Tearful Taylor Swift paid tribute to a young fan, who tragically succumbed to the extreme heat on Friday, while returning to the stage in Rio de Janeiro.
While seemingly paying her respects to Ana Clara Benevides, 23, the pop star sang her heart-wrenching track, Bigger Than the Whole Sky, about unimaginable grief and heartache as the show’s second surprise song.
‘Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time,’ the 12-time Grammy winner, 33, crooned while visibly choked up. ‘I’m never gonna meet / What could’ve been, would’ve been / What should’ve been you / What could’ve been, would’ve been you.’
Other emotional lyrics included: ‘No words appear before me in the aftermath/ Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears/ Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness.’
Emotional: Tearful Taylor Swift paid tribute to a young fan, who tragically succumbed to the extreme heat on Friday, while returning to the stage in Rio de Janeiro for the first time since her death
Brave face: While seemingly paying her respects to Ana Clara Benevides, 23, the 33-year-old pop star sang her heart-wrenching track, Bigger Than the Whole Sky, about unimaginable grief and heartache
Devastating: On Friday, Ana Clara Benevides, 23, fainted in the front row and was given CPR by doctors at the scene but failed to revive her
In response to a TikTok video, uploaded by a fan under the username @tswift_22, Swifties applauded the performance that they perceived to be ‘for Ana.’
‘She played it for the girl who died, I’m gonna cry,’ one wrote.
Another speculated: ‘She played her heart out on that piano, you can tell she was doing it all for Ana.’
Others pointed out how Swift ‘was crying’ as she sang and you could ‘hear’ Swift’s raw emotion as she grieved for her fan.
On X (previously known as Twitter, one fan commented: ‘I can feel her hurt, the impact of what happened. Her voice… her emotion.’
‘I already have immense respect for @taylorswift13 but after tonight’s surprise song, it has tripled. That must have been so hard for her to perform, for the original meaning and why she chose to play it tonight,’ another fan raved.
On Friday, Benevides fainted in the front row and was given CPR by doctors at the scene but failed to revive her.
She was transported to a hospital, where she suffered a second cardiac arrest and died.
Earlier during the show, Swift, who had to postpone Saturday’s show due to sweltering temperatures, expressed gratitude to all her attendees for braving the record-breaking heat and rain to support her.
‘Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time,’ the 12-time Grammy winner crooned while visibly choked up. ‘I’m never gonna meet / What could’ve been, would’ve been / What should’ve been you / What could’ve been, would’ve been you’
Reeling: Other emotional lyrics included: ‘No words appear before me in the aftermath/ Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears/ Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness’
‘Taylor Swift did a beautiful job honoring all the Swifties taken too soon,’ one fan tweeted
Another wrote: ‘Are we all okay?!??’
‘That was such a sad yet beautiful moment,’ one wrote. ‘I feel like we are all going to remember this one tonight. Whether it be live in Brazil or anywhere in the world’
Grieving: Swifties rushed to social media to express their emotional reaction to her surprise song choice
‘Singing Bigger Than The Whole Sky was a beautiful way to honor Ana and we can know it by hearing Taylor’s voice,’ another fan wrote
Another praised the choice, pointing out Swift’s thoughtfulness is ‘why’ she is the ‘queen’ of their ‘hearts’
‘I already have immense respect for @taylorswift13 but after tonight’s surprise song, it has tripled. That must have been so hard for her to perform, for the original meaning and why she chose to play it tonight,’ another fan stated
!['I knew she was going to do it but [three sobbing emojis], she's amazing,' another tweeted with the hashtag #RIPAnaBenevides](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2023/11/20/04/78008215-12769305-image-a-44_1700453631009.jpg)
‘I knew she was going to do it but [three sobbing emojis], she’s amazing,’ another tweeted with the hashtag #RIPAnaBenevides
‘I had to isolate to sob,’ another admitted
‘Really hard weekend for Taylor. This song was the right choice and the hardest, I’m sure,’ another tweeted. ‘The pain was at the surface during the performance’
‘How lucky do you have to be to have 65,000 people dance in the pouring rain with you?’ she asked the crowd. ‘I’ve never gotten to bring a tour to Brazil before and you’ve been so supportive to me ever since the beginning of my career.’
Swift continued: ‘I love you so much and I’m so happy to see your faces tonight you have no idea.’
Later on during the singer’s set, the crowd erupted after ‘Champagne Problems’ as Swift teared up mouthing ‘I love you,’ according to social media footage.
