Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her album, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” on July 7. It’s a rerecording of her earlier album, “Speak Now.”
The record consists of familiar tracks like “Back to December,” “Dear John,” and “Enchanted.” Along with these, Swift included 6 unreleased (“From the Vault”) tracks, like “When Emma Falls in Love” and “I Can See You,” a song that began trending on TikTok and was dubbed as the “best vault track of all time” by many fans on the platform.
The original “Speak Now” was released in 2010 as her third studio album. She was on her Fearless tour while writing for this album and was riding off of the success of her two previous titles. The album separated itself from the others as it was a farewell to adolescence and a hello to adulthood.
During the first Nashville show of her sold-out Eras tour on May 5, Swift announced that she would be releasing “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version.)” It quickly trended on social media and was highly-anticipated by fans.
“Taylor’s Version” was coined by Swift herself in 2019 after she was blocked by her former record label, Big Machine Records, from purchasing her own music. She began rerecording her original music, releasing both “Fearless” and “Red” in 2021. This is the third record to be getting the “Taylor’s Version” treatment.
The album has seen a lot of transformation growth, and hints of nostalgia. One of the more notable ones is the lyric change in “Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version.)” The original lyrics are questionable themselves: “she’s better known for the things she does on the mattress.” It was seen as shaming women, which goes against Swift’s moral compass, as she is an active advocate for women. In the new version, the lyrics change to “he was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”
This lyric change is one of the many signs of transformation in the album, though it sparked debate amongst fans. Many were pleased to see her make an active change like this.
“[This] is an infinitely more eloquent and intelligent way to rephrase and reclaim the line in a healthier way,” said a Twitter user.
Others preferred the original lyrics to the newer, expressing their opinions on Twitter as well, bringing up a similar experience to the band Paramore.
“If Paramore can perform ‘Misery Business’ in the year 2023, then Taylor Swift can keep the lyrics to ‘Better Than Revenge’ the same,” said the user. Paramore’s song had a similarly hateful lyric in their song, with the only difference is they never rerecorded it.
Despite the lyric controversy, the changes on this album remain mostly positive. It was originally released when Swift was 21 years old, which followed the themes of young love and heartbreak. She is now 33, and the metamorphosis can be seen not just through the lyrics, but in the maturity and strength in her voice. The new version follows its predecessor’s country roots while mixing pop-punk sounds, creating a new experience for fans.
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” received over 120 million streams on Spotify within its first day on the platform. According to the streamer’s Instagram post, it broke the record for “most-streamed album in a single day.” It also broke the record for most-streamed album in a single day by a female artist.
Fans have already began to speculate and wonder what the next rerecording could be. Thanks to the “I Can See You” music video that debuted July 8, the chatter points to “1989” being next. At the end of the music video, Swift gets into a van and drives away, and the last shot is a sign that reads: “1989 TV.”
Whatever comes next for Swift, whether it is another “Taylor’s Version” or a new concept completely, fans will be kept on their toes, waiting for the day new music comes to them.
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” can be streamed on platforms such as Apple Music and Spotify, and downloaded on iTunes. Physical copies can be purchased in stores or online at store.taylorswift.com.
