While performing in Nashville May 5, Taylor Swift made the enchanting announcement that she will release “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” July 7.

“You know how I love to plan things, and how I love to surprise you with things I plan,” Swift said before she began performing “Sparks Fly” off of “Speak Now” as a surprise song. “It’s my love language with you, I plot, I scheme, I plan and I get to tell you about it. If you would direct your attention to the back big screen,” and on the screen was the announcement of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”. 

For months, especially after the release of “Midnights,” fans have been speculating when the re-release of “Speak Now” would be. Fans noticed many Easter eggs (hints and references hidden in media) in Swift’s posts and music videos from her most recent album “Midnights.”

For Swift, 2019 was the end of a decade of working with Big Machine Records, but the start of an age in which Swift would take back her power through creating a “Taylor’s Version” of her first six albums.

In June 2019, music executive Scooter Braun purchased Big Machine Records, Swift’s former record label. With the purchase, Braun became the owner of all artwork copyrighted by Big Machine, including Swift’s first six albums. Swift claims the label prevented her from using her music in the 2019 American Music Awards and 2020 Netflix documentary “Miss Americana.” This upset her and in 2020 when Big Machine released Live From Clear Channel Stripped 2008, one of Swift’s unreleased works without her permission, she was done. 

In response, Swift announced she would be rerecording all six of her albums that are copyrighted under Big Machine Records. The re-recorded albums would be owned by her under the name “Taylor’s Version,” while the original recordings profit Braun through Big Machine Records. 

In 2021 Swift released the re-recordings of her second album, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” originally released in 2008 and her fourth album “Red (Taylor’s Version)” originally released in 2012.

 The public has been highly supportive of Swift’s decision. iHeartRadio, the largest radio network in the U.S., has replaced all older versions of Swift’s music with the re-recordings. 

Not only do Swift’s re-recordings give her ownership of her work, they also allow her to have more creative freedom. All her re-recorded albums contain tracks “from the vault” that Swift originally wrote for the albums, but never released. The track “All Too Well (10 minute version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)” from “Red (Taylor’s Version)” received the 2023 Grammy for best music video. Both her re-recorded albums have been majorly successful and continue to break records.

“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” will contain six tracks “from the vault.” 

The re-release of this album will be a time of nostalgia for many, as Swift originally released it 12 years ago, in October of 2010. Those who streamed the album when it first came out are now over a decade older and will be reminded of their childhood.

The re-recording of this album is not only important to fans, but to Swift herself.

“I first made Speak Now completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20,” Swift said in an Instagram post announcing the upcoming album. “The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing… and living to speak about it.”