Sophia Michaels
How Much Does the Album Cost?
The “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” album will cost $ 20. It will be available for $ 9.99 digital purchase and $ 24.99 physical purchase.
Taylor Swift has spoken. On May 5, the “Lavender Haze” singer gave Swifties the long-awaited news they’ve been waiting for: the release date for “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).” Swift made the announcement during her Eras Tour stop in Nashville, TN., her hometown. Not long after the Grammy winner revealed the album’s new cover and release date, a bridge over the Cumberland River was lit up with purple lights in honor of the singer.
“I think rather than me speaking about it, I thought I would show you, so if you would direct your attention . . .” Swift said during the concert, per Variety. As she trailed off, the screens behind her were filled with the new cover art for the “Speak Now” rerelease, as well as the album’s July 7 release date.
The 33-year-old singer also made a statement via social media. “It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk 😆),” she tweeted. “I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing . . . and living to speak about it.”
She went on to reveal the rerelease will also include six songs from “the vault.” “With six extra songs I’ve sprung loose from the vault, I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with you on July 7th,” she concluded.
Swift also included a special note for fans about just how special “Speak Now” is to her. “I always looked at this album as my album, and the lump in my throat expands to a quivering voice as I say this,” she wrote. “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.”
It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk 😆) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their… pic.twitter.com/oa0Vs5kszr
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 6, 2023
Longtime fans of Swift will know she wrote every song on “Speak Now” solo in response to accusations that she wasn’t a true songwriter. Sadly, that’s a claim that continues to be circulated by people who attempt to dismiss the “All Too Well” singer as an artist.
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 Jan. 24. “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 apologized 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.”
At the time, 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” has long been the answer to people who think Swift can’t write good songs on her own.
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” will be Swift’s third rereleased album. Way back in 2019, she announced that she was going to rerecord 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 rerecorded albums in 2022. But Swift ended up changing things that year with the release of “Midnights.”
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.”
Read on for everything we know about “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” so far.
When Will “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” Be Released?
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” will be released July 7. The exclusive purple vinyl is already available for preorder.
What Is the Album’s Track List?
“Speak Now” includes classic Swift songs like “Dear John,” “The Story of Us,” and “Never Grow Up.” The rerelease will include six extra tracks, bringing the total number of songs on “Taylor’s Version” to 22. However, the singer hasn’t revealed any information about the additional tracks just yet.
