When Taylor Swift dropped Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) this July, I gained a newfound appreciation for an album that, I confess, has always been in the bottom 3 of my Taylor Swift album rankings.

So, this release begs to be discussed in the Tea Circle. Pull up a chair and meet me tonight to discuss the latest re-recording from our Lady and Savior, Taylor Swift. I would be enchanted to have you.

As always, this album is ours, but my ranking is mine. I would love to read your ranking, too!

One quick note: I’m going to do things a little differently for the Speak Now album review. Instead of reviewing the track list in order and concluding with my final ranking of the songs from worst to best, I am going to kill two Johns with one stone and review the songs as I rank them. We’ll start with my least favorite songs and work our way up from there.

22. “Superman”

Unfortunately, I often forget that “Superman” exists. I wouldn’t call it a bad song. If Taylor were still performing at the local fair, I might even really like this song.

But this is Taylor Swift, and in the year 2023 she has a mythic catalogue overflowing with golden hits.

“Superman” is not one of them.

To the song’s credit, though, it may be my favorite last-place track in Taylor Swift’s discography. In other words, Speak Now never dips as low as even my favorite albums do.

A revelation!

21. “Innocent”

“Who you are is not where you’ve been.”

I appreciate the message. But, unlike more gracious Swifties, I can’t really get past how this song was inspired by Kanye West.

2010 Taylor might have forgiven him for his VMA transgression, but he has since engaged in even fouler behavior, to the point that I am not interested in forgiving or forgetting. I’m just interested in moving on.

20. “Speak Now”

Taylor originally chose the name “Enchanted” for this album, before advisors convinced her to change it to “Speak Now.”

And what a mistake. I feel like I have to reach to justify this song as the album’s title track. It’s probably the least appropriate title track in Taylor Swift’s catalogue.

All that is the cherry on top of how this song fails to resonate with me in any meaningful way.

I like the production. I like the melodies. I like Taylor’s voice in “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”.

I dislike the story. I hate the not-like-other-girls attitude.

In isolation, this is a cute country bop. But looking back, I don’t think songs like “Speak Now” helped any fans convince their friends to stan Taylor Swift.

19. “Never Grow Up”

What can I say? The iconic 5th grade graduation song strikes again.

I don’t have anything negative to say. I just don’t listen to “Never Grow Up” half as often as the other songs on Speak Now. It’s a track that describes something so specific, and therefore feels inappropriate in 99% of my daily experiences.

At least, that’s how it feels to a childless 20-something like me.

Cute. Skip.

18. “Mean”

Who could ever forget these plucky banjo strings?

And the song’s message only hits harder as time goes on.

I have actually forgotten who, if anyone in particular, this song is about. But I do know that Taylor Swift continues to break records in streaming, tour demand, and physical album sales.

So, “Mean” feels totally earned and increasingly iconic over time. A country hit by all measures.

17. “Ours”

One of the first Taylor Swift songs about dating as a superstar, “Ours” gives a peak into the life of a young adult struggling to find love under the public’s watchful eye.

At this point, however, she’s reassuring instead of worried. It’s like a distant prequel to “Dancing With Our Hands Tied.”

The melodies and progression in the chorus are unique enough to satisfy me on the occasion that I seek out this song intentionally, and every time I hear it accidentally.

A fine addition to the album.

16. “Haunted”

I fear I will never know peace for this. But this is Tyler’s Tea Time, damn it, not General Public’s Tea Time.

“Haunted” is awesome for how it takes a hard left on a country album and serves emo punk rock. It’s probably the most experimental song up to this point in Taylor’s career, and I love that.

The lyrics, however, leave much to be desired. For how unexpected a sound like this was for country star Taylor Swift’s third album, the production and lyrics do kind of give Paramore (Karaoke Version).

The instrumentation does give all the drama you could want, though. It sounds like the drummer’s rent was due yesterday, in fact. And I can appreciate that.

15. “When Emma Falls In Love” (From The Vault)

I like this song. I don’t love it.

I like the imagery of Cleopatra growing up in a small town. However, “She won’t walk away unless she knows she absolutely has to leave” is the biggest nothing-burger of a lyric I have ever heard.

