Taylor Swift unveiled "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" on Friday, complete with a handful of never-before-heard songs.
The rerecorded version of her beloved third album, originally released in 2010, is also the third installment in her "Taylor's Version" series. Swift embarked on a mission to recreate her first six albums, from her 2006 self-titled debut to 2017's "Reputation," in order to reclaim ownership of her music.
With each release, Swift includes several songs that she describes as "from the vault," meaning they were written during the album's creative process but cut from the original tracklist.
Swift wrote "Speak Now" between the ages of 18 and 20. In the physical booklet for "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)," she opened up about the pressure she put on herself to craft the perfect album.
"In my darker moments, I was tormented by the doubt that swirled loudly around my ascent and my merits as an artist," she wrote.
"To try and confront these demons, I underwent extensive vocal training and made a decision that would completely define this album: I decided I would write it entirely on my own," Swift continued. "I figured, they couldn't give all the credit to my cowriters if there weren't any. But that posed a new challenge: It really had to be good. If it wasn't, I would be proving my critics right."
She also revealed on Twitter that her self-doubt caused her to be "ruthless" with song selection.
"I remember making tracklist after tracklist, obsessing over the right way to tell the story," she wrote. "I had to be ruthless with my choices, and I left behind some songs I am still unfailingly proud of now."
For brand-new Swifties and curious onlookers alike, Insider broke down everything you should know about each of the six vault tracks — including lyrical references, fun facts, and fan theories.
Read on for more.