On any other night of Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, Phoebe Bridgers joining Swift for the live debut of “Nothing New” would have been the prevailing takeaway. With everything Swift pulled during her first of three Nashville shows last night, May 5, it’s a footnote.
The headline from Friday’s tour stop is that Swift announced Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) will be her next re-recorded release due out July 7. There was also an alleged Matty Healy sighting, which is relevant because The Sun claimed earlier in the week that Healy and Swift are dating and were “ready to go public with their romance in Nashville.” Oh, and Bridgers used her first night as one of Swift’s The Eras Tour openers to bring out her Boygenius band members Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus.
But back to Bridgers with Swift. The two performed “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault],” their collaborative track from Swift’s 2021 re-recorded album, Red (Taylor’s Version). Of course, this came within the Red era of Swift’s sprawling three-plus-hour set.
Taylor Swift and Phoebe Bridgers performed “Nothing New (Taylor’s Version)” live for the first time in Nashville this evening.pic.twitter.com/K5x5bM4f8w
— CONSEQUENCE (@consequence) May 6, 2023
| @TaylorSwift13 and @Phoebe_Bridgers performing “Nothing New”pic.twitter.com/UBgYG4JrnL
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) May 6, 2023
— v (@ViralMaterialz) May 6, 2023
Red (Taylor’s Version) is the most recent of Swift’s re-recorded albums. Swifties have been convinced for months that Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) would be next, especially after Swift dropped Easter eggs in the video for her Midnights track “Bejeweled” last October.
The evidence became almost undeniable when the wristbands handed out for The Eras Tour lit up in purple at the end of last Sunday’s (April 30) show in Atlanta. Once Swift confirmed Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) mid-show in Nashville, the city’s John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge turned purple.
It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk ) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their… pic.twitter.com/oa0Vs5kszr
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) May 6, 2023
“It fills me with such pride and joy to announce that my version of Speak Now will be out July 7 (just in time for July 9th, iykyk) I first made Speak Now, completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20. The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness,” Swift posted across her socials.
Her post continued, “I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing… and living to speak about it. With six extra songs I’ve sprung loose from the vault, I absolutely cannot wait to celebrate Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) with you on July 7th.”
Swift and The Eras Tour is scheduled to be in Kansas City, Missouri on July 7-8.
So, while Bridgers’ song with Swift is titled “Nothing New,” it felt like everything was new in Nashville on Friday night. Catch up on it all below.
A bridge in Nashville turned purple in honor of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). #SpeakNowTaylorsVersion #TaylorSwift pic.twitter.com/UjzE8cuhIr
— Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour (@TSTheErasTour) May 6, 2023
The lavender haze is real. The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge was lit in purple for Friday’s Taylor Swift concert. https://t.co/4LzsxSsS2e pic.twitter.com/Yax3bKsZoR
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) May 6, 2023
SO THIS IS WHY SHE SAID IT’S GOING TO BE A SPECIAL NIGHT! SHE IS A MASTERMIND FOR ANNOUNCING THIS IN NASHVILLE AND FOR RELEASING IT ON JULY 7TH, JUST IN TIME FOR JULY 9TH! #NashvilleTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/qnmL511cPj
— kheen (@loveinfolklore) May 6, 2023
One of the best things that’s ever been ours will officially be hers again. #SpeakNowTaylorsVersion arrives July 7th. Pre-order now at https://t.co/SnDYXF8RIH pic.twitter.com/y5tUzqxUCs
— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) May 6, 2023
Alright #NashvilleTSTheErasTour, we have reached the last bridge of the evening! #SpeakNowTaylorsVersion https://t.co/zLEmjkbrGY
— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) May 6, 2023
It’s okay. I’m fine. pic.twitter.com/aSZtXvN3U8
— erin @ the eras tour ISO MetLife, LA (@swiftbunnies) May 6, 2023
#SpeakNowTaylorsVersion https://t.co/5mlNeJj6N8 pic.twitter.com/aHrJNcHWid
— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) May 6, 2023
Getting off on floor 3, y’all want anything? #SpeakNowTaylorsVersion pic.twitter.com/urnRCMBfsG
— Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) May 6, 2023
YOU GUYS IT’S FINALLY TIME FOR SPEAK NOW TV!!!!!!! NASHVILLE U WON BUT WE ALL WILL BE FREAKING OUT ON JULY 7TH!!!!!!!!! WATCHING THE ANNOUNCEMENT THROUGH A LIVE WITH MY PHONE ALMOST DYING BUT SO HAPPY @taylornation13 #NashvilleTSTheErasTour pic.twitter.com/919QhVhQ9X
— barbie SPEAK NOW (@itsminedaylight) May 6, 2023
Nashville Night One of the #TSTheErasTour got:
1. Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift singing Nothing New during the Red Era
2. Speak Now Taylor’s Version July 7th announcement with @taylornation13 on live
3. Sparks Fly
4. Teardrops On My Guitar (Piano) pic.twitter.com/CSj9MQeNMq— Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftNYC) May 6, 2023
The entire crowd SINGING to Sparks Fly, the first surprise song of the night after Taylor announced Speak Now Taylor’s Version out July 7th! #TSTheErasTour via @lindzz_21 pic.twitter.com/MYmmdcqj9l
— Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftNYC) May 6, 2023
Taylor Swift performing Teardrops On My Guitar on the piano for the first time as the second surprise song for Nashville Night 1! #TSTheErasTour via @jovifan214 pic.twitter.com/S2vdZh5Ce9
— Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftNYC) May 6, 2023
2010 Speak Now vs 2023 Speak Now Taylor’s Version pic.twitter.com/l4PEu8eyTW
— Taylor Swift Updates (@SwiftNYC) May 6, 2023
| @TaylorSwift13 singing “Fearless” in the rain last night!pic.twitter.com/rBegQxR5vb
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) May 6, 2023
| @TaylorSwift13 announcing “Speak Now TV” during the show in Nashville! pic.twitter.com/3crMYxBP4W
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) May 6, 2023
| Cars stopping in the middle of the bridge to watch the show last nightpic.twitter.com/xmMOGvJf6a
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) May 6, 2023
| “The Eras Tour” broke the record for the most attended show at @NissanStadium EVER.
— With a 70k audience last night. pic.twitter.com/XApgdEOqyB
— The Swift Society (@TheSwiftSociety) May 6, 2023
Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) is out 7/7. Find more information here.