Taylor Swift urged fans to exercise kindness on the internet to the men they speculate her songs are written about ahead of the release of "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" next month.
Swift, 33, gave a speech before her acoustic set at her Eras Tour show in Minneapolis on Saturday night in a part of the show in which she plays two surprise songs. She spoke about how she heard stories of fans' forming bonds during her sold-out tour all over the country.
She told them that she would love for "that kindness and gentleness to extend onto our internet activities" for her July 7 album release.
"So what I'm saying is I'm putting this album out because I want to own my music. ... 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 about 14 million years ago," Swift said, according to multiple videos posted online.
Swift also said she does not care "about anything that happened when I was 19 except the songs I wrote and the memories we made together."
She then played her song "Dear John," which fans have long speculated was written about a romance with singer John Mayer.
"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" is the third album Swift has re-recorded since her former record label sold her master recordings to Scooter Braun in 2019; they were sold again to the investment firm Shamrock Capital.
When "Red (Taylor's Version)" was released in 2021, fans directed jokes and memes at Jake Gyllenhaal, who they believe was the inspiration behind her song "All Too Well." Swift has never confirmed whom she writes about in her songs, some of which she said are slightly autobiographical, while others are fictional.
Gyllenhaal told Esquire in an interview that he thought the song's re-release, which included a 10-minute-long version, was more about Swift's relationships with her fans than with him.
"It is her expression," he told the magazine last year. "Artists tap into personal experiences for inspiration, and I don’t begrudge anyone that.”
Many have joked about the onslaught of attention that is likely to shift from Gyllenhaal to John Mayer when "Dear John (Taylor's Version)" is released.
Even Swift's former boyfriend Taylor Lautner, the actor, has poked fun at the situation.
Lautner spoke to TODAY.com last month about how he was feeling ahead of the re-release of Swift's 2010 album. He is speculated to have inspired the ballad "Back to December," which is on the album.
“I think it’s a great album,” he said. “Yeah, I feel safe. Praying for John.”
Lautner also made a TikTok video jokingly praying on his knees while "Dear John" played.
Mayer told Rolling Stone in 2012 that he felt humiliated by the song because he felt he "didn't deserve it."
"I’m pretty good at taking accountability now, and I never did anything to deserve that," Mayer said. "It was a really lousy thing for her to do."
Swift was only 19 and Mayer was 32 in 2009 when they reportedly dated after having worked together on a musical collaboration. The lyrics of "Dear John" include a reference to Swift's age, including, "Don't you think I was too young to be messed with."