Things That Shine – Speak Now Taylor’s Version Review

(The Swiftening Series: 1. folklore | 2. Lover | 3. reputation | 4. 1989 | 5. Red | 6. Speak Now | 7. Fearless | 8. Taylor Swift

Bonus: evermore | Red TV | Midnights | Speak Now TV)

“I always looked at this album as my album, and the lump in my throat expands to a quivering voice as I say this. Thanks to you, dear reader, it finally will be.

I consider this music to be, along with your faith in me, the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

Taylor Swift, Speak Now Taylor’s Version Album Prologue

You’re there with me. It’s around 11:30 PM or so on the night of July 6th, 2023. I have just cleaned my room in a manic burst of energy. I am now sitting on my bed cross-legged, scrolling on my phone with the same intensity of someone about to be brought in for a major surgery.

In reality, it’s far more serious. In mere minutes, Taylor Swift will be releasing the Taylor’s Version of her third studio album, Speak Now. This is probably not a major event for most people, who may know one, possibly two songs from this album, tops, but I am not most people.

Speak Now is consistently one of my favorite albums Taylor Swift has ever put out. It is a wild, emotional, dramatic statement from a young woman living that odd, horrible time in between childhood and adulthood, and thirteen years later, it continues to speak to me, just a few years past feeling exactly the same way. And as excited I am for its time in the spotlight, I am also terrified that this special album might have its sparkle dulled.

Coming off of Fearless, an album that continues to be the most awarded country album ever, the 18-20 year old Taylor had something to prove. She had something to prove to the critics, including one who took her to task for an unfortunate duet with Stevie Nicks at the Grammys. She had something to prove to the media, who were beginning to push the narrative that the young woman was boy-crazy and unlikeable because she dated some guys. And, she had something to prove to herself – that the massive success of her sophomore album wasn’t just a fluke.

That album would be feisty and no-holds-barred, with a thematic focus on “things left unsaid finally being spoken aloud.” She would address some of the most controversial parts of her public image in a way that surprised many – extending forgiveness to Kanye West for interrupting her at the VMAs, apologizing sincerely for her lack of investment with her relationship with Taylor Lautner, calling out the massive age gap between herself and John Mayer and the way his toxicity affected her… and yet there was a pervading sense of naivete throughout.

Despite what she had already experienced, Taylor was just 20 years old when this album was released and, well… in many ways it shows. Not only thematically, but vocally as well. Though I don’t put much stock in the idea that Taylor at this time couldn’t sing (she could), there’s a certain strain to the original that I have grown to love but I understand as perhaps not the mark of an experienced performer.

Regardless, or perhaps because of this feature, though, a part of me worried that a matured take on Speak Now might erase some of what I loved so much about the original. That sparkly, wide-eyed youthful naivete felt at risk of being polished away.

And, well, the Taylor’s Version has certainly received a fair bit of polish. It feels most obvious on a song like “Sparks Fly,” which took a spunky, somewhat rough retelling of first love and gave it a bit of a smoothing. This is probably one of my favorite songs on the album, so I won’t lie, it did throw me off a little when I first heard it. On a few more listens, though, I feel like it recontextualizes the song slightly, taking it from a cheeky, self-confident song to something almost a bit more bashful.

Other improvements are more straightforward, though, including probably the most-talked about one on “Better Than Revenge.” A raucous hard rock track taking an ex’s new girlfriend to task, the chorus featured the line “She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress.” This kind of slut shaming is, I would say, not uncommon for this time period, but it’s obvious that Taylor no longer stands by it, especially since the song is an obvious diss to Camilla Belle, the woman who dated Joe Jonas after she did. I’m not entirely sure how much people are joking about hating this change (I choose to believe it’s mostly a joke), but I’m pretty glad she made this change. The new line – “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches” may be a bit verbose for the tone of the rest of the song, but it matches the cadence fairly well. I’ll just have to get used to it! And, in this song’s case, there’s a ton of extra energy added by the production. My favorite part of the original, the distorted interjections throughout, are upped in the mix in a way I just adore.

However, I feel some of the production decisions tone down some of the charm of the original. For example, “Mean” follows a trend of previous rerecordings by toning down the country twang. While this makes sense in terms of who Taylor has become as an artist since these originals were recorded, it’s a particularly devastating blow for this song, which purposefully leans on the underdog, rural feel lended to it by the twang to paint a picture of the underdog protagonist. (However, I will say I love the performance of my favorite part of the bridge, where Taylor practically croons out her thought that her bully is “a liar, and pathetic, and alone in life…”)

As has been the case for the previous Taylor’s Versions, the vocals of this album are improved by miles. In an interesting admission in the prologue of the album, Taylor admits that the common criticism of her vocals during this era caused her to seek intense coaching and to focus hard on improving. Thirteen years later, though, maturity and experience have clearly taken her even further.

