Sparks Fly

"Sparks Fly" is a song written and recorded by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift for her third studio album Speak Now (2010). Swift had written the song before she released her self-titled debut album in 2006, but only included it on her third album after she received fan requests to release the song. Produced by Swift and Nathan Chapman, "Sparks Fly" is an uptempo pop rock track combining elements of arena rock and country with a production incorporating dynamic electric guitars and subtle fiddles. The lyrics are about a temptation to resist a dangerous love affair. The song was released to US country radio on July 18, 2011, by Big Machine Records, as the fifth single from Speak Now. A music video featuring footage of the Speak Now World Tour was released on August 10, 2011, accompanied by a limited-edition CD single released on Swift's official website. In contemporary reviews, most music critics praised the uptempo production, but some deemed the track forgettable. The single won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Music – Country Song. Following the release of Speak Now, "Sparks Fly" debuted at number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 28 on the Canadian Hot 100. After its single release, it peaked at number one on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Swift included the song on the set lists of the Speak Now World Tour (2011–2012) and the Red Tour (2013–2014), and performed it on select dates of the 1989 World Tour (2015), Reputation Stadium Tour (2018), and the Eras Tour (2023–2024). A re-recorded version, titled "Sparks Fly (Taylor's Version)", was released as part of Swift's third re-recorded album Speak Now (Taylor's Version) on July 7, 2023. Background and release American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift began work on her third studio album, Speak Now (2010), two years prior to its release. A track on the album, "Sparks Fly", was written by Swift when she was sixteen years old, before she released her self-titled debut album in 2006. She performed the song live during a few bar shows, and a recorded live performance of the song during one of her concerts made its way onto the internet in 2007. The song became a favorite among Swift's fans, and after Swift received fan request to include "Sparks Fly" on her third album at the 2010 CMA Music Festival, she decided to rework the song and include it on Speak Now.