Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce Attend U.S. Open — 22 Years After 12-Year-Old Swift Sang ‘America the Beautiful’ There

The Instagram account also jogged memories with a post referencing Swift’s earliest known appearance at the U.S. Open: 2002, around this time of year.

The then-aspiring singer — at just 12 years old (soon to be 13, with her birthday being in December) — got the opportunity to sing “America the Beautiful” at Arthur Ashe Stadium at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the complex where the U.S. Open is held.

Wearing a black, sleeveless dress and her long hair blow-dried straight, a young Swift — found in a clip that’s somewhat buried in a fan compilation video uploaded to YouTube over a decade ago — seemed aware of the art of commanding a crowd at what must have been one of her earliest stadium gigs. Even in her middle-school years, she didn’t shy away from taking a look around, or making eye contact with people watching from the stands.

At 12, with the slightest twang in her tone, Swift leaned on her early country influence for “America the Beautiful.” Her vocals have matured into something that’s all her own in her 30s, but that almost-teen’s performance is still unmistakably Swift.

“America, America, God shed his grace on thee,” she’s heard singing in the pre-fame clip.

Little did she know how many stadiums her name would headline, sell out and generate total ticket hysteria for within the next couple decades.

For September, and until Oct. 18, Swift’s on break from The Eras Tour, which will see a December finale. For now there’s no new Eras concert clips to pore over or ever-changing acoustic sets to anticipate.

Over the past several days the mind behind The Tortured Poets Department has been quite publicly out and about, which means fans have gotten a glimpse into her social calendar. Thursday night she showed up to support Kelce and the Chiefs at their Thursday game at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium before the couple headed to New York to hang out for the weekend.