We all knew it was bound to happen. Well, actually we didn't. But I think I made too many Taylor Swift references in non-Taylor Swift related articles for me to not end up writing about something Taylor Swift-related.
In all fairness, I had actually strongly considered writing about Speak Now specifically before Taylor Swift announced it was being re-released on July 7th! But as July 7th also happens to be my birthday, when she announced the re-release I knew I HAD to write about it. Only for me to hastily release the article 2 days before. Taylor actually hinted months in advance that something was coming on July 7th by including koi fish in each of her music videos for her 2022 album 'Midnights', as July 7th is National Koi Fish Day in the US, something I feel a little mixed about sharing my birthday with. (Note: here's how you know I'm a fan of hers- I called her Taylor, and if I had even an ounce of professionalism I would refer to her by her surname. But I didn't)
To delve into a slightly related tangent about being a fan of Taylor Swift, in general, I do think "Swifties" get a bad rap from, well... "non-Swifties". (Bleugh, what have I become?) Whilst Swift's popularity (haha, professionalim!) is at an all-time high, I do feel that if you're not a fan of hers there is a certain judgement of her, her music and her fanbase which is most commonly a harmless if slightly judgy misconception, though it can be a little more malicious and targeting.
Other than if you're anti-feminist or very rigidly set in masculinity, the percepion of Swift as an unappealing artist is possibly because Taylor (fuck consistency), after all these years, is still seen (by some) as a very generic pop artist, typifying "catchy" pop that doesn't really have substance to it. Now, I have to avoid getting ANGRY about this because it's so untrue I can't even begin to talk about it, it is ridiculous that this idea even exist-
*triggered George has been activated*
So instead, I thought what I'd do is actually consider why Taylor Swift is considered in this light by some. I think the main reason for this is that Swift's most popular, and more importantly for this point, well-known songs, are the catchy ones, the "Shake it Offs" and "22s" and "We are Never Ever Getting Back Togethers" of this world are the most famous ones. And therefore I feel that people who haven't delved further into her discography typecast Swift as a cheesy, catchy pop singer, and no much else other than able to write a good hook. This isn't necessarily a harmful opinion, until it reaches the point where her fans are given a label of being basic and weird and over the top, and people find it cool to hate on a mainstream artist just because she's popular. Not that this is a serious issue-I can't write about anything serious-but it is a misconception nonetheless, and now that I am deep in the realms of Taylor's discography I felt like addressing this. (Perhaps it's stupid that I'm defending someone who will probably become a billionaire soon enough, but oh well.)
I do think this is, on the whole, a dying opinion, however. More and more people are finding she's incredibly talented as a songwriter, and other than some very bad chart-topping not of songs but of carbon emission statistics, Swift is also appearing more and more endearing and easy to root for ever since her comeback album "reputation" (no cap) in 2017, after her absence from public life due to vitriolic treatment from the media and on social media platforms. Perhaps the biggest allure of Taylor Swift as an artist is the way she weaves the stories of her life into her songs and provides something for pretty much everyone to relate to-she gives a voice to people's feelings, and is therefore hugely endearing. Swift herself said on her ongoing Eras Tour that she wrote the songs about her life, but hoped that by the end of the night performing them, they would be, collectively, about the audience's. More than that, however, she appears not just relatable but also vastly intelligent in her lyricism and making her the very antithesis of soulless pop.
Generally, Swift's most "intellectual" albums are her two folk albums, folklore and evermore, two of the only good things to come out of 2020. (For some reason she doesn't capitalise them, I'm unsure why.) But these two albums, unlike Swift's other work, are not "autobiographical" albums about her life; they are largely stories inspired by literature and literal folk stories, giving them the impression of beautifully melancholy mythical stories straight out of the woods, or novels that were never published. Indeed, listening to folklore and evermore do make you feel like you've adopted "slaying" (ugh) hobbies that make you feel smart, like frequently visiting museums for fun or reading Jane Austen, neither of which I have done. (Based on feeling alone, her song "ivy" very much captures the vibe of a Victorian novel, however less brain capacity it requires to absorb it.)
There is a running joke among Swifties (which originates from when she wrote folklore and evermore) that goes along the lines of "welp, new Taylor album coming out, better fetch my dictionary!" because she uses a lot of complex vocabulary within her songs. If you've ever tried songwriting, this will come across as an especially difficult feat as finding impressive rhymes is hard enough, let alone fitting in words that have like...several syllables in them! But even though folklore and evermore perhaps display her lyrical prowess the most, other albums (circling back to the point here) do contain complexity in theme and beauty in language...when you listen to the whole album, and not just the popular hits. They just aren't as known for it, because as I say, Swift's catchy pop hooks get most of the glory.
