In the middle of her lengthy Eras Tour, Taylor Swift found time to release an acoustic version of her Midnights opening track, “Lavender Haze.”
Her stripped-back version transforms the synth-pop track into something more folky and intimate. Co-written by Swift, along with Zoe Kravitz and producers Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, and Sam Dew, the track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was inspired by an unlikely ’50s-era television show.
Videos by American Songwriter
“I happened upon the phrase ‘lavender haze’ when I was watching ‘Mad Men,’” revealed Swift in a previous Instagram video, describing the inspiration behind the song. “And I looked it up because I thought it sounded cool, and it turns out that it’s a common phrase used in the ’50s where they would just describe being in love. Like, if you were in the lavender haze, then that meant that you were in that all-encompassing love glow – and I thought that was really beautiful.”
Throughout “Lavender Haze,” Swift details the connection and support of a lover and finds a more euphoric space amid the rumors and outside noise in I feel the lavender haze creepin’ up on me / Surreal / I’m damned if I do give a damn what people say / No deal / The 1950s shit they want from me / I just wanna stay in that lavender haze.
Swift recently extended her long-awaited Eras tour, which kicked off on March 17 and will run through Aug. 9 with support from HAIM, Phoebe Bridgers, beabadoobee, and more on select dates.
To honor Swift’s upcoming shows on the Eras Tour, the city of Glendale, Arizona was renamed Swift City during the opening weekend of her tour there, and Arlington, Texas recently renamed a street near the AT&T Stadium as “Taylor Swift Way” to commemorate her shows in the city.
Read the full story behind Swift’s “Lavender Haze” HERE.
Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images
More Latest Music News & Stories
-
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 02: Ella Langley performs during Stars for Second Harvest with ERNEST & Friends at the Ryman Auditorium on June 02, 2026 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images) -
Photo by Dingena Mol / ANP / AFP via Getty Images -
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JULY 12: Singer Barry Manilow performs onstage during the "Manilow: The Last Seattle Concert" at Climate Pledge Arena on July 12, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Mat Hayward/Getty Images) -
MADRID, SPAIN – MAY 16: Glenn Hughes performs Classic Deep Purple Live at La Riviera on May 16, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Javier Bragado/Redferns) -
THE VOICE — "The Playoffs Premiere" Episode 2815 — Pictured: Carson Daly — (Photo by: Casey Durkin/NBC via Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 23: Shania Twain performs a special one-night-only performance for SiriusXM to launch exclusive channel at Racket NYC on July 23, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for SiriusXM) -
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JULY 10: Lainey Wilson performs during the Windy City Smokeout on July 10, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 29: (L-R) Bruce Watson and Luis Maldonado of Foreigner perform onstage during The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis 39th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner on September 29, 2025 at the New York Hilton Midtown raised millions of dollars to support the pioneering work of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, a designated Center of Excellence at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine and the world’s premier research center targeting spinal cord and brain injury and other neurological disorders and diseases. (Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund To Cure Paralysis)