Taylor Swift’s guitar mashup on Scooter Braun’s birthday left the Cardiff, Wales, crowd screaming, “Did you think I wouldn’t hear all the things you said about me?”
“I spend a lot of my time trying to plan these things,” the singer said during her acoustic set, “and figure out what you might like and basically the loudness of you singing let’s me know if I did it correctly.”
Swift then dove into “I Forgot That You Existed” and blended it with “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” on the guitar. When she got to the bridge of the “Reputation” track, she sang “cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do.”
Swift stopped playing guitar, placed both of her hands over her head and let out a big laugh. The lengthy pause sent the crowd roaring.
The singer-songwriter has been vocal about owning her music and reclaiming her first six albums after the works were sold from her previous label, Big Machine Records, to private-equity group Ithaca Holdings, owned by Scooter Braun. Swift took the fight back to the recording studio — a suggestion from Kelly Clarkson — to own her art and prevent the old versions from being played on streaming services. In 2019, Braun sold the masters to another company, Shamrock Holdings, for $300 million.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
On Monday, Braun announced he was retiring as a music manager.
“I have been blessed to have had a ‘Forrest Gump’-like life while witnessing and taking part in the journeys of some of the most extraordinarily talented people the world has ever seen,” Braun wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. “I’m constantly pinching myself and asking ‘how did I get here?’ And after 23 years this chapter as a music manager has come to an end.”
When Swift wrapped up the guitar song, she headed to the piano and performed a song never before heard live from “Tortured Poets.”
“Wish me luck!” she said before mashing up “I Hate It Here” with “The Lakes” from “Folklore.”
Swift will bring the Eras Tour to London on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Don’t miss any Taylor Swift news; sign up for the free, weekly newsletter This Swift Beat.
Follow Taylor Swift reporter Bryan West on Instagram, TikTok and X as @BryanWestTV.
