Taylor Swift has been regarded as one of the top artists of the 2010s, and her burst into popularity is often attributed to the release of her third studio album, Speak Now. Released on October 25, 2010, and re-recorded in 2023, under the name Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), Taylor takes her newly acquired stardom from her hit album Fearless and elevates it with Speak Now. She wrote the album solo while on tour for Fearless, adapting from her past adolescence in her prior albums and focusing on her newly found adulthood. The reason for Taylor’s re-recordings, which she has done for many albums before, is at the hands of Scooter Braun, her prior manager, who had sold her music rights in 2019. The album originally consisted of 14 songs but after her re-recording, now consists of 22 songs, including new “vaulted” tracks being included, totaling for a runtime just over 100 minutes.
Introduction
Ms. Swift delicately crafted this album, and it really shows. From the country elements, to pop portions, or the hints of rock, Taylor really did everything she could with this album. While arguably not the greatest in her discography, it certainly is a very solid addition. The entire album from start to finish takes us on a journey of heartbreak, love, turning away from past relationships, and maturing as a person. Taylor’s vocals from 2010 to her newer matured tone in 2023 pair extremely well to her acoustic guitar, both of which have a smooth and calming tone. Taylor’s team, between both recordings of this album, did an outstanding job bringing these key components of the music together. There are slight changes to the original songs in her new re-recorded album that make the music sound more rich, creating an all-new listening experience.
Production
Taylor and her sole producer, Nathan Chapman, manufactured the sounds you hear on the original release of the album. Chapman is responsible for around “60% of the music on the album.” He programmed a majority of the drums on the album, through keyboard and software, added 90% of the guitar playing, along with a plethora of other instruments included. Swift and Christopher Rowe produced the re-recording, as well as Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff. While the album maintains a similar vibe from the original concept, there are certain aspects of the albums in which there is variety, mainly due to the switch in producers. Taylor’s Version also features many household names, such as Fall Out Boy and the frontwoman of Paramore, Hayley Williams. Meshing the older styles brought by Chapman and the newer feel from Rowe, Taylor wonderfully crafted a unique feel to this album.
Vocal Performance
Taylor Swift is well known to have amazing vocals and Speak Now is no different. Between both versions of this album, you can tell that she put her heart and soul into her vocals. Bringing such a raw approach, Swift shows her diverse range of vocals. Her original 2010 release, in which she brought a youthful and rich tone, was outshine by her more mature voice she brings in the 2023 release. She challenged herself in the re-release of this album, and she delivers on all marks. Spending days recording this album, again with the likes of Chapman, she brought her all, as did Chapman who provided the background vocals for the tracks. It is clear Swift had an emotional connection on the album, and this was for the better.
Meaning
Speak Now, as Taylor described it, is a loose concept album – the lyrics in each track carries a story that could be analyzed throughout. Every track is about one person who has made an impression on her life. In each song, she is confessing her feelings towards those people in those given moments. For example, “Back To December” is an apology to her past boyfriend, Taylor Lautner and how she regrets the things she did in their relationship; however, the album takes a shift with “Mean,” which was written about a music critic that strongly disliked Taylor and how Taylor felt helpless with the constant harsh criticism from this critic. Creating a sense of realness on this project, Taylor created a very relatable album. While doing so, she gave herself closure, allowing herself to move on from the past.
Conclusion
Taylor Swift’s, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), was an instant worldwide success. Due to the variety of styles, anyone can revisit this album at any time and relate to a track. The production level from both the original and new project matches the rest of each song perfectly and truly create a wonderful listening experience. This album was a true testament that Taylor continues to dominate the music industry, even after two decades of time.
Song Ranking:
- “Back to December”
- “Enchanted”
- “The Story Of Us”
- “Haunted”
- “I Can See You”
- “Better Than Revenge”
- “Speak Now”
- “When Emma Falls In Love”
- “Long Live”
- “Castles Crumbling”
- “Mean”
- “Last Kiss”
- “Electric Touch”
- “Never Grow Up”
- “Mine”
- “Dear John”
- “Innocent”
- “Superman”
- “Foolish One”
- “Timeless”
- “Sparks Fly”
- “Ours”
Strongest Track: “Back To December” is one of Taylor Swift’s best masterpieces. The soft guitar, which is played alongside the drums, matches perfectly to Taylor’s apologetic tone. She apologizes to her ex, Taylor Lautner, for all the mistakes that she made during their time together, wishing that she could have changed what she did in the past. Ultimately, she decides to move on and learn from her mistakes. “Back To December” is one of the first songs where Taylor apologizes for her actions and knows that she did him wrong, confessing everything in this astonishing track.
Final Notes
Song rankings are always subject to change over time, so don’t take these too to heart. They also are just our opinion. We would love to hear your opinions, so leave them in the comment section below. We also suggest subscribing to our blog. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the form. That will allow you to receive emails of new blogs and maybe get them ahead of time. Finally, go give Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) a listen for yourself.