The Random Thread and The Endless Nights of Baseball Discussions

[AmandaSparks730]

Release and promotion
Speak Now was released worldwide on October 25, 2010 by Big Machine Records.[6][7] The album's official cover was premiered through US Weekly on August 18, 2010.[8] An upcoming world tour has been confirmed for the album.[5]

Swift performed the song "Innocent" at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on September 12, 2010. Some of the tracks were previewed in advance of the release date: "Speak Now" on October 4, "Back to December" on October 11, and "Mean" on October 18, 2010.[9] These three were subsequently released to the iTunes Store the following day, respectively.[10] Additionally, "The Story of Us" will see its preview on October 22, 2010 through Comcast on-demand and XfinityTv.com.[10] "Speak Now" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number eight and on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number sixty the week of October 11, 2010, selling 217,000 digital downloads.[11][12][13] "Back to December" debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, with 242,000 digital downloads.[14] "Mean" debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 163,000 downloads.[15]

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Singles
The album's first single, "Mine", was released on August 4, 2010, instead of the planned August 16 release, after being leaked.[16] A music video for the song was shot in Kennebunkport, Maine during July.[17] Swift said the single was about her tendency to "run from love".[2]

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Speak Now received positive reviews from most music critics.[18] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 77, based on 10 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".[18] Allmusic writer Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it 4 out of 5 stars and commended Swift for her lyrical maturity, stating "she writes from the perspective of the moment yet has the skill of a songwriter beyond her years".[1] Erlewine noted that the album musically is "no great progression from Fearless but rather a subtle shift toward pure pop with the country accents".[1] Jessica Phillips of Country Weekly gave it 3½ out of 5 stars and stated "Speak Now signals Taylor’s coming of age, capturing her as she matures from teen queen to adult songwriter, and the lyrical content here reflects the unevenness that comes with transition."[28] Matt Bjorke of Roughstock viewed it as a thematic departure from her previous work and called it a "transitional recording [...] leaving behind the ‘puppy love’ of the first two albums in favor of stronger stories, more mature themes and ambitious at times".[29] Los Angeles Times writer Ann Powers gave it 3 out of 4 stars and stated "she makes memorable music by honing in on the tiny stuff: the half-notes in a hummed phrase, the lyrical images that communicate precisely what it’s like to feel uncomfortable, or disappointed, or happy".[21]

Elysa Gardner of USA Today gave the album 3½ out of 4 stars and complimented Swift's "youthful" perspective, stating "At its best, Speak Now captures the sweet ache of becoming an adult, as only those who are still in the process can articulate".[26] Entertainment Weekly's Leah Greenblatt praised her songcraft and called its tracks "perfectly contained snow globes of romance and catharsis, whole cinematic narratives rendered in four-to six-minute miniatures".[20] Jon Caramanica of The New York Times called it a "bravura work of nontransparent transparency... the most savage of her career, and also the most musically diverse. And it’s excellent too, possibly her best".[22] Blake Boldt of The 9513 gave it 4 out of 5 stars and complimented Swift's songwriting, while citing "Dear John" as the album's "best song".[30] Rolling Stone writer Rob Sheffield perceived "a minimum of country schmaltz" and commended Swift for "slipping more grown-up details into her love stories".[23] Rudy Klapper of Sputnikmusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and viewed it as an improvement over her previous album, calling it "the best pop record of the year".[31]

The Washington Post's Allison Stewart called the album "ridiculously entertaining [...] a lengthy, captivating exercise in woo-pitching, flame tending and score-settling", but found it "long: 14 wordy, stretched-thin, occasionally repetitive songs".[27] Despite calling it "carefully crafted", Chicago Sun-Times writer Thomas Conner gave the album 2 out of 4 stars and stated "The topicality of 'Speak Now,' plus Swift’s penchant for screwing a big, diesel-powered chorus into every song (“Enchanted” would have been an utterly enchanting ballad without one), makes the album a little exhausting".[19] Boston Herald writer Jed Gottlieb gave it a B- rating and criticized Swift's adolescence-oriented themes, stating "Speak Now has Swift taking a few strokes toward the deep end, but she’s over her head [...] eventually Swift has to give up the starry-eyed stuff".[32] Slant Magazine's Jonathan Keefe viewed that "her lyrics generally lack the variety and sophistication of her compositions", but complimented its "expertly crafted pop music" and called it "a studied, smart album that is easily the best, most dense work of Swift's career so far".[24] Despite finding its "bubblier tunes [...] the album's dullest, most forgettable moments", Mikael Wood of Spin gave Speak Now a 7/10 rating and wrote that "Swift taps into something nervy and intense when she goes nasty".[25]

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Track listing
The track listing was confirmed by Taylor Swift's official website on September 22, 2010.[33]

All songs written and composed by Taylor Swift [3][5].

