Tag Archives: Taylor Swift

1989 (Taylor’s Version) Is Officially Out, And The Swifties Are Not OK

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The latest instalment in Taylor Swift’s unprecedented undertaking to rerecord her first six studio albums is officially here.

The original 1989 – titled after Tay’s birth year – was released in 2014, and signified a major shift in the singer’s brand, as she shed her country roots to develop a more pop-centric sound. It’s also the album that many believe solidified Taylor’s status a true pop icon of our times.

Understandably – with bangers like Style, New Romantics and Wildest Dreams (plus five new ‘From The Vault’ songs) on the record – Swifties are going WILD for 1989 (Taylor’s Version).

Here’s what people on social media have had to say about it…

The new release is the Shake It Off singer’s fourth ‘Taylor’s Version’ album and follows the rerecords of Fearless, Red and Speak Now.

Just two of her albums released under her old label, Big Machine, are yet to be given the Taylor’s Version treatment; her self-titled 2006 release and 2017’s Reputation.

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Taylor Swift Really Let Her Down At This Year’s VMAs, And Her Fans Are Absolutely Here For It

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Anyone who’s watched a music awards show in the last decade will know that at multiple points over the course of the night, you’re going to get numerous shots of Taylor Swift in the audience.

This was certainly the case at Tuesday night’s MTV Video Music Awards, where the chart-topping singer was up for 11 awards (eventually winning nine of them, meaning she was just one away from Peter Gabriel’s record for most victories in a single night).

However, the big difference at this year’s VMAs was that Taylor was neither performing nor presenting, meaning she was able to let her hair down at the ceremony.

And folks, let her hair down she did.

The audience “POV cam” was pretty much on Taylor for the entire night, leading to numerous viral moments that included appreciating her fellow artists’ performances…

…giving props to some of her A-list pals…

…having a suitably understated reaction to NSYNC’s joint appearance…

…and… well… a few more viral moments…

Of course, fans were absolutely loving seeing Taylor kicking back at the VMAs…

As well as stealing the show on the audience came, Taylor took home a hefty number of awards, including the night’s most coveted prize, Video Of The Year.

This marked Taylor’s fourth win in the ceremony’s top category, and the first time an artist took home the title for two years running, following last year’s triumph for her All Too Well “short film”.

Check out the full list of winners from the 2023 VMAs here.

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Taylor Swift Reportedly Turned Down Meghan Markle’s Personal Podcast Invitation

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Even a personal plea from Meghan Markle couldn’t convince Taylor Swift to appear on the duchess’ now-defunct podcast, Archetypes.

New reports are offering more insight into Markle and husband Prince Harry’s ill-fated partnership with Spotify, which came to an abrupt end earlier this month.

Despite their own fame, the Sussexes were said to have trouble finding big guests to book on their flagship show.

A personal note from Markle wasn’t even enough to merit a real response from Swift. According to insiders at the Wall Street Journal, the pop star turned down the invitation via a representative.

Taylor Swift performs during the opener of her Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona, on March 17.
Taylor Swift performs during the opener of her Eras Tour in Glendale, Arizona, on March 17.

via Associated Press

Beyond getting snubbed, sources say the royals struggled to find guests and “material consistent with their brand”.

Archetypes’ 12-episode run still featured A-listers like Serena Williams, Mariah Carey and Paris Hilton, however.

Though there were discussions about a second season, plans did not move forward on a follow-up.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks at the One Young World 2022 Manchester Summit in Manchester, England, on Sept. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks at the One Young World 2022 Manchester Summit in Manchester, England, on Sept. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

via Associated Press

Spotify and the Sussexes announced they were ending their partnership in a joint statement on June 16, where each said they “mutually agreed to part ways and are proud of the series we made together”.

Harry and Meghan’s camp called the move more of a pivot than a problem, with a representative for the couple’s production company Archewell telling WSJ: “New companies often make changes in their start up phase, both with people and strategy, and we are no exception. We’re more equipped, focused and energised than ever before.”

The Duke and Duchess announced their partnership with Spotify in 2020 after striking a deal which was reportedly worth millions.

Prior to that, the pair had teamed up with Netflix, producing the 2022 docuseries Harry & Meghan and presenting the series Live To Lead, which featured interviews with late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

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Taylor Swift Asks Fans To Be Kind To Anyone They Think She Might Have Dated

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Before performing Dear John, at her Minneapolis concert Saturday night, Taylor Swift asked her fans to show “kindness and gentleness” to anyone they think she might have written a song about.

