Taylor Swift Brings Out Aaron Dessner for First-Ever ‘Seven’ Performance in Pittsburgh

Swift also explained her decision to make next single Lover’s “Cruel Summer”

TAYLOR SWIFT WELCOMED the National’s Aaron Dessner back onstage during The Eras Tour stop in Pittsburgh Saturday for the first-ever performance of Folklore’s “Seven.”

“A lot of you know who this man is right here,” Swift told the crowd. “This is someone I’d categorize as a soulmate collaborator: He’s an incredible musician, instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and without him this whole tour wouldn’t have happened.”

“I come from down the river, in a rival city,” the Cincinnati-born Dessner said, hinting at his Bengals’ long history with the audience’s Steelers.

Swift then shouted out the “amazing dads” in the audience, noting that the next day was Father’s Day.

“I was thinking about the song we were gonna play, because I actually — I’m not trying to brag — I have a really, really incredible dad,” Swift added.

“This song we’re gonna play is about having really fond memories of childhood, and growing up in Pennsylvania… I always wanted to play this song in Pennsylvania. This is called ‘Seven.’”

Dessner previously appeared during the Eras Tour’s stops in Tampa Bay and Nashville, performing “The Great War” and “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” with Swift.

Also during the show Saturday, Swift touched on the decision to resurrect Lover’s “Cruel Summer” as her next single, even though that LP came out four years and three studio albums ago.

“‘Cruel Summer’ was on the Lover album. That album came out four years ago. And I just need to let you know something: ‘Cruel Summer,’ that song was my pride and joy on that album,” Swift told the crowd after performing the track.

“You have conversations before the album comes out. Everybody around weighs in on what they think should be singles. I was finally, finally about to have my favorite song become the single — off of Lover.