Review Summary: When you get right down to it, Taylor Swift is a country singer who makes pop music. And whether or not you feel comfortable admitting it, she is the best at what she does.
“There is a time for silence. There is a time for waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you’ll know it.”
– Taylor Swift
I’d like to think that most of us are aware enough of our own emotions to know what we are feeling at any particular moment in time. Sure, sometimes our perception of those emotions can be clouded because of their intensity, or perhaps due to the simultaneous presence of contradicting emotions. In any case, I have found that identifying
what we want to say usually comes pretty naturally. However, the real battle exists in the conflict of
whether or not to say it. That was the catalyst behind the creation of Taylor Swift’s third album,
Speak Now. While she acknowledges that she has passed up prime opportunities to be heard, this record is an attempt to reach those people who she failed to respond to initially. In a way, that makes
Speak Now a concept album, or as Swift summarized it, “These songs are made up of words I didn’t say when the moment was right in front of me. These songs are open letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person.”
Speak Now is an emotional embodiment of the popular phrase, “better late than never.” And now that she has had time to look in the rearview mirror, Taylor has never sounded more sincerely forthright and self-assured.
That confidence has been paired with the star’s classic sound, resulting in her second straight masterpiece.
Speak Now retains the celebrated combination of country twang and pop sensibility that made
Fearless such a success, yet it still manages to differentiate itself. Yes, the lyrical topics still primarily revolve around boys, friendships, and betrayal…but those topics are expressed more candidly than ever and her music is such a natural progression in her sound that even previously conveyed messages are put in a new light. The gorgeous, flourishing atmosphere of “Back to December” takes your typical tale of a regretfully ended relationship and revitalizes it with a full orchestra accompanying Taylor’s acoustic guitar. The lyrics, while touching, are fairly pedestrian; but that is what works for her. She isn’t trying to concoct intricate metaphors. The beauty of her music has always been in its simplicity and its resounding ability to express common, relatable themes through just her voice and stripped-down instrumentation, like when she sings, “
You gave me roses, and I left them there to die.” The same can be said about all of
Speak Now; the album is full of ordinary ideas expressed more accessibly, honestly, and beautifully than any other pop artist currently can muster. And that alone makes Taylor Swift a spectacle to behold, as she continues to be a sound for sore ears who have grown weary of the auto-tuned mess that composes a good portion of the industry.
Understandably, many fans are going to feel compelled to immediately compare this album to
Fearless. To be honest, there are a
ton of similarities. However, I don’t think any of us would have or even
should have expected a major departure from what is now the highest selling country album of all time. She has not overhauled her sound, her songwriting style, or her lyrical topics. It is for the best, seeing as the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” axiom applies to Swift’s music quite accurately. With that said, she still manages to take a few calculated risks. “Better than Revenge” is a rancorous, downright bitchy anthem that would make a certain red-headed, rock n’ rolling
other female artist sit up and take notice. The song stands in stark contrast to Taylor’s usually innocent contemplations and serenades. Even the title track, “Speak Now”, is more spiteful and rude (at times) than what we are used to from our little pop-country angel sporting lyrics like, “
I sneak in and see your friends, and her snotty little family all dressed in pastel / And she is yelling at a bridesmaid / Somewhere back inside a room wearing a gown shaped like a pastry.” But then again, as per the album’s overarching concept, that is what comes with saying what is
truly on your mind.
Speak Now is a brilliant blend of what already worked, along with some careful “feeling out” of more unfamiliar territory. What really drives the album, though, is Swift’s angelic voice and her doubtless, unwavering delivery. Her
magical qualities do not come from the studio, they come from the simplicity of her music and her ability to make it sound like the most beautiful, touching thing that has ever transpired. On
Speak Now, she delivers on all of her talent and promise while reminding us that every time we don’t “speak now”, we are missing out on a potential lifetime opportunity. Or as Taylor stated it, “I think you deserve to look back on your life without a chorus of resounding voices saying ‘I could’ve, but it’s too late now.’”
