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Speak Now (song)

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For the Leslie Odom Jr. song, see One Night in Miami...

"Speak Now" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It is the title track for her third studio album of the same name (2010), and was released for digital download as a promotional single on October 5, 2010, by Big Machine Records. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Speak Now" is an acoustic guitar-driven country pop song with its refrain incorporating the 1950s rock chord progression. Lyrically, the track is about a protagonist interrupting a wedding in an attempt to win her ex-lover back. Swift was inspired to write it after learning that an ex-boyfriend of her friend would marry someone else.

"Speak Now"
Cover artwork of "Speak Now"
Promotional single by Taylor Swift
from the album Speak Now
ReleasedOctober 5, 2010 (2010-10-05)
GenreCountry pop
Length4:02
LabelBig Machine
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
Official audio
"Speak Now" on YouTube

Music critics lauded the narrative lyrics and production of "Speak Now"; some picked it as an album highlight. The song peaked at number eight on both the Canadian Hot 100 and the US Billboard Hot 100, marking Swift's sixth top-ten debut on the latter and making her the first artist with six US top-ten debuts. It also charted on the Hot Country Songs chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for 500,000 US digital sales. "Speak Now" additionally reached number 20 in Australia and number 34 in New Zealand.

A re-recorded version, titled "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)", was released as part of her third re-recorded album of the same name on July 7, 2023. The song peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Global 200 and entered on the charts in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines, and the US.

Background and release

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American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift wrote all tracks on her third album, Speak Now (2010), by herself.[1] The title track was inspired by a story of Swift's friend parting ways with her high-school boyfriend in hopes that they would rekindle in the future, but later learning of the ex-boyfriend's new engagement. Swift recalled, "He had met this girl who's just this horrible, mean person who made him completely stop talking to all of his friends, cut off his family. She had him so completely isolated."[2] Swift asked her friend if she would interrupt the wedding and "speak now", drawing on the saying, "Speak now or forever hold your peace."[2]

After speaking with her friend, Swift became fixated on the idea of how tragic it would be for the person one loved to wed someone else. That night, Swift experienced a dream where one of her own ex-boyfriends married another girl. To her, this signaled that she had to compose a song about interrupting a wedding. In retrospect, she concluded, "For me, I like to think of it as good versus evil. And this girl is just completely – just the evil one."[2] Swift entitled the album after "Speak Now" because it fit the album's concept, with each song being a different confession to a person.[1] She explained that "Speak Now" served as a metaphor for her decision to express her thoughts or stay quiet forever, "[That] moment where it's almost too late, and you've got to either say what it is you are feeling or deal with the consequences forever."[3]

The song was released as a promotional single on October 5, 2010, by Big Machine Records as part of "Countdown to Speak Now", an exclusive campaign launched by the iTunes Store.[4][5] During the opening week of Speak Now, Swift performed the title track on the Late Show with David Letterman.[6]

Composition

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"Speak Now" is a country pop track with a length of four minutes and two seconds.[7] It has a predominant pop music composition, intertwined with various country elements.[8] The song is set in common time and has a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. It is written in the key of G major and Swift's vocals span from A3 to D5.[9] Swift's vocals begin in a hushed tone, then gradually grow until, at one point, she belts out the song's title.[10] The song features different twangy, up-and-down vocal hooks might, in similarity to "You Belong with Me".[8] It follows the chord progression G–D–Am–C.[9] The track is driven by acoustic guitar and features a guitar solo in the break.[10][11] The refrain incorporates the '50s rock progression.[12]

In the lyrics of "Speak Now", the narrator crashes her former love's wedding in attempt to win him back because she thinks he is marrying an unsuitable woman.[10][13] The opening lines acknowledge that, although out of character, Swift is still in love with her ex-boyfriend and wants to make sure he does not marry the wrong girl. Throughout the song's verses, Swift sneaks in the wedding and describes her observations, such as the bride-to-be's wearing of a poofy wedding gown shaped like a pastry, her cumulative family, and an organist playing "Bridal Chorus".[8][14] In the refrain, Swift pleads her ex-boyfriend to not say his wedding vows in order to run away with her.[10][14] The bridge has Swift responding to the priest's calling of "Speak now or forever hold your peace" before repeating the opening lines. The last refrain is altered, with Swift narrating from the groom's perspective and inform Swift they will indeed run away together.[14] Some critics compared the storyline of "Speak Now" to that of Swift's 2009 single "You Belong with Me"; both protagonists yearn for a love interest who is in love with another woman.[13][15]

Live performances

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Swift performing "Speak Now" during the Speak Now World Tour

The song was performed as part of the regular setlist on the Speak Now World Tour (2011–12).[16][17][18] Clips of the performance can be seen in the music video for Swift's single "Sparks Fly". According to Jocelyn Vena of MTV.com, the performance was "a very theatrical moment" in which "Swift acted out crashing a wedding. She eventually stole the groom away, as she sings in the song, and the pair ran through the crowd together."[19] Swift performed an acoustic version of "Speak Now" on select dates of later tours, including the Reputation Stadium Tour (New Orleans, September 2018)[20] and the Eras Tour in Tampa, April 2023 and mashup with "Hey Stephen" in Gelsenkirchen, July 2024.[21]

