Taylor Swift Sparks Country Comeback Rumors After Intimate Nashville Performance

Taylor Swift's surprise appearance at Nashville's Brooklyn Bowl has set off a wave of speculation that she may be returning to her country roots.

The 35-year-old singer shocked her fans on Tuesday night when she showed up as a surprise guest on stage with country star Kane Brown at a Tight Ends & Friends concert hosted by her boyfriend, NFL player Travis Kelce.

Dressed down for the casual venue, the Grammy-winner delivered an exuberant performance of her 2014 hit song "Shake It Off."

But it was hardly just the song that got fans' attention.

Attendees heard a shift in Swift's vocal tone, and they called out the comeback of her signature country twang.

The performance took place just outside her hometown of Hendersonville, Tenn., with her longtime friend Abigail Anderson watching from the audience, two factors that fueled rumors that Swift's upcoming 12th studio album, dubbed "TS12" by fans, might lean more towards country.

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Back to Where It All Began?

Swift hasn't shared any details of her next album yet, but the hints fans are tracking only add up.

In addition to her duet with Brown, she was caught singing along to Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise," as sung by Chase Rice, a song she had memorably danced to during the 2013 CMT Awards.

The evening was also Swift's first public performance since she had taken back control of the entirety of her music catalog.

Some fans believe the Nashville performance could signal the imminent release of the re-recorded version of the "Taylor Swift" album.

Kane Brown Reacts to Surprise Duet

Brown, who performed that night, joked that the pop megastar one-upped him. Taking to Instagram to share an image with Swift and Kelce, Brown captioned the photo: "When you think you're the special guest BUT you're not."

Before Swift took the stage, Brown teased the crowd with, "I have a really, really special guest," and fans erupted when she appeared.

Swift told the audience the performance came together moments before they went on, "We decided we were gonna perform that three minutes ago," she said. "We're up there, me and Kane are having some drinks, and we were thinking like how loud could this place get?"

Swift dedicated the performance to "our favorite players," in a nod to Kelce and his fellow NFL tight ends, who were in town for his Tight End University event.

The Brooklyn Bowl show was a stark contrast to Swift's typical stadium settings.

That intimacy, paired with the setting, the surprise, and the sound, has left fans convinced that a country-themed TS12, or a re-release of her 2006 debut, is just around the corner.

Tags

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce