Sombr reveals Taylor Swift trusted him to choose songs for her Songwriters Hall of Fame induction
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Sombr, aka Shane Boose, opened up about his friendship with Taylor Swift, revealing that she let him choose the songs he would perform at her Hall of Fame induction.
The young songwriter said he felt a lot of "pressure" after Swift gave him the freedom to pick two of her songs for the event.
During a recent interview with Variety, Sombr revealed how much he admires Swift and her husband, Travis Kelce. For those unaware, the 36-year-old 'Lover' singer accepted the induction on Thursday, June 11.
Sombr reveals Taylor Swift's song selection twist
The 21-year-old singer shared that Swift asked him to perform two of her songs at the induction. "I asked Taylor to pick the songs for me, because I wanted the night to be fully about her, but she wouldn’t allow it,” Sombr shared.
“She was like, ‘No, I want you to pick the songs.’ It put me under a lot of pressure, but she was really happy with my choices."
He chose 'Cardigan' and 'Dear John' for the event and explained why he selected the tracks. Both songs held special meaning for him.
He chose 'Dear John' because Swift wrote it at the age of 19, the same age at which everything changed for Sombr. As for 'Cardigan,' he simply wanted to perform his own version of the song.
“If I looked at her for three seconds during the performance, my mind would have completely blanked because that’s Taylor Swift,” he said of his performance. “That’s a goddess. I remember looking at her for a split second while performing and almost losing it, but then I looked away.”
He also shared one of the most emotional moments of his life. “It’s one thing for people to say Sombr, but when I heard Taylor Swift, someone I was never supposed to know, say the name ‘Shane,’ referencing me, that made me tear up,” he added.
How Sombr and Taylor Swift became friends
The friendship between Sombr and Swift began after she publicly praised the young singer in 2025.
She praised his songwriting and described his tracks as "envious." That prompted him to send her a thank-you note, to which Swift replied with a personal letter and a necklace.
He was also invited to her wedding on July 3.
According to Just Jared, when asked whether he would attend the Madison Square Garden wedding, he replied, "Who said I’m going?" with a "puckish smile."
