Taylor Swift is apparently doing some damage control on John Mayer’s behalf ahead of the release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version). During her Eras concert in Minneapolis, Swift prefaced one of her surprise songs of the night, “Dear John,†by asking fans to act with “kindness and gentleness†in the weeks ahead. “I’m 33 years old. I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19,†Swift said. “I’m not putting this album out so that you can go and should feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about 14 billion years ago.â€
Swift’s performance of “Dear John,†the fifth track off Speak Now, marked the first time she’s publicly performed the ballad since 2012. Though she didn’t mention Mayer by name, “Dear John†is widely believed to be about Swift’s brief relationship with him in 2009. “I’m putting this album out because I want to own my music and I believe any artist who has a desire to own their music should be able to,†Swift added during the concert. Watch Swift’s full speech below, and look out for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) on July 7.