LONDON — Little did Swift fans know that she’d surprise-bring Florence Welch onstage at the end of her European Hellas tour to perform a duet of “Florida!!!”
Many fans were hoping for a “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” announcement, but their hopes were dashed when the lead singer of Florence + the Machine stormed offstage after Swift performed “So High School” at Wembley Stadium.
The number featured all of Swift’s dancers in an all-new choreography. A center platform held the two stars and their dancers aloft during the first verse. A swamp-green animation was projected on the back screen, framing the additional portion of “Tortured Poets.”
As the singers walked down the catwalk, the crowd chanted, “Florida! Great drag!” Green light-up wristbands lit up the London night, their lights flashing in time with the five beats of the state’s name. No wonder security told fans in the VIP section on Tuesday morning that rehearsals would continue through the night and into the early hours.
After the pair finished playing the eighth song from “The Tortured Poets Department,” Welch bowed and blew Swift a kiss, the music changed to “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me,” and the pair skipped back to the diamond section of the stage, hand in hand.
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“Florida!!!” has not been performed once on the Eras Tour since the album was released in April.
On Thursday, Swift brought out her best friend of more than a decade, Ed Sheeran, for an acoustic set, and for the acoustic section on Tuesday, Swift brought out another close friend and collaborator, Jack Antonoff.
Swift will take a two-month break before heading to Miami, “Florida!!!”
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