Taylor Swift resurrected her fiery Kanye West diss track, This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things , with a laugh during a recent performance on her blockbuster Eras Tour in the United States. The Grammy-winning artist, known for her unapologetic authenticity, gave fans an unforgettable night at Seattle’s Lumen Field as she brought the diss track back to life after a hiatus since 2018. With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Swift let out an epic cackle as she started the acoustic rendition of the song, which originally featured on her critically acclaimed Reputation album, per Page Six.
“And here’s to you, ’cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do,” she sang before breaking into fits of laughter, a characteristic element of her performances for this particular track. The song itself is a scathing reflection of her infamous feud with rapper West and his then-wife, Kim Kardashian. The long-standing conflict between Swift and West traces its roots back to the 2009 VMAs when West notoriously interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech for Best Video by a Female Artist. Over the years, there appeared to be reconciliatory moments between the two, but tensions reignited with the release of West’s 2016 track titled Famous , where he claimed to have received permission from Swift to refer to her using derogatory language in the lyrics.
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Swift vehemently denied granting such permission, leading to Kardashian releasing a recording that suggested otherwise and branding the singer as a “snake.” Kardashian had tweeted saying, “Wait it’s legit National Snake Day?!?!? They have holidays for everybody, I mean everything these days!” The fallout from this incident resulted in a massive public backlash against Swift, with millions of people condemning her, a situation she described during an interview with Vogue in 2019 as, “A mass public shaming, with millions of people saying you are quote-unquote canceled, is a very isolating experience.” Swift, however, channeled her emotions into her art and turned adversity into creativity by writing new songs in response to the ordeal.
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“When you say someone is canceled, it’s not a TV show. It’s a human being. You’re sending mass amounts of messaging to this person to either shut up, disappear, or it could also be perceived as, ‘Kill yourself,'” she went on. “I knew immediately I needed to make music about it because I knew it was the only way I could survive it. It was the only way I could preserve my mental health and also tell the story of what it’s like to go through something so humiliating,” she added in the interview. The pop icon’s ability to turn her personal experiences into powerful anthems has resonated deeply with her diverse fanbase, inspiring countless individuals to find strength in their own vulnerabilities. As the Eras Tour continues its triumphant journey, audiences eagerly anticipate what more surprises Swift has in store for them.
References:
https://pagesix.com/2023/07/23/taylor-swift-laughs-while-singing-about-forgiving-kanye-west/
https://www.vogue.com/article/taylor-swift-cover-september-2019?verso=true