Fans will tell you it’s hard to make a Bon Iver concert better than it already is. But Taylor Swift proved them wrong when she took the stage in London on Wednesday, October 26th, for a surprise performance of “Exile!” A video began circulating Wednesday evening via TikTok, showing fans go wild as Taylor calmly appears onstage, mid-performance, while Bon Iver sings the beloved song. In the clip, Taylor wore what appeared to be a black jumpsuit with strappy stilettos, and stood on a platform to join Bon Iver, giving a demure wave. The audience erupted in near hysterics, with one fan audibly screaming “What the f***!” However, when Taylor began singing, a reverent hush fell over the crowd. The TikTok user who uploaded the video provided background on the clip in the form of an onscreen caption.
@cameronoaksrogers #taylorswift #swifttok #swifties #taylorsversion @Taylor Swift
“My sister is at Bon Iver in London and Taylor Swift just showed up and jealous doesn’t even begin to explain how I feel right now,” they wrote. The video quickly gained steam, with nearly 500k views racked up within just a couple of hours. Taylor’s fans took to the comments section to gush over the euphoric impromptu moment.
“Exile live for the first time,” commented a fan alongside a teary-eyed emoji. “This is literally one of my all time fave songs.” Others commented on the “chills” evoked by the clip. “I would simply pass away,” clipped a follower, while another observed, “She just casually walks out.”
Taylor’s jaw-dropping surprise performance comes on the heels of her highly anticipated Midnights album drop on October 21. “Exile,” it should be noted, was from her 2020 studio album Folklore, and the track famously featured Bon Iver. As it happens, Taylor may have even better news on the horizon. While sitting down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show on October 24, the “Blank Space” singer hinted at an upcoming tour.
“I think I should do it,” she said, per Rolling Stone. When it’s time, we’ll do it. I miss it.” She also remarked on the love she’s feeling, following the runaway success of Midnights — Billboard reported that she’d moved the equivalent of over 1 million albums within a day. “I’m beside myself,” she said. “I’m feeling very overwhelmed by the fans love for the record. I’m 32 so we’re considered geriatric pop stars. So I’m just happy to be here.”