When Taylor Swift appeared on the TV show Stripped early in her career, she covered “Untouchable” by the then-obscure Nashville rock band Luna Halo. Eventually, she released a rearranged studio version of it on the Platinum edition of her 2008 album Fearless. She also performed it on Saturday Night Live in November 2009.
Last night (Nov. 25) in São Paulo, Brazil, Swift sat at the piano to perform the song for the first time in 12 years during the “surprise songs” portion of her Eras tour show at Allianz Parque, admitting that it had been “ages” since she’d last done so. Swift also recorded the song again for the Taylor’s Version release of Fearless, which was released in 2021.
“We lucked out, really,” Luna Halo’s Nathan Barlowe said in a 2009 interview with the Tennessean. “She covered the song and it sounded amazing, so from there, there were so many YouTube hits on it, and so many people watching it and doing imitations of it, that’s when the label decided that they should put it on the record.” Indeed, Swift’s take on “Untouchable” was so distinct from the original that many of her fans had no idea it was a cover until years later.
“Untouchable” was preceded last night but another Eras tour debut, “Safe and Sound,” which Swift played for the first time since 2013. The song was originally released on The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 and Beyond soundtrack and features Swift collaborating with the since-dissolved duo the Civil Wars.
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The 2023 portion of the record-setting Eras tour concludes tonight in São Paulo. It will resume on Feb. 7 in Tokyo.
