that accompanies the physical copies of the re-release, Swift explains that she was “tormented by the doubt that swirled loudly around my ascent and my merits as an artist” early in her career, particularly by the people who criticized her singing voice — and those who refused to believe that she wrote her own songs as a teenager in Nashville.
“I didn’t want to just be handed respect and acceptance in my field, I wanted to earn it,” Swift writes. “To try and confront these demons, I underwent extensive vocal training and made a decision that would completely define this album: I decided I would write it entirely on my own. I figured, they couldn’t give all the credit to my cowriters if there weren’t any.”Swift, now 33, wrote the entirety of the 14-song album between the ages of 18 and 20.
Still, the Swifties sharpened their knives in the weeks before SNTV, ready to rake Mayer over the coals just as they did withduring the release of “All Too Well " in fall 2021. However, Swift — sort of — addressed the impending torment during a tour stop in Minneapolis last month, when she played “Dear John” for the first time in more than a decade. While introducing the song, she called for “kindness” and “gentleness” online when the album was released.