Lainey Wilson took the stage to honor Taylor Swift when she made history on Monday evening (October 26) in Nashville, Tennessee.

Wilson delivered a stunning rendition of Swift’s “Love Story,” captivating the audience at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame gala at the Music City Center. Swift, 36, made history as the youngest-ever inductee, alongside Lyle Lovett, Bruce Channel, Shawn Camp, Lee Thomas Miller and J.I. Allison in the Class of 2026. Country legend George Strait was also honored with the Career Maker Award. Swift released “Love Story,” — putting a dreamy, fairytale-worthy ending on a Romeo and Juliet-inspired romance — in her Fearless era in 2008. The Lainey Wilson’s Wild Horses fan account shared a clip of Wilson’s performance on Instagram on Tuesday (October 27).

“Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone/ I’ll be waiting, all there's left to do is run/ You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess/ It's a love story, baby, just say, ‘Yes’”

Swift praised Wilson’s performance, hailing her “one of the coolest people in the world.” She also said she’s had Wilson’s latest single, “Kinda Love It,” on repeat since its release earlier this month. Country star Brad Paisley, who brought Swift on his 2007 tour when she was 17 (and played a prank that she said went “too far”), inducted the singer-songwriter into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Swift took the stage with heartfelt remarks during the gala.

The gala marked Wilson’s latest performance of “Love Story,” following her rendition with Swift during a Tight End University event over the summer. Wilson told the crowd as she introduced Swift at that event, “I’ll tell you what, I don’t think y’all are ready for what’s about to happen. When I was 14 years old, I started coming to this thing called CMA Fest, and I came every single year. And the very first year that I came, I got to see this act down on the Riverfront Stage. She was 16. I was 14. And there was like 30 people there. And four of the 30 was me, my mama, my daddy (and) my sister, and (it was) really, really special. And it has been so cool to see what she has done. And she is just as kind as she is talented. Y’all welcome to the stage my friend, Taylor Swift.”

Swift’s induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame arrives days after she celebrated the 20th anniversary of her self-titled debut album. Taylor Swift arrived on October 24, 2006, featuring “Tim McGraw,” “Picture To Burn,” “Teardrops On My Guitar,” “Should’ve Said No,” “Our Song,” and more. Swift’s historic induction also arrives months after she became the youngest female inductee of the New York-based Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the month before she returns to Nashville for the Country Music Association’s milestone 60th CMA Awards. Swift received her first nomination in four years, and said, “LOOKS LIKE I HAVEN’T YEE’D MY LAST HAW THANK YOU CMA!!!! See you there Nov. 18 🤠” The show, hosted by Wilson, will air on Wednesday, November 18 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on ABC and Disney+, and the following day on Hulu.

“It’s not lost on me how crazy this is,” Swift said at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame gala, according to Rolling Stone. The outlet published Swift’s speech in full. “I will cherish it forever because Nashville is the place that honed and polished the thing about myself and the thing about my life that I am the most proud of and the most passionate about. So to be here with you and to be getting to have this moment, I am truly grateful and it just feels like one of those amazing Nashville moments I’m going to revisit on a rainy day. Thank you so much.”

Kayla Hanley