Speak Now Reviews Thread | Metacritic — 81 (=)

[Taylor fanboy]

Rolling Stone highlights three Vault tracks separately

 

Spoiler

Castles Crumbling

Quote

The imagery of a fallen empire is almost a rough draft for what she would sing on Reputation seven years later, following an even more harrowing time in her career. “My castle crumbled overnight,” she would sing on “Call it What You Want” as an older, wise, and more world-wearied version of herself.

When Emma Falls In Love

Quote

Stepping outside of her own heartaches and fantasies, Swift is a thoughtful observer of Emma’s emotional journey, seeing beneath the “little miss sunshine” exterior. She would do the same on “Starlight” one album later, examining Ethel and Bobby Kennedy’s love story. By the time she releases Folklore and Evermore, she is a master of this type of incisive storytelling, for both real people and those she has created.

 

Timeless

Quote

It’s one of her first and finest “quill” songs, as she once described her approach to antiquated stories and writing styles inspired by some of her favorite writers, Charlotte Brontë and Emily Dickinson.

 

 

[Taylor fanboy]

Lifestyle Asia track by track review by Praewprach Lerthirunvibul

 

Spoiler

Sparks Fly

This one broke our hearts. Again, it sounds similar to the original, but the emotion feels a little lacking. Perhaps, the sparks are out?

 

[Taylor fanboy]

Consequence commentary

Mary Siroki

 

Spoiler

It’s been said before, but it bears repeating: folklore and evermore opened up Swift’s poetic musings to people in a whole new way, but she has, truly, always been a great lyricist. Consider “Last Kiss,” where she sings, “I’ll watch your life in pictures like I used to watch you sleep, and I feel you forget me like I used to feel you breathe.” Put an Aaron Dessner feature and acoustic guitar over that and it’s a moment that could slot itself into either of the woodsy albums people sometimes mistakenly herald as Swift’s best songwriting endeavors. Yes, folklore and evermore are fantastic, but that kind of work isn’t new. Speak Now is a reminder of that.

 

[Taylor fanboy]

The Shorthorn commentary

 

Spoiler

The maturity in Swift’s voice and the album’s strong instrumentals continues to captivate her fans. Taste of Country said that Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)broke records by having the most single-day streams on Spotify in 2023 so far. Additionally, Swift’s album is the most-streamed country album in a single day in Spotify history. 

Swift’s success is no surprise — she continues to fight for her songs and her fans, giving them what they want and love.

The Nash News review

 

Spoiler

Back when this album was first heard, people wondered if Swift was truly "country." The stories she wrote, as the sole writer of the entire project, are inherently of the country genre. Such emotions of love, loss, fear, and the complexities of navigating a changing world are reflected in these songs. Swift's voice narrates lyrics she wrote at a very different time in her life, but still feel just as needed and relevant today. Through some of her best bridges and melodies to date, there is magic still left to be had.

Daily Beast review

 

Spoiler

The standouts of the Speak Now (TV) vault tracks, however, are Swift’s cinematic ballads. The Dessner-produced “When Emma Falls In Love” is primed to be an instant classic, channeling the wistful piano lilt of “Dorothea” on Evermore and the third-person storytelling of “Betty”: “She’s the kind of book that you can’t put down / Like if Cleopatra grew up in a small town / And all the bad boys would be good boys / If they only had a chance to love her.” The acoustic country-pop number “Foolish One” is a letter to her younger self that serves as a reminder to focus on acceptance rather than obsession: “Foolish one / Stop checkin’ your mailbox for confessions of love / That ain’t never gonna come / You will learn the hard way instead of just walkin’ out,” she muses. But it’s the album’s closer, “Timeless,” that’s the most breathtaking. With a lyric video featuring photographs of her grandparents (including Marjorie Finlay, who previously inspired the Evermore song “Marjorie”), the track, filled with ukulele and organ, pays homage to the history of their romance and how Swift yearns to replicate it.

United By Pop ranks the Vault tracks

 

Spoiler

1. I Can See You

2. Electric Touch

3. Castles Crumbling

4. Foolish One

5. Timeless

6. When Emma Falls In Love

 

[Taylor fanboy]

Pedestrian

Spoiler

If you know anything about anything, you’ll know that Speak Now is one of Taylor Swift‘s best albums (if not the best). And remaining very true to form, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is arguably the best Taylor’s Version of all the Taylor’s Versions.

USA Today

Spoiler

When Emma Falls in Love’ is the best ‘vault’ song on ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). While all six new (to us) songs are filled with Swift’s lush melodies and vivid storytelling lyrics, the standout among them is one that has had fans speculating about its subject for weeks.

LA Times

Spoiler

‘TIMELESS’ LEADS THE OUTTAKES

 

Like Swift’s remakes of “Fearless” and “Red” before it, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” comes with a handful of newly recorded outtakes from her so-called vault. None quite rise to the level of what’s on the album itself, though each provides an intriguing look at where her head was as she was writing.

