narrative ineffective. "Forever Winter" peaked at number 87 on the Billboard Global 200 and reached the national charts of Canada and the United States.

Background and release

[edit]

Taylor Swift departed from Big Machine Records and signed a deal with Republic Records in November 2018.[2] She began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[3] The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who had acquired Big Machine, including the master recordings of her albums which the label had released.[4][5] By re-recording the albums, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, which enabled her to control the licensing of her songs for commercial use and therefore substitute the Big Machine–owned masters.[6]

In April 2021, Swift released her first re-recorded album, Fearless (Taylor's Version), a re-recording of her second studio album, Fearless (2008); the album features several unreleased "From the Vault" tracks that she had written but left out of the original's track listing.[7] On November 12, 2021, Swift released Red (Taylor's Version), the re-recording of her fourth studio album, Red (2012).[8] "Forever Winter" is one of the album's vault tracks and number 27 on its track listing.[9][10] It reached number 87 on the Billboard Global 200 chart dated November 27, 2021.[11] In the United States, "Forever Winter" peaked at number 26 on the Hot Country Songs chart and number 79 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[12][13] It reached number 64 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart.[14] The demo version of "Forever Winter" leaked onto the internet on February 26, 2023.[15]

Production

[edit]
Mark Foster playing a guitar
Jack Antonoff playing a guitar
"Forever Winter" was co-written by Mark Foster (left, pictured in 2014) and co-produced by Jack Antonoff (right, 2012).

Swift wrote "Forever Winter" with Mark Foster, the lead singer of the band Foster the People. He revealed that he had written a song with Swift a few months before Red's release in 2012: "We kind of just went into it casually, like let's just jam and just have fun, and something really cool came out of it."[16][17] Swift produced the track with Jack Antonoff, who recorded it with Laura Sisk at Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, and Rough Customer Studio in Brooklyn. Christopher Rowe recorded Swift's vocals at Kitty Committee Studio in Belfast. Foster additionally provided background vocals, while Antonoff played drums, guitars, keyboards, bass, percussion, and Mellotron.[18]

The track was mixed by Serban Ghenea at MixStar Studios in Virginia Beach, Virginia; mastered by Randy Merrill at Sterling Sound Studios in Edgewater, New Jersey; and engineered for mix by Bryce Bordone. It was engineered by Antonoff, Sisk, Rooney, Evan Smith, Mikey Freedom Hart, David Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Michael Riddleberger, and Cole Kamen-Green. Musicians who played instruments include Mikey Freedom Hart (electric guitar, bass, Juno, M1, pedal steel guitar); Smith (saxophone, flute); Kamen-Green (trumpet, mellophone); Hutchinson (drums, percussion); and Riddleberger (percussion).[18]

Music and lyrics

[edit]
"Forever Winter"
A sample of the refrain of "Forever Winter", featuring horns, flutes, guitars, and lyrics about Swift's support to her friend
Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Forever Winter" is 4 minutes and 23 seconds long.[1] It is an alternative, folk-pop, and power pop song opening with an energetic brass that was compared to the music of the Salvation Army church by The Independent's Helen Brown.[15][19] The track transitions into the refrain that features horns, flutes, guitars, and Swift's dynamic vocals.[20] The upbeat arrangement of "Forever Winter" incorporates acoustic guitar strums and arpeggios, layers of synthesizers, and a rhythmic pattern of snare drums on the second beat and the eighth note of the third beat.[17][15] The track also features a tambourine that accentuates the fourth beat on the verses, the second and fourth beats on the refrains, and the sixteenth note on the bridge. The music critics Damien Somville and Marine Benoit found the song's production similar to that of "Babe (Taylor's Version)", a track from Red (Taylor's Version) that has the same group of musicians involved in "Forever Winter".[15]

