"Red" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her fourth studio album of the same name (2012). It was released on October 2, 2012, in the United States by Big Machine Records as the second promotional single from Red and eventually served as the album's fifth official single on June 21, 2013. It was one of the tracks released during the four weeks preceding the release of the album.[2] Musically, "Red" is a country song, and its lyrics use colors and metaphors to describe an intense and tumultuous relationship.