“I’m 33 years old,” Swift said on Saturday. “I don’t care about anything that happened to me when I was 19 except the songs I wrote and the memories we made together.”

Swift is in the process of re-recording her first six albums so she can own them. On July 7, she will release Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), a re-recording of her third studio album, which came out in 2010. On that album is the song Dear John, which fans believe is about Swift’s brief relationship with singer John Mayer.

After Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version) and fans flooded Jake Gyllenhaal’s Instagram with comments because they believed the breakup song All Too Well was about him, Swift is asking her fans to be kind on the internet.

“So what I’m trying to tell you,” Swift continued, “is that I’m not putting this album out so that you can go and should feel the need to defend me on the internet against someone you think I might have written a song about 14 million years ago.”

She then announced she would sing Dear John but only because she’s “proud of it as a song.”

Mayer told Rolling Stone in 2012 that Dear John “humiliated” him and made him feel “terrible.” He called the song “cheap songwriting.”

When asked about his response during an appearance that year on Katie Couric’s talk show, Swift simply said, “Oh, come on.”

It’s unclear how Swift feels about Mayer and his comments now, but it seems like at least she doesn’t want her fans to bully him on the internet. Swift also told fans on Saturday night that she gets to witness her fans be kind to one another during each concert and watch them bond and give one another friendship bracelets.

“I was hoping to ask you that as we lead up to this album coming out, I would love for that kindness and that gentleness to extend on to our internet activities,” she said.

“What I’m trying to say is I’m putting this album out because I want to own my music and I believe any artist who has the desire to own their music should be able to. That’s why I’m putting out this album.”

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Kelly Clarkson Spills On Her Taylor Swift Tweet That Ruffled Music Mogul’s Feathers

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Kelly Clarkson has opened up about her viral 2019 tweet that showed love for Taylor Swift after music industry titan Scooter Braun acquired the masters of the singer-songwriter’s first six albums.

“We ran into each other, and [Braun] reached out at the time to my manager,” Clarkson told host Andy Cohen.

“I was like ‘It wasn’t anything against him.’ When she came out and said that and I heard about it, I was like ‘Whatever, rerecord them. Your fans will support you.’ Uh, they did — she has like every top record right now in the charts.”

The Because of You singer added that Braun, who sold Swift’s masters in 2020, believed she was “attacking him.”

Clarkson later described Swift as a “genius.”

“This woman is brilliant … she would’ve come up with that on her own and she maybe already had before I even tweeted it,” Clarkson said.

Swift, has so far dropped two rerecorded albums, including Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version). She’s set to release her third rerecorded album, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version), on July 7.

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A Timeline Of Taylor Swift And Matty Healy’s Whirlwind Rumoured Romance

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Taylor Swift’s rumoured whirlwind romance with Matty Healy reportedly came to an end this week, after around a month of dating.

The Anti-Hero singer was first linked to Matty, the controversial frontman of The 1975, at the beginning of April, following her split from her long-term boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn.

Almost immediately, the rumours sent the internet into a frenzy, and left Swifties feeling rather divided due to a number of public controversies in Matty’s recent past.

And while the two never actually did confirm whether or not they were an item, here’s our full timeline of their short-lived, headline-grabbing romance…

8 April: Taylor breaks up with Joe Alwyn after six years

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn at the Golden Globes in 2020
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn at the Golden Globes in 2020

Christopher Polk/NBC via Getty Images

Multiple organisations reported that Taylor and Conversations With Friends actor Joe had parted ways at the beginning of April.

It was said at the time that the break-up was amicable, with a “source” telling Entertainment Tonight that the split was “not dramatic” and that the relationship had simply “run its course” after around six years together.

3 May: The first reports emerge claiming that Taylor and Matty are dating

Taylor was first romantically linked to Matty at the beginning of May, catapulting social media into a tailspin, and sparking a divide among fans of the Grammy-winning star due to some of the frontman’s past comments and behaviour.

News of the reported relationship came around four months after Taylor surprised The 1975 fans by appearing at one of their London shows as a guest performer.

At the time, she also posed for a backstage selfie with Matty’s mum, Loose Women presenter Denise Welch.