Critical reception

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Simon Vozick-Levinson of Entertainment Weekly deemed "Speak Now" a catchy song and opined that Swift's lyrical delivery makes up for her shortcomings as a vocalist.[8] Jon Caramanica from The New York Times lauded the production; he stated that it proved Chapman to be "a first-rate producer, and not just of the pop-country that's made Ms. Swift one of the most important new musicians of the decade".[22] Hartford Courant writer Erin R. Danton commended the melody as "irresistible".[11] Ken Tucker, in a radio episode for NPR, commended the track for appealing to casual listeners for its "meticulously detailed" production.[23] In The Morning Call, John J. Moser said that "Speak Now" was one of the album's most interesting songs because it features "a jaunty lilt, '50s-rock chorus and over-the-top snotty lyrics that are interesting precisely because they’re new for Swift".[12] On a less positive side, Jonathan Keefe of Slant Magazine found that "Speak Now", with its theme about love and romance, proved Swift's lack of songwriting material other than "how great boys are or how much boys suck or how dreams about boys will take her somewhere better than where she is now".[24] In a retrospective review for Billboard, Jason Lipshutz highlighted the track's delicate lyrical details.[15] Nate Jones from Vulture described the narrative as "nonsense" but praised the production, especially the "admittedly charming chorus", and remarked: "it's hard not to smile at the unabashed silliness."[25]

Commercial performance

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"Speak Now" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight due to the sales of 217,000 digital downloads. With that week's appearance on the chart, "Speak Now" became Swift's sixth top ten debut and, therefore, set the mark that made Swift the artist with most top ten debuts in the history of the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing the five top ten entries earned by Mariah Carey from 1995 to 1998.[26] Elsewhere in North America, the track debuted at number eight on the Canadian Hot 100.[27] In Australia, "Speak Now" debuted at number twenty.[28]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Speak Now"
Chart (2010) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[29] 20
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[30] 8
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] 34
South Korea (Circle)[32] 89
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 8
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[34] 58

Certifications

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Certifications for "Speak Now"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[35] Platinum 70,000‡
United States (RIAA)[36] Gold 500,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

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Release date for "Speak Now"
Country Date Format Label
United States October 5, 2010[37] Digital download Big Machine

"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"

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"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"
Song by Taylor Swift
from the album Speak Now (Taylor's Version)
ReleasedJuly 7, 2023 (2023-07-07)
GenreCountry pop
Length4:02
LabelRepublic
Songwriter(s)Taylor Swift
Producer(s)
Lyric video
"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" on YouTube

After signing a new contract with Republic Records, Swift began re-recording her first six studio albums in November 2020.[38] The decision came after the public 2019 dispute between Swift and talent manager Scooter Braun, who acquired Big Machine Records, including the masters of Swift's albums the label had released.[39][40] By re-recording her catalog, Swift had full ownership of the new masters, including the copyright licensing of her songs, devaluing the Big Machine-owned masters.[41]

A re-recorded version of "Speak Now", subtitled "(Taylor's Version)", was released on July 7, 2023, via Republic Records as part of Swift's third re-recorded album of the same name.[42]

Personnel

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Adapted from Speak Now (Taylor's Version) digital album inline notes[43]

Charts

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Chart performance for "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[44] 22
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[45] 31
Global 200 (Billboard)[46] 24
Greece (IFPI)[47] 54
Malaysia International (RIM)[48] 17
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[49] 26
Philippines (Billboard)[50] 5
Singapore (RIAS)[51] 11
UK Streaming (OCC)[52] 45
US Billboard Hot 100[53] 33
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[54] 14
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100)[55] 94

