During their unexpected duet at the Staples Center, Lisa Kudrow and Taylor Swift both shared a guitar to begin the song together. The performance took a humorous turn when it was Taylor Swift’s turn to sing a verse solo. Kudrow promptly interrupted her to offer a critique, playfully correcting the pop star and insisting that she had to truly “feel the lyrics” to properly convey the song’s essence. After a bit of lighthearted back-and-forth between the two, the duo kicked the song off again, eventually inviting the entire arena’s audience to join in for one last verse, turning the massive venue into a collective sing-along.

Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour was a major global success, with arenas selling out across the world to celebrate her fifth studio album, 1989. This record represented a significant departure from her country music origins and demonstrated her growth as an artist. It featured many of her most successful songs to date, including the pop anthem “Blank Space,” which dominated global charts almost immediately upon its release. While the tour featured many high-production elements, this moment of acoustic simplicity stood out.

“Smelly Cat” has transcended its origins as a television joke to become a cultural touchstone covered by a wide variety of artists. Musicians such as Chris Isaak and James Michael Tyler, as well as Kudrow’s co-star Courteney Cox, have all paid tribute to this peculiar song about a neglected cat with a terrible smell. The song’s legacy continued well beyond the 2015 tour; in 2021, the cast of Friends collaborated for a one-off reunion special, during which Lisa Kudrow performed “Smelly Cat” alongside the iconic American singer-songwriter Lady Gaga. As of the latest known status, the song remains a celebrated piece of television history.