Here’s Who Nabbed Nominations For The 2025 Grammy Awards

It’s time to press play on Grammys season.

Nominees for the 67th Grammy Awards were announced by the Recording Academy on Friday morning, leaving music fans with a lot to sound off on.

To drop the news, broadcaster Gayle King and comedian Jim Gaffigan joined forces with a long list of past Grammy winners that included Kylie Minogue, Mark Ronson, Paramore’s Hayley Williams, Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong and last year’s best new artist, Victoria Monét.

Honoring the work released between September 2023 through this August, this year’s slate of nominations features both Grammy veterans and a charming array of newcomers.

Beyonce' accepts the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, Monday, April 1, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Beyonce’ accepts the Innovator Award at the iHeartRadio Music Awards, Monday, April 1, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

via Associated Press

Beyoncé’s most recent release, “Cowboy Carter,” earned 11 nominations, making her the most-nominated artist in the show’s history.

The western-infused album, which the artist herself has declared a “Beyoncé album” and not a country record, will compete in both pop and country categories.

One year after taking home album of the year for her 2022 effort, “Midnights,” pop heavyweight Taylor Swift’s 2024 double album, “The Tortured Poet’s Department,” emerged with six nominations. Her “Fortnight” collaborator Post Malone snagged seven nominations of his own.

A replica of a Grammy triphy at L.A.'s GRAMMY Museum. The 2025 nominations dropped on Friday.
A replica of a Grammy triphy at L.A.’s GRAMMY Museum. The 2025 nominations dropped on Friday.

Matt Winkelmeyer via Getty Images

It was a breakout year for artists like Chappell Roan and Charli XCX, who secured six and seven nods, respectively.

While Roan is veritable newcomer, rocketing into the public consciousness with the release of her studio debut, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” Charli’s sixth full-length album, “Brat,” elevated the English singer from a long-simmering underground pop icon to an inescapable, slime-green cultural phenomenon this past summer.

Chappell Roan arrives at the premiere of "Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour" on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at nya studios EAST in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Chappell Roan arrives at the premiere of “Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS World Tour” on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, at nya studios EAST in Los Angeles. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

via Associated Press

With seven nominations, Billie Eilish is the now only artist to have her first three albums each nominated for album of the year.

The beef between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake will now have a chance to play out in the awards sphere. Lamar’s hit Drake diss, “Not Like Us,” received five nods. His rival, who released the album “For All the Dogs” last fall, received none.

There will be plenty more spectacle to come when winners across 94 categories are announced at the 2025 Grammys, set to take place live from Los Angeles on Feb. 2, 2025.

Check out the nominees for some of the key categories below:

Album of the Year

André 3000 – “New Blue Sun”

Beyoncé – “Cowboy Carter”

Billie Eilish – “Hit Me Hard and Soft”

Chappell Roan – “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess”

Charli XCX – “Brat”

Jacob Collier – “Djesse Vol. 4”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Short n’ Sweet”

Taylor Swift – “The Tortured Poets Department”

Record of the Year

The Beatles – “Now and Then”

Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ’Em”

Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”

Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”

Charli XCX – “360”

Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”

Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”

Song of the Year

Beyoncé – “Texas Hold ’Em”

Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”

Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”

Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Please Please Please”

Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

Taylor Swift Featuring Post Malone – “Fortnight”

Best New Artist

Benson Boone

Sabrina Carpenter

Khruangbin

Chappell Roan

Teddy Swims

Songwriter of the Year

Edgar Barrera

Jessi Alexander

Jessie Jo Dillon

Producer of the Year

Daniel Nigro

Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II

Ian Fitchuk

Best Pop Solo Performance

Beyoncé – “Bodyguard”

Billie Eilish – “Birds of a Feather”

Chappell Roan – “Good Luck, Babe!”

Charli XCX – “Apple”

Sabrina Carpenter – “Espresso”

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

Ariana Grande, Brandy & Monica – “The Boy Is Mine – Remix”

Beyoncé Featuring Post Malone – “Levii’s Jeans”

Charli XCX & Billie Eilish – “Guess Featuring Billie Eilish”

Gracie Abrams Featuring Taylor Swift – “Us.”

Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars – “Die With a Smile”

Best Rap Performance

Cardi B – “Enough (Miami)”

Common & Pete Rock Featuring Posdnuos – “When the Sun Shines Again”

Doechii – “Nissan Altima”

Eminem – “Houdini”

Future, Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar – “Like That”

Glorilla – “Yeah Glo!”

Kendrick Lamar – “Not Like Us”

Best R&B Performance

Chris Brown – “Residuals”

Coco Jones – “Here We Go (Uh Oh)”

Jhené Aiko – “Guidance”

Muni Long – “Made for Me (Live on BET)”

SZA – “Saturn”

Best Latin Pop Album

Anitta – “Funk Generation”

Kali Uchis – “Orquídeas”

Kany García – “García”

Luis Fonsi – “El Viaje”

Shakira – “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran”

Best Rock Performance

The Beatles – “Now and Then”

The Black Keys – “Beautiful People (Stay High)

Green Day – “The American Dream Is Killing Me”

Idles – “Gift Horse”

Pearl Jam – “Dark Matter”

St. Vincent – “Broken Man”

Best Alternative Music Performance

Cage the Elephant – “Neon Pill”

Fontaines D.C. – “Starburster”

Kim Gordon – “Bye Bye”

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds – “Song of the Lake”

St. Vincent – “Flea”

Best Country Solo Performance

Beyoncé – “16 Carriages”

Chris Stapleton – It Takes a Woman”

Jelly Roll – “I Am Not Okay”

Kacey Musgraves – “The Architect”

Shaboozey – “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”

Best Musical Theater Album

“Hell’s Kitchen”

“Merrily We Roll Along”

“The Notebook”

“The Outsiders”

“Suffs”

“The Wiz”

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Sabrina Carpenter Has 1 Piece Of Advice For People Bothered By Her Sexuality

Like many young pop stars, Sabrina Carpenter has long cited Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears as inspirations. Unfortunately, she’s been subjected to some of the sexist commentary her musical predecessors endured, too.

In an interview with Time published this week, Carpenter said she’s “definitely” been criticised for expressing her sexuality in her music videos and live performances, much as Aguilera and Spears were during their heyday.

“I definitely get that as well,” she told the outlet, alluding to the challenges of honing a pop career in the era of social media. “Someone told me this, whenever I would get upset or feel like I’m the only one getting criticised for something other people are able to do seemingly so freely: I’m the one that’s seeing all the negative shit about myself. My friends don’t see that.”

As for those who have “a strong opinion” on her sexy costumes, Carpenter has a few words of advice.

“To that I just say, don’t come to the show and that’s OK,” she explained. “It’s unfortunate that it’s ever been something to criticise, because truthfully, the scariest thing in the world is getting up on a stage in front of that many people and having to perform as if it’s nothing.”

“If the one thing that helps you do that is the way you feel comfortable dressing, then that’s what you’ve got to do,” she added.

Sabrina Carpenter performs at Outside Lands Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)
Sabrina Carpenter performs at Outside Lands Music Festival on Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in San Francisco, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP)

via Associated Press

At 25, Carpenter is hardly a show business novice. The Pennsylvania native rose to prominence on the Disney Channel series “Girl Meets World,” which ran from 2014 to 2017. She’s spent much of the past year as the opening act on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, even joining Swift herself onstage in Sydney.

It wasn’t until the April release of her smash single “Espresso,” however, that Carpenter was able to fully capture the pop zeitgeist. Her latest album, “Short ’n Sweet,” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart after its release in August and spawned two more hit singles, “Please Please Please” and “Taste.” She kicked off a global tour in support of the album last month.

In the meantime, Carpenter has taken steps to align herself with other music industry stalwarts. Last month, she attended the MTV VMAs in a vintage Bob Mackie gown previously worn by Madonna. She also teamed up with Aguilera for a new version of “What a Girl Wants” in honour of the 25th anniversary of Aguilera’s debut album.

And much as Madonna welcomed Spears and Aguilera into her orbit with a smooch years ago, Aguilera recognised the “symbolic, full-circle connection” she shares with Carpenter for this year’s Time 100 list, which celebrates the most influential people of 2024.

