Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is possibly the biggest thing happening in all of music right now. Her shows have their own rules of etiquette, with fans screaming things at certain times and exchanging friendship bracelets. Her concerts are the place to see and be seen, with incredibly famous faces — many who you’d never take for a Swiftie — enjoying the show, be it from the VIP section or up in the nose-bleeds. I’m not sure this level of success is something the curly-haired 16-year-old could have envisioned for herself back in 2006, but one of her earliest inspirations — Tim McGraw — says he sure did.
Seventeen years ago Taylor Swift released her self-titled debut album, and the first single off of it was a sweet song about (surprise, surprise) an ex-boyfriend, which was titled “Tim McGraw.” The success of the single resulted in an introduction to the song’s namesake and his wife, fellow country star Faith Hill, and before you could say, “1, 2, 3, let’s go bitch,” the teenager was opening for the couple on their 2007 Soul2Soul tour. Tim McGraw realized pretty quickly that Swift was something special, telling ET:
