Speak Now - Taylor Swift
User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 130 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 107 out of 130
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 130
  3. Negative: 22 out of 130

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  1. musicfan79
    Oct 26, 2010
    0
    Taylor Swift may be growing up, but once again, I'm THROWING UP! Speak Now is pretty much the same as her previous two albums; Hack songwriting and terrible singing. The only difference with Speak Now, is that Taylor has become more lame and self-indulgent than ever...She is sure to continue her run of success with Speak Now, but that only proves one thing; P.T. Barnum WAS RIGHT! There really is a sucker born every minute...I take comfort in knowing that no matter how many albums she sells right now, she will spend the vast majority of her life residing in the 'where are they now bin?'… Expand
  2. musictomyears
    Oct 26, 2010
    0
    Speak Now is merely the diary of a 20 year olds personal problems with boys. The Kiss and Tell approach holds no interest to me. Releasing material that you believe is giving you the last word and attempting to publicly humiliate others is offensive to me. Vocally, Taylor has been studio perfected to the best that can be done with her weak limited vocal range,her live performances are....well for me painful to witness.… Expand
  3. Coutrney
    Oct 27, 2010
    0
    First and foremost I am a Country Music fan. Speak Now is not in my opinion an album that should be labeled Country. It is very much a Pop release, in fact every "Critic" review has also called the album Pop, the one exception is the track Mean, which is heavy on Country instruments.
    To me the lyrics and messages delivered are spiteful and "woe is me" in context. Taylor is rather self ind    ulgent in her approach to share her past 2 years of life. The length of these songs is also a huge cry to listen, listen,listen to me, me, me, and mine, mine, mine. I'm extremely sad that Country Radio is willing to play this Bubble Gum Pop day after day. Country Music Fans do not want our format to be ruled by Pop artist!!… Expand
  4. GabroMuzik
    Nov 3, 2010
    2
    Taylor was confirmed as a pop singer in her new album and how it can make use of a genre like country music to sell millions while she is destroying this genre, although her lyrics continue to be those of an innocent young girl and continue to generate a good image around it...is the same...always
  5. countryrules
    Oct 29, 2010
    0
    Taylor in my opinion has created a Pop Album with Speak Now. I remember fondly how enjoyable Tim McGraw and Our Song were. Her vocals seemed far better back then. Now Taylor has straddled genres and it is clear to me that she desires to be a Pop artist.
    I just finished viewing youtube performances of Taylor Live in New York and I am personally shocked how truly bad those live performance    s are. I fully realize that she is incredibly popular and that every media format seems to believe she is the saviour of the music industry, it still boggles my mine. I expect my doctors to provide excellent health care, my financial planner to provide sound investment proposals and yes singers to be able to sing on pitch and in tune. Silly me. lol… Expand
  6. Moodrew
    Nov 2, 2010
    3
    Taylor Swift's latest release, 'Speak Now', finds her charting familiar territory in terms of song subject matter, and is filled with desperate attempts to appear mature. Swift, who is sometimes criticized for her youthful lyrics, seems to be trying to escape these criticisms by adding a little spice to her sugary sweet image. "Better Than Revenge", an example of Swift's desire to grow up a little, is a song drenched in Paramore-style production and ultimately comes off as juvenile and a little tasteless. "Mean" is another child-like track that resorts to name-calling; it even attacks those who criticize her singing ability. Ironically, her singing ability (or lack thereof) is the main problem with this album. 'Speak Now' is plagued with Swift's weak, breathy vocals, which are being modified by an abundance of pitch correctors throughout the album. Lyrically, there are few problems with Taylor Swift's songs; in fact, many of the songs on 'Speak Now' (such as "Innocent" and "Dear John") are well-written. The fact is that these songs are just wasted when they are being sung by someone with such a lackluster voice. However, it is refreshing to see that, among tons of pop songs with stupid lyrics, that there is one prominent pop singer-songwriter that can write somewhat intelligent songs. Still, this does not excuse Swift's obvious lack of vocal talent.

    Another problem this album faces is that it is hardly a country album at all; the fact that this album is marketed as a country album is laughable. Most songs from 'Speak Now' would sound out of place on country radio; the aforementioned "Mean" is the only exception, and this makes it seem like a misfit on the album. Swift has been walking a fine line between country and pop to this point, and it seems she has chosen her side. The biggest potential problem with this album is the burnout this album may cause for Swift's career. Everybody has heard Swift's confessional, tell-all love songs, but how many songs about the same subject will be released before people tire of it? Only time will tell.    … Expand
  7. CriticalCritic
    Nov 19, 2010
    3
    +3 for exceptional song-writing.
    +0 for having no voice and having to make it up with autotune.
    +0 for originality.
    Not to mention all her songs sound the same. "Mine", although lyrically different, is pretty much just a worse version of "You Belong With Me".
  8. Turine
    Nov 6, 2010
    3
    Taylor Swift took 2 years to write songs that are not even #1 hits. Not saying that the album is utterly horrible, but taking 2 years to write songs that are not even hits on the Billboard 100, save Mine, is too long a time. Comparing this to Fearless, Fearless, without a doubt, is better than this album. Her debut week sales of 1.047 million albums are probably because of her huge fan group.
    Taylor doesn't deserve to sell that many albums when her music isn't that nice and mature compared to other singers like Mariah Carey, Eminem, Susan Boyle.    … Expand
  9. banders234
    Nov 27, 2010
    0
    It's time to grow up Taylor. It's time to write songs that are relevant to people your own age. I don't understand how any male can listen to her lyrics and relate to them? Seriously, I think any guy who listens to her must only like the music, not the message. I think her music has absolutely no depth, and I also don't think an artist should get free points just because she wrote all her songs by herself. Her song subject matter consists almost solely of relationships. She can't even sing that well, every time I see her on TV, she is off-key. "Dear John" is slander, and the fact that she has had that many celebrity boyfriends makes her seem like a total slut.… Expand
  10. chommy
    Nov 25, 2010
    2
    Wanna try something different, Taylor? Sounds almost exactly like her last two album, and it's about the same things: love. And boys. Once again, she uses her terrible writing skills to slam ex-boyfriends and spit delusional images into teenage girls (like how you deserve the boy you want, even if he's taken; and how every break up is going to be perfect and dramatic and all boys secretly love you). Disappointed.… Expand
  11. smokesouljah420
    Jul 14, 2012
    0
    depressing, all the worlds problems and all she cares about is nothing im portant, i mean did this girl live the most sheltered life in the world, i mean this album will make you depressed, i heard taylor turned muslim but not sure, i hope so cuz her albums neeed a lil substance beside highschool, i mean we are adults, and all the songs sound the same and are the same, her on her awful sounding guitar , simplr riffs and her below avg voice, i mean this is total crap 2, listen at your own risk, crap 0 out of 10, don't want my kids 2 be this sheltered and only think about herself and guys 24 -7 , crap u prob go 2 church and believe lies if you like this cd… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 20 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 20
  3. Negative: 0 out of 20
  1. Expert Witness (MSN Music)
    Feb 4, 2011
    91
    Even in their overwork, however, they evince an effort that bears a remarkable resemblance to care‑-that is, to caring in the best, broadest, and most emotional sense.
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  2. Country Weekly
    Jan 11, 2011
    70
    While Taylor turns her wrath on a woman who steals her man on "Better Than Revenge," she turns that critical eye on herself in "Back to December," a thorough apology to a former lover she regrets having left behind. Other tunes, such as "Mean" and "Sparks Fly," suffer from generic and sometimes underdeveloped lyrics.
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  3. American Songwriter
    Dec 15, 2010
    70
    Because of the buzz behind it, Speak Now was destined to be a commercial success no matter what. Thankfully, the album succeeds on an artistic level as well.
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