Taylor Swift Speak Now (TV) Reaction

"Innocent" is about Kanye. He was 32 when the VMAs thing went down. And "You'll have new Septembers" is also a reference, as they took place September 2009

Rebecca Knox

"Mean" is about a critic who was needlessly harsh, saying she was "young and dumb", "couldn't sing", and "destroyed her career overnight" after performing with Stevie Nicks. It's intentionally more country, as they made some comment about her country music in the review.

Rebecca Knox

You should react to Evermore, the sister album of folklore.

Carla Robledo

Midnights!!!!!

Jamie Speese

I think you have to watch long live live to understand the reason it’s so cherished in the fandom. I also recommend watching dear John live from the speak now tour!

Emily

Ps. For the next album I think that Midnights is the one for you in this moment

Irene

I really appreciated your reaction. To answer your question "the boy" is not always the same for all songs, there are songs for John, Taylor and Joe but also songs dedicated to people who criticized her at the time and songs dedicated to fans like Long Live (you heard part of the song on the Reputation Stadium Tour you saw). In general Spek Now is one of my favorite Taylor albums because there is an incredible writing and instrumental part in my opinion.

Irene

I gasped when you said “ehh it was alright” after Long Live 🥺 It feels like a love letter from Taylor to her fans. Perhaps you have to scream it from the top of your lungs at a show to appreciate it. Overall, still loved your perspective and thoughts on the album. Looking forward to whatever is next!

Jessica Weed

I really think you’d enjoy Midnights—not only is it the most recent/timely work from Taylor, it’s also arguably her most well-rounded and musically advanced album. She is able to combine the enhanced lyricism of folklore/evermore into interesting synth beats, while still holding all the same emotion. She’s also just an adult now, as most of us are. As an “elder” swiftie (I’m considered that even though I’m only 4 years older than Taylor), I have come to realize that’s there’s a BIG nostalgia element to some of these older albums for younger fans (so fans who are in their late 20s now heard this when they were 12 so they think it’s her best work). Meanwhile, I was in my 20s when Speak now came out so I didn’t identify with it even then. Objectively, the later albums are better, I’ll argue with anyone over that. And that’s not a dig on Taylor, these early albums are teenage albums, and that’s ok. But if you’re an adult, I think albums she wrote as an adult will appeal to you more, it’s just that simple.

Courtney McAlexander

I absolutely vote midnights or 1989 next!! Thank you for being so honest with your reactions (although long live being called Aright hurt lol) and for taking the time to react! Loving going on this Taylor swift journey with you!! If you’re doing red, be prepared it has 30 songs!! (Including vault tracks) Can’t wait to see what you do next!!

Kayla B

Thanks, only if you have time though of course! - there is a backstory to the album so if you do end up doing it make sure to look into it!

Delilah

I have never listened to a Beyonce album. I'll try and fit Lemonade into the list.

would you ever do any beyonce? If so, please consider her Lemonade album! (SO good!)

Delilah

Who says somebody has to like everything for it to be a great video? This was an awesome video, your knowledge about production and music gives you great insight. I adore Speak now, I'm a suck for that kind of instrumentation along with Taylor's storytelling.

TSTS1989

Thanks so much for the great reaction. I really appreciate that you said some songs weren't for you instead of just blowing off the song as a bad song. I don't like every song Taylor does either, but I find myself liking a song more and more when I see the live version. The Speak Now World Tour is amazing. Dear John is one of my favorites from the tour. I think she's just still really working through her feelings on that one. Thanks again Jim. Looking forward to the next one.

ALK

I’ll remember to do the 3am version. Thanks for the heads up!

Love the reaction :) I would love to see what you think of Midnights, but you have to do the 3am edition because the album is just not complete without those tracks.

Marcela

I don’t listen to the deluxe tracks honestly!!! But I would recommend the vault tracks. I can appreciate that last kiss is a good song but it’s not a fav and I do love long live. A love letter to her band and her fans, it’s just so beautiful. Especially with fearless being this golden era that encapsulated this fantasy, imaginative world with stories inspired by Romeo and Juliet and she performed on like a castle balcony. The castle/kingdom being her career, success and her art make all the fantasy metaphors work for me and it just feels like a celebration of her achievements and our time spent with her as fans. I love it!!!