So! Back to Speak Now! As I mentioned, I had considered writing about this before the re-release was announced (if you don't know, Taylor Swift is re-recording her first six studio albums in order to gain full rights of them, and along the way releasing extra tracks "From the Vault" that she didn't release at the time). But why was I considering dropping a random article about a 2010 Taylor Swift album that had no relevance at all at the time I was thinking about it?
Um, because I don't know if you noticed this but this album is BRILLIANT but is swept under the rug so quickly, even by Swifties themselves! Even many fans of Swift quickly forget about this album, and quite unfairly shove it into the bottom tier of her albums along with her debut. I actually wanted to provide some intellect and genuine analysis as to why this album is underrated, and why people forget about it so easily despite the fact that they shouldn't. As if I was doing a sort of video essay, which I never would, because my voice is deeply irritating (I'm kidding). And so, in my great search for the secret of Speak Now's criminally underrated status, even amongst fans, I found....
Pretty much nothing.
Okay, that's not totally true. I have something of a theory as to why it's so underrated, and I'll delve into it in a second, but I would like to say I'm fairly in the Swiftie community now (hey you can judge me but I was always unhinged, Taylor's music just brought the crazy out of me further), but despite feeling like I definitely know the attitudes of her fanbase fairly well I don't think there's a clear-cut answer as to why Speak Now is at the bottom of a lot of people's lists. However, I'd like to theorise that generally, in Taylor Swift's albums there are songs that stick out in the memory, that become iconic to hundreds of millions of people, a shared experience of sorts. I feel that Speak Now is somewhat missing in this, the only one a large amount of people seem to gravitate towards is "Enchanted". I actually fundamentally disagree with the sentiment that Speak Now is lacking in standout tracks, but I do understand it.
That said, I can't help but feel a certain connection to Speak Now, not that it's my favourite album or anything. Even as Swift's albums go, I would say there are 3 albums I prefer, but all of these are more popular than Speak Now. I'd like to say that I liked Speak Now "before it was cool", but well, it came out in 2010. I will say that I loved this album even before the re-release, however! I feel that many people will come to love Speak Now (Taylor's Version) through listening to her re-released version of it and never listening to the original album. Essentially, even if there are albums of hers I prefer more, this will always be "my" album (in the same way people have "their" favourite Doctor Who) for a few reasons: the very fact it's underrated makes me love it more, because it deserves more love, I love that this is thus far the only album Swift has written entirely on her own* (it speaks to its quality!) and of course, it's coming out on my birthday, therefore my 19th birthday will always speak to me as particularly significant.:)
* In the original release in 2010, Swift wrote every song herself except for "If This Was A Movie", co-written by Martin Johnson. However, she re-released this as a single a couple months ago and will not include it in Speak Now (Taylor's Version.)
To finish off I thought I'd give some individual analysis on the tracks from 2010 that will be re-released, in as few words as possible, and then give some brief thoughts on the new vault tracks being released. Another thing I adore about Taylor Swift's individual albums is their unique sense of identity, and Speak Now (initially entitled "Enchanted") in part gives the vibe of mystical, glamorous fairytale/rom-com, mixed in with a load of heartbroken angst. Which is a really cool vibe!
Mine-like all of Swift's opening tracks, Mine is bold, tone-setting and noteworthy, and though it's not one of my favourites, it's an excellent track that will sound even better with her improved vocals.
Sparks Fly-the song that got me into Speak Now! Probably because of the iconic chorus for the most part.
Back to December-one of the more heart-wrenching songs on the album, it's actually Taylor Swift's "apology song" to Taylor Lautner for (she feels) ruining their relationship. It's genuinely really eloquent and it shows real emotional maturity, and you'll probably feel a lot of things listening to it. It's heartbreaking, but it's also thoroughly unique.
Speak Now-okay so unpopular opinion because the relatively small portion of people who love the album, also love the title track. It is an ICONIC song, but actually probably one of the weaker ones on the album, purely because the emotions aren't really there. It's iconic because it's actually fairly humorous, it kind of reminds me of Christina Rossetti's "Maude Clare" poem (A Level English Lit coming through here) because it tells a specific narrative of a woman showing up unannounced to a wedding involving a somewhat begrudging groom who probably still loves her and doesn't really want to marry his bride. It's very cleverly written, but given it is something of a whimsical story type song and doesn't hook me like other songs on the album, it's not my favourite. Maybe I'll have more fun with the re-release
Dear John-an emotional journey in heartbreak, anger, self-worth, and a very real relationship that I'd rather not comment on! Recently on her Eras Tour, Swift said "I’m not putting this album out so you can go on the internet and defend me against someone you think I wrote a song about 14 million years ago.” I myself was surprised to know peace was an option, especially after the 2021 re-release of Red (and in particular, her 10 minute version of "All Too Well") but I have to admit whilst the song involves naming names and suggests Swift was left fairly emotionally bruised by the relationship, I'm not going to burn John Mayer's house down over it. (I may like some Instagram posts that say "Pray for John" as a joke.)
