It was rare. We were there. Even with the Eras Tour on hiatus until May, we still spend most of our time thinking about it. As we’re sure you can guess, the part of the show that takes up most of the space in our minds is the acoustic set. You can admit it, you have at least one surprise song combo that shattered you. Because how dare she play those two songs without you there? You’re not alone. We certainly have our share of surprise song pairings that we haven’t gotten over. Frankly, the idea that we weren’t present for every pairing is a little painful, but we tried to narrow it down to the top thirteen.
13. ‘Daylight’ and ‘Dear John’
We need our readers to understand how difficult it was to pick the top surprise song combos. Even as we type this we’re thinking about what we missed. We beg you to accept our apologies for not including ‘Daylight’ and ‘Dear John’ in the top ten. But thinking specifically about ‘Dear John,’ this list would not feel complete if this pairing didn’t get a mention.
12. ‘Holy Ground’ and ‘False God’
From our experience stalking the internet for other peoples opinions on the best surprise song pairings, this one is criminally underrated. You have to admit, of the New York-related songs she chose for her MetLife shows, “Back to a first glance feeling on New York time” and “I’m New York City” were a match made in heaven.
11. ‘The Other Side Of The Door’ and ‘Coney Island’
‘The Other Side Of The Door’ outro was enough for this song to make the list. Pair that with ‘coney island’ to celebrate The National’s album (for a second we thought she might sing ‘The Alcott,’ but we’ll take ‘coney island’) and we have to give this pairing the gold star she deserves.
10. ‘Wonderland’ and ‘You’re Not Sorry’
First of all, ‘Wonderland’ is one of the most underrated songs on 1989. Second of all, this version of ‘You’re Not Sorry’ was maybe Taylor Swift’s best vocal performance ever. We can’t stress enough how often we think about the strength and emotion in her voice. It was a performance that could be felt all across the country.
9. ‘Tim McGraw’ and ‘Mirrorball’
How could we forget about the birth of the Eras Tour surprise songs? At the first stop of the tour, back when we all thought ‘Tim McGraw’ would be a permanent piece of the setlist. The Glendale fans didn’t even know what they had until it was gone. This combo was just as tough of a loss for the folklore girls who didn’t even get a chance to put ‘mirrorball’ on their surprise song wishlists.
8. ‘Dress’ and ‘Exile’
What a loss for everyone not in the L.A. Night 4 crowd. But what a win for everyone who was. What seems like such a shocking transition between songs worked surprisingly well. Both such amazing songs by themselves, we guess we should’ve known they would be perfect together.
7. ‘Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve’ and ‘Mine’
We will give this one to the Nashville crowd after being delayed for hours due to the treacherous weather. That doesn’t mean we don’t remember hearing the opening notes of both songs on a shaky livestream in the middle of the night. The ‘Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve’ bridge live in the pouring rain? The beautiful piano arrangement of ‘Mine?’ All incredible.
6. ‘Is It Over Now’/’I Wish You Would’ and ‘Haunted’/’Exile’
Notice how ‘Exile’ is on this list not once but twice. We’re overwhelmed even thinking about the new mashups Taylor is doing for surprise songs. So many possibilities. So many iconic combos already played. There was no writing this list without including this one.
5. ‘Our Song’ and ‘You Are In Love’
Both are fan favorites for a reason. Any surprise song from Taylor Swift is a gift to the die-hard debut fans. And as Taylor chipped away at 1989 in anticipation of her live announcement of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), we know some of you were on the edge of your seats waiting for ‘You Are In Love.’ She hung on for a while but ultimately was lost to L.A. Night 2.
4. ‘The Great War’ and ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid’
We knew when Aaron Dessner walked on stage that we were losing a good one. We just didn’t know we would lose two of our greatest soldiers that night. Taylor must have known the power of ‘You’re On Your Own, Kid’ live, given the inspiration for the famous friendship bracelets. And powerful it was.
3. ‘Ivy,’ ‘I Miss You, I’m Sorry,’ and ‘Call It What You Want’
Where do we even start? Another Aaron Dessner duet with ‘ivy.’ ‘Call It What You Want’ at a time in the tour when reputation surprise songs were few and far between. And a Taylor/Gracie Abrams duet of Gracie’s song ‘I miss you, I’m sorry.’ We fear the Gracie fans in the audience will never let this one go.
2. ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ and ‘Clean’
Doubly whammy. Even Taylor herself knew how good this combo was, because she played the ‘Death By A Thousand Cuts’ bridge not once, not twice, but three times. She knew this combo was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and she dragged it out as long as she could. We thank her for that.
1. ‘Getaway Car’ and ‘Maroon’
Two of the best songs in Taylor’s ten-album (soon to be eleven) discography. As if that wasn’t enough, Jack Antonoff graced the stage to play ‘Getaway Car.’ We all know the video of them crafting the bridge in about ten seconds, and MetLife stadium witnessed it live that night. If you were there, know how lucky you are. And how jealous every Swiftie is of you.
Here at the Honey POP, we believe that every Taylor Swift song is perfect in its own way. So if we missed your favorite surprise song combo, let us know! We guarantee we’ll have a lot to say about it. Hit us up in the comments or at @thehoneypop on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
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