Drop everything now and meet Taylor Swift in the pouring rain on July 7th because Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is finally coming!

Ever since her music was sold out from underneath her in 2019, Swift has been making strides to acquire her masters (the copyrights to sound recordings of her music) including re-recording her albums. As of now Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s version) are the only two released re-records. However, with Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) coming out in July, Swift will officially be halfway done with her journey to own her masters leaving only Taylor Swift, 1989, and Reputation left to be re-recorded.

Speak Now was Swift’s third studio album and though it’s not the only record that she is taking back, I think that of all of them it is the most important that this one belongs to her. This album is so gorgeously raw and personal to Swift because it details her process of trying to figure herself and the world out. She acknowledges the mistakes she made throughout her young adulthood and the love she felt so deeply at such a young age that did ultimately end in disaster. It is Swift’s only completely self-written album and I think it’s such a big inspiration that she is taking back her stories.

After Red (Taylor’s Version) came out in November of 2021, Swifties, including myself, have been having vicious debates about whether Speak Now or 1989 would be next. With Swift’s reputation for leaving “easter eggs,” or hints of what’s to come, I have been passionately dissecting her every move in attempts to figure it out. Though I saw many thought to be easter eggs hinting towards 1989, I ultimately knew that Speak Now would be next after the “Bejeweled” music video came out in October of last year. This music video showcased some very obvious clues including Swift pressing a purple “three” button in an elevator. With Speak Now being Swift’s third album and the fact that the album cover is her wearing a purple dress, It didn’t take me long to catch on.

Though I knew that it was coming, a release date wasn’t presented to the public until May 5th at the Eras Tour show in Nashville, Tennessee. After wrapping up the 1989 set, Swift proceeded into the acoustic portion of the show as normal. Instead of describing the song she was about to sing, however, Swift started talking about how much she loves to scheme and plan, and to surprise her fans. As she continued in her speech, Swift decided to show everyone what she was talking about and flashed the release date and album cover on the jumbotron. She then proceeded to sing the first track off of the original album, “Mine.” “I’ve been planning something for a while, you know how I love to plan things, and you know how I love to surprise you with the things I’ve been planning… it’s my love language with you… I plot, I scheme, I plan and then I get to tell you about it. I think rather than me speaking about it, I thought I would just show you,” Swift said.

There is not much known about the new old album so far, but we do know that it will consist of 22 tracks including the 16 original tracks plus 6 “vault” songs (songs that didn’t originally make the cut). Swift released the rerecording of the original Speak Now song, “If This Was a Movie,” on March 17, 2023, under Fearless (Taylor’s Version). I think the reason that this was not re-recorded with the rest of Speak Now was because it was the only song on the album not completely written by Swift and she wanted an album that was made completely by herself. This is also thought to be the reason that there were no features on the original and that there will likely be no features on the re-record even though there have been added features on the new versions of Fearless and Red.

Though I can hope for a lead single coming any day now, it’s not guaranteed that we will get one. If there is a single, however, it will most likely be “Mine,” because it was the lead single for the original album back in 2010. I do really hope that if we do get a single, that it’s a vault track because I absolutely cannot wait to see how beautifully unhinged these songs will be.

I personally believe that, even though Red (Taylor’s Version) is my favorite album of all time, Speak Now will 113% be the most successful re-record. I think that what Speak Now offers is something that can be enjoyed by all ages of fans. The whimsy of songs like “Long Live” and “Enchanted” will most definitely be enjoyed by younger fans while the nostalgia of songs like “Sparks Fly,” “Never Grow Up,” and “Mean” can bring back memories for the older demographic.

Swift expressed her gratitude towards the fans and their love for the original album on her Instagram the day of the announcement and by the way things are going, fans (including myself) will be just as appreciative of the album that will finally be, Taylor’s Version. “I always looked at this album as my album, and the lump in my throat expands to a quivering voice as I say this. Thanks to you, dear reader, it finally will be. I consider this music to be, along with your faith in me, the best thing that’s ever been mine,” Swift said in an Instagram post.