In fact, Matty and Taylor had apparently been friends for a number of years before their rumoured romance hit the press, with the Sincerity Is Scary singer claiming in 2014 that he’d have found it “emasculating” to go out with someone as famous as the Shake It Off star.

6 May: Matty is spotted supporting Taylor at one of her concerts – and later gets up on stage

Matty on stage during Phoebe Bridgers' Eras tour set
Matty on stage during Phoebe Bridgers’ Eras tour set

Lisa Lake/TAS23 via Getty Images

Just days after rumours of a romance between the pair started to swirl, Matty was seen at one of Taylor’s Eras tour shows.

During the gig, one fan spotted the British singer standing in the VIP section and quickly snapped a photo.

At the same gig, Matty also got on stage to play guitar with Taylor’s support act Phoebe Bridgers.

7 May: Taylor and Matty are pictured together for the first time since the romance reports surface

The rumoured couple were papped together just after midnight on 7 May, marking the first time that they had been seen with one another since the first reports about their relationship.

After another of Taylor’s Nashville shows, the two were seen (in, it has to be said, some very blurry photos) sitting in the back of a chauffeured car, seemingly on the way to Taylor’s condo.

12 May: Taylor and Matty are snapped holding hands on an apparent double date

By mid-May, it looked like Taylor and Matty were growing even closer, after they were seen embarking on a supposed double date with Jack Antoff and his fiancée Margaret Qualley in New York.

In another photo taken by a fan, the two were seen holding hands while walking through a rooftop restaurant, generating yet more conversation online.

13 May: Matty attends another one of Taylor’s concerts – and hangs out with her father and close pal Blake Lively

Matty showed his support at another of Taylor’s Eras shows in Philadelphia, this time along with her dad Scott Swift.

He and Scott were captured on video swaying from side to side in a VIP box while the Love Story singer performed.

Reports also claimed that Matty had chilled with Taylor’s best friend, Blake Lively, during the show.

20 May: Taylor tells fans she’s the happiest she’s ever been

Taylor exuded pure joy during her Massachusetts gig on 20 May, and delighted in telling the audience that she was in a good place.

While on stage in Foxborough, she enthused: “I’ve just never been this happy in my life in all aspects of my life ever.

“And I just want to thank you for being a part of that.”

She added: “It’s not just a tour, I just sort of feel like my life finally feels like it makes sense.”

24 May: Taylor announces collaboration with Ice Spice… after Matty was embroiled in a controversy relating to the rapper

In an unexpected move, Taylor revealed that rapper Ice Spice would be featured on a new version of Karma, the latest single from her recent album Midnights.

The announcement came around four months after Matty was heard laughing at offensive comments about the Princess Diana musician during a podcast.

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After being called out in January, the rocker made an attempt at an apology during his band’s Auckland show in April.

“I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you,” he said at the time.

“Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a dick.”

Ice Spice never actually responded to Matty, but when her Karma verse was announced, she tweeted about the collaboration, calling Taylor the “sweetest person ever”.

3 June: Matty makes headlines when he kisses a security guard during a 1975 concert

Matty was caught on camera kissing a male security guard while The 1975 performed in Denmark in early June.

Already renowned for his chaotic antics during the band’s shows, the frontman was captured leaning in for a quick smooch with the man while performing the track Robbers.

The security guard didn’t seem to be fazed by the impromptu lip-lock, and was seen smiling from ear to ear before Matty leaned in for a second kiss and thanked him.

5 June: Taylor is apparently single again, as Matty thanks fans for their support following the rumoured split

By 5 June, the whirlwind romance was apparently officially over before either party ever commented on it publicly.

Shedding light on the reason behind their sudden break-up, a “source” told ET that both Taylor and Matty are “extremely busy”, and apparently had a realisation they’re “ not really compatible with each other”.

During The 1975’s concert in Vienna the night the break-up was reported in the media, Matty thanked his fans for their support.

“My friend had some very, very beautiful signs that said: ‘You are loved,’” the singer said while gesturing to an audience member. “That was very, very kind of you.”

“I’m sure that’s alluding to … ,” he continued, before appearing to stop himself before mentioning anyone specific by name.

“As you’re aware, I’m not very online at the moment, and I’m sure people have just been calling me a cunt relentlessly.”

So, what’s next? Watch this space…

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