Listen to the album below!
Image: Beth Garrabrant.
Global superstar Taylor Swift has unveiled the latest album in her instalment of re-recordings with the release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version).
You can't help but feel the magical nostalgia as soon as you press play on the albums opening track, Mine (Taylor's Version). The new recordings remain faithful to the original production, with slight vocal and lyrical variations throughout the collection of songs. You can hear the maturity, strength and evolution of Swift's vocals across the album, yet she still retains that charm and wonderstruck quality present on the original records.
Speak Now (Taylor's Version) arguably homes some of Swift's best writing. Tracks like Sparks Fly, Back To December, Dear John, Last Kiss, Enchanted, and the list goes on. At only age 19, the singer penned the entire album with no co-writers. That's right, Swift wrote each song entirely on her own - something that adds to how much of a masterpiece Speak Now (Taylor's Version) truly is. The most notable change is a lyrical line in Better Than Revenge (Taylor's Version), which seems to no longer align with Swift's views on the situation documented within the song.
Of course, just like her previously released re-recorded albums, we're treated to songs from the vault. Arriving complete with six never-before-heard songs originally written for the album, Speak Now (Taylor's Version) also includes collaborations with Paramore's Hayley Williams on Castles Crumbling (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) and Fall Out Boy on Electric Touch (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault). Could this album get any better?
Williams and Swift have a longstanding friendship (Paramore have supported the singer on her current world tour), and who could forget when the Grammy winner joined Fall Out Boy for an epic rendition of My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark in 2013. Castles Crumbling (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)i is arguably the shining jewel in the vault tracks. The pairing of Swift and Williams' warm tones bring vibrant and storytelling lyricism to life, as the singer questions how the general public will perceive her going forward and if her reign has come to an end - a sentiment echoed in Nothing New (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault) from Red (Taylor's Version). Swift subtly forays into an alt-rock inspired sound on I Can See You (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault), a nice change of pace within the albums country-pop realm.
In 2021, Swift released her first re-recorded album, Fearless (Taylor’s Version), followed up by Red (Taylor's Version) later that year which featured the widely acclaimed ten minute version of All Too Well. The musician enlisted her original band members on the recordings, whilst also bringing on more recent collaborators Jack Antonoff, Aaron Dessner and Christopher Rowe on production duties.
In 2019, after the private sale of the masters of her first six studio albums, Swift announced she planned to re-record the albums in an attempt to devalue the original masters. Having not been offered the chance to purchase the masters herself, Swift’s former label sold their catalogue, in a move that the singer stated “Stripped me of my life’s work”. As of November last year, Swift has been able to begin re-recording her first five albums.
Next February, Swift will be bringing her acclaimed and record breaking The Eras Tour to Australia. Performing three shows at Melbourne Cricket Ground and four shows at Sydney's Accor Stadium, unprecedented fan demand saw millions of users try to score tickets to the tour, with all dates selling out in a matter of hours. Swift last visited Australia on her reputation stadium tour in 2018, and has revealed American singer Sabrina Carpenter will be joining her when she brings The Eras Tour to Australia.
Speak Now (Taylor's Version) is out now!
TAYLOR SWIFT THE ERAS TOUR AUSTRALIA
February 2023 - ALL DATES SOLD OUT
Supported by Sabrina Carpenter
February 16
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
February 17
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
February 18
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
February 23
Sydney, Australia
Accor Stadium
February 24
Sydney, Australia
Accor Stadium
February 25
Sydney, Australia
Accor Stadium
February 26
Sydney, Australia
Accor Stadium