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Speak Now (Taylor's Version)

All the Reasons Fans Think "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" Is Coming Soon

Speak Now (Taylor's Version)

Taylor Swift's "Midnights" album continues to dominate charts months after its release, and she's in the middle of her major Eras Tour, but fans are already looking toward the future. Way back in 2019, Swift announced that she was going to re-record her first six albums and all the music she released before she changed record companies. She alleged that her previous company, Big Machine Records, wouldn't let her buy back her master recordings, so she would just make new ones. New versions of "Fearless" and "Red," called "Taylor's Versions," came out in 2021, which made a lot of fans think that she'd release more of the re-recorded albums in 2022. But Swift ended up changing things that year with the release of "Midnights." At the same time, she's left a lot of clues during the release of the album that one particular re-recording is on the way: "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)."

In the music video for "Bejeweled," released in October 2022, Swift included a ton of Easter eggs that point toward "Speak Now." The video features music from two songs that appeared on the 2010 album, "Enchanted" and "Long Live," and Laura Dern even says, "Speak not," in the video. Plus, the video came out Oct. 25 — and "Speak Now" was released Oct. 25, 2010. In the "Lavender Haze" music video, released this January, Swift plays the song on a guitar decorated with koi fish, which she also used often during the original "Speak Now" era. Plus, on 8 April, she was spotted in Liverpool filming a new music video, and fans on Twitter noticed that the set pieces for the video resembled some iconic "Speak Now" moments.

Swift has technically released one "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" song already. In March she released four new songs, including "If This Was a Movie (Taylor's Version)"; the original was a deluxe track on "Speak Now." And, if you want one more possible clue that the full album's release is imminent, Swift's frequent collaborator Jack Antonoff said in an 11 April tweet, "Speak soon."

An incident from early 2022 also had fans wondering if "Speak Now" was on its way. In a January interview with the LA Times, Blur frontman Damon Albarn completely dismissed Swift's songwriting skills. "[Taylor Swift] doesn't write her own songs. There's a big difference between a songwriter and a songwriter who co-writes," the 54-year-old British musician told the outlet. "A really interesting songwriter is Billie Eilish and her brother. It's just darker — less endlessly upbeat. Way more minor and odd."

It didn't take long before Swift responded directly to Albarn's claims that she doesn't pen her own songs. "I was such a big fan of yours until I saw this. I write ALL of my own songs," she tweeted on 24 Jan. "Your hot take is completely false and SO damaging. You don't have to like my songs but it's really f*cked up to try and discredit my writing. WOW."

Albarn later apologised for his comments, tweeting: "I totally agree with you. i had a conversation about songwriting and sadly it was reduced to clickbait. I apologise unreservedly and unconditionally. The last thing I would want to do is discredit your songwriting. I hope you understand."

The exchange made a lot of fans think of "Speak Now." That's because every song on "Speak Now," her third album, was written by Swift solo. The album also features a rebuttal toward her critics in the fun and sassy "Mean." "Speak Now" is the answer to people who think Swift can't write good songs on her own.

For now, we're still waiting for "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" and other re-recordings. Some fans think that "1989 (Taylor's Version)" is more likely to appear first, since Swift has already released some of the songs on that album. Swifties will just have to wait for their idol to speak now.

When Will "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" Be Released?

Swift has yet to announce a release date the the album, but fans have a lot of theories. This October, the original album will turn 13 — Swift's lucky number — so many have speculated she'll release the new version of the album on the original's anniversary. Others, though, point to lyrics in her song "Sparks Fly": "Drop everything now." It would be just like the singer to tell her fans to "drop everything" for a surprise release. Swift is currently on The Eras Tour, and the set list only features one "Speak Now" song so far. Could she be planning to release the "Taylor's Version" of the album during the tour and add songs then? She's told us before — she's a mastermind.

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