Will Taylor Swift and The 1975 collaborate on a song after her surprise cameo at London gig?

Taylor Swift made her first live appearance of the year, taking to the stage during The 1975’s show at London’s The O2 on Thursday. The unannounced arrival of Swift followed the stage design the Matthew Healy-led group has leaned into during the tour - that of a US sitcom.

Answering the door on stage, Healy introduced stunned fans to Taylor Swift, who launched into one of the tracks from her most recent album, Midnights, serenading the audience with an acoustic rendition of ‘Anti-Hero’ - the first time the song had ever been performed live.

Swift followed that up with an acoustic version of The 1975 song “The City,” while the recently amorous Healy kept his kissing antics at bay during the London show. Before the band performed “Somebody Else”, the frontman quipped “I’m not kissing anyone in front of Taylor Swift. In front of the queen? Have some respect!”

The surprise appearance of Swift, at the same venue she surprised audiences at a HAIM show in 2022, has not done anything to quell persistent rumours of a collaboration between Swift and The 1975.

The pair shared the same producer, Jack Antonoff, who helmed work on both Midnights and The 1975’s most recent album, Being Funny in a Foreign Language.

That led to Healy sharing the album with Taylor Swift before its official release, prompting Swift to extend the same courtesy by allowing the band to listen to Midnight pre-release.

“We haven’t done it yet,” Healy said during an October interview with BBC Radio 1. “We’d love to though. [She is] one of the best songwriters.”

The 1975 are set to continue their tour in support of their latest album throughout the remainder of January before taking the album tour overseas. The band is scheduled to perform at TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow on July 9 2023.

Swift begins her North American tour in March, with international fans asked to stay tuned for potential dates towards the later stages of 2023.