Lainey Wilson Honors Taylor Swift With Stunning Cover of One of Her Biggest Hits at Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony

Kicking off the week the only way she knew how, Taylor Swift made history. On Monday, the global icon was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Although not the first songwriter to be inducted, she was the youngest member at 38. Inducted by Brad Paisley, Swift was serenaded when Lainey Wilson covered her hit song “Love Story.” But while Wilson was there to celebrate the singer, Swift couldn’t help but praise the country star. 

Using her time in the spotlight to build a brand that brought her fame, accolades, and net worth of billions, Swift considered herself incredibly lucky. “I was lucky enough to get a publishing deal with Sony Publishing when I was 14, and I just hit the ground running. I was like a sponge, and I had really curly hair and it was yellow, so I kind of looked like a sponge, too.”

🚨| Lainey Wilson performing "Love Story" as a beautiful tribute to Taylor Swift in honor of her induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame! pic.twitter.com/WyklhHHOWi

— The Eras Tour (@tswifterastour) October 27, 2026

While Swift used that luck as a launching pad, she got the opportunity to watch the next wave of singers. And when Wilson took the stage, she jumped back to Swift’s second studio album, Fearless, to perform “Love Story.”

[RELATED: Lainey Wilson Honored With Stunning New Mural at Congress of Country Music] 

Lainey Wilson Goes From Cover To Praise Thanks To Taylor Swift

At the time of its release, “Love Story” climbed the charts, peaking at No. 1 on the US Adult Contemporary, the US Hot Country Songs, and the US Pop Airplay charts. It finished at No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100. And looking at the awards, it won Song of the Year at the 57th Annual BMI Country Awards in 2009. 

Not focusing on the legacy surrounding “Love Story,” Swift was completely mesmerized by Wilson’s cover. Getting the chance to speak, she couldn’t help but praise the singer for accepting the invitation. “You know, I first of all want to say thank you to Lainey Wilson, who I just think is one of the coolest people in the world. For saying yes and doing that.”

And if that wasn’t enough, Swift took a second to promote Wilson’s newest single. “I’ve had her new single on repeat. It just puts me in the best mood. It’s called ‘Kinda Love It.’ Check it out.”

When crossing a milestone like being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Swift used her moment to highlight those leading voices around her. From calling Wilson one of the “coolest people in the world” to promoting “Kinda Love It,” Swift wasn’t about to let the night be only about her.

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TAS)