Taylor Swift debuted 'The Black Dog' live on night one of her Eras Tour in London.
The 34-year-old pop superstar first performed the emotional ballad during the surprise song segment of her concert at Wembley Stadium in London on Friday (June 21).
“I've never played this live before,” Swift told the crowd, as seen in a fan-recorded clip at X (formerly Twitter).
Wearing a long orange dress and sitting at a piano, the singer beautifully performed “The Black Dog”, which appears on her double album. Section The tortured poets: The Anthology. The song peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May.
The TTPD The track was paired with 'Come Back…Be Here', from 2012 Red album and “Maroon”, from 2022 Midnight. Friday's surprise song set also included a medley of “Hits Different” and “Death By a Thousand Cuts.”
Some have speculated that “The Black Dog” is about 1975 frontman Matty Healy, who Swift is rumored to have briefly dated in 2023. The song's name is a reference to pop-punk band The Starting Line, which the group by Healy has been covered live in recent years.
“I just don't understand/ How you don't miss me in The Black Dog/ When someone plays The Starting Line/ And you jump, but she's too young/ To know this song that was woven/ Into its magic fabric our dreams,” she sings Swift on the chorus of “The Black Dog.” “Old habits die screaming.”
The singer's hurt turns to anger as her words turn to: “And I hope it's dark in The Black Dog/ When someone plays The Starting Line/ And you jump, but she's too young/ To know that song that was woven together / In the tragic fabric of our dreams/ “Leave the tail between your legs, go.”
During the opening night of her tenure in London, Swift also snapped a few selfies backstage with Prince William, who was celebrating his 42nd birthday. “Happy Birthday M8! The shows in London are off to a great start,” she wrote on Instagram alongside the photo, which included the prince's children and boyfriend Travis Kelce.
Swift's Eras Tour is scheduled for three shows at Wembley Stadium from June 21-23. Paramore is the special guest for all three shows, with METTE opening the opening show, Griff the second show and Benson Boone the third.
