How New York Enchanted Taylor Swift’s Speak Now

On May 5, 2023, Nashville's John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge lit up in purple lights just as Taylor Swift announced that she would be releasing Speak Now (Taylor's Version) to the massive crowd gathered at Nissan Stadium for the first of her three night stand on her huge The Eras Tour.

Get our free mobile app

The crowd was more than ready for the announcement as their wristbands lit purple. Swift had been dropping hints via social media. Her fans, already very used to searching for clues, had their theories and were just waiting for confirmation. What was announced that evening is now out in stores and in their hands.

The original Speak Now, released in 2010, was born in Nashville. It was also born in New York. According to Taylor

I'd get my best ideas at 3:00 a.m. in Arkansas, and I didn't have a co-writer around so I would just finish it. That would happen again in New York and then again in Boston and that would happen again in Nashville

These flashes of inspiration led to Swift being the only songwriter on the album. This act only further established the tour de force Taylor was becoming in the music world.

The subsequent tour would see Taylor hitting the Empire State a few times. JetBlue recruited her to play a semi private show at JFK airport. Not your typical concert venue but just another example of Taylor Swift not being a typical artist.

After 80 sold out North American shows, the tour ended in New York City.

It seems hard to highlight a particular album as being any more important in Taylor Swifts career than any other, so I won't try. But I will tell you that Speak Now (Taylor's Version) is out now and a celebration of an album that saw the next step in Swift's ascent to the top of the music world, the likes of which we may have never seen before.

Also, if you have never heard it, "Haunted" is an absolute jam.