It makes me believe this was written when she was 18, when other vault tracks have been suspiciously mature and well-written for the eras they are supposedly from.

I don’t usually skip this song, but that may be due to its novelty. It’s easily the worst of the vault tracks.

14. “Better Than Revenge”

Taylor Swift controversially changed the lyric “she’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress” to “he was a moth to the flame; she was holding the matches.”

I love this. It keeps the same energy and meaning while dialing down the slut-shaming a bit.

The song does still feel juvenile anyway. But what am I supposed to do, pretend it’s not a bop?

Also, I am obsessed with the ad-libs Taylor delivers here. So passionate. So unnecessary.

  • “Come on, come on!!”
  • “So much better, YEAH??“
  • “OHHH.”

13. “Last Kiss”

I like sad songs. It’s why “Last Kiss” is my 13th favorite song on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). It’s also why it isn’t any higher. I simply don’t go out of my way to listen to it. Like, ever.

Taylor claims this is her most heartbreaking song, and I’m not here to argue with mother even though that’s not true.

“Last Kiss” is certainly the saddest song on the album, and perhaps the best written as well. I have no notes.

12. “Timeless” (From The Vault)

“Timeless” is a great song. I’m afraid it would have been more memorable on the original Speak Now, however.

Some Swifties have sworn by this song, claiming it as their favorite on the album. Maybe something is wrong with me, but it just hasn’t clicked for me on that level yet.

I will say, though, that this song feels very relevant in the modern era of multiverse media. “No matter where or when we were, we would still find each other and live happily ever after” is a story beat I have witnessed multiple times in TV and movies this year.

It feels timely.

11. “The Story Of Us”

An irreplaceable piece of Speak Now, “The Story Of Us” is essential listening anytime I visit this era.

The production isn’t anything to write home about, but this song features one of the most noticeable improvements in vocals across all of Taylor’s re-recordings so far. Mama sounds good in that last chorus. I was a little gagged when I first heard it.

“Next chapter.”

10. “Electric Touch” (From The Vault) [feat. Fall Out Boy]

This entire record throws the listener right back to 2010, but no other song conjures the movie credits of a 2010 YA romance more vividly than “Electric Touch.”

It feels like a cousin of “Begin Again” in terms of content. But honestly? I’m just here for the vibes with this one.

The Fall Out Boy feature did exactly what it needed to do.

9. “Foolish One” (From The Vault)

“Foolish One” describes fantasies your brain dreams up after meeting someone new, even just once or twice.

It’s a universal experience, described in a way that feels unique enough from all of Taylor Swift’s other breakup songs.

This vault song has some of my favorite melodies on the album and I rarely skip it.

8. “Castles Crumbling” (From The Vault) [feat. Hayley Williams]

I confess I was a little bored by this one when Taylor’s Version released in July.

After giving it some time, though, I really like it!

Hayley gives perhaps my favorite vocal performance for any woman featured in Taylor’s music to date. It’s another brilliant collaboration choice from mother, and feels right at home on Speak Now.

More than any other re-recording so far, Speak Now feels like it was crafted to fit into pop culture at the time of the original album’s release. That’s thanks in large part to these choices in features.

That aside, I just really vibe with the melodies, lyrics, and instrumentals of “Castles Crumbling.” It has quickly become one of my favorite vault tracks on the album, and even holds its own against most of the Speak Now classics.

7. “Long Live”

I cannot think of one song in history that screams “high school” as much as “Long Live” does. It’s its greatest strength and weakness.

“Long Live,” like “Speak Now” and “Never Grow Up,” is amazing in its depiction of one particular scenario. But beyond that, it doesn’t necessarily speak to me as a go-to Taylor Swift hit.

However, I would be remiss to put this song any lower in my ranking.

“Long Live” is simply legendary.

Because in its dedication to such a formative and universal experience as a high school graduation, this song reaches levels of relatability that few others in Taylor’s discography achieve.

Speak Now would not be the same without it.

6. “Mine”

If you asked me to name the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Speak Now, it’s “ah-ahhh-ahhh.”

If you asked me to name the second thing that comes to mind when I think about Speak Now, it’s “you made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter.”