This is one of the more iconic songs among the fanbase because of how emotionally powerful it is, and while it's not hugely listenable given it's nearly 7 minutes long (you're exhausted trying to belt the whole thing out), when you're in the mood for it it's a song that represents the best of Taylor Swift in its lyrical power and emotional value. I did have a friend tell me they thought Swift sounding so young in the original song made it all the more heartbreaking, which obviously won't happen in the re-release. She no doubt sounds much more powerful and accomplished vocally now than she did when she was originally releasing Speak Now-and indeed Red and Fearless, her other two albums to have been re-released-but there are some songs-"22", for example, that do sound somewhat better with slightly higher-pitched vocals. Just a thought.
Mean-other than brilliantly catchy, cheesy, but wonderfully self-esteem boosting, I do find this song interesting as it is the first real example of Swift taking the criticism she has received and using it to make incredible music, a thoroughly admirable and unique trait in a songwriter. Though most people think of her 2017 album "reputation" (no cap) as the epitome of this, I feel that "Mean" set a great precedent for her to stop accepting crap from people and fight back against the media and their poor treatment of her.
The Story of Us-the literal definition of a banger. It has everything, the emotions, the guts, the seriously addictive hook, and the hype you feel listening to it, I can't say anything other than it's brilliant.
Never Grow Up- I actually sometimes don't feel the emotional beauty of this song because it kind of sounds like a lullaby, which, I guess, is the point. I do think it'll hit harder thinking about it now, given all the time that has passed since it was first released. And even if it doesn't there's no denying that it articulates a very unique feeling that usually is barely articulated. I think this is in part why I love this album loads, because it's unique, it doesn't stay in a box of "heartbreak album" or "magic fairytale album". Every song in the album is unique, but fits perfectly thematically.
Enchanted-there are a few things to say about this song. One, it deserves a music video. Two, I think it should've been the title track because yes "Speak Now" sounds more dramatic but "Enchanted" captures the vibe of the whole album extremely well. And three, it is genuinely stunning, it encapsulates the feeling that "Love Story" does so well and weaves an honestly heartfelt narrative and I cannot WAIT for the re-release.
Better than Revenge-ah, the controversial one. So this song is considered pretty antifeminist, with fair reason, because it's a breakup song directed not towards Swift's ex-lover, but the woman who "stole him away", if you will. It veers into the territory of being problematic with the suggestion that the actress described is "better known for the things that she does on the mattress". In all fairness, Swift is a feminist herself and is hardly one to let a male partner who treated her poorly off the hook-isn't that what everyone's issue with her was? But I don't know. I'm not smart enough to excuse her or criticise her for this song. She may change the lyrics and I don't mind much, mainly because this is genuinely a ridiculously good song in terms of the tune, it sounds like more of a rock classic than a country or pop song. It seriously is so catchy.
Innocent-it's actually surprising given the maturity and complexity of this song, about forgiveness and trying to be a better person, that I kind of don't have many feelings about it. It helps to listen at times because it's quite a sweet message.
Haunted-vocally brilliant. It's not my favourite song but she sounds really really good singing it.
Last Kiss-All Too Well, eat your heart out. No okay don't, but seriously this song is one of the most beautifully moving songs I've ever heard. It's also weirdly calming, too, it feels like it's almost warm and soothing even though it's about how sad she feels. It captures the pain of her relationship so well and it will probably make you weep. Not me, though. I don't do that.
Long Live-this is genuinely my favourite song, purely because it captures nostalgia in a way I don't think anyone has ever done? It sounds emotional in an overwhelming sense but makes you want to get up and cheer as well, it builds perfectly and hooks you but also stabs you right in the feels. It's like a sort of "end of an era" type song, but also a celebration, but also just a feeling you might get on a Friday after a long week lol.
Ours- It's a lot of fun but also feels very heartfelt and genuine, the unique factor comes through again as it acknowledges the futility of fighting against every cruel thing someone says about the relationship described in the song, but enjoys the relationship nonetheless.
*If This Was a Movie doesn't count, but it's a great song.
Superman-ehhhhhhhh not much other than catchy. She's entited to a dud after an otherwise brilliant album! I like the idea that it's about just a throwaway comment Swift made about someone in real life, but I don't particularly have any feelings towards it.
The general point is I think this album is just so consistently solid, as opposed to others there is something fantastc in every single song. Plus it has my favourite song in it, so. The "From the Vault" tracks are as follows:
Electric Touch (Featuring Fall Out Boy) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
When Emma Falls In Love (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
I Can See You (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
Castles Crumbling (Featuring Hayley Williams) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
Foolish One (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
Timeless (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)
Honestly I don't have much to make of this, other than that "Timeless" is the one I'm most excited for, it sounds like a brilliant closing track. Eh, that's all I have to say.
Also, who's Emma???
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