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:
We knew early on, when she was opening for Faith and I on our Soul2Soul tour, just her and an acoustic guitar, and spending time with her. Faith and I both knew that there was no stopping her. She’s a special talent.
Back before all of Taylor Swift’s different eras, before the costume changes and elaborate set designs, TikTok dances and surprise songs, there was just a girl and her guitar. That’s how Tim McGraw and Faith Hill first met her, when she literally walked over and introduced herself after performing “Tim McGraw” at the 2007 Academy of Country Music Awards. Seriously, how pure is this moment?
That same year, she began opening for them on tour, and six years later Tim McGraw asked her to collaborate on the single “Highway Don’t Care,” which they performed with Keith Urban on that same ACM Awards stage in 2013.
Something about Taylor Swift’s star quality must have struck a chord with the country singer, and in hindsight it was a pretty brilliant move to name her first single after one of the biggest names in the genre at the time. Now she can count the 1883 stars as bonafide Swifties!
Speaking of the Dutton ranch saga, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill aren’t the only members of Tyler Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe who seem to be fans of the Midnights artist. Kevin Costner attended one of Taylor Swift’s concerts with his daughter and later said he was “blown away” by her art, officially declaring himself a Swiftie.
The good thing about being a Swiftie is that Taylor Swift always has new music and other projects to look forward to. Maybe someday we’ll see her team up again with the guy whose name graces her first single, but for now it’s all about the Eras Tour and the October 27 release of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), which will feature five new tracks from the vault.
