“It’s been stuck in my head, and it would make me feel good if I knew that 65,000 other people have this song stuck in their head, just like I do”: Taylor Swift is joined on stage by Sabrina Carpenter for a surprise shot of Eras Tour Espresso

Sabrina Carpenter and Taylor Swift
(Image credit: TAS2024/Getty Images for TAS)

Taylor Swift’s Eras tour may have had almost 150 stops now, but its ‘surprise song’ segment still has the power to, um, surprise.

Performing in New Orleans on Saturday night, Swift sent the crowd properly bonkers when she brought out her friend, Sabrina Carpenter, for an acoustic mash-up that included the Short n’ Sweet star’s hits Espresso and Please Please Please, as well as Is It Over Now?, a bonus track from 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

Prior to Carpenter’s arrival on the stage, Swift teed up the performance by telling the crowd that she was going to do something “completely different” and sing another artist’s song.

“It’s been stuck in my head, and it would make me feel good if I knew that 65,000 other people have this song stuck in their head, just like I do,” she said.

The next part of the pre-arranged ‘bit’ involved Swift singing Espresso’s chorus alone as she strummed her acoustic guitar, after which she called Carpenter and asked how quickly she could make it to the stage. “In about five seconds,” replied Sabrina, who previously performed as a support act on the Eras Tour, before she emerged and joined Swift for the song.

Predictably, Swift wasn’t going to let the moment pass without taking Espresso’s second verse, which gave her the chance to sing the famous “I’m working late, ‘cause I’m a singer,” line. Is It Over Now? came next, followed by a chorus of Please Please Please and a final shot of Espresso.

Cue wild applause, and fans left wondering how Swift plans to top this in her remaining Eras Tour shows in Toronto and Vancouver. Her final performance takes place on Sunday 8 December.

Ben Rogerson
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.