Speak Now, the heartfelt, sort of tell-all that is Taylor Swift’s 3rd studio release is expected to be one of 2010’s bestselling albums. After listening to all 22 tracks on the deluxe edition version for two consecutive days, I can say definitively that I am a Taylor Swift fan.
Yes. I am announcing to the world that, even though I’m well out of my tweens, I have become a Taylor Swift fan.
When Swift performed “Innocent” at this year’s VMAs, I was extremely impressed with how perfectly the song’s lyrics addressed last year’s Kanye debacle. Instead of vilifying Mr. West in the expressive 3-minute track, Swift reassures that one can overcome and learn from a checkered past and still be an “innocent.”
And though Speak Now’s first single, “Mine,” initially was not my personal favorite, the rest of the world begs to differ as the single has sold more than one million copies and is topping the Billboard charts.
However, I must concede, it is quite charming when Taylor sings about having a drawer of her things at her boyfriend’s place and about having bills to pay. Taylor, we all know your experience in pinching pennies to pay bills is next to none, but I do appreciate her bringing back the good ol’ shacking up in college memories. That alone is reason enough to put “Mine” on repeat.
With the recent spike in suicides caused by bullying, “Mean’s” timing couldn’t be more ideal. Taylor takes a relentless stance against a bully from her own past whose hurtful words humiliated her by proclaiming, “some day, I’ll be big enough so you can’t hit me.”
Denouncing the unnamed antagonist, Taylor says being “mean” is all they will ever accomplish in life while she, on the other hand, counts her millions of dollars in her bank account. Actually, I made up the part about Taylor counting her millions. But overcoming is “Mean’s” underlying theme, and her courageousness will certainly inspire others whose circumstances are similar to those heard in this song.
The title track is cute and up-tempo as it tells the fantasy of Taylor “barging in on a white veil occasion” and preventing her love from marrying the wrong girl. I adore “Never Grow Up” as it reflects on the innocence of childhood. “Back to December” is equally beautiful as Taylor gently apologizes for being a less-than-perfect girlfriend to a boyfriend (rumored to be Taylor Lautner) from her past.
Undoubtedly, my favorite song from Speak Now (or at least for now) is “Dear John,” a song allegedly detailing the heartbreak Taylor experienced after dating music bad boy, John Mayer.
Swift chastises Mayer for being temperamental, for playing unfairly in love, and for taking advantage of her as a 19-year-old in love. Call me old fashioned, but with Mayer’s womanizing reputation and the 12-year age difference, it was painfully obviously she should have steered clear from that relationship.
Too bad for Taylor for becoming another lady on his list. But good for Swift’s fans because her Mayer experience resulted in a beautiful tale of devotion and heartache. On second thought, good for Taylor as I’m sure “Dear John” will be another chart topper.
Listening to each song on Speak Now feels less like skimming through a CD but more like thumbing through the chapters of a young lady’s diary. Taylor Swift personalizes every note and lyric in re-living the highs and lows of love and of life.
In telling her stories of defeat, she chooses a clever writing style that comes across as sincere, not vindictive. In sharing her triumphs, she seems pure, honest, and down to earth.
Through song, Taylor Swift reveals that, despite fame, fortune, and perfect hair, she really is just like us. And this is why Speak Now will speak to everyone.
If you haven’t heard the album yet, check out below to preview and download. There’s also some great dance remixes, too! And be sure to check back often for more of the latest music news and reviews from Erica Renee Davis right here on Positively Celebrity.
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