Taylor Swift Jokes She and Brad Paisley Were “Estranged” After Ultimate Tour Bus Prank

Taylor Swift has spent 2026 reminiscing on 20 years in the music industry, and last night, she got the recognition of a lifetime. Upon getting inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday, October 26, the “Our Song” singer spent nearly 10 minutes reflecting on and expressing immense gratitude for everyone and everything in Nashville that helped lay the groundwork for her career. As heartfelt as much of her speech was, she also made sure to sprinkle in a couple of funny tidbits, like the time Brad Paisley pulled the ultimate tour prank.

After thanking the “Whiskey Lullaby” singer for introducing her onstage, Taylor joked that she was surprised to see him. “We've been estranged since 2007; I think you know why,” she deadpanned. “He took a tour prank too far. Filled my entire tour bus with live crickets. Thousands of them. For months, I couldn't sleep. Just chirp. Chirp chirp. Chirp all night. I considered buying a pet lizard to eradicate the problem. It was a dark time, but you know what? You did such [an] amazing job with that introduction. I think we can let bygones be bygones… we're good now.”

Before Taylor took the stage, Lainey Wilson also joined in on the induction fun, performing “Love Story”—a song she and Taylor sang together back in June at the Tight End University Tight Ends & Friends Concert in Nashville.

“So honored @laineywilson and I got to induct @taylorswift into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame last night,” Brad said, reflecting on the memorable night. “All joking and tour pranks aside, what better example has there ever been of ‘it all starts with a song’ than this world of music she has built.” He went on to admit, “I also stand by the crickets on the tour bus as a legit truly boss prank.”

As Taylor’s speech and the details of the night have trickled out onto social media, fans can’t help but celebrate the pop star, who’s said to be returning to her country roots.

“What a night I’m still not over it,” one fan commented on Lainey’s Instagram carousel from the night. “Okay, Nashville royalty link up,” someone else chimed in. “Tayney is absolutely everything!! You are the duo we need,” another fan exclaimed.

Rebecca R. Norris is a lifestyle writer living on the outskirts of Boulder, Colorado. A print and digital contributor with more than 10 years of bylines under her belt, Rebecca has extensively covered travel, entertainment, home, fashion, beauty, wellness, and pet topics throughout her career. She is a graduate of George Mason University. There, she earned her B.A. in Media: Production, Consumption, and Critique, along with a minor in Electronic Journalism. When she’s not writing, Rebecca can be found lifting, laughing, strolling, hiking, traveling, and enjoying life with her fiancé and pups.

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