Taylor Swift changed the lyrics considered problematic of “Better Than Revenge”, understand

“She’s not a saint, she’s not who you think she is, she’s an actress”, sings Taylor Swift in the song Better Than Revenge, released in 2010 on the album Speak Now. This Friday (07), the album won a new version now available.

Having lost possession of her entire discography until Reputation (2017), the singer has gradually re-recorded her albums, but always in an innovative way: in addition to a more mature voice and new arrangements (sometimes faithful to the original, sometimes well different), it also includes tracks never before heard by fans. They are the “from the vault”, or “from the vault”, in Portuguese.

The re-recordings are labeled “Taylor’s Version”. In the case of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), in addition to new songs, a change has been commented by fans: the lyrics of Better Than Revenge.

The song expresses Taylor’s anger that a woman has stolen her boyfriend. Fans theorize that it’s a message to Camilla Belle, the actress who dated Joe Jonas after her.

Even before the release, there was a doubt whether or not the artist would change the passage where she says: “She is best known for the things she does on the mattress”which is considered a “slut shaming”.

This expression means ridiculing women for having sexual desires or for the way they behave. It is considered sexist. In the new lyrics, Taylor sings: “He was a moth guided by the flame, she was holding the matches”.

However, fans are having mixed reactions to the news. Check out:

There are those who preferred the new version and did not mind the change of lyrics:

now that i heard the new verse of better than revenge IN THE MUSIC, the old one really wasn’t much missed, the vocals improved, the production improved, even the mockery in taylor’s voice improved, in the end it didn’t make a difference and the music improved

— blank grandson 🪕 (@folkloration) July 7, 2023

Some even accuse Spotify of preferring the old lyrics:

Even Spotify is in denial about the lyrics change in better than revenge TAYLOR VC ME PAGA pic.twitter.com/W2BwfnlYSj

— 🌜na (@luxurylua) July 7, 2023

Others consider the new version a crime:

she changed the lyrics to better than revenge pic.twitter.com/ObiZKCq7vk

— livia (@lcvelyts) July 7, 2023

And they prefer the female rivalry alive in the song:

it wasn’t better than revenge this time pic.twitter.com/L2VnmzDj0a

— ִֶָ²⁵·¹¹ long live (taylor’s version)💜 (@faelpirata) July 7, 2023

There are those who liked it, even though they did not support the change:

considerations: I didn’t think better than revenge was bad, including the high-pitched voice at the beginning is IDENTICAL

did the change shake me? yes, but the music is not bad

— petrova. GO SEE TAYLOR (@zendayats) July 7, 2023