Giorgia M

Yeah, my favorite songs are the ones I actually disliked at first listen

agree 100%

Jenna

Nice reaction! You did a great job with this, I really enjoyed it! And its ok if you didn't vibe with every song, even the most die hard Swifties def have their favorites on this album. One thing about Taylor though, is generally, the more the listen to a song the more you'll love it. Not always, but this holds true for lots of songs for me. Some that start out as "oh that's just okay" grows one me unexpectedly. You're favorites are mostly my favorites on this one (except for Mean, no biggie). I always think this album is a huge surprise for people, just because of how much some of it really rocks. And then you have the most beautiful songs sprinkled in there (Back to December, Innocent, Never Grow Up). Anyways, thanks for doing this! I can't wait to see your reaction to the vault songs on this, they are really good!

Jenny MacRunnel

I tried to not cry. I made it to the childhood room line in "Never Grow Up. Overall, I also have a couple of songs on this album that I just don't go back to, but it's still a great album! I'm excited about what your next Taylor-Album will be. I would recommend evermore od Midnights. Can't really explain why. Also, I would definitely recommend you watch her acceptance speech for the honorary doctor's degree in 2022 (https://youtu.be/OBG50aoUwlI). I hung at her lips every second when I saw it and I thought about it from time to time since.

You should watch Taylor’s Grammys performance of mean. She originally wrote it after a journalist trashed her in an article about her previous Grammys performance. She received a standing ovation after she sang it at the Grammys!

Amber Crutchfield

No no, it´s okay, i was just wondering :) I thought i got when you switched, but maybe i didn´t. It´s all good though :)

Aggi78

I would switch back and forth to compare tracks for a few songs. However, for the stolen track, I only included a brief bit of audio. It might be confusing. Sorry about that. I should have done a better job explaining when I was switching. I'll make a better effort on the next album reaction.

Am i tripping or is the audio of Sparks Fly and at least Back to December of the "stolen" version? I´m didnt watch further now, but those are not Taylor´s Versions, are they? I´m not mad, just want to know :D

Aggi78

Yes I would love to see you react to the vault tracks. They are really exceptional.

Renee Parker

Okay amazing thank you 😊

Kimberly Rodriguez

Also wanted to add that this album is in my top three along with Folklore and Evermore and the nostalgia aspect is a huge part of that (it came out when I was 15). I remember hearing "Mine" and thinking that the perspective switch in the last verse was the coolest thing lol. I love a sad song so Back to December and Last Kiss were my first favorite songs of hers.

LV

Here's my video for the MV https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUe1PPFobk0 I took it off youtube. Tomorrow ill be doing the explicit version performance video and the GMA.

I could be wrong but the critic that “Mean” is about also made negative comments about her being a country artist/hated country music so she made the song as country as possible. Again, not sure if it’s true but 2010 Taylor Swift was definitely petty enough to lean into it 😂

LV

he already did, he posted it on his YouTube but its gone now for some reason (possibly copyright? idk)

Makayla Vante

Hopefully at some point you'll go back for the "Vault" tracks that you missed; Timeless is one of my new favs from Speak Now. I think "Mean"s redeeming point for me, personally, is in her Grammy's performance of the song--"Someday, I'll be, singing this at the Grammy's, and all you're ever gonna be is mean"... makes me giggle. I *love* that you thought Innocent was introspective and that she changed the lyric, because I think that's exactly how she meant the Taylor's Version to be heard, and not as a forgiveness track for He Who Shall Not Be K-Named. I'm excited for the day you get to "Would've, Could've, Should've", seeing as how you enjoyed Dear John.. If Dear John was written in the moment, WCS is adult Taylor reflecting on it now that she (was) the same age as John was when they dated. As always, I appreciate your honesty as you go through her discography. Not every song is for every person, and you seem to genuinely respect her music even when a song isn't for you.

Amanda M.

Will you be reacting to Jungkook’s single “Seven” any time soon? 😊

Kimberly Rodriguez

Midnights is definitely more up your alley! :)

Lauren K

Taylor has expressed that she loves to play around with different genres and try to combine different sounds! Specially her 2010 and 2012 albums Speak Now and Red she describe as a “patch work quilt” of sounds and when she was experimenting the most with music in her early career.

codenamewitch xx

Awesome reaction!! I highly recommend watching the Speak Now World Tour (available on YouTube)! Or checking out my favorite performance from the concert which is Dear John! https://youtu.be/4FQCpSg65jU https://youtu.be/O68JIQoI8MU

codenamewitch xx

this album is pure nostalgia and I think this is why so many people love it cause it was just what you feel in middle school even songs like better than Revenge even tho no one agrees with the message now even Taylor talked about it in 2015 and if you remember the long bond when she talked about the girl in august, but you just cannot help not jam to it in the car it brings so many memories these re-recordings hits different

Reema !

Omg! The Star Wars bible verse🤣🤣🤣🤣 I can't!

