Taylor Swift Reveals the ‘Saddest,’ ‘Most Scathing’ & ‘Most Wistfully Romantic’ Songs She’s Ever Written

Taylor Swift unveiled Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on Friday (July 7) and the superstar kept the nostalgia for her 2010 third studio album alive with a moving prologue reminiscent of her original Speak Now liner notes that remain popular among Swifties.

“When I look back at the Speak Now album, I get a lump in my throat. I have a feeling it will always be this way, because this period of time is so violently aglow with the last light of the setting sun of my childhood,” she began her message, which fans who bought the album have taken to social media to share. “I made this album, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. I’ve spoken about how I feel like those ages are the most emotionally turbulent ones in a person’s life. Maybe when I say that, I’m really just talking about myself.”

Throughout the prologue, Swift recalls the Speak Now era of her life, which was complete with publicized romantic relationships, criticisms surrounding her musical abilities and, of course, the infamous VMAs scandal with Kanye West. “I wanted to get better, to challenge myself, and to build on my skills as a writer, an artist, and a performer,” she shared of her mindset at the time.

The superstar also revealed that three songs on Speak Now stick out to her even after all these years. “It was an album that was the most precious to me because of its vast extremes. It was unfiltered and potent. In my mind, the saddest song I’ve ever written is ‘Last Kiss.’ My most scathing is ‘Dear John’ and my most wistfully romantic is ‘Enchanted.'” she shared.

Read the full prologue on Reddit here.