I think this is the most stark on “Superman.” This is a song that, I’m so sorry, I’ve just never really enjoyed all that much. The song is a very juvenile perspective on an adult relationship, to the point where some people legitimately think it’s about a father and daughter (it isn’t.) That plus Taylor’s very juvenile vocals on the original just made it feel too sickly sweet. By comparison, the new version is a lot less strained and overly optimistic, capturing some of the tragedy of the situation in its performance.

These improved vocals have also elevated songs that I previously loved. Take “Haunted” for example. The song is extremely melodramatic, with big strings and guitar chords, meant to illustrate the dramatic and tumultuous end of a relationship and the confusion it causes. Pairing that with a richer, clearer vocal performance just makes it all pack an even more poignant punch.

Or, there’s “Dear John.” This song has always been one of my favorites on the album for its shockingly clear-eyed take on a toxic relationship between the 19-year-old Taylor and the 32-year-old John Mayer. This song is essentially “All Too Well” before “All Too Well” was “All Too Well.” A slow build of heartbreak, outlining all that went wrong in a letter format, it builds into a huge climax, as Taylor declares herself above John’s petty games. With the improved vocals, this bridge absolutely soars in a way the original never quite could. It does this masterpiece justice.

But perhaps the song best served by its Taylor’s Version for me is “Enchanted.” I have made no secret of my love for this song, and I think of it as a huge highlight of the Eras Tour. The song highlights the internal thoughts of someone who has just met someone they feel strong romantic feelings for, trading between outbursts of excitement and fingernail-biting anxiety. Perhaps with all her practicing for tour, Taylor really perfected the performance or something, because it is absolutely resplendent in its pining, melodramatic glory.

Overall, though, the album is a shockingly faithful adaptation of the original, in a way that really put my fears to rest. It’s clear from the few things we’ve heard Taylor say about this album that she understood the rough-around-the-edges charm of the original, and it’s obvious she fought to preserve those elements of the album. Listening to it still carries with it all the confusion and big emotions of being in your late teens.

But of course, what of the vault tracks? Further details revealed by the album’s prologue suggest that the tracklist of the original Speak Now was a particularly difficult process for Taylor, who had so much to prove, so there were many songs she loved that didn’t make the cut. This element really shines through in this vault which is, I think, just as strong as Red’s was and carries with it all the energy of its album with a bit of added context.

The conflict between fairy tale romance and maturity throughout the album comes out in force in this vault. “Electric Touch” opens the vault, with a rock-centered look at the anticipation and fear that comes before a first date. The addition of Fall Out Boy to this track was an inspired choice, pulling on the slight emo flavor of the original album and of the time period it came from to add to the drama of this situation.

Capturing the wholesome sound of the original is “When Emma Falls in Love,” a song capturing the narrator’s admiration for her lovely best friend and the neat, unobtrusive way she feels her feelings. To me, it captures a frustration with the intensity and inconvenience of a young Taylor’s heartbreak – causing her to compare herself unfavorably to her friend. I think it’s a pretty heartbreaking little song to accompany an album so full of big emotion.

In a similar vein is “Foolish One,” which I think is my favorite of the vault songs (though it’s admittedly tough to choose!) It condenses what I love so much about this album thematically into a beautiful little pearl – simultaneously being old enough to know that you shouldn’t be romanticizing your adult relationships, but not being old enough to actually stop doing it. With a lovely chorus and such sweet verses, it’s sadly funny in a way that works so perfectly for this album.

However, “I Can See You” stands in a stark contrast to the rest of the vault. A slick, sexy song about an affair carried out in secret, it’s a pretty new theme for the album. But, understanding what Taylor’s image was at the time, it’s no surprise a song like this was left on the chopping block. Though it’s totally normal for a 20-year-old to feel this way about someone, it probably wouldn’t have flown in the fairy tale curls and sparkly dresses era she was in at the time. Still, it’s a great song with a really fun music video (shoutout to ex of all time, Taylor Lautner).

Probably the standout of the vault, though, is “Castles Crumbling.” I knew I would love this one as soon as I saw it featured Hayley Williams of Paramore, who was basically my Taylor Swift in 2010, but I was unprepared for what the song would actually be. A low, soft ballad about the sorrow of two young musicians thrust into the spotlight and made to feel like their normal mistakes are letting legions of fans down is so heartbreaking. The emotion with which both artists criticize themselves is just cutting. The combination of Hayley and Taylor’s vocals is just beautiful in a way that makes me so upset they haven’t sang more together.

I am thrilled by Speak Now Taylor’s Version. I truly am. It has brought attention and love to an album that was so deserving of it, and improved and recontextualized that album in a way I couldn’t foresee. In particular, the meticulous detail Taylor put into it, inspired by the pressure she was under at the time comes out in songs like “Castles Crumbling” and the nature of the vault itself. Hearing songs she loved but felt weren’t up to snuff paints a far more vivid picture of the person she was thirteen years ago.

This is truly a labor of love for a fan-favorite album, but I hope it brings this album to the forefront. It’s what she deserves.