Taylor Swift paid an emotional tribute to the fan who sadly died at her recent concert.
The singer took the stage Sunday in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, after canceling a show due to the tragedy. The fan, Ana Clara Benevides, 23, fainted in the front row at Swift's concert on Friday, due to the extreme heat. She was given CPR by doctors at the scene but could not be revived, and was declared dead at a local hospital.
On Sunday, Swift expressed gratitude to all the concertgoers for braving the record-breaking temperatures to see her show.
In Benevides's honor, Swift then sang “Bigger Than the Whole Sky,” her track about grief and heartache, as the show's second surprise song.
“Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time,” Swift sang as tears visibly rolled down her face. “I'm never gonna meet / What could've been, would've been / What should've been you / What could've been, would've been you.”
Also on Sunday, the 12-time Grammy winner accepted 10 awards virtually, for the 2023 Billboard Music Awards. These were Top Artist, Top Female Artist, Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top Hot 100 Songwriter, Top Radio Songs Artist, Top Song Sales Artist, Top Billboard Global 200 Artist, Top Billboard Global Excl. U.S. Artist, Top Country Female Artist, and Top-Selling Song for “Anti-Hero.”
“Well, this is unreal. This is the fact, that you guys have given me ten Billboard Awards, I’m talking to the fans specifically, none of this happens without you,” Swift, who had the most nominations of the night, with 20, said in her video message. “Billboards base everything off of what you are listening to, and what you’re passionate about and I’m so honored that this year you made the tour, The Eras Tour, so magical.”
Rosa Sanchez is the senior news editor at Harper's Bazaar, working on news as it relates to entertainment, fashion, and culture. Previously, she was a news editor at ABC News and, prior to that, a managing editor of celebrity news at American Media. She has also written features for Rolling Stone, Teen Vogue, Forbes, and The Hollywood Reporter, among other outlets.
