Taylor Swift is always doing the unexpected. Whether it's releasing two surprise albums during a pandemic or re-recording her master catalog, shocking fans is what the pop princess does best. But I don’t think anyone would've expected Swift to defend John Mayer at her latest Eras Tour show. The singer decided to give her devotees a message regarding her current feelings on her past relationship with the “Gravity” singer. And that address was given before she played “Dear John," a track rumored to be about Mayer, as one of her tour's surprise songs.
The entertainer always plays a never-before-played song or two during her concerts. Lately, the Grammy winner has been indulging in some hits ahead of the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), the re-recorded version of her 2010 album. “Dear John” is a fan favorite, so it seemed just to be just a matter of time before she played the emotional ballad. Before she started singing, however, the star made a speech, asking fans not to bully a certain someone online when the new album comes out. While not mentioning her ex-boyfriend by name, she heavily implied she was talking about the "Say" singer. She said:
I’m 33 years old. I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19 except the songs I wrote and the memories we made together. So what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m not putting this album out so that you can go and feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about.
Swifties can admittedly be quite brutal sometimes in their attempts to defend their favorite pop singer. Her music is often incredibly emotional and honest, as it conveys traumatic feelings in vivid language. The visceral nature of the Grammy winner's tunes often stem from some high-profile relationships, and her fans can often detect the inspirations for her songs.
“Dear John” made it pretty easy, as it references a relationship involving a significant age gap and has name John in the title. The track is very deep, as it references the alleged manipulation and exhaustion Taylor Swift felt throughout the romance. However, it seems like she's moved on, so maybe it’s time for Swifties to do that as well? You can check out a video of her speech from Twitter below:
Taylor Swift on the release of ‘Speak Now’ TV before performing ‘Dear John’: “I’m 33 years old, I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19… 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… pic.twitter.com/cFQbKQk8vDJune 25, 2023
Taylor Swift and John Mayer dated for a few months between 2009 and 2010. Mayer was 31 and Swift was 19 years old at the time, and they recorded a song together titled “Half of My Heart.” The age gap raised some eyebrows, and their eventual breakup was covered heavily in the press. Mayer was vocally upset over the “Dear John” song and, after its release, he wrote a song called "Paper Doll," which was rumored to be about the Midnights artist. While this relationship may have occurred a while ago, the “Free Fallin’” singer continues to be one of Swift’s most unpopular ex’s amongst fans, due to the age gap and the devastation she recounts in the song.
It's fair to say that the message from the "Shake It Off" singer is warranted. For instance, the release of Red (Taylor’s Version) included “All Too Well (10 Minute Version).” The song is arguably one of the 33-year-old’s most gut-wrenching and is rumored to be about Jake Gyllenhaal. Ultimately, the actor ended up getting relentless hate online after the song was released.
Though he was pretty chill about the song, it seemed like an indicator for what kind of vitriol John Mayer might experience when Speak Now TV was eventually released. Even Taylor Lautner hilariously wished John Mayer luck on TikTok when the re-recording was announced. Lautner also dated the songstress yet, based on her music, the “Back to December” singer and the Twilight star had an amicable break up. This was indicated by the entertainer apparently marking Lautner as “safe.” Maybe Swifties will listen to their favorite pop star on this one, and leave Mayer alone, but we'll just have to wait and see if that comes to pass.
Taylor Swift’s latest album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), releases on July 7 and will include updated versions of some of her most beloved songs, including “Dear John.” For more information on other projects coming down the line from the “22” singer, read up on upcoming Swift music and other things that Swifties can look forward to.
