By Molly Reeves
Taylor Swift released Speak Now as her third studio album in 2010. Having just released Fearless, the most-awarded country album of all time, she was worried that her junior album wouldn’t get the same recognition. Taylor Swift was a country singer, but Speak Now had some pop elements, which made her wonder if she should stay in the country genre. At the beginning of the Speak Now era, music critics criticized Swift for not writing her own songs. As a response, Swift wrote every song on Speak Now alone, with no collaborators. On July 7, 2023, Taylor released Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with five new tracks from the vault. In terms of success, this recording was remarkable. As of this year, it had the highest number of streams on Spotify in a single day. There seems to be no end to what Swift can accomplish. We are living in a time of one of the biggest pop stars in history. According to Spotify, Taylor Swift is the rarest pop phenomenon ever. She has broken numerous records and completely changed genres not once, not twice, but three times. During her Eras Tour, Swift performs to 60,000 fans each weekend, breaking Elton John’s record for the highest-grossing tour of all time.
When Scooter Braun purchased all six of Swift’s first albums without her knowledge in 2019. As a result, Taylor re-recorded all of her six albums. New photoshoots were taken and some new songs that were previously unreleased were featured on the re-releases. The tracks, dubbed “From The Vault,” have fans rejoicing, as some tracks feature artists such as Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) has something to offer everyone. In the album’s first track, “Mine,” the singer describes meeting someone and falling in love instantly, happy to have them as a partner. There is nothing more heartbreaking than losing someone you love, as she sings in “Last Kiss.” The song clocks in at six minutes long, and as a listener, all you want to do is cry. Additionally, I find the melodies on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) to be among the best I’ve heard. It’s an album about overcoming hardship, tribulation, and enduring incredible experiences in your youth. The lesson Swift teaches us is not to feel pressured to figure everything out within society’s timeline. I appreciate that her vocals have matured in this version. Having grown as a singer, Taylor’s songs take on a whole new meaning.
This is Taylor’s best album and my favorite. Even though Swift was just 20 years old when the original version was released, she had already become a very popular musician. With ballads lasting six minutes and her continuing to write all of her songs herself, she is our generation’s best songwriter.
*There is not a better album than Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) if you’re looking for whimsical, happy, yet sad, hope-filled music, check out Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on Spotify!
*Cover photo by Brian Friedman