I am, one could say, a connoisseur of all things Taylor Swift.
Despite being the very epitome of a folklore and evermore girl to my core, I have always been a diehard Speak Now girl, too.
As explained in my recent editorial about her former manager, Scooter Braun, Swift’s first six albums are being re-recorded in her name and in her own rights.
Swift is considered by many to be an absolute virtuoso when it comes to the bridges of her songs; each bridge tells its own story and ties the song together in a way that is completely masterful in every single manner.
So, on July 7, 2023, the re-recorded, improved, and partially unreleased version of her 2010 album, Speak Now, was made public.
Naturally, fans—myself included—took note of every subtle change made between the two versions, as well as the previously unreleased tracks. It soon became evident that Taylor Swift is even more of a musical and lyrical genius than we’d initially believed.
The six “From The Vault” tracks are entirely unmatched.
Buckle up.
Track 17: “Electric Touch (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”
Featuring Fall Out Boy, “Electric Touch” is one of the most unique songs on the album. Fall Out Boy’s vocals bring the song to a whole different level, and it’s genuinely a really interesting song to listen to. It talks about the fear before a first date and the innate self-sabotage of oneself after having been hurt. It essentially includes the understanding of their own potential following that pain.
Track 18: “When Emma Falls in Love (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”
I was told by my best friend that I wasn’t allowed to listen to this song while I was alone. I didn’t know why until I hung out with her, and she played it for me. The song was written about a close friend—later revealed to be Emma Stone—and it focuses on the idea of how enamored Emma becomes when she falls in love. Apparently, Emma and I are very similar in many ways, which made the song hit me that much harder. I love the chorus when she says, “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’d only had the chance to love her.” The lead-in to the last chorus is my favorite part, though, saying, “Emma found a boy with eyes like a man / Turns out her heart fits right in the palm of his hand / He’ll be her shelter when it rains / Little does he know, his whole world’s about to change,” and then leading back into the main chorus. The song is so unmatched to me specifically because it makes me so unbelievably happy thinking that my best friend sees me that way. Maybe I’m biased, but the song is one of my favorite songs ever.
Track 19: “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”
I’d just like to start off by saying that I could not be more pleased with the music video for this song. Being a “From The Vault” song, the music video, directed by Swift and featuring her, Taylor Lautner, and Joey King, takes place inside a bank vault. The song, in and of itself, is more of a pop feel than anything else, telling the story of an impossible romance and desperation for the person. The chorus says ’Cause I can see you waitin’ down the hall from me / And I could see you up against the wall with me / And what would you do? Baby, if you only knew / That I can see you.” It’s a sense of wanting and desire while knowing that you can’t have the person. As per usual, it was masterfully done, and the music video is a cinematic masterpiece.
Track 20: “Castles Crumbling (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”
Featuring Hayley Williams of Paramore, “Castles Crumbling” is a unique track for the album. To me, it doesn’t fit the exact same energy as I’d expected, but it works in such a beautiful way. The chorus contains the lyrics, “I feel like my castle’s crumbling down / And I watch all my bridges burn to the ground / And you don’t want to know me, I will just let you down / You don’t want to know me now.” Admittedly, it’s not my favorite song on the album, but it’s still a beautifully done song about betrayal and regret for the way things are.
Track 21: “Foolish One (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”
As Swift’s songs usually tend to do, “Foolish One” follows a broken-hearted singer yearning for the love that they once had. The pre-chorus is the singer criticizing herself, saying, “You are not the exception / You will never learn your lesson,” and immediately continues to chastise herself, singing, “Foolish one / Stop checking your mailbox for confessions of love / That ain’t never gonna come.” It’s essentially a letter to herself serving to remind herself that she can’t have what she wants. It’s a beautiful song, and it hit me a lot harder than I’d expected it would.
Track 22: “Timeless (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]”
Last, but in no universe could it be least, “Timeless.” This is the only other song that I was told not to listen to alone. The song takes place in an old antique shop featuring photos of lovers from throughout the ages, and the singer places herself and her own lover inside the photos. Before one of the choruses, it says, “In another life, you still would’ve turned my head / Even if we met on a crowded street in 1944 / And you were heading off to fight in the war / You still would’ve been mine / We would’ve been timeless.” As someone who reminisces every waking second of the day and loves antiques more than anything, this song hurt. There’s something to be said about the pure, unadulterated love that was held in different eras, and she said it perfectly.
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was possibly the most beautiful rendition of the love and pain felt so frequently while coursing through life.
She did it again, everybody: Taylor Swift made me lose my mind again.