New York Post

Spoiler

A personal favorite of ours from the vault re-release was Swift’s duet featuring Fall Out Boy and has a heavy emphasis on nostalgia. Online, fans praised the song for its 2000s vibes inspiring Swifites to dance on their beds as if they were teens all over again (Editor’s note: Or in our 20s).

RIFF

Spoiler

It’s difficult to improve upon an album that’s nearly perfect. Speak Now is a beloved record for Taylor Swift fans that caught lightning in a bottle. This version isn’t about reinventing the wheel, but rather honoring that original work. And of course, having those masters is a bonus, and that’s better than revenge.

 

[Taylor fanboy]

So many opinions that don’t count to Metacritic!

 

I’m not doing this kind of thread again! 

[KOMH]

On 7/10/2023 at 1:05 PM, Taylor fanboy said:

SLANT - 4/5

Jonathan Keefe

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Ultimately, this project is another instance in which Swift’s maturity as an artist has elevated her formative work. “Back to December,” “Dear John,” and “Enchanted” were always tremendous songs, and the thoughtful new arrangements and Swift’s more nuanced vocal phrasing now put them fully on par with the best recordings in her catalog. “Sparks Fly,” given a more sluggish pace, is the only track that isn’t improved upon here. If the original Speak Nowhighlighted what Swift needed to do to refine her artistry, Taylor’s Version proves that she’s actually done it.

The back to back Sparks Fly (2023) panning! @KOMH

 

Several points I fear. Would've been a 5/5 if not for all the REDified versions.

[sh0ckw4ves]

15 hours ago, Taylor fanboy said:

I’ve posted this here earlier as a “commentary” since they are not counted in MC.

They counted it! 

 

Up to 81 on Metacritic 

[Kyle-x]

5 hours ago, Taylor fanboy said:

So many opinions that don’t count to Metacritic!

 

I’m not doing this kind of thread again! 

Thank you for compiling them I can’t wait to read them all

[Gladiator]

5 hours ago, Taylor fanboy said:

So many opinions that don’t count to Metacritic!

 

I’m not doing this kind of thread again! 

Time to petition to keep your opinions to yourself unless it counts on Metacritic!! 

[JoeAg]

14 hours ago, Sanguine said:

Pitchfork gave two BNMs in a row and there’s still PJ Harvey’s album to go as well, I think it’s possible they do a week of BNM’s (they did this in Feb 2022 when there were a lot of major releases) concluding with Taylor for the extra clickbait. Otherwise I don’t see why they wouldn’t have done Anohni/Julie on Friday (when they do P4Kcore), Taylor on Monday (when they do Pop), then Anohni/Julie later that week but maybe I’m overthinking it lol. I’m also hesitant that they would give her another one

THIS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING! thank you omg i'm glad i’m not the only one

 

I was sooooo happy about Anohni's, that's one of the best albums of the year  Polly Jean's new album is exquisite too, almost as good as Let England Shake I'd say! so that deserves BNM as well

 

and I hope SNTV gets it too, but I'd be happy enough if PJ is the last to get one to round out a packed week

[Raspberries]

Up to 81

[Steve Johnson]

Universal Acclaim 

[franklin]

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-speak-now-taylors-version/

 

7.5 from P4k

[Taylor fanboy]

8 hours ago, KOMH said:

Several points I fear. Would've been a 5/5 if not for all the REDified versions.

We need Jonathan Keefe to still be alive by puta TV. We’re getting that 5/5!

[Taylor fanboy]

2 hours ago, State of Grace. said:

https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/taylor-swift-speak-now-taylors-version/

 

How predictable   

Okay to merge please or P4K is special? @Ryan

 

All due respect to the good sis though.

[FolkLover1989]

Even after P4K it's at 81 guys

 

Can anyone tell why is Sputnik review not yet added?

I think that will make it to 80

[Kimi]

how can this be below fearless is beyond me

[Taylor fanboy]

Northern Transmissions - 7/10

Sam Franzini

 

Spoiler

Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) suffers from being skippable. Fearless (TV)’s excellent vault tracks and Red (TV)’s epic 10-minute “All Too Well” repackaging made them not-to-miss cultural highlights, but the problem with Speak Now (TV) is that on many cases, the original holds up as being better than its repackaging. There’s no longer the trembling voice in “Last Kiss”, the naivete in “Enchanted” or “Mine”, and war-waging tracks like “Dear John” or “Innocent” don’t hit the same now that it’s not being sung by a prodigious 20-year-old. Tracks like “I Can See You” or some modernized tracks might make it onto a few “Best of Taylor” playlists, but the magic remains swirling around the album’s 2010 iteration.

 

[Cloröx]

PopMatters: 8/10

 

Not sure how many critics will publish their review but I expect AllMusic will come today 

[Britney Is Fierce]

This is easily the best re-recording yet it has the lowest MC score of the three, wtf? Fearless TV can't even hold a candle to the OG Speak Now