By Katie Hasty, HitFix.
Taylor Swift may be looking at surpassing the million-unit mark during the first sales week of her new album "Speak Now," but earlier this week, she was tackling the material of another multi-platinum artist.
The "Fearless" singer performed Coldplay's smash hit "Viva La Vida" quietly for BBC Radio 2. Forget the histrionic drums and bells of the original -- Swift keeps things tame with just her voice, her guitar and another acoustic. No fireworks light the studio at the end, but the subtle references to royalty keep us wondering if and what her personal connection to the tune is.
Her personal tales certainly seem to dominate her new tunes for "Speak Now." "Dear John" ignited speculation that the song was about bud John Mayer, while "Story of Us" addresses and ex-boyfriend. "Innocent," performed at the MTV VMAs this year, was on the Kanye West incident that dominated the Awards show last year.
Next week and in January, Swift is taking to the land, sea and air to promote "Speak Now." She's skedded to play a terminal at JFK Airport in New York on Oct. 27, then will play on a JetBlue flight bound for Los Angeles. On Jan. 21, she'll be the lounge act on a Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas cruise.