“As a fellow 5-ft. female with a similar working-adolescent Disney history, I firsthand recognise and respect what it takes to maintain clarity while delivering within the demands of this business,” she wrote. “Sabrina handles the task with seemingly effortless ease and charisma while promoting, performing, and handling press with a smile and her signature coy charm.”

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Trump Declares Hatred For Taylor Swift After Harris Endorsement

Former President Donald Trump spent his Sunday morning on social media blasting those supporting Vice President Kamala Harris for president in November ― including pop superstar Taylor Swift.

“I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” the Republican candidate posted on his Truth Social platform, immediately after another post where he calls “rich, job creating people” who support Harris “STUPID.”

Swift, who was once known for avoiding public talk about politics, announced her much-anticipated endorsement of Harris just minutes after ABC News’ presidential debate ended on Tuesday night.

The endorsement came in the form of an Instagram post featuring the 14-time Grammy Award winner with one of her cats ― a nod to Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance, who received widespread backlash after trying to belittle Democratic women who have kids as “childless cat ladies.”

In her massively influential endorsement of the Democratic ticket, the singer said Harris “fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them.”

“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos,” Swift continued, adding that she was “heartened and impressed” that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was chosen to be the candidate’s running mate because she said he has been “standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.”

Swift’s Democratic endorsement was partly in response to Trump sharing AI-generated images of women wearing “Swifties for Trump” T-shirts. The singer’s

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

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Museum Unveils Taylor Swift Wax Figure And Fans Can’t Believe The Results

Swifties are reacting to a new wax figure of their pop star idol — and just can’t shake it off.

The Panoptikum in Hamburg, which describes itself as “the oldest and largest wax museum” in Germany, unveiled a statue of Taylor Swift this week, that has left fans more than a little unnerved.

Video shared by the museum on Instagram shows the wax figure dressed in a sequined romper reminiscent of Taylor’s outfit at the 2019 iHeart Radio Music Awards, but Swifties are already pointing out some other details the creators overlooked.

“Wow. I didn’t even recognise her, and also, Taylor always makes that heart gesture with her whole hand. They should’ve learned that while researching. Truly embarrassing,” wrote one fan in German, with another commenting: “What did they do to Taylor.”

Taylor has made a heart gesture with her hands onstage for years now, and while only an eagle-eyed Swiftie would catch the fact that the fingers on her wax figure are unusually stretched out, that’s presumably the exact clientele the Panoptikum intended to win over.

“Darling, it’s a daydream dressed like a nightmare,” one fan commented on the post in a reference to the classic Blank Space, with another stating: “The face looks different somehow, she wears red lipstick and she does the heart with her whole hand.”

Taylor has long made red her lipstick hue of choice, as evident by the slew of coverage on it. While the Panoptikum oddly decided to forego red for bright pink instead, not every Hamburger who loves the Grammy winner has a bad taste in their mouth.

The wax figure is being criticized on social media for purportedly significant mistakes.
The wax figure is being criticized on social media for purportedly significant mistakes.

Tristar Media via Getty Images

The singer brought her Eras Tour to town last month for two sold-out shows and marked the stop with a heartfelt Instagram post at the time, writing, “Hamburg!! I loved those crowds so so so much. AND we got a rain show night one, unlocking Fuzzy Hair Me.”

While some fans have claimed that the museum’s other statues of Angelina Jolie, Queen Elizabeth II and Ed Sheeran are far truer to their subjects than Taylor’s, others remain hilariously infuriated over the museum’s newest addition.

“Oh no,” one fan commented on Instagram. “It can’t get any worse than this.”

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Taylor Swift’s Return To The UK Is Almost Upon Us – Here Are All Our Eras Tour Dos And Don’ts

The biggest music event of 2024 is heading back to the UK later this month.

After impressing fans with her first run of UK shows earlier in the summer, Taylor Swift is bringing her mammoth Eras Tour to London’s iconic Wembley Stadium next week, with a string of performances that will round off the jaunt’s European leg.

