Forever Winter

After ending her 13-year contract with Big Machine Records and signing a new deal with Republic Records in 2018, Taylor Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.{{Cite web |last1=Spanos |first1=Brittany |last2=Wang |first2=Amy X. |date=August 21, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift 'Absolutely' Plans to Re-Record Catalog After Big Machine Deal |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-absolutely-plans-to-re-record-catalog-after-big-machine-deal-874173/ |access-date=December 25, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |url-access=limited |archive-date=September 26, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926011428/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-absolutely-plans-to-re-record-catalog-after-big-machine-deal-874173/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |last=Melas |first=Chloe |date=November 16, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/11/16/entertainment/taylor-swift-masters/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118064935/https://www.ctvnews.ca/entertainment/taylor-swift-speaks-out-about-sale-of-her-masters-1.5191925 |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |access-date=November 19, 2020 |publisher=CNN}} The decision followed a public 2019 dispute between Swift and the talent manager Scooter Braun, who had acquired Big Machine, including the masters of her albums which the label had released.{{Cite news |date=August 22, 2019 |title=Taylor Swift Wants to Re-Record Her Old Hits |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822202321/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49432817 |archive-date=August 22, 2019 |access-date=August 22, 2019 |publisher=BBC News}}{{cite web |last=Finnis |first=Alex |date=November 17, 2020 |title=Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212170953/https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/taylor-swift-masters-scooter-braun-selling-rights-music-rerecording-row-explained-762411 |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=February 13, 2021 |work=i}} 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.{{Cite news |last=Shah |first=Neil |date=April 9, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008111731/https://www.wsj.com/articles/taylor-swift-releases-new-fearless-album-reclaiming-her-back-catalog-11617945524 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |access-date=September 25, 2022 |work=The Wall Street Journal |issn=}}

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 version's track listing.{{Cite magazine |last=Espada |first=Mariah |date=August 10, 2023 |title=Taylor Swift Is Halfway Through Her Rerecording Project. It's Paid Off Big Time |url=https://time.com/6292599/taylor-swift-speak-now-rerecord-project/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231027074519/https://time.com/6292599/taylor-swift-speak-now-rerecord-project/ |archive-date=October 27, 2023 |access-date=December 25, 2024 |magazine=Time |url-access=limited }} On November 12, 2021, she released Red (Taylor's Version), the re-recorded version of her fourth studio album, Red (2012).{{cite magazine |last=Mamo |first=Heran |date=September 30, 2021 |title=Taylor Swift Reveals Red (Taylor's Version) Is Arriving Earlier than Fans Expected |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-coming-sooner-than-announced-9638666/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813212934/https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-coming-sooner-than-announced-9638666/ |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |access-date=December 25, 2024 |magazine=Billboard}} "Forever Winter" is one of the album's vault tracks and number 27 on its track listing.{{cite magazine |last1=Mamo |first1=Heran |date=August 5, 2021 |title=Here Are All the Decoded Red (Taylor's Version) Bonus Tracks |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-bonus-tracks-list-9611265/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211117023124/https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-bonus-tracks-list-9611265/ |archive-date=November 17, 2021 |access-date=November 18, 2021 |magazine=Billboard}}{{Cite web |last=Sager |first=Jessica |date=2021-11-12 |title=Taylor Swift's Red (Taylor's Version) Is Here—Get All the Details On the Re-Release, Vault Tracks and More |url=https://parade.com/1225504/jessicasager/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version/ |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Parade |archive-date=March 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308094405/https://parade.com/1225504/jessicasager/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version/ |url-status=live }} On the week ending November 27, 2021, it reached number 26 on the US Hot Country Songs chart, number 64 on the Canadian Hot 100 chart, number 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and number 87 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.

{{Multiple image

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| image1 = Mark Foster at Bilbao BBK Live 2014 (cropped).jpg

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| alt1 = Mark Foster playing a guitar

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| alt2 = Jack Antonoff playing a guitar

| footer = "Forever Winter" was co-written by Mark Foster (left in 2014) and co-produced by Jack Antonoff (right in 2012)}}

Swift wrote "Forever Winter" with Mark Foster and produced it with Jack Antonoff, who programmed the track and 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, Northern Ireland. Jon Sher, John Rooney, Lauren Marquez worked as assistant recording engineers. Foster additionally provided background vocals, while Antonoff played drums, guitars, keyboards, percussion, bass, and Mellotron.

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).