Certification

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Certification for "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[56] Gold 20,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b Kreps, Daniel (July 21, 2010). "Taylor Swift Announces Third Album, 'Speak Now'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c "Songs of Speak Now: Speak Now". Xfnitytv.com. Comcast. Archived from the original on November 5, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  3. ^ Willman, Chris (October 28, 2010). "Taylor Swift Confronts Mayer, Laments Lautner In New Album". Yahoo! Music. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  4. ^ "Speak Now – Single by Taylor Swift". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Archived from the original on October 12, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  5. ^ "Countdown to Speak Now". iTunes Store. Apple, Inc. Archived from the original on October 11, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  6. ^ "Late Show with David Letterman". Late Show with David Letterman. October 26, 2010. CBS.
  7. ^ "allmusic – Speak Now Overview". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d Vozick-Levinson, Simon (October 5, 2010). "Taylor Swift releases 'Speak Now' single: Like it?". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2010. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  9. ^ a b "Digital sheet music – Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Musicnotes. Alfred Publishing. October 8, 2010. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d Lipshutz, Jason (October 5, 2010). "Taylor Swift Releases 'Speak Now' Title Track". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 16, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  11. ^ a b Danton, Eric R. (October 27, 2010). "Taylor Swift has plenty to say on Speak Now". Hartford Courant. pp. D.2. ProQuest 762589169. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2022 – via ProQuest.
  12. ^ a b Moser, John J. (October 26, 2010). "Disc Review: Maybe it wasn't time for Taylor Swift to 'Speak Now'". The Morning Call. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Lewis, Randy (October 24, 2010). "Taylor Swift: the next chapter". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  14. ^ a b c Vena, Jocelyn (October 5, 2010). "Taylor Swift Previews 'Speak Now'". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  15. ^ a b "Taylor Swift's Speak Now Turns 10: Billboard Staff Goes Track-By-Track On Their Favorite Songs". Billboard. October 22, 2020. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  16. ^ "Taylor Swift shimmers in Omaha". Coffey, Kevin. Omaha World-Herald. May 28, 2011. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  17. ^ Herrero, Javier (March 19, 2011). "Taylor Swift encandila a unos 4.000 madrileños con su country edulcorado" [Taylor Swift dazzle some 4,000 locals sweetened country]. La Rioja (in Spanish). Grupo Vocento. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  18. ^ Sträter, Andreas (March 13, 2011). "Blaue Augen, süße Songs: Taylor Swift in Oberhausen" [Blues, sweet songs: Taylor Swift in Overhausen]. Soester Anzeiger (in German). Archived from the original on October 16, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  19. ^ Jocelyn Vena (July 20, 2011). "Taylor Swift's Speak Now Tour Brings Honky Tonk to NJ". MTV. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  20. ^ Iasimone, Ashley. "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on Her Reputation Stadium Tour B-Stage (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 27, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  21. ^ Iasimone, Ashley (March 25, 2023). "All the Surprise Songs Taylor Swift Has Performed on The Eras Tour (So Far)". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  22. ^ Caramanica, Jon (October 24, 2010). "Taylor Swift Is Angry, Darn It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  23. ^ Tucker, Ken (November 4, 2010). "Taylor Swift: Country-Pop With Joyous Ambition". NPR. ProQuest 856350795. Archived from the original on February 7, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  24. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (October 25, 2010). "Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
  25. ^ Jones, Nate (January 11, 2021). "All 179 Taylor Swift Songs, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 27, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  26. ^ Caulfield, Keith; Pietroluongo, Silvio (October 14, 2010). "Chart Moves: 'Glee,' Mavis Staples, Stephen Colbert, 'Social Network,' Pink". Billboard. Archived from the original on December 2, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  27. ^ "Speak Now – Taylor Swift". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  28. ^ "Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Song)". Australian-charts.com. Australian Recording Industry Association. October 18, 2010. Archived from the original on November 20, 2010. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  29. ^ "Taylor Swift – Speak Now". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  30. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  31. ^ "Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  32. ^ "Digital Chart" (in Korean). Circle Music Chart. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  33. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  34. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  35. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2024 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
  36. ^ "American single certifications – Taylor Swift – Speak Now". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  37. ^ "Speak Now – Single by Taylor Swift – Download Speak Now – Single on iTunes". iTunes Store. Apple Inc. Archived from the original on October 10, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  38. ^ Melas, Chloe (November 16, 2020). "Taylor Swift Speaks Out about Sale of Her Masters". CTV News. Archived from the original on November 18, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
  39. ^ "Taylor Swift Wants to Re-record Her Old Hits". BBC News. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  40. ^ Finnis, Alex (November 17, 2020). "Taylor Swift Masters: The Controversy around Scooter Braun Selling the Rights to Her Old Music Explained". i. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
  41. ^ Shah, Neil (April 9, 2021). "Taylor Swift Releases New Fearless Album, Reclaiming Her Back Catalog". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  42. ^ Mier, Tomás (May 5, 2023). "Taylor Swift (Finally) Announces 'Speak Now' as Next Re-Recording". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  43. ^ Speak Now (Taylor's Version) (digital album notes). Taylor Swift. Republic Records. 2023.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  44. ^ "ARIA Top 50 Singles Chart". Australian Recording Industry Association. July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  45. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  46. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Global 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  47. ^ "IFPI Charts". www.ifpi.gr. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
  48. ^ "TOP 20 Most Streamed International Singles In Malaysia Week 28 (07/07/2023-13/07/2023)". RIM. July 22, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023 – via Facebook.
  49. ^ "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  50. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Philippines Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  51. ^ "RIAS Top Charts Week 28 (7 - 13 Jul 2023)". RIAS. Archived from the original on July 18, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  52. ^ "Official Streaming Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  53. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  54. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  55. ^ "Taylor Swift Chart History (Billboard Vietnam Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  56. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Taylor Swift – Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved July 24, 2024.

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