It's no secret that Taylor Swift has always been a bit of an emo kid at heart. On the forthcoming release Speak Now (Taylor's Version) the pop-country teen idol, turned bonafide global pop superstar will wear those influences proudly on her sleeve. Swift has revealed that her BFF Paramore's Hayley Williams features on the track Castles Crumbling while Fall Out Boy will appear on Electric Touch. Both tracks are updated gems from Swift's personal song vault.
Speaking in a statement upon the announcement of the record, Swift offers an explanation for the inclusion of guests. "
"I’m VERY excited to show you the back cover of Speak Now (my version) including the vault tracks and collaborations with Hayley Williams from @paramore and @falloutboy. Since Speak Now was all about my songwriting, I decided to go to the artists who I feel influenced me most powerfully as a lyricist at that time and ask them to sing on the album. They’re so cool and generous for agreeing to support my version of Speak Now. I recorded this album when I was 32 (and still growing up, now) and can’t wait to unveil it all to you on July 7th. http://store.taylorswift.com"
I’m VERY excited to show you the back cover of Speak Now (my version) including the vault tracks and collaborations with Hayley Williams from @paramore and @falloutboy. Since Speak Now was all about my songwriting, I decided to go to the artists who I feel influenced me most… pic.twitter.com/UJOqUNfCGp
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) June 5, 2023
Both Paramore and Fall Out Boy are currently touring in support of new albums, with Paramore teaming with an eclectic collection of artists (including opening for Swift herself) to wow audiences on their This Is Why tour and Fall Out Boy pushing hard behind So Much (For) Stardust.
A recent interview with Apple Music's Zane Lowe provides further insight into Williams friendship with Swift, with Williams revealing that a visit to the hyper-organised fellow superstar's house both amazed and inspired her.
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, my life is so not together, I can barely remember to send someone a card or flowers.’There are still Christmas gifts at my house that I have not sent to my friends just sitting there in the back of my closet. Two of the people I was supposed to give a gift to, I was like, ‘Sorry, I forgot to put [the gifts] in my suitcase so you still don’t get a gift.’ I wish that I was the person that felt like I had all my s— together and I was like, ‘Oh, I had some extra time, so I’m just popping by with some flowers.’ That kind of a thing, that is my idealized self.”
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Speaking about the writing and recording process for So Much (For) Stardust, Fall Out Boy Patrick Stump revealed that Fall Out Boy took a bit of a throwback approach to crafting their eighth full-length.
“Technology has made it really easy to make records much more quickly these days. There’s nothing wrong with that, and that spontaneity can be exciting, but we wanted to get back to the way we used to work. We wanted to make a record that was really lovingly crafted and deliberate and patiently guided – like someone cooked you a delicate meal. I’m not a very proud guy, but I’m pretty proud of this record.”
On reuniting with Avron for this record, Stump notes:
“Neal not only taught us how to make records but has a unique capacity to really take time and focus on a record. We thought it was a no-brainer to work with him again, on a record where that was very important to us, and he was gracious enough to agree to work with us.”
Shop for So Much (For) Stardust in various formats.
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