{{listen

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| description = A sample of the refrain of "Forever Winter", featuring horns, flutes, guitars, and lyrics about Swift's support to her friend

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"Forever Winter" is four minutes and twenty-three seconds long. It is a power pop song opening with an energetic brass that evokes the music of the Salvation Army church, according to The Independent{{'s}} Helen Brown.{{cite news|last=Brown|first=Helen|date=November 12, 2021|title=Taylor Swift's Red Is a Better, Brighter Version of a Terrific Pop Album|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-review-red-version-b1955805.html|url-status=live|access-date=November 12, 2021|newspaper=The Independent|archive-date=November 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211112050614/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/taylor-swift-review-red-version-b1955805.html}} The song then transitions into the refrain that features an upbeat arrangement and Swift's dynamic vocals, and incorporates horns, flutes, and guitars.{{cite magazine |last=Lipshutz |first=Jason |date=November 12, 2021 |title=Every 'From The Vault' Song Ranked on Taylor Swift's Red (Taylor's Version): Critic's Picks |url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9659077/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-from-the-vault-songs-ranked |access-date=November 12, 2021 |magazine=Billboard}}{{Cite news |last=Bologna |first=Caroline |date=November 16, 2021 |title='Forever Winter': The Mental Health Message in the New Taylor Swift Song |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/taylor-swift-forever-winter_l_6192c1f8e4b05e93cbb3cf38 |access-date=December 24, 2024 |newspaper=HuffPost |archive-date=December 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241209215633/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/taylor-swift-forever-winter_l_6192c1f8e4b05e93cbb3cf38 |url-status=live }}

The lyrics find Swift trying to help a friend through his mental health challenges and suicidal tendencies. She worries that his thoughts may be leaning towards suicide ("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"), although his thoughts during their phone calls sound less suicidal than they truly are ("He says, 'Why fall in love, just so you can watch it go away?{{' "}}).{{Cite magazine |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=2023-08-09 |title=Taylor Swift's 25 Best Bonus Tracks, Ranked |url=https://variety.com/lists/taylor-swift-best-bonus-tracks-ranked-deluxe-vault/ |access-date=December 24, 2024 |magazine=Variety |language=en-US |archive-date=November 6, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231106080704/https://variety.com/lists/taylor-swift-best-bonus-tracks-ranked-deluxe-vault/ |url-status=live }} She tells him how much he matters to her ("I'd fall to pieces on the floor / If you weren't around") and that she will always support him ("I'll be summer sun for you forever / Forever winter if you go"). Rob Sheffield from Rolling Stone found "Forever Winter" lyrically similar to Swift's single "Renegade" (2021).{{Cite web |last=Sheffield |first=Rob |date=April 25, 2024 |title=All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/forever-winter-2021-1261524/ |access-date=December 24, 2024 |magazine=Rolling Stone |url-access=limited |archive-date=September 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240909202514/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/taylor-swift-songs-ranked-rob-sheffield-201800/forever-winter-2021-1261524/ |url-status=live }}

Music critics praised "Forever Winter" for its detailed production and Swift's diverse vocals. Variety{{'s}} Chris Willman lauded the track for its cheerful rhythm, mature concept, and "bittersweet" trumpet notes and saxophone embellishments,{{cite magazine |last=Willman |first=Chris |date=November 12, 2021 |title=On Red (Taylor's Version), Taylor Swift's Vault Tracks Are All Too Swell: Album Review |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-album-review-all-too-well-1235110634/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211113040229/https://variety.com/2021/music/album-reviews/taylor-swift-red-taylors-version-album-review-all-too-well-1235110634/ |archive-date=November 13, 2021 |access-date=December 24, 2024 |magazine=Variety}} and Vulture{{'s}} Nate Jones believed that Swift's feelings resonate authentically in "Forever Winter".{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Nate |date=May 20, 2024 |title=All 245 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked |url=https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |access-date=December 21, 2024 |website=Vulture |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240920043247/https://www.vulture.com/article/all-taylor-swift-songs-ranked-from-worst-to-best.html |archive-date=September 20, 2024 |url-status=live |url-access=limited}} Josh Kurp of Uproxx thought that her "voice cracks" during the refrain contributed depth to the song.{{Cite web |last=Kurp |first=Josh |date=2023-10-27 |title=Every Taylor Swift 'From The Vault' (Taylor's Version) Song, Ranked |url=https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-taylors-version-from-the-vault-songs-ranked/ |access-date=2024-01-13 |website=Uproxx |archive-date=November 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104202516/https://uproxx.com/pop/taylor-swift-taylors-version-from-the-vault-songs-ranked/ |url-status=live }} Billboard{{'s}} Jason Lipshutz similarly commended the track for its complex production and her subtle and diverse vocal performance; he considered it the eighth best vault track on Red (Taylor's Version). "Forever Winter" appeared in 2023 rankings of Swift's vault tracks by Kurp (15 out of 26) and Willman (19 out of 25), and 2024 rankings of her discography by Jones (120 out of 245) and Sheffield (168 out of 274).

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Red (Taylor's Version).{{cite AV media notes |title=Red (Taylor's Version) |others=Taylor Swift |year=2021 |publisher=Republic Records |type=vinyl liner notes}}

{{div col}}

• 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

{{div col end}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}{{Taylor Swift songs}}

Category:2021 songs

Category:Taylor Swift songs

Category:Songs written by Taylor Swift

Category:Songs written by Mark Foster (singer)

Category:Song recordings produced by Taylor Swift

Category:Song recordings produced by Jack Antonoff

Category:American power pop songs

Category:Songs about mental health

Category:Songs about suicide