After performing her hit, Champagne Problems on the piano, she looked emotional and teared up as the audience erupted in applause.
In response to the loud clapping and cheers, she sweetly mouthed ‘I love you’ to concertgoers.
Under a video of the moment, one fan observed Swift had ‘cried’ and was clearly ’emotionally heartbroken but’ trying ‘to to give the crowd her best.’
Another marveled at Swift’s ability to get ‘through this weekend.’
A third wrote: ‘She’s trying so hard not to breakdown.’
Her second show, which marks her first since Benevides’ death, comes as Brazil is experiencing an unprecedented heatwave and fans were reportedly not allowed to bring water into the highly anticipated concert despite the sweltering temperatures.
After Swift’s performance on Friday, fans claimed that they had been banned from taking water into the venue, but this has not been verified.
Grateful: Earlier during the show, Swift, who had to postpone Saturday’s show due to sweltering temperatures, expressed gratitude to all her attendees for braving the record-breaking heat and rain to support her
‘How lucky do you have to be to have 65,000 people dance in the pouring rain with you?’ she asked the crowd. ‘I’ve never gotten to bring a tour to Brazil before and you’ve been so supportive to me ever since the beginning of my career’
Swift continued: ‘I love you so much and I’m so happy to see your faces tonight you have no idea’
Rain or shine: Swift performed through the rain for her 65,000 fans
Resilient: After a tough weekend due to extreme weather, the Blank Space hitmaker managed to push through and deliver an incredible show
‘I hope she knows how much we care. This weekend obviously has not been easy for her but I really hope she knows that we will stay,’ one fan wrote under Instagram footage of her performing
Another observed: ‘She cried, I cried. Seems emotionally heartbroken, but determined to give the crowd her best ❤️’
‘I can’t even imagine the emotions she’s been going through this weekend,’ a third marveled
In a handwritten note published on Instagram, Swift spoke of her shock over Benevides’ death.
‘I can’t believe I’m writing these words, but it is with her shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show. I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by by this,’ she posted.
‘I’m not going to be able to speak about this from the stage because I feel overwhelmed by grief when I even try to talk about it.
‘I want to say now I feel this loss deeply, and my broken heart goes out to her family and friends. This is the last thing I ever thought would happen when we decided to bring the show to Brazil.’
Footage from her first concert in Brazil showed Swift pleading with stadium staff to give her fans water. At one point during the show, the singer brought the gig to a halt and threw a water bottle into the crowd.
One terrifying clip, shared on TikTok, appeared to show Swift struggling to breathe as she temperatures in the arena soared to more than 37C. In the 11-second clip, Swift can be seen hurriedly taking seven breaths before starting another of her hit songs.
‘There were people crying, people throwing tantrums, hoping it was all a lie, in short, it was terrible,’ said student Victor Guimaraes, who was waiting in line again on Sunday to watch the singer’s performance.
Scary situation: On Friday, footage from the concert shows Swift pleading with stadium staff to give her fans water
‘I can’t believe I’m writing these words, but it is with her shattered heart that I say we lost a fan earlier tonight before my show. I can’t even tell you how devastated I am by by this,’ she posted after learning of Benevides’ passing
On Sunday, news broke that a second fan died in Rio de Janerio after being fatally stabbed on Saturday.
Gabriel Milhomem Santos was killed just hours after he attended the world-wide tour at Nilton Santos Olympic Stadium in the Brazilian city.
The 25-year-old, who was wearing a ‘Swifities’ friendship bracelet, was reportedly knifed to death as he rested on the famous Copacabana beach in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Swift megafan Gabriel had travelled to Rio from Belo Horizonte, where he was studying Aeronautic Engineering, to see the singer’s show.
Tragic: On Sunday, news broke that a second fan, named Gabriel Milhomem Santos, died in Rio de Janerio after being fatally stabbed on Saturday
He was with two female cousins when the group decided to stop by the city’s famous Copacabana beach to swim in the sea in the early hours of Sunday morning.
According to his cousins, Gabriel had dozed off on the sand when three robbers approached the group, and was stabbed when he suddenly woke up in the middle of the assault.
The robbers took the keys to the group’s car and two mobile phones, but two were later arrested by police.
Two of the robbers, Alan Ananias Calvacante and Anderson Henriques Brandão, had been released from custody hours earlier after being arrested for stealing 80 bars of chocolate.
A third man, Jonathan Batista Barbosa, reportedly with 10 other crimes on his record, is still on the run.
Swift has yet to comment on Gabriel’s death.