After scouring TikTok for clips and devotedly streaming her Disney+ special, plenty of Swifties will have been waiting almost a year to see the Grammy winner live (not to mention the money they’ve spent in the process), so the Eras Tour’s stint at Wembley is going to be a seriously big deal.

And if that sounds like a familiar scenario, perhaps you’re keen for tips to maximise the experience.

Here’s our full list of Eras Tour dos and don’ts before you head off to Wembley, after we were lucky enough to catch the show when it was here back in June…

Do plenty of planning ahead of time

The Eras Tour is no ordinary concert experience
The Eras Tour is no ordinary concert experience

via Associated Press

Even if you’ve been going to gigs for decades, the Eras Tour is such a specific experience (namely because it’s such a long show!) that it’s genuinely more comparable with a day out to somewhere like Thorpe Park than it is your typical concert.

Because it will take up so much of your time (and, let’s face it, Wembley Stadium isn’t the most convenient of locations for everyone), everything from travel, weather, meals and toilet breaks are all things worth considering when you’re putting your plans together. And on that note, if you’re of a certain age, perhaps accompanying someone younger for the night, it might be worth doing a few cheeky stretches before the fun gets underway, too.

Don’t spoil it too much for yourself

Taylor Swift packs a few surprises into her Eras Tour
Taylor Swift packs a few surprises into her Eras Tour

via Associated Press

Planning is important, and it’s probably an idea to take a quick peek at the setlist so you have a rough idea of when you might want to nip to the loo, grab a snack or even leave early if Midnights deep cuts are less important to you than bagging a spot on the tube before the rest of Wembley.

There are also a few call-and-response moments in the show that have grown bigger through word of mouth as the tour has gone on, so depending on how much you want to prove your muster to the Swifties around you, it could be worth swotting up on those, too.

However, Taylor has also packed the Eras Tour with loads of fun details and unexpected moments, so even though plenty of fans in the audience will have already memorised every detail of the show before ever clapping eyes on it in person, we still think there’s something to be said for keeping a few things as a surprise.

Oh, and as for the setlist, while she does give almost all of her “eras” its moment to shine, it’s jam-packed with hits, so don’t worry too much about spending your time cramming on Taylor’s back catalogue (in fact, some of the show’s best moments for us came during songs we weren’t too familiar with).

Don’t miss the support acts

Raye performing at Coachella earlier this year
Raye performing at Coachella earlier this year

via Associated Press

As if Paramore wasn’t already enticing enough, Taylor has recruited a host of impressive support acts for each of her remaining London shows.

Her previous UK supports included the likes of Benson Boone, Gracie Abrams and Mette, and the I Knew You Were Trouble singer has kept the momentum going with the opening acts on this next leg.

They include chart-toppers Raye and Maisie Peters, Brit Award winner Holly Humberstone, singer-songwriter Suki Waterhouse and rising star Sofia Isella.

Getting there early to see the support acts also means you’re in with a better chance of beating the queues at the merch and food stands, too.

Do bring friendship bracelets

Home-made friendship bracelets have become an iconic fixture of the Eras Tour
Home-made friendship bracelets have become an iconic fixture of the Eras Tour

James Veysey/Shutterstock

No, it’s not just a TikTok thing, friendship bracelets really are everywhere on the Eras Tour, not just among fans inside the gigs but also outside Wembley Stadium, where plenty of people also set up makeshift stalls to create new ones for their fellow Swifties on their way into the event.

The extremely wholesome trading was inspired by a line from Folklore cut You’re On Your Own Kid (which, strangely enough, isn’t actually on the Eras Tour setlist!), and while it may be easy for cynics to roll their eyes at, it’s worth pointing out that it’s a great way for fans to come away from the show with a souvenir they didn’t actually have to spend a fortune on (particularly when you consider some of those eye-watering ticket prices).

Do dress up

Fans have been paying homage to some of Taylor Swift's various album campaigns with their Eras Tour outfits
Fans have been paying homage to some of Taylor Swift’s various album campaigns with their Eras Tour outfits

Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Something else that’s definitely not just confined to a few fans on TikTok is dressing up – the Swifties are going all out with their concert outfits, and to be perfectly honest with you