SEATTLE, WASHINGTON: Taylor Swift debuted her well-known Kanye West diss track, 'This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things,' for the first time since 2018 during her show in Seattle on Saturday, July 22. She performed the song as she always did, singing the phrase "And here's to you, 'cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do," before erupting into fits of laughter.
'Shake it Off' hitmaker, 33, took a deep breath and said, "I can't even say it with a straight face." Fans were eager to react to the surprise performance of the song that was published after her famed battle with Yee and his then-wife, Kim Kardashian. Many believe the singer's unexpected rendition of an alleged Kanye West diss track made it more "personal" for her and the audience.
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♬ original sound - AHas Taylor Swift forgiven Kanye West?
The long-running dispute between Taylor Swift and Kanye West began when the rapper cut short the singer's victory speech for Best Female Video at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. The feud raged on, with the 'I Wonder' musician
addressing Swift in his songs and on social media, and the pop singer presenting West with an award in 2015. Scooter Braun, the rapper's former manager, also got embroiled in the conflict when he bought Swift's first six albums' master tapes in 2019. A controversial phone call between 'I Knew You Were Trouble' singer and the 'Heartless' hitmaker that started a protracted conflict leaked online in 2016. West called Swift to ask for her approval to feature her name in his song, 'Famous,' as per several reports.
It's unclear whether Swift has forgiven West. Years of public apologies and reconciliations have not ended the long-running conflict between the two musicians. When they were spotted conversing, laughing, and taking pictures together at the Grammys in 2015, it seemed like the two had patched things up. Although it's unclear if they've reunited, their relationship has been rocky ever since.
'I can't even say it with a straight face'
Swift published "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things" in 2017 before she was publicly redeemed. Swift says, "It was so nice being friends again/There I was giving you a second chance/But you stabbed me in the back while shaking my hand," in one of the verses. "And therein lies the issue, friends don't try to trick you. Get you on the phone and mind-twist you." Now, the huge laugh from "TIWWCHNT"'s bridge was included in Swift's July 22 performance, which marked the song's return to the stage following her 2008 Reputation tour. Swift sings, "And here's to you, 'cause forgiveness is a nice thing to do," before chuckling. After gathering herself, she continues, "I can't even say it with a straight face."
'The laugh was personal'
Many of her admirers believed Swift felt the moment intensely, even though the laugh and reaction are both in the song and are there on the original recording. One fan said on a TikTok video, "The laugh was personal," according to Page Six. Another stated, "I think when the laugh came out she wasn’t expecting it ?? had to take a second [to] recover." One person hoped she "saved this song for a LA performance" in case Kardashian, 42, showed up with her daughter North West.
