"The Speak Now World Tour" was the second concert tour by Taylor. Also referred to as the "Speak Now World Tour 2011" and the "Speak Now World Tour 2012", the tour was launched in support of her third studio album "Speak Now" (2010). She visited 76 cities in 17 countries, selling out in every one.

The second outing for Taylor brought her to even more far-flung parts of the world -- and nearly doubled the box office revenue of the "Fearless Tour". Special guests were diverse and unpredictable -- Taylor opted to surprise fans with duets with the likes of Jason Mraz, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Usher, T.I. and many others.

Another brilliant move was the use of acoustic cover versions that paid tribute to a local artist in certain cities. This was to include elements of spontaneity in what might have been a rehearsed, pre-programmed show, with Taylor saying this: “You’ll have a lot of people who will come to more than one show, and I want them to get a different experience every time.“ And the moments that resulted are almost too many to mention, from a moving performance of “Fire and Rain” with James Taylor at Madison Square Garden to rousing covers of Switchfoot, Fall Out Boy and many others.

At the conclusion of 2011, the tour was placed fourth on Pollstar's annual "Top 25 Worldwide Tours", earning $104.2 million with 100 shows. This made it the highest-grossing female and solo tour of 2011.

BACKGROUND

While promoting "Speak Now", Taylor mentioned her excitement for her upcoming tour. She stated that the tour was going to be "big" and "extensive".

"I’m so excited to go back out on tour again in 2011! The 'Fearless Tour' was so much fun and even more unforgettable than I ever imagined, and I can't wait to get back out and play my new music from 'Speak Now'! The fans have been so amazing and I'm thrilled to play in new cities around the world and meet even more of my fans in 2011!" -- Taylor Swift

On November 23, 2010, various media outlets announced the second tour by Taylor. It follows her successful "Fearless Tour" which played for over 100 dates in over five countries. The tour marked the singer's first tour to perform in stadiums. Before the tour commenced, Taylor performed "The Allure of Taylor Swift" aboard the MS Allure of the Seas at the Allure of the Seas Aquatheater, as a part of Royal Caribbean Cruises in January 2011. Taylor used Tom Petty's "American Girl" as her entrance song.

ARM LYRICS

During the North American and Australasian tour legs, Taylor wrote different song lyrics, and occasionally quotes from famous speeches and movies, on her left arm for each performance. She has said that the lyrics should be viewed as a nightly "mood ring" and The New Yorker has cited the practice as an example of Taylor's "keen understanding of what fuels fan obsession in the first place: a desire for intimacy between singer and listener".

ACOUSTIC COVER VERSIONS

Taylor performed many acoustic cover versions during her North American tour. In each city, she paid tribute to a homegrown artist. She has said the cover versions allowed her to be "spontaneous" in an otherwise well-rehearsed show: "You'll have a lot of people who will come to more than one show, and I want them to get a different experience every time."