Megan Delynn

Btw here are two links I think you should watch. It's from a week ago when SN(TV) was released & Taylor did Enchanted & Long Live! When you hear the crowd singing you'll get it a little more! https://youtu.be/NgW2wOVpS5M https://youtu.be/2idg0pt48t4 I hope they work for you cuz they've been getting pulled down a lot so watch soon with headphones! Enjoy!

Megan Delynn

Wow, this is one of the best comments I've ever read. Accurate and descriptive, yet concise. The only thing I can think to add is regarding Long Live -- a lot of the lyrics specifically reference her and her band winning Album of the Year for "Fearless." The "trophies" are Grammys. The "outraged cynics" are all the people who thought it was "absurd" that she won for Fearless (not just Kanye; there were many who criticized and doubted her at this time, that's why she did Speak Now as a totally self-written album).

Aloha Record Sargent

Great reaction, as usual! Hmmmmm, thinking about what to do next, how about Midnights? Might be nice to do something totally different! 1989 and Red are also good choices, though. What are you in the mood for? Red = Singer/songwriter transition from country to pop. 1989 = Pure pop. Midnights = Moody confessional electro-pop.

Aloha Record Sargent

on some songs (especially her first four albums), she does have a male backing vocal (in the original recordings, it was her producer, Nathan Chapman, for the TVs, it's Mike Meadows who's in her touring band) Mine - about no one in particular, she just was dreaming about the perfect relationship Sparks Fly - written in 2006 about her crush on country singer Jake Owen who she opened for in a bar in Portland, Oregon, she sang it live a few times and fans liked it so much that she updated some lyrics and put it on this album (it did used to have banjo on it before she did an official recording) Back to December - her apologizing to Taylor Lautner, they're on good terms now Speak Now - fictional story but Taylor got the idea after attending her friend, Hayley Williams' ex's wedding (allegedly, she jokingly asked Hayley if she was going to "speak now" and then was like "hey that's a good song idea") Dear John - written about John Mayer, it has a sequel song in Would've Could've Should've on the album, Midnights Mean - after a few bad live performances, this one critic, Bob Lefsetz wrote a scathing review of her (he said her career belonged in a bin along with some other things), she was quite hurt and wrote this song Story of Us - written after she ran into John Mayer at an award show and it was super awkward Never Grow Up - she wrote this after moving out into her first apartment Enchanted - she had been emailing Adam Young from Owl City and then met him in person at a party in New York and wrote this song afterwards. Better Than Revenge - Taylor and Joe Jonas had a bad breakup via a 17 second long phone call, and he started dating Camila Belle afterward. Taylor wrote a song, Forever & Always for her album, Fearless, about the break up, Joe then wrote a song, Much Better, about how Camilla was better than Taylor so Taylor wrote Better Than Revenge in response. (Taylor and Joe have since made up). There was a lyric change in this song, it used to go "She's not a saint, and she's not what you think, she's an actress, but she's better known for the things that she does on the mattress", Taylor got flack for it and grew up and apologized for it hence why the lyric now is "She's not a saint, and she's not what you think, she's an actress, he was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches" Innocent - her forgiving Kanye for the VMA incident, it did not age well and blew up in her face Haunted - nobody knows who it's about, speculated to be Joe Jonas or John Mayer but there's also a theory that it was written for the Twilight soundtrack and it's actually about Bella and Edward Last Kiss - another Joe Jonas song, the intro is 27 second which is how long the break up phone call lasted (also if the 1:58 is a bible reference, it works shockingly well with the song) Long Live - written about her band (most of which has been with her since 2007) and has expanded into being for the fans, even sweeter now because her band is the one playing the instruments for the re-record, she even got back ex-band members like Caitlin Evanson and Liz Huett to play on it. Ours - early days in the John Mayer relationship, it's jarring going from this to Dear John Superman - also about Mayer, a lyric in here "I loved you from the very first day" was the secret message in the liner notes of Dear John in the lyric booklet Electric Touch - first date jitters, her and Fall Out Boy have a history, she's a huge fan of their songwriting and they've performed My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) live twice together When Emma Falls in Love - about her friend Emma Stone I Can See You - not sure who it's about but I've decided to assign it to Taylor Lautner or Joe Jonas Castles Crumbling - Long Live's depressing twin sister, lyrics from CC were pilfered for some reputation tracks like Call It What You Want Foolish One - another John Mayer song which fills in some gaps between Ours and Dear John, has some lyrical parallels to Superman Timeless - dunno who it's about but the lyric video uses pictures of both her sets of grandparents If This Was a Movie - was on the original deluxe version of Speak Now but Taylor kicked it off the rerecord due to it having a co-writer, she did rerecord it though! It's available under Fearless Taylor's Version on streaming

Tsukiakari1203

To also answer some of your other questions-their are 5 guys written about on this album from Tay ages 18-20. Kanye(Innocent- although she rerecorded it when she was 32 so it might be more introspective now) Joe Jonas (who broke up with her in a 27 second phone call-the instrumental intro on Last Kiss is 27 seconds) Better then Revenge & Last Kiss are def about him. Taylor Lautner as you've heard. The lead singer of Owl City inspired Enchanted. And most of the the rest (Ours, Sparks Fly,The Story of Us, Haunted, Mine?, Superman & obviously Dear John which will blow your mind live!) Speak Now was actually written after a chat Tay had with Hailey from Paramore about an ex of hers getting married & Tay jokingly said she could "speak now" at the wedding. Long Live is a love song from Tay to her band & the fans (you heard it mashed up on piano with New Year's Day on the Rep Tour when everyone in the crowd was hugging & crying while screaming the lyrics). Never Grow up is obvious & the new vault tracks are too new to really know imo! I'm not done watching but I hope that helps a little & yes the concert movie for sure! The Haunted video was filmed in the Psycho house! Oh, & Mean is about a critic named Bob Lefsetz (another much older man who wouldn't stop bullying Taylor in his online music forum & still talks shit about her to this day!) that wouldn't leave Taylor alone with his hateful articles about her, but the song & video turned into an anti-bullying anthem that won her a Grammy! Ps-Taylor's thing about being guarded is because the media & haters always blamed her for being a needy psycho GF who drove men away (this is why we have Blank Space) when no one bothered to question the damage done by multiple much older men doing clear emotional trauma to a teenager (Kanye, Bob, John Mayer, Jake Gyllenhaal, Scooter Braun later...) As a women I can tell you that losing your girlhood or wide eyed optimism has to happen to become an adult, but it is too often a violent loss physically or emotionally for young women.

Megan Delynn

not going to give you a bunch of album lore because i'm sure you will get plenty of it. yeah there is a guy doing background vocals this album and im pretty sure it was the same guy who also did it for the original version! i know you've already said you'll most likely do the tour movie which is awesome!! every tour has had its own movie other than red which was going to have a movie but unfortunately some things happened with that. thanks for another great reaction! i appreciate your honesty but also willing to truly sit with each song and take it before deciding how you feel about it. i don't think its realistic to like every song on album or every song ever made by an artist so don't expect you to. and thanks for making me want applebees gdi 😂

ariel

haha just posted the same thing! We are mind melding.

Aloha Record Sargent

Yeah, she wrote that lovely song for Kanye and totally forgave him, and he just screwed her over again and again.

Aloha Record Sargent

Back to December is about Taylor Lautner -- he is a great guy and a huge part of Swiftie lore! They dated in 2009, and he was on stage when the Kanye thing happened. He "held her in his arms that September night" (the night of the VMAs) -- that was the "first time he ever saw her cry." They never got back together but they are good friends now -- he even came on stage at the Eras tour! That's why it was so epic that he was in the MV for "I can see you." p.s. I don't think we know what happened between them, but some *speculate* there is a song on Midnights that could explain it...the general idea being that he was "sunshine" and she was "midnight rain."

Aloha Record Sargent

Back to December was about Taylor Lautner (held my in your arms that september night refers to the 2009 VMAs debacle. They did not get back together but are on good terms! he was in the I Can See You music video

Tsukiakari1203

no problem! it's one of my favorites too, and i edited my original comment :)

scf

Interesting. I would have never guessed that. Innocent is one of my favorite tracks thanks for sharing!

the lyric in Innocent was 32 in the original as well, it was a forgiveness song for Kanye after he interrupted her at the awards show it's just coincidental she's 33 now. Also, you might get crucified for saying "long live" is just alright. it's an ode to the fans she's said so herself. The Speak now tour dear john performance is insane & in Better Than Revenge she changed the lyrics from "she's better known for the things she does on the mattress" to "he was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches"

scf

Excited to watch this tonight! Did you see this re-recording is breaking a bunch of records? It will debut at #1 on the Billboard 200, launching with the year’s biggest week for any album (716,000 equivalent album units, of which 507,000 are in traditional album sales). This is Taylor's 12th #1 album, surpassing Barbra Streisand for the most No. 1 albums among women. It also makes her the first living act since 1966 to have 4 albums in the top 10 at the same time, and the only woman EVER to do so!

Aloha Record Sargent