GAYLE Had ‘No Clue’ What to Do Next When ‘Icon’ Taylor Swift Came Calling for The Eras Tour

GAYLE is just one week away from opening for Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour, and in a new interview, the singer-songwriter opened up about just how much the superstar’s invitation to join her on tour meant.

“Taylor has been such an icon, period, but especially in Nashville,” the 18-year-old told Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 on Friday (March 10). “She’s done so much for women in pop music for Nashville and for songwriters. And the fact that she can look at me in Nashville and just be like, ‘You, come with me.’

“It just means the world to me and it just was really validating for me, and especially at a very overwhelming time,” she continued. “I had no clue what I was going to do this year. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I had the best year of my life. What am I going to do next year?’ And she was like, ‘Here’s something to add to your calendar.'”

Memorably, GAYLE first crossed paths with her new tourmate at the Nashville Songwriter Awards last September, where she took the stage to perform her breakout hit “abcdefu.” Swift, meanwhile, was honored at the ceremony as the NSAI Professional Songwriter Members’ Songwriter-Artist of the Decade.

Since that meeting, GAYLE actually competed against Swift for song of the year at the 2023 Grammy Awards.

Swift’s The Eras Tour is set to kick off March 17 with two back-to-back shows at State Farm Arena in Glendale, Ariz. Along with GAYLE, Paramore, Beabadoobee, Phoebe Bridgers, Girl in Red, MUNA, HAIM, Gracie Abrams and more are all set to open on select dates across the U.S.