Taylor Swift performed a cover of Vance Joy’s “Riptide” for BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge in 2014.
Swift recorded the performance on 9 October 2014, shortly before the release of her fifth studio album, 1989. She performed the Australian singer-songwriter’s indie-pop hit in a softer, piano-led style, giving the song a more intimate sound than Joy’s original acoustic recording.
The appearance is sometimes confused with Swift’s other BBC Live Lounge performances from the same visit, including “Shake It Off” and “Love Story.” “Riptide” was not a Swift original: Vance Joy, the stage name of James Gabriel Wanderson Keogh, released it on his 2013 EP God Loves You When You’re Dancing.
A related detail fans often ask about is whether the performance became an official studio release. It remained primarily known as a live cover, while Swift and Joy later returned the musical compliment when Joy covered Swift’s “I Know Places.”