Taylor Swift rewrites controversial ‘actress’ lyric from ‘Better Than Revenge’ on Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)

Taylor Swift has changed up a “slutshaming” lyric in the new version of “Speak Now” from her re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).

Swift’s 2010 album has become the latest to be reimagined by the singer following her rights dispute with producer Scooter Braun.

The album arrived on Friday (7 July), following on from previous Swift re-releases Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version) in 2021.

Among them is “Better Than Revenge”, in which Swift shares her desire to get revenge on a female romantic rival.

The original version of the song features the controversial line: “She’s an actress, whoa / She’s better known for the things that she does on the mattress, whoa,” which many have suggested is sexist or slutshaming.

However, when the album was released, the “Taylor’s version” of the song featured a new line.

After “she’s an actress”, Swift now sings: “He was a moth to the flame, she was holding the matches.”

Fans were left divided by the change. While many praised the more feminist take on the song, others suggested that it should have been kept to preserve Swift’s past feelings. The singer was just 20 when Speak Now was originally released in 2010.

“She deserves some applause for Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version),” one fan wrote.

“‘Better Than Revenge (Taylor’s Version)’ has the lyrics she wishes she would’ve written all along and I respect the hell out of that,” another tweet read. “She’s repeatedly told us this is her passion project, she’s doing this for herself – as she should! It’s HER project!!”

However, one fan joked: “I need Better Than Revenge (Slut Shaming Version) now.”

“If Paramore can perform ‘Misery Business’ in the year 2023 then Taylor Swift can keep the lyrics to ‘Better Than Revenge’ the same,” another wrote.

Paramore’s 2007 track features the lyrics: “Once a whore, you’re nothing more / I’m sorry that’ll never change.”

Williams has previously distanced herself from the track after taking issue with the line, writing on Tumblr in 2015: “‘Misery Business’ is not a set of lyrics that I relate to as a 26-year-old woman. I haven’t related to it in a very long time. Those words were written when I was 17… Admittedly, from a very narrow-minded perspective.”

In 2018, Williams announced that she and the band would no longer be performing the track live. However, it has become part of their set again in recent years.

Announcing that Speak Now would be her latest re-recorded album in May, Swift wrote on social media: “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.

“I always looked at this album as my album, and the lump in my throat expands to a quivering voice as I say this. Thanks to you, dear reader, it finally will be. I consider this music to be, along with your faith in me, the best thing that’s ever been mine.”

The abum also features six previously unreleased songs “from the vault”, which were written by Swift around the same time as Speak Now.