25. Speak Now by Taylor Swift

Speak Now by Taylor Swift

Big Machine Records
Produced by Taylor Swift and Nathan Chapman

Released October 25, 2010

Number of Tracks: 14

Summary

Taylor Swift’s third studio album, Speak Now, was released on October 25, 2010 to generally positive reviews from critics.  The album continues in the country pop style that has made Taylor Swift popular.  She wrote all of the songs on the album, as well as coproduced the album alongside Nathan Chapman.  As the first single released off of the album, “Mine” is an up-tempo song that tells about the challenges that come along with love and the ability of a true love to overcome one’s pessimistic outlook on relationships.  The second single, “Back to December,” is a ballad in which Swift apologizes to a former boyfriend for treating him badly and wishes that she had realized sooner what she had.  Her third and most recent single, “Mean,” is the most traditionally country sounding song on the album with a strong bluegrass influence, especially with the use of the banjo and fiddle.  The song fires back at the critics and bullies she has faced throughout her life, asserting that she will become successful and they will only ever be mean.  As with the title track, “Speak Now,” each song represents a confession to a different person, covering feelings of love, revenge, regret, heartbreak, and fear of growing up.

Critical Evaluation

At only 21-years-old, Taylor Swift has released three successful albums and Speak Now is the most mature, reflecting her own shift from a teenager to an adult.  For teens, Swift is more than a singer and songwriter—she is one of them.  Whereas other teen acts have gained success with others writing and producing their songs, Swift has achieved success by writing and producing her own material.  Because the majority of songwriters are no longer teenagers, Swift’s songwriting gives her a deeper connection to other teens and young adults, writing about first love and loss from the experience of someone who has just gone through it.  Also, because Swift writes her own songs, and a large majority is about ex-boyfriends, her public breakups are reflected in Speak Now.  For instance, the song, “Better than Revenge,” tells about an actress stealing her boyfriend and fans have connected this to Swift’s breakup with Joe Jonas and the speed with which he started a new relationship with Camilla Belle.  Even though Swift does not usually comment on the ex-boyfriends in her songs, fans are given a glimpse into the relationship and may feel a deeper connection to her.  The songs on the album are all extremely catchy and I bet that any one of them would be a commercial success.  My favorite is the slow ballad, “Last Kiss,” about a breakup that Swift did not see coming and she cannot imagine living without the guy.  The lyric, “All that I know if I don’t know/How to be something you miss,” particularly struck me as an honest thought that any girl just experiencing a breakup could feel.  In summary, the album provides a wealth of emotions that teens can relate to, with one song showing Swift’s vulnerability and then the next showing her strength and confidence.

Reader's Annotation

Taylor Swift’s third album, Speak Now, stands out as her most mature so far, including songs about love and loss, as well as strength and confidence, all in a collection of catchy songs.

Information About the Artist

Taylor Swift's debut record made her a queen in the country world, but 2008's Fearless positioned her as the year's biggest star of any genre. The sophomore album went gold during its first week of release; combined with the sales of its predecessor, it also made Swift the highest-grossing artist of 2008. The accolades increased in 2009, when Fearless went multi-platinum and took home two ACM awards, five American Music Awards, five CMAs, two CMTs, and a controversial trophy at the MTV Video Music Awards (Kanye West infamously stormed the stage during Swift's acceptance speech to throw his support to Beyoncé, claiming she deserved the award instead).

Meanwhile, "You Belong with Me" peaked at number two on the pop charts, officially cementing Swift's status as a crossover artist. By the time 2009 drew to a close, Fearless had sold nearly six million copies in America alone, making it the year's best-selling album.  Swift then focused her attention on wrapping up her third album, Speak Now, which she'd written entirely on her own throughout the two previous years. (information retrieved from artist’s biography on CMT.com: http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/swift__taylor/bio.jhtml)

Genre

Country/Pop

Curriculum Ties

N/A

Booktalking Ideas

1. Focus on Swift’s songwriting and producing credits.

2. Discuss the connection between Swift’s public persona and her music.

3. Identify the theme of speaking your mind in the songs on the album.

4. Connect Swift’s popularity among teens with the experiences portrayed in her songs.

Reading Level/Interest Age

The album is suitable for all ages, but those most interested would be ages 12 and up.

Challenge Issues

I do not anticipate any challenges for this album.

However, should challenges arise, librarians should become familiar with the material and its content.  Turn to reviews on Amazon.com, as well as reviews from teens that have listened to the CD.  Also, it is beneficial for librarians to present reasons backed by the ALA in support of intellectual freedom.  As stated in the Library Bill of Rights:

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

Why Include CD in Selection? 

Taylor Swift is an extremely popular artist right now and I have enjoyed this album.