‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ is coming: Taylor Swift confirms album during Eras tour
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After weeks of well-placed clues and TikTok-fueled speculation, Taylor Swift fans now know which album comes next in her expansive “Taylor’s Version” project: “Speak Now.”
During a headlining tour stop Friday night at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium, Swift confirmed that “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” debuts July 7. It’s the third installment of her ongoing adventure into back catalog re-recording, following “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).”
Swift teased the announcement in a series of cryptic clues leading up to her three-night Eras tour stop this weekend in the city that helped to launch her trendsetting career.
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“I’ve been planning something for a while,” Swift said as the Friday night audience exploded with applause. “It’s my love language with you. I plot. I scheme. I plan. And then I get to tell you about it.”
As the album title and release date flashed across the stadium screen, she added: “I think, rather than me speaking about it … I’d rather just show you.”
All the songs on tour Taylor Swift is adding surprise songs to every Eras tour stop. See the list so far.
Swift put a bow on the “Taylor’s Version” unveiling with an acoustic rendition of “Sparks Fly,” a 2011 single off “Speak Now.” The announcement came near the end of a three-and-a-half hour show from Swift that spanned 45 songs and all 10 of her studio albums. Nearly 70,500 concert-goers — a Nissan Stadium record — attended night one of the tour.
And Swift painted the town purple — the color of “Speak Now” — in celebration of the announcement. The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, Tennessee State Capitol and downtown Alliance Bernstein skyscraper all embraced shades of purple lightning Friday night in a nod to Swift’s album announcement.
Due to a songwriting ownership battle with previous label Big Machine, Swift began releasing re-recorded versions of her first six albums in 2021. Called “Taylor’s Version,” the albums typically debut with a handful of previously unreleased songs and collaborations, such as the 10-minute version of fan-favorite “All Too Well” and 2021 Chris Stapleton duet “I Bet You Think About Me.”
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” includes six songs from her unreleased vault, Swift confirmed late Friday via social media. Her third album known for singles “Mean” and “Back To December,” among others, Swift initially released “Speak Now” in 2010.
“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.
The Eras tour continues Saturday and Sunday at Nissan Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: ‘Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)’ is coming: Taylor Swift confirms album during Eras tour