While “Mine” is not the absolute finest song on the album, it has proven to be such a staple and mainstay in the Speak Now era that I found myself ranking it even higher than I expected.

Another inextricable song for the album.

5. “Sparks Fly”

Most of what I said about “Mine” could just be copy-and-pasted for “Sparks Fly.” It’s an essential part of the album and comes to mind immediately when I think of it.

I have it ranked higher because when I heard “drop everything now,” I realized that is the first lyric that comes to mind when I think about Speak Now.

And in juxtaposing these sister hits side-by-side for a long time to determine which I like more, I found that I enjoy the energy, guitar, and melodies of “Sparks Fly” just a liiittle more.

4. “Enchanted”

If I were making a tier list, this is where the Elite tier would begin. These last four songs are so incredibly iconic and well-constructed, I find myself picking a new favorite among them depending on the day.

As one of Taylor Swift’s first Tik Tok victims, “Enchanted” has dipped its toe into overexposure a bit. But that does not remove this hit from Speak Now‘s most legendary offerings.

“Enchanted” is everything. It’s the perfect meeting-someone-new song. It’s delightfully whimsical, optimistic, and relatable to all ages.

I love the melody of each line in the verses. I love the way this song takes its time building to a crescendo in the chorus. I love Taylor’s filtered vocals in the outro, evoking a voicemail you might leave someone who changed your life in one magical night.

This track is enchanting.

3. “Dear John”

The “All Too Well” of Speak Now, “Dear John” is a power ballad that demands to be scream-sung in the car. It was the longest Taylor Swift song prior to the release of “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” and it’s easy to see why Swifties have treasured it for 13 years and counting.

I am very happy to announce that I love Taylor’s Version of this song even more than the original.

“Long were the nights when my days once revolved around you” is a standout lyric on the album, and few Taylor Swift lyrics feel as triumphant as “I’m shining like fireworks over your sad empty town.”

All in all, this lamentation on a predatory romance stands apart from most other songs on the album.

Someone pointed out how the production of this track sounds just like a John Mayer song, and I have loved it more ever since. Simply genius.

2. “Back To December”

Before Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) released this summer, “Back To December” was my favorite song on the album.

Something about it just really does it for me.

Maybe it’s the theme of apology. Maybe it’s the production–the wavering guitar chords; the orchestral strings; the dramatic tolling of church bells.

“Back To December” feels significantly more mature than most of the other songs on the album, in a way that highlights the tumultuous era of late adolescence. On an album written during and about this very specific period in life, “Back To December” is one of the crown jewels.

I absolutely love it.

1. “I Can See You” (From The Vault)

When I first heard the vault tracks for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), “I Can See You” immediately became my favorite.

Then, something unforgettable happened.

I was driving to a Taylor Swift dance party in Seattle when I learned that there would be a music video for this song starring Taylor Lautner doing backflips and breaking Speak Now Taylor out of her vault.

This revelation occurred in real time as bestie and I watched the video premiere on a grainy Tik Tok livestream.

I deserve to be commended for keeping that car on the road.

Not since “Look What You Made Me Do” has a music video gagged me so badly, and I would be lying if I said that moment didn’t influence this ranking.

“I Can See You” is a bop unlike any other in Taylor’s discography. It’s sleek, sexy, and fun, and I particularly love the second verse, where there are filtered backing vocals on the last word of each line:

  • “And we kept everything professional. But something’s changed. It’s something I, I like.”
  • “They keep watchful eyes on us, so it’s best that we move fast and keep quiet.”
  • “You won’t believe half the things I see inside my head. Wait till you see half the things that haven’t happened yet.”

It’s so sickeningly fierce. I love her.

Before the music video applied secret spy vibes to the song, I actually got strong beach babe energy. Does it fit on Speak Now? Who cares! Whatever she was going for, I’m hooked.

More than any other song, “I Can See You” has me questioning if Speak Now is secretly one of my favorite albums. And more than any other vault track to date, “I Can See You” feels like a celebration of limitless musical potential at what should have been a dead end for Taylor Swift.

Thank you so much for stopping by to discuss Taylor Swift’s newest re-recording, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). Stick around for my review of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and in the meantime feel free to browse through some of my other album rankings–including Midnights, folklore, and Lover!