Taylor Swift has somehow found time amid a tour and the release of a new album to re-record one of her earlier LPs for reissue.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is set for an imminent release. Having originally seen life in 2010, the latest edition offers fans bonus content and a longer run time.
It is the third time the singer has re-released an older offering. Swift is committing to re-recording her first six albums after a 2019 masters dispute.
This sparked when the singer’s contract with Big Machine Records expired around the time the label was taken over by new chief Scooter Braun who then took control of Swift’s master recordings.
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 😆) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their… pic.twitter.com/oa0Vs5kszr
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 6, 2023
Swift attempted to buy the masters back but was offered, in her words, “unfavourable conditions”. So, rather than lose out on revenue or fight it further, she decided to release the albums again as a re-recording for her new record label, Republic.
Speak Now was Swift’s third album. She has said: “I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20.
“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.”
The now 33-year-old teased that Speak Now would be her next re-release when performing in Tampa Bay in April. “I’ve been thinking a lot about one of my albums recently,” she told the crowd. “One of my albums has been on my mind a lot… lots going on in my brain about it.” She then performed Speak Now. In addition, she was spotted in Liverpool filming a video wearing her 2010-era costumes.
When does Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) come out?
The album will be released online and on streaming services at 5am UK time on Friday, July 7.
It will also be released on cassette, CD, as a digital download, vinyl, and LP.
When was Speak Now originally released?
Swift’s third album came out on October 25, 2010. It was preceded by the single Mine, which came out in August of the same year.
Which songs are on Speak Now?
The tracklisting is the original 14 songs, plus eight bonus tracks — making up 22 songs and a staggering run time of 104 minutes.
The tracklisting is:
- 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 (Ft. Fall Out Boy) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- When Emma Falls In Love (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- Castles Crumbling (Ft. Hayley Williams) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- Foolish One (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
- Timeless (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)
Will Taylor Swift change the controversial lyrics in Better Than Revenge?
Better Than Revenge is a pop punk song that charts Swift’s plea for vengeance against a romantic rival and was criticised for how it shamed her anonymous opposite number.
She does not name the recipient of her rage beyond that she is an “actress” who is “known for the things that she does on the mattress”.
Critics said Swift had been “slut shaming” in the lyrics.
Swift was 19 when she wrote the song. “That’s the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend,” she told the Guardian later.
“Then you grow up and realise no-one can take someone from you if they don’t want to leave.”
The new version is three seconds longer and could perhaps be given some doctoring to bring it up to Swift’s 2023 ethical standards as well as her sonic advancement.
