Taylor Swift Asks For ‘Kindness’ Ahead Of ‘Dear John’ Performance
Taylor Swift told the crowd over the weekend to practice “kindness” ahead of the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). She mentioned this at her Minneapolis show this weekend. The 33-year-old singer-songwriter made it clear that she isn’t re-recording her albums to be defended “on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about.” Swift announced this just before she played “Dear John” live for the first time in over a decade.
Got to play shows for some of the most generous crowds this weekend in Minneapolis ☺️☺️☺️ Loved every second of it. Thanks to everyone there. And now we’re soo close to Speak Now (my version!) Only 1️⃣2️⃣ days left! See you next weekend Cincinnati! pic.twitter.com/anTCHla9wD
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 25, 2023
As we previously reported, the Speak Now track is thought to have been written about her ex, John Mayer. The two musicians were linked for just a few months, from November 2009 to February 2010. Swift was 19 at the time, while Mayer was 32.
RELATED: John Mayer Calls His Song About Taylor Swift ‘A Little Bitchy’
The crowd singing back so loudly during Dear John! So iconic 🥹 #TSTheErasTour via @swiftie4life27 pic.twitter.com/6awIgHA6r0
— Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftNYC) June 25, 2023
“So, I was hoping to ask you that as we lead up to this album coming out, I would love for that kindness and that gentleness to extend onto our internet activities. Right?” Swift said, after pointing out how her fans hand out friendship bracelets during her tour. In response to her words, the crowd roared in agreement. “So what I’m trying to say is, I’m putting this album out because I want to own my music, and I believe that those who have the desire to own their music should be able to. That’s why I’m putting out this album.”
Swift Has Moved On
She continued, “I’m 33 years old. I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19 — except the songs that I wrote. So what I’m trying to tell you is that I am not putting this album out so that you should feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I wrote a song about 14 million years ago.”
Taylor Swift on the release of ‘Speak Now’ TV before performing ‘Dear John’:
— Pop Base (@PopBase) June 25, 2023
“I’m 33 years old, I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19… I’m not putting this album out so you can go on the internet and defend me against someone you think I wrote a song… pic.twitter.com/cFQbKQk8vD
In May, Swift announced that Speak Now was the next album of hers that she is re-recording. She wrote at the time: “The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing… and living to speak about it. With six extra songs I’ve sprung loose from the vault, I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with you on July 7th.” The artist also teased that the upcoming album is the “best thing that’s ever been mine.”
It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk 😆) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their… pic.twitter.com/oa0Vs5kszr
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 6, 2023