'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)' Will Feature One of Taylor Swift's Most Controversial Songs

Allison Schonter

05/15/2023 12:36 pm EDT

Taylor Swift is having a massive year, which is about to be marked by her latest re-recording of her masters! As she took the stage at her Nashville show at Nissan Stadium on Friday, May 5, one of the latest stops on her The Eras Tour, Swift announced Speak Now (Taylor's Version) will drop on July 7, sparking plenty of chatter online, including plenty of buzz about one song in particular: "Better Than Revenge."

Marked as the 10th song on the album, "Better Than Revenge" has long been considered Swift's most controversial song. The electric guitar-driven pop punk song strips away the whimsical fantasy of love of Swift's other songs, instead offering a more harsh perspective and essentially acting as a plea for vengeance against a romantic rival. With an infamous chorus that sees Swift sing, "She's not a saint and she's not what you think, she's an actress/She's better known for the things that she does on the mattress," "Better Than Revenge" immediately proved controversial upon its release in 2010, with Swift being accused of slut-shaming and of being anti-feminist.

Swift has previously addressed the controversy surrounding the song, telling The Guardian in 2014, "I was 18 when I wrote that. That's the age you are when you think someone can actually take your boyfriend. Then you grow up and realize no one can take someone from you if they don't want to leave." However, it remains unclear if Swift will further address the controversy surrounding "Better Than Revenge" upon the release of Speak Now (Taylor's Version) or if she will change the lyrics in some way, similar to when the lyrics to "Picture to Burn," from her debut album, were changed to remove the word "gay," which was used in a negative context in the original song.

Announcing the upcoming re-release, the singer did note that "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."

Issues with the lyrics

"I hate the over-simplification of Better Than Revenge like saying it's not misogynistic is irritating," tweeted one person. "A song can be about very valid, human feelings and still be misogynistic. Calling someone a slut in a poetic way is still calling someone a slut. Taylor apologised for a reason!"

'In poor taste'

"Like yeah she was young.... But 'she's better known for the things that she does on the mattress' is in poor taste lol. It's okay for the song to be a complete bop and to validate her feelings while still acknowledging it's in poor taste," wrote another.

Will she release it?

"Do you guys think that taylor won't re release better than revenge or she will change the lyrics?" asked somebody else.

Will she change the lyrics?

"Many people have talked about it already, I just want to emphasize that I hope she does not change any lyrics in better than revenge (taylor's version)," added another fan. "I know the controversy of the song but honestly it's not that deep and I hope taylor releases it without any changes anyway."

'Valid reaction'

"ppl are hoping taylor cuts innocent or changes the lyrics in better than revenge & I'd just like to remind everyone that this is a project to reclaim history, not rewrite it. that means revisiting the good AND the bad, even if it was wrong or embarrassing," wrote another. "they were true once! they were real once! this is about preserving 20 year old taylor's work – and that's what 20 year old taylor put into the world. there's plenty of new work that align with 33 year old taylor's thoughts !! but this is not meant to be that."

Fans are excited for 'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)'

"Falling to my knees in a thunderstorm right now, hearing enchanted TV is going to make me absolutely feral and hearing dear john tv is going to make me lose my mind," tweeted one fan after Swift shared the news.

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