The lyrics find Swift's narrator trying to help a friend through his depression and mental health challenges.[21][22] She worries that he might be contemplating suicide, although his thoughts during their phone conversations seem less suicidal than they truly are.[21] The narrator conveys the significance of her friend in her life and assures him of her unwavering support ("I'll be summer sun for you forever / Forever winter if you go").[17] In the song's original demo version, the narrator hints that she had feelings for her friend in the final line ("He says, 'Why fall in love' / I say, 'Cause I won't go away'"). Swift ultimately changed the lyric in the studio version ("He says he doesn't believe anything much he hears these days / I say, 'Believe in one thing, I won't go away'").[23][18] Some music journalists found "Forever Winter" thematically similar to Swift's single "Renegade" (2021).[24][25][16] Somville and Benoit thought that the song's shimmering, upbeat production emphasized the idea of having hope in the face of despair.[15]

Critical reception

[edit]

Critics praised "Forever Winter" for its production and Swift's vocal performance. Variety's Chris Willman lauded the track for its cheerful rhythm, mature concept, and "bittersweet" trumpet notes and saxophone embellishments,[21][26] and Vulture's Nate Jones believed that Swift's feelings resonated authentically in "Forever Winter".[27] Time's Samantha Cooney similarly complimented the trumpet notes and how "you can hear the emotions in Swift's voice".[28] Josh Kurp of Uproxx thought that her "voice cracks" during the refrain contributed depth to the song.[22] Billboard's Jason Lipshutz commended the track for its complex production and Swift's subtle and diverse vocals; he considered it the album's eighth-best vault track.[20] Lauren McCarthy from Nylon wrote: "It's a testament to both Swift's songwriting and vocals that the song is [...] one of her rawest and heart-wrenching."[29]

In a less enthusiastic review, Business Insider's Callie Ahlgrim felt "Forever Winter" did not possess the "gut-punch revelations or keen-eyed observations" found in "Renegade" and criticized how it portrayed the narrator as a "kind of happiness tool at a man's disposal". Courteney Larocca from the same publication took issue with the narrator's perspective of viewing her friend as an issue to be resolved, but appreciated the refrain in which the narrator addresses him directly. They both placed the song last in their ranking of the album's vault tracks.[25] "Forever Winter" appeared in 2023 rankings of Swift's vault tracks by Nylon's McCarthy and Steffanee Wang (6 out of 21),[29] Kurp (15 out of 26),[22] Willman (19 out of 25),[21] and Lipshutz (23 out of 26),[30] and 2024 rankings of her discography by Jones (120 out of 245) and Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield (168 out of 274).[24][27]

Personnel

[edit]

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Red (Taylor's Version).[18]

  • Taylor Swift – lead vocals, songwriter, producer
  • Mark Foster – background vocals, songwriter
  • Jack Antonoff – producer, engineer, recording engineer, programmer, drums, percussion, bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, Mellotron, keyboards
  • Christopher Rowe – vocal recording engineer
  • Laura Sisk – engineer, recording engineer
  • Jon Sher – assistant recording engineer
  • John Rooney – engineer, assistant recording engineer
  • Lauren Marquez – assistant recording engineer
  • Evan Smith – engineer, saxophone, flute
  • Mikey Freedom Hart – engineer, electric guitar, bass, Juno, M1, pedal steel guitar
  • David Hart – engineer
  • Sean Hutchinson – engineer, drums, percussion
  • Michael Riddleberger – engineer, percussion
  • Cole Kamen-Green – engineer, trumpet, mellophone
  • Serban Ghenea – mixer
  • Bryce Bordone – engineer for mix
  • Randy Merrill – mastering engineer

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for "Forever Winter"
Chart (2023) Peak

position

Canada Hot 100 (Billboard)[14] 64
Global 200 (Billboard)[11] 87
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 79
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] 26

Footnote

[edit]
  1. ^ Officially titled "Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)"[1]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Forever Winter

