I’m not exaggerating when I say — this ranks in the top 10 covers of all time. Taylor didn’t just sing “Can’t Stop Loving You” — she channeled it. Her voice trembled like someone reading a goodbye letter they never meant to send, her eyes fixed on something only she could see. For four minutes, the Live Lounge wasn’t a studio — it was a confessional. And when she hit the line “no matter what I say or do…” with that final, aching pause, it felt like she wasn’t covering Phil Collins — she was living him. Honestly? It wasn’t a cover. It was a haunting
In a performance that silenced the room and stunned fans across generations, Taylor Swift brought raw emotion and timeless nostalgia to the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge with her haunting cover of “Can’t Stop Loving You.”
A Song Reborn
On September 2, 2019, Taylor Swift stepped into the iconic Live Lounge—not to dazzle with her chart-topping hits, but to deliver a stripped-down, soul-baring rendition of “Can’t Stop Loving You”, a classic made famous by Phil Collins. Originally penned by William Nicholls and Leo Sayer in the 1970s, the song was reborn in the early 2000s through Collins’ emotional soft rock interpretation.
Swift, however, reimagined it entirely. From the first quiet piano notes, her voice floated gently into the room—fragile yet strong, melancholy yet warm. It wasn’t just a cover. It was a confession.
“It’s one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard,” Swift told the Live Lounge audience. “And sometimes, sad songs say everything you need to say.”
Stripped to the Soul
Unlike Collins’ fuller arrangement, Swift’s version was intimate and bare. Accompanied only by soft keys and the weight of her own emotions, she delivered each line as if it were her own story.
“I can’t stop loving you, no matter what I say or do…”
The lyrics hit differently when sung by Swift—an artist whose public love life has long been under a microscope. Her performance made it feel personal, universal, and quietly devastating.
The Live Lounge audience sat motionless. Online, fans called it “a masterpiece of restraint,” “achingly beautiful,” and “the kind of cover that stays with you long after it ends.”
Collins Approves
Not long after the performance aired, Phil Collins himself responded. On Facebook, he shared the video with the caption:
“Such a beautiful voice. She absolutely nails it. Lovely to hear it.”
It was a rare and touching moment of cross-generational praise—one legend acknowledging another, not for mimicry, but for reinterpretation with grace and heart.
Why It Mattered
Taylor Swift’s version of “Can’t Stop Loving You” wasn’t about showcasing vocal power or chasing trends. It was about emotion, storytelling, and a deep reverence for songwriting.
- It bridged musical eras, connecting her modern pop-folk sensibilities with Collins’ heartfelt legacy.
- It reminded fans that Taylor isn’t just a performer, but a curator of feelings—capable of resurrecting old songs and making them pulse again.
- It showed maturity, not just in musical choices but in restraint—letting the silence between notes speak as loudly as the lyrics.
A Quietly Iconic Moment
In the timeline of Taylor Swift’s career, this Live Lounge performance may never hit commercial charts—but it struck a deeper chord. It was a whisper in a career filled with anthems, a gentle bow to those who came before, and a gift to those who still feel too much when they hear a certain song.
Swift didn’t just cover “Can’t Stop Loving You.”
She felt it.
And because of that, so did we.
Watch the full performance here →
