Due to the romantic theme of her previous two albums, artist Taylor Swift has best become known for her ability to write personal songs focused on love and the longing for a fairytale-like relationship.
After traveling the world on her Fearless tour, Swift fans anxiously waited for signs of a new album. On Oct. 25, Swift granted their wish with Speak Now.
On the day of its release, I rushed to my car after class in order to be the first of my friends to purchase the album. While I risked being late to work, I absolutely could not wait. I have always found Swift’s songs relatable and encouraging, and I needed to see what she would surprise me with next.
After buying the album, I popped the disc into my car’s CD player, squealing with excitement.
Swift’s third album is most certainly not a disappointment, but it is not what I expected after her Romeo-and-Juliet-type fantasies. Instead, Swift surprised me with deep, wishful, blissful and even somewhat bitter lyrics about past moments where she wishes she had had the courage to say something while in a relationship. (The music video of her song “Mine,” released as a single and on Speak Now, is embedded below.)
Swift writes in the prologue on the inside cover of the album: “These songs are made up of words I didn’t say when the moment was right in front of me. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person.”
The title song, “Speak Now,” embodies the theme of the album. It tells a rather cliched story about standing up in a wedding after the preacher says “speak now,” because the man is about to marry the wrong girl. However, it possesses a serious metaphorical meaning.
The chorus of the song goes: “Don’t say yes, run away now / I’ll meet you when you’re out of the church at the back door / don’t wait, or say a single vow / you need to hear me out and they said ‘speak now.'” Through this parable-like story, Swift emphasizes the necessity of saying what you mean before it is too late, regardless of the circumstances and the fears that try to hold you back.
I found this theme to be very relevant to teens. Everyday, we are surrounded by decisions and choices that are critical to who we will become. Once again, Swift creates an album that speaks to the heart.
While Swift still follows through with her romantic trend, her lyrics possess a much more meaningful element. They cover a wide range of topics: letting a romantic interest get away, an apology for breaking someone’s heart, standing up to someone who injured her confidence and telling her close friends just how much their moments together mean to her.
With more powerful lyrics also come more intense musicality and instrumentation. On many songs, such as “Haunted,” a variety of instruments are utilized to create a fuller sound and to express emotion.
The beginning chorus of “Haunted” reads: “Come on, come on / don’t leave me like this / I thought I had you figured out / something’s gone terribly wrong / you’re all I wanted.” To accompany these mournful lyrics, Swift uses orchestral string instruments and an intense, booming drum to make the listener feel the hopeless longing of the song.
After listening to the whole album, I realized that Swift’s songs possessed a deeper sense of maturity than her previous songs. But, at the same time, she still clings to the attitude of a youthful dreamer who wrote her first song after a bad day at school. Because of this, I would have to say that Speak Now is her best album so far.
Overall, I feel that Swift is a talented artist whose releases just keep getting better. Speak Now proved to be worth the anticipation, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes music with a pop/country kick.
Speak Now is available on iTunes, Amazon.com and at most local music stores. According to an
article in The Fresno Bee, Swift has already sold more than 1 million copies of Speak Now.
For more music reviews, read the Sept. 27 article, ‘The Fame Monster’ proclaims Gaga’s musical genius.
