The first thing that hits you when one begins listening to Taylor Swift’s brand new album Speak Now is the songs have moved on from fairytales to reality. Speak Now is very different from Fearless (Taylor’s previous album) as far as the lyrics and the mood goes. However, there is nothing strikingly new about the music.
It took two years to make this album and Taylor has written all the tracks. The journey of her life seems to be reflected in the songs. Listening to this 20-year-old Grammy Award winner is like glancing through the pages of a teenager’s diary.
The album begins with Mine, where it looks like the singer is not sure about love and has the tendency to run away from it. Sparks life, is about a love-struck teenager with lyrics like “Cause I see, sparks fly whenever you smile”.
The line up is a trajectory of moods and revelations. The first few tracks have her usual pop and country music flavour and later come tracks like Better than Revenge, where she has experimented with rock.
There is also a seven minute track Dear John, where she sings “All the girls that you’ve run dry have tired, lifeless eyes ‘cause you burned them out”. Though it isn’t such a great-sounding country ballad, it makes you wonder which John is she talking about — is it John Mayer?
With lyrics that sound so much like a diary jot, for example, Back To December, comes across as an apology to a former lover, who could be the other Taylor — Taylor Lautner. There is nothing out-of-the-box or refreshing about the music and there is no song that you will hum while driving. Nor can you give this album to your ex, to get across a point!