Speak Now is the Taylor Swift album I hold closest to my heart. After seeing the "Love Story" music video on Disney Channel and hearing "Crazier" in Hannah Montana: The Movie, my grandma got me the deluxe version of Speak Now for Christmas in 2010. As dramatic as it sounds, my life truly changed.
As someone who would grow up to be a writer looking for beauty in the human experience, listening to another young woman talk about her own emotions with such depth was the first time I really felt seen. Plus, the album features my favorite cover art *and* my favorite songs. So, needless to say, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) was the rerecording announcement that I have been most looking forward to. Well, we don't have to wait anymore because Speak Now (Taylor's Version) is here! Read up on this iconic album before she announced Reputation (Taylor's Version)!
Who's featured on Speak Now (Taylor's Version)?
Speak Now (Taylor's Version) has two featured artists: Fall Out Boy on "Electric Touch (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)" and Hayley Williams from Paramore on "Castles Crumbling (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)." But it turns out, Hayley was almost featured on a totally different song.
"I was honest with her that though the song may have been closer to what a casual Paramore fan would expect me to feature on, I didn't relate to that sound as much," Hayley tells People. But when Taylor sent "Castles Crumbling," Hayley immediately felt a connection. "Not only did it feel more like a fit, I related to it lyrically on a deeper level ... She respected my gut feelings and still pushed me to stay in it with her."
Taylor announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version) during the surprise song segment of her May 5 concert. This was the first time she's announced a rerecording during a concert, and considering "Last Kiss" mentions July 9, the July 7 release makes a lot of sense.
Not only did we get songs from the original Speak Now like "Sparks Fly" and "Haunted," but we also got six (!!) unreleased songs. Taylor wrote this album completely on her own between the ages of 18 and 20, and since it features some of her best songwriting, the vault tracks definitely did not disappoint.
"It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk 😆)," Taylor says in the official Instagram announcement. "The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing … and living to speak about it."
What's on the Speak Now Taylor's Version tracklist?
- "Mine (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Sparks Fly (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Back to December (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Dear John (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Mean (Taylor’s Version)"
- "The Story of Us (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Enchanted (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Innocent (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Haunted (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Last Kiss (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Long Live (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Ours (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Superman (Taylor’s Version)"
- "Electric Touch (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)" Featuring Fall Out Boy
- "When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)"
- "I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)"
- "Castles Crumbling (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)" Featuring Hayley Williams
- "Foolish One (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)"
- "Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)"
Is there a Taylor's version of Speak Now?
On May 5, Taylor Swift announced that Speak Now (Taylor's Version) would be released on July 7, and it was an amazing release. There are 22 songs total, including the songs from the original deluxe edition in 2010 and the unreleased songs from her vault.
Is Speak Now Taylor's Version red or purple?
The original Speak Now cover features Taylor in two dress colors depending on whether you got the regular release (purple) or the extended edition (red). For Speak Now (Taylor's Version), Taylor's wearing a purple dress.
Was Speak Now Taylor's 3rd album?
Yes, Speak Now was Taylor Swift's third album and was released in October of 2010.
What is this Taylor's version thing?
Taylor Swift began rerecording her albums after she lost the ability to buy her masters back from Big Machine Records. Anything that has "(Taylor's Version)" beside it means that she owns it. Taking back an entirely self-written album was the perfect way to celebrate summer if you ask me. 🫶
You can order your favorite Speak Now (Taylor's Version) merch at the official Taylor Swift store now.
Lead image from Speak Now (Taylor's Version) via Beth Garrabrant/UMG/Taylor Swift/TAS Rights Management, LLC
This post has been updated.