If I could pick a color representing this summer, I would choose purple. I attribute this color choice to Taylor Swift’s release of the re-recorded version of her third studio album: “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”
I have always been a fan of the 2010 “Speak Now” album, and I was overjoyed when Swift announced back in May 2023 that “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” would be out on July 7, 2023.
I made sure to stay up until midnight on the release date to listen to the album as soon as it was out. The purple album cover lit up my Spotify screen as the clock hit 12:00 a.m. on July 7, 2023. The album includes 22 songs — 18 songs from the original album and six songs from “From The Vault.”
I eagerly listened to the brand-new vault songs first. Starting off with “Electric Touch (feat. Fall Out Boy) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” I was instantly impressed. I enjoyed Swift’s collaboration with Fall Out Boy and how their voices paired together. Fall Out Boy also sings a verse by themselves, which I didn’t prefer.
Moving onto the next vault song, I listened to “When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” I loved this song from the opening chords. The fairytale-like melody fits well with the other “Speak Now” songs.
Next, I played “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” This song surprised me with its unique melody that sounds different from any of Swift’s other songs. Swift released the “I Can See You” music video on July 8, 2023. Starring in the music video with Swift are Taylor Lautner and Joey King.
“Castles Crumbling (feat. Hayley Williams) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” was the next song I heard. The song features Williams, a singer from the band Paramore. I loved how the voices of Williams and Swift sounded together. While it keeps with the fairytale vibe of the rest of the album, “Castles Crumbling” differs from the other songs with its slower melody.
The next Vault song on the album is “Foolish One (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” I liked this song enough, but it wasn’t my favorite vault track. I thought the lyrics sounded more immature than the sophisticated songwriting into which Swift has matured.
The last track on the album is “Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault).” I enjoyed the storytelling included in this song. Swift’s talent for writing songs with imagery shines through in “Timeless.”
As for the rest of the album, the songs were mostly the same except for the sound of Swift’s voice, which has matured since she first released the original “Speak Now” 13 years ago.
One change that fans were surprised to see was Swift’s decision to alter a lyric in “Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version).” Over the years, Swift has been criticized by some fans for the misogynistic lyrics of “Better Than Revenge.” To appease these critics, Swift changed the line “she’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress” to “he was the moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”
While I appreciate Swift’s decision to correct the lyrics, I believe the original lyric fits the song better. The new lyric is very poetic and sounds like her current songwriting, whereas the old lyric sounds like the writing in the rest of the song.
Overall, I really enjoyed “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” and had many “full-circle” moments while listening to songs that I loved as a child. As I approach my senior year, listening to “Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version)” is certainly bittersweet.
If there’s one thing for sure, Swift nailed it again with her third re-recorded album, and I was “Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)” to listen to it!