Taylor Swift did not offer an introduction to “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” when she performed it as a surprise song at her concert Sunday night in Rio de Janeiro. But she didn’t have to — fans implicitly understood her live premiere of the number, arguably the most wrenchingly emotional song in her catalog, as a tribute to Ana Clara Benevides Machado, who died after attending Swift’s previous show at the stadium.
Swift had previously expressed her sorrow over the fan’s death in a social media post, and had written that “I’m not going to be able to speak about this from stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it.” But, clearly, she wanted to sing about that which she could not talk about.
On video captured of the “secret songs” segment of Sunday’s show at Estádio Olímpico Nilton Santos , Swift is seen appearing to compose herself and take deep breaths before she launches into the ballad, which was a bonus track on the “3am” deluxe edition of her “Midnights” album last year. When the damp-haired singer finally begins to play it, much of the audience immediately recognizes the deep track from the first note, and the crowd sings along loudly with the chorus: “Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky… / I’ve got a lot to live without / I’m never gonna meet / What could’ve been, would’ve been / What should’ve been you.”
Popular on Variety
The cause of death for Benevides has not been announced, but it’s widely assumed that it was related to the heat wave afflicting the region. The 23-year-old fan died Friday night after being taken from the stadium, where many others passed out, to a nearby hospital. Swift postponed the following night’s concert, citing the high temperatures.
“Bigger Than the Whole Sky” has become an anthem over the last 13 months for fans who are grieving a loved one. Swift has yet to say or write anything publicly about the track or its inspiration, which has been variously interpreted to be about the death of a family member or loved one, a miscarriage, or the passing of someone beloved but unmet; the finality of its language makes it clear it’s about a split more grave than just a breakup.
The other surprise song Sunday night was also a sad one, albeit a far less tragic one, “Dancing With Our Hands Tied,” which was played on her 2018 Reputation tour but did not appear on the Eras Tour until this show.
In a ranked list of the best bonus tracks on Swift albums published by Variety earlier this year, “Bigger Than the Whole Sky” was ranked highly, with the notation that it was one of the few songs on the list not yet introduced on the Eras Tour, possibly because it would be too emotional: “She has yet to perform the song live, and it’ll be quite an occasion if she ever feels so bold.”
Read More About:
Jump to CommentsMost Popular
Elisabeth Moss Says ‘Girl, Interrupted’ Cast Got Divided Off Camera Into Winona Ryder vs. Angelina Jolie Camps: ‘I Was Intimidated’ by and ‘Not Cool…
New 'The Office' Series Picked Up at Peacock, First Plot Details Reveal Midwestern Newspaper Setting
'Bette' Sitcom Was a Mistake, So Was Not Suing Lindsay Lohan, Says Bette Midler
Emily Blunt Says She’s ‘Absolutely’ Wanted to Throw Up After Kissing Certain Actors During Filming: ‘I’ve Definitely Not Enjoyed Some of It…
Marvel Studios Boss Admits 2023 Was a ‘Rough Time,’ but Says: ‘If We Just Stayed on Top, That Would’ve Been the Worst Thing’ and ‘We Learned Our…
‘Wednesday’ Season 2 Announces Full Cast as Filming Kicks Off, Percy Hynes White Dropped From Series
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery to Launch Disney+, Hulu, Max Streaming Bundle
Apple’s New iPad Pro Ad Sparks Outrage as Hugh Grant and More Slam Tech Giant: ‘The Destruction of the Human Experience’
Keanu Reeves Thinks ‘We'd Freakin' Knock It Out of the Park’ With ‘Speed 3,’ Sandra Bullock Says ‘Keanu and I Need to’ Act Together Again ‘Before I…
Dropout Jumps Into Emmys With ‘Game Changer’ and ‘Very Important People,’ ‘Dimension 20’ Not Eligible for Submission…
Must Read
- Film
'Challengers' Heats Up: How Zendaya's Star Power and a Sexy Love Triangle Could Give Gen Z Its Next Movie Obsession
By Andrew Wallenstein 2 weeks
- Music
Taylor Swift’s ‘Tortured Poets’ Becomes First Album to Get One Billion Streams on Spotify in a Single Week
- TV
Steve Carell Joins Tina Fey in Netflix Comedy Series ‘Four Seasons’
- Digital
Will TikTok Be Banned in the U.S.? What the New Law Means for the App’s Users
- TV
Nick Carter Allegations, Aaron Carter Controversies to Be Tackled in New Investigation Discovery Docuseries ‘Fallen Idols’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sign Up for Variety Newsletters
By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Variety Confidential
ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXN%2FjqasrKGTZLumw9Joq5qxnKS%2Fbr%2FWop2tZZSar7bA0maZop%2BXmr9uwMeapWavmKS5pnnSpLBmqpmkeqe10ayrZpufo7CmvtNmmJ%2Bslad6p63NZpuemaSdenJ%2Bkm5vaWlnbINw