Standard edition
No. Title Length
1. "Mine" 3:50
2. "Sparks Fly" 4:20
3. "Back to December" 4:53
4. "Speak Now" 4:00
5. "Dear John" 6:43
6. "Mean" 3:57
7. "The Story of Us" 4:25
8. "Never Grow Up" 4:50
9. "Enchanted" 5:52
10. "Better than Revenge" 3:37
11. "Innocent" 5:02
12. "Haunted" 4:02
13. "Last Kiss" 6:07
14. "Long Live" 5:17

International versions of the album feature alternate versions of "Mine", "Back to December", and "The Story of Us".

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Deluxe edition
A deluxe edition solely for release by the Target Corporation was announced that will feature a slightly different cover, with Swift in a red dress. It was released on the same day as the standard edition, it includes three additional tracks, two acoustic versions, a Pop Remix of "Mine", and thirty minutes of video content: the music video for "Mine", as well as behind-the-scenes footage of its production.[34][35][36] Taylor also released a video for the Target Deluxe Edition talking about her first crush [37]

 

[AmandaSparks730]

In "What You Own", when Mark and Roger are on the roof, you can briefly see the side of the building. If you look closely, "ANGEL" is spray-painted on the side of the building. This was purely coincidental.

 

[Smiley.Socks]

Deluxe edition
A deluxe edition solely for release by the Target Corporation was announced that will feature a slightly different cover, with Swift in a red dress. It was released on the same day as the standard edition, it includes three additional tracks, two acoustic versions, a Pop Remix of "Mine", and thirty minutes of video content: the music video for "Mine", as well as behind-the-scenes footage of its production.[34][35][36] Taylor also released a video for the Target Deluxe Edition talking about her first crush [37]

I got this edition.
I also got pre-sale for her uk tour when I bought it.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

During "Today 4 U" Angel jumps up onto the table. Wilson Jermaine Heredia did two takes of that jump; the first take is in the movie, but on the second take he slammed his knees into the table.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

I got this edition.
I also got pre-sale for her uk tour when I bought it.

She hasn't announced her tour dates for America yet! Just Europe and Asia, haha.

Then again, I saw her in June for the final performance of the FEARLESS Tour.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

During "The Tango Maureen", the eyebrow lift and jacket toss were added because the actors were having fun during rehearsals and the director liked it.

 

[Smiley.Socks]

She hasn't announced her tour dates for America yet! Just Europe and Asia, haha.

Then again, I saw her in June for the final performance of the FEARLESS Tour.

Aw! Are you gonna see her again on this tour?

 

[AmandaSparks730]

After "Today 4 U" a couple of moments were added by the actors after the director called, "Cut." They are Tom Collins (Jesse L. Martin) making the "whipped" gesture and sound, and Angel (Wilson Jermaine Heredia) hopping out of the screen when he says goodbye to Roger (Adam Pascal).

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Aw! Are you gonna see her again on this tour?

I hope so! As long as JUSTIN BOOPER isn't there again.

Rawrawrwrwar STUPID BIEBER. GO BACK TO CANADA!

 

[LondonUnderground]

omg I can't get to sleep :/ feel so ill and thirsty ):

 

[DisneyRockstar]

edit

 

[AmandaSparks730]

One of Jonathan Larson's girlfriends dumped him for a girl the way Maureen dumped Mark for Joanne.

 

[Smiley.Socks]

I hope so! As long as JUSTIN BOOPER isn't there again.

Rawrawrwrwar STUPID BIEBER. GO BACK TO CANADA!

Ahahaha! You can always go to the bathroom or the merch stall if the support sucks!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Idina Menzel sang "Over The Moon" live, rather than lip-syncing it.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Ahahaha! You can always go to the bathroom or the merch stall if the support sucks!

Haha, very true! I was like "of course Bieber is here...of effing course..."

Mom and I hung out inside the stadium when he was on, XD.

 

[DisneyRockstar]

I'm leaving the TB soon.