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault) is a song by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on her re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version) on November 12, 2021. One of the album's "From the Vault" tracks, it contains previously unreleased material written during the original Red sessions in 2012. Co-written by Swift and Mark Foster of Foster the People, and produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff, the track runs 4:23 in length. The lyrics depict the narrator's ongoing anxiety and support for a friend experiencing mental health struggles, including depression, with imagery of offering warmth amid emotional "winter." Upon release, it peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is part of Swift's broader project to re-record her earlier albums, allowing her to own the masters of her work. Red (Taylor's Version) includes several such vault tracks alongside re-recorded versions of the original album's songs. Forever Winter stands out for its emotional intensity, blending pop and folk elements to convey themes of loyalty and concern during a friend's darkest moments. It features Swift's lead vocals alongside instrumentation from Antonoff and other contributors, including background vocals by Mark Foster. The track received attention for its candid exploration of mental health support, resonating with listeners through its earnest plea to remain a source of light for someone in pain. It became available on streaming platforms and was promoted through an official lyric video shortly after the album's release.

Background

Origins and writing

Forever Winter was co-written by Taylor Swift and Mark Foster, the lead singer of Foster the People, in 2012 during the sessions for Swift's album Red (2012). The collaboration arose from a casual meeting between the two artists, where they jammed and wrote together informally. In a June 2012 interview with Fuse at the , Foster described the relaxed nature of the process: "We kind of just went into it casually, like let's just jam and just have fun, and something really cool came out of it." He further called the result "a really cool song" and praised Swift, noting "It was a lot of fun working with her. She’s super talented." The track was originally intended for inclusion on the 2012 Red album but was ultimately excluded from the final track listing. It later became one of the "From the Vault" songs on Red (Taylor's Version) in 2021.

Inclusion as a From the Vault track

Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault) is one of nine previously unreleased songs included on Taylor Swift's re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version), released on November 12, 2021. The "From the Vault" tracks comprise material Swift wrote during the original Red era around 2012 but did not include on the standard or deluxe editions of the 2012 album. This inclusion forms part of Swift's re-recording initiative, launched after Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings acquired the master recordings to her first six albums in 2019, enabling Swift to create and own new master recordings of her catalog while releasing additional era-specific material. The song was co-written with Mark Foster of Foster the People.

Composition

Genre and musical style

"Forever Winter (Taylor's Version)" is a power pop song with an upbeat arrangement. It has also been described as incorporating elements of and alternative influences. The track opens with energetic brass instrumentation, which critic Helen Brown of The Independent compared to a "festive little blast of Sally Army brass" (referring to Salvation Army-style brass) before shifting into a "slab of power pop." Its sound incorporates saxophone, , trumpet, synthesizers, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, drums, percussion, and horns (including mellophone), with horns particularly prominent in the refrain. The song runs for 4:23 and features an overall joyful, pop-oriented tempo and melody that contrasts with its lyrical content, as noted in analyses highlighting its use of horns to create an accessible, uplifting vibe.

Production and arrangement

"Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" was produced by Taylor Swift and Jack Antonoff. The track was recorded across several studios, including Conway Recording Studios in Los Angeles, Electric Lady Studios in New York City, Rough Customer Studio in Brooklyn, and Kitty Committee Studio in Belfast, where Swift's vocals were captured. The arrangement features extensive instrumentation and programming led by Jack Antonoff, who contributed drums, percussion, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, mellotron, keyboards, bass guitar, and additional programming. Evan Smith provided saxophone, flute, and synthesizer, while Cole Kamen-Green played trumpet and mellophone. Mikey Freedom Hart added electric guitar, synthesizer, pedal steel guitar, and bass guitar, with drums and percussion from Sean Hutchinson and Michael Riddleberger, and background vocals from co-writer Mark Foster. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea with assistance from Bryce Bordone, and mastered by Randy Merrill.

Lyrics and themes

Mental health narrative

"Forever Winter" explores the narrator's profound concern for a friend's severe mental health struggles, including depression and potential suicidal ideation. Psychiatrist Jessi Gold interprets the song as depicting serious mental health challenges, particularly suicidal thoughts, with the narrator expressing fear that the friend might "decide to leave instead." The lyrics portray the helplessness of witnessing a loved one's hidden pain and the difficulty of not being able to fully "fix" their suffering. The narrator offers unwavering support, emphasizing their role as a constant presence and source of hope amid the friend's darkest moments. Clinical therapist Brit Barkholtz highlights how the song addresses isolation during crises and the misconception of being a burden, underscoring that supportive people want to remain involved even when things are "dark or messy." This commitment is framed through the central metaphor of being a "summer sun" in contrast to the potential "forever winter" of loss, illustrating the narrator's determination to provide light and reassurance. Similar themes appear in Swift's "Renegade" from evermore (2021), which also examines the challenges of supporting a friend through mental health difficulties. The song's upbeat production juxtaposes the heavy subject matter, potentially making its message more accessible to listeners.

