Hear Me Out: Speak Now Is Taylor Swift's Best Album

You know how many people helped Swift write Speak Now? Zero. (That's right: zero.) For her third studio album, she wrote the lyrics and music all by herself, which is an incredible feat. Not only does this achievement showcase Swift's talent, both lyrically and musically, but it also makes the album feel even more personal since it's coming solely from her.

Out of all of Swift's albums, Speak Now is one of her most comprehensive pieces of work. There are uplifting tracks ("Mine"), romantic ballads ("Enchanted"), and sad breakup songs ("Dear John"). And let's not forget about the songs that aren't about love. While "Never Grow Up" beautifully translates her fear of growing older, "Long Live" will forever be Swift's personal "thank you" to her dedicated fans.

While RED is technically Swift's last country album, Speak Now perfectly blends her classic country sound with her evolving pop sound. There are banjo-heavy songs like "Mean," but bubblegum-pop melodies like in "Mine" help to balance out the album's overall tone. The radio-friendly songs foreshadow Swift's transition to a pop star but also stay true to her roots with her smart lyrical hooks and string instrumentals.

Around the time Speak Now was released, people were gaining even more interest in Swift's relationships. She had recently dated a handful of attractive young stars (see: Joe Jonas and Taylor Lautner) and had also feuded with a few notable celebrities (see: Kanye West). Instead of speaking on those matters publicly, though, Swift addressed them in her music. Even though her songs have always been about her personal experiences, they eventually took on a new form as fans scoured the lyrics for clues about which celebrity she was singing about. The guessing game may have been trivial at the time, but it was also super entertaining and piqued my interest in her hidden Easter eggs.

One thing that I have always loved about Swift's albums is how she masterfully crafts each and every one with a specific theme in mind. While Fearless is all about doing things in spite of your fears and Red is about her most intense emotions, all the songs on Speak Now are what Swift wishes she had said in the moment but didn't have the courage to. "There is a time for silence. There is a time waiting your turn. But if you know how you feel, and you so clearly know what you need to say, you'll know it," she writes in the prologue letter. (I can't tell you how much that quote helped me with feelings of insecurity in high school.) As we know, Swift has always had a way with words, so each and every song reads like a private letter to a specific person or an entry in her personal diary about a specific moment in her life. The album shows Swift being completely vulnerable and open, and as a result, that much more relatable to her fans.