Just like that, we’ve entered another ‘Eras Tour’ era.
On Friday, July 7, Taylor Swift fans all over the globe prepared to ‘Never Grow Up’ while listening to Swift’s latest “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” for the first time.
The highly-anticipated album features six (!) vault tracks from the star’s late teen years.
No matter how diehard a Swiftie you are, there are always more Taylor treasures to discover and we’re here for it.
And now that fans have yet another record to unpack, it’s best not to be the ‘Foolish One’ and discuss some of “Speak Now’s” most notable highlights.
“Better Than Revenge” uproar
We simply could not wait to talk about quite possibly the most controversial aspect of the “Speak Now” release…one of Taylor’s most blatant lyric changes.
In the original version of her 2010 song “Better Than Revenge,” the lyric reads “She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress,” and in an attempt to remain uncanceled and reclaim a feminist POV, Taylor’s re-recording says “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”
Of course, fans could understand why she decided to make the change, however, many were unhappy with the singer’s choice.
The debate stems from purists who prefer the original remain untouched since the lyrics are some of the most savage Swift has ever written.
For those who don’t know, the song is notoriously about her ex Joe Jonas and the edit redirects the attention to him and is updated for today’s climate.
“Electric Touch” (from the vault) feat. Fall Out Boy
A personal favorite of ours from the vault re-release was Swift’s duet featuring Fall Out Boy and has a heavy emphasis on nostalgia.
Online, fans praised the song for its 2000s vibes inspiring Swifites to dance on their beds as if they were teens all over again (Editor’s note: Or in our 20s).
“Castles Crumbling” (from the vault) feat. Hayley Williams
To fans’ delight (and not huge surprise), Hayley Williams of Paramore made a guest appearance on the vault tracks.
“Castle Crumbling” left fans gobsmacked with its vocal pairing and lyrics. Based on Twitter buzz, this appears to be one of the — if not, the — most raved about vault tracks from the release and will surely find a place on the set list when Paramore tours with Taylor on the upcoming international leg of the ‘Eras Tour.’
What’s next?
So now that we have a) “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” as well as b) six (!) new songs and c) a full international tour announced we have one major thought on our mind…six new surprise songs have entered the chat.
When will we see Paramore join our girl to perform “Castles Crumbling” or Fall Out Boy giving an acoustic “Electric Touch”?
It’s hard to say for sure but it is safe to say that fans can begin to speculate on Taylor’s plans (since we all knows Ms. Swift does nothing by accident). Now that there are new songs and the prospects of even more with future re-releases, don’t wait to buy tickets for the first, second, or…fifth time.
Need Tay-Tay tix now?
You can buy tickets for her 17 remaining North American concerts here.
Plus, as an added bonus, we a) broke down all the best prices for each upcoming show, b) shared some helpful tips from a Swiftie who made it out to to see Taylor on the first weekend of the tour and c) came up with a list of all the most exciting fan trends.
Huge stars on tour in 2023
Although it will cost an arm and a leg (maybe more!) to see Swift live this year, there are much more affordable concerts you can attend this year.
Here are just five of our favorite artists you won’t want to miss live.
• Adele
• SZA
• Pink
Who else is on the road? Check out our list of the 52 biggest concert tours in 2023 here to find out.