Key lyrical elements

The lyrics of "Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" are marked by vivid, repetitive phrasing that conveys unrelenting anxiety and devoted support. The song's signature refrain appears in the chorus: "Too young to know it gets better / I'll be summer sun for you forever / Forever winter if you go." This contrast between enduring warmth ("summer sun") and devastating cold ("forever winter") underscores the narrator's promise of constant presence amid fear of irreversible loss. Verses depict the subject's outward composure against inner turmoil, such as "He seems fine most of the time, forcing smiles and never minds" and "His laugh is a symphony, when the lights go out, it's hard to breathe," while the narrator admits to obsessive vigilance: "I pull at every thread trying to solve the puzzles in his head / Live my life scared to death he'll decide to leave instead." Pre-choruses highlight frantic check-ins at odd hours: "I call, just checkin' up on him / He's up, 3AM, pacin'" (later escalating to "He's up, 5AM, wasted"), with the narrator's voice shifting from "beggin'" to "screamin'." The bridge intensifies with a stark metaphor: "If I was standing there in your apartment / I'd take that bomb in your head and disarm it / I'd say, 'I love you even at your darkest and / Please, don't go.'" The outro reaffirms steadfast commitment: "He says he doesn't believe anything much he hears these days / I say, 'Believe in one thing, I won't go away.'" A leaked early demo version features nearly identical lyrics, with minor variations primarily in the outro phrasing, though the studio release polishes production without altering the core supportive tone.

Release and commercial performance

Album release and availability

Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault) was released on November 12, 2021, as part of Taylor Swift's re-recorded album Red (Taylor's Version) through Republic Records. The song appears as the twenty-seventh track on the album. A demo version of the song, originally recorded during the 2012 Red era, leaked online on February 26, 2023.

Chart positions

Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault) peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100, where it debuted and spent one week at that position. The song also reached number 87 on the Billboard Global 200. On the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, it achieved a peak of number 26. In Canada, the track peaked at number 64 on the Canadian Hot 100. These positions reflect the song's performance following its inclusion on Red (Taylor's Version), among 26 tracks from the album that entered the Hot 100 simultaneously.

Critical reception

Positive reviews

"Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" received praise for its emotional maturity, production details, and Swift's vocal delivery. Variety described the track as a "slow grower" that welcomed Swift's maturity in lifting up a depressed and cynical friend, highlighting "nice, bittersweet trumpet and sax flourishes" from producer Jack Antonoff. Nylon ranked it sixth among Swift's From the Vault songs, calling it one of her most poignant works for addressing mental health directly and supportively, with songwriting and vocals that felt raw and heart-wrenching without pandering or shallowness. Uproxx commended the intentional vocal crack in the pleading chorus as a thrilling mark of vulnerability that would not have been permitted in earlier work, adding texture and authenticity to the song's exploration of a loved one's mental health struggles. In Variety's ranking of Swift's best bonus tracks, the song was noted for its breezy lilt contrasting the heavy subject of suicidal thoughts, with Jack Antonoff's recurring trumpet line contributing palpable bittersweetness and poignance that could offer comfort to those affected by depression.

Mixed and comparative reviews

Reception to "Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" was mixed, with some critics finding it less compelling than other vault tracks or similar songs from Taylor Swift's catalog. In a ranking of all nine "From the Vault" tracks from Red (Taylor's Version), Business Insider placed "Forever Winter" in last position, criticizing it for lacking the "gut-punch revelations or keen-eyed observations" present in "Renegade," a thematically similar song Swift wrote with Aaron Dessner for Big Red Machine in 2021. The review argued that "Forever Winter" positions Swift as a "happiness tool" for a troubled man, with the narrator pleading to alleviate his sadness rather than engaging him directly, which some found off-putting. One critic noted that the song centers Swift in someone else's suffering, portraying the subject as a problem to solve and feeling more like an intervention than a conversation, unlike the more direct approach in "Renegade." Comparative evaluations often highlighted these shortcomings against "Renegade," with reviewers noting that while both songs address supporting someone through emotional turmoil, "Forever Winter" falls short in depth and observational insight. In other vault track rankings, the song frequently appeared near the bottom; for example, Billboard placed it eighth out of nine, though it acknowledged the track's intricate production and vocal nuances. Such placements contributed to perceptions that "Forever Winter" was among the less standout additions to the re-recorded album.

Credits and personnel

Songwriting and production credits

"Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" was co-written by Taylor Swift and Mark Foster of Foster the People. The song was produced by Swift and Jack Antonoff. Mark Foster also contributed background vocals.

Recording and technical personnel

The recording of "Forever Winter (Taylor's Version) (From the Vault)" involved a team of engineers and additional instrumentalists beyond the primary production. Laura Sisk served as a recording engineer, with Christopher Rowe specifically handling vocal recording for Taylor Swift. Assistant recording engineers included John Rooney, Jon Sher, and Lauren Marquez. Additional musicians contributed various instrumentation to the track. Evan Smith performed on saxophone and flute, Cole Kamen-Green on trumpet and mellophone, and Mikey Freedom Hart on electric guitar, bass guitar, pedal steel guitar, and synthesizer. Other contributors included Sean Hutchinson on drums and percussion, and Michael Riddleberger on percussion. The song was mixed by Serban Ghenea, with Bryce Bordone assisting on mixing duties. Mastering was completed by Randy Merrill.

References

  1. https://music.apple.com/gb/song/forever-winter-taylors-version-from-the-vault/1590368890
  2. https://open.spotify.com/track/3oGVx9RBmiYGv5ZCecWLkx
  3. https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-forever-winter-taylors-version-from-the-vault-lyrics
  4. https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-forever-winter-taylors-version-from-the-vault-lyrics/q/producer
  5. https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/taylor-swift-26-songs-hot-100-red-taylors-version-1235001484/
  6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkAomsYFsJw
  7. https://www.songfacts.com/facts/taylor-swift/forever-winter
  8. https://diffuser.fm/foster-the-people-taylor-swift-song/
  9. https://tasteofcountry.com/taylor-swift-mark-foster-the-people-song/
  10. https://variety.com/2021/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-album-review-all-too-well-1235110634/
  11. https://thepacepress.org/7269/arts/music/a-glimpse-inside-the-vault-of-red-taylors-version/
  12. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-review-red-version-b1955805.html
  13. https://music.apple.com/us/song/forever-winter-taylors-version-from-the-vault/1589139882
  14. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/taylor-swift-forever-winter_l_6192c1f8e4b05e93cbb3cf38
  15. https://music.apple.com/us/song/forever-winter-taylors-version-from-the-vault/1590368890
  16. https://www.discogs.com/release/21128809-Taylor-Swift-Red-Taylors-Version
  17. https://genius.com/Taylor-swift-forever-winter-demo-lyrics
  18. https://genius.com/albums/Taylor-swift/Red-taylors-version
  19. https://www.businessinsider.com/taylor-swift-red-vault-tracks-ranked-2022-11
  20. https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/chart-history/hsi/
  21. https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/chart-history/glo/
  22. https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/chart-history/csi/
  23. https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/chart-history/can/
  24. https://www.nylon.com/entertainment/best-taylor-swift-from-the-vault-songs-ranked
  25. https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-taylors-version-from-the-vault-songs-ranked/
  26. https://variety.com/lists/taylor-swift-best-bonus-tracks-ranked-deluxe-vault/
  27. https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-from-the-vault-songs-ranked-9659077/
  28. https://music.apple.com/us/song/forever-winter-taylors-version-from-the-vault/1590368926
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