A Definitive Ranking of Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) Vault Tracks

Taylor Swift's Speak Now (Taylor's Version) has been in our hands for two weeks, and we have opinions. 

Before diving into the music, we must say we love this era, from the merchandise to the new videos. The past two weeks have felt like the most immersive of all the re-recordings, and we're scared to see what else Taylor has up her sleeve for her final three projects, and overall, the Speak Now Vault tracks, collectively, are our favorite thus far. There is no song we don't find ourselves humming at some point in our day.

Despite streaming the new music on rotation, we still have our favorites from the bunch. Find our definitive ranking of the six new tracks from Speak Now (Taylor's Version) below.

6. 'Timeless'

"Timeless" is the kind of Taylor Swift track we appreciate solely for its lyricism.

Taylor traces a hypothetical timeline of relationships that beat all odds, from arranged marriages to lovers torn apart by war. This vivid storytelling is what made us fall in love with Taylor in the first place. The only aspect that keeps us from ranking it higher is its simple melody. The stakes were high in a batch of songs that included tracks like "I Can See You" and features from Fall Out Boy and Hayley Williams.

 

Also read about: Everything You Need to Enter Your Friendship Bracelet Era

 

5. 'Castles Crumbling'

"Castles Crumbling" isn't bad, but it isn't what we would expect from a collaboration between Taylor and Hayley. These are the two women who penned "Better Than Revenge" and "Misery Business," so we can only imagine what kind of force a pop-punk song would be between them. Honestly, it's good that Taylor opted for a ballad, because the world would not have been ready for that!

 

4. 'Electric Touch' (feat. Fall Out Boy)

There is nothing that could have prepared us for a Fall Out Boy collaboration on Speak Now (Taylor's Version). Our hearts hold a soft spot for this song because it's reminiscent of the dramatic narration we enjoyed in Fearless. It's got a catchy beat, and we love how the song climaxes with Patrick Stump's belting vocals. And strangely enough, it reminds us of another one of our favorite songs, "No Control" by One Direction.

 

3. 'Foolish One'

"Foolish One" is like the pessimistic sister of "Enchanted." Taylor's still a hopeless romantic, dreaming of her fairytale moment but only becoming less confident it'll ever happen. We don't know if it was on purpose, but the way she sings, "You are not the exception," immediately sent us back to the yearning cry: "Please don't be in love with someone else." Taylor, you are a genius. And as always, we can relate to both sides of that coin.

 

Also read about: A Definitive Ranking of Every Taylor Swift Album

 

2. 'I Can See You'

Our jaws were on the ground when we first listened to "I Can See You." It's the cheekiest song we've heard from Taylor, and we would love to see the full-of-life, young Taylor basking in the boldness of this track. Besides having Taylor's gutsiest lyrics yet, it's unlike anything else in her discography—especially with that addicting electric guitar hook and bouncy bassline. We know this statement is bold, but we like the playfulness of the "I Can See You" music video more than the "All Too Well" short film. 

 

1. 'When Emma Falls in Love'

Obsessing over "When Emma Falls in Love" the way that we are is something we're still trying to fathom.

At its core, the twangy, country sound is not something we'd typically gravitate toward, and the lowkey production is the complete antithesis of our taste, but there's something about how the song goes from zero to 100 on the transition to the chorus, and her delivery is so matter-of-fact that it's charming.

The lyrics, in typical Taylor fashion, are subtly poetic, and we're a sucker for poetry. We can't get enough of how genius the line "If Cleopatra grew up in a small town" is. It's a topic many of us have probably felt at some point in our lives—jealousy but the kind that's appreciative and not malicious—yet, we've never heard someone narrate the emotion so eloquently.

 

Can't get enough of Taylor's new music? Show your appreciation on social media using one of THESE enchanting lyrics from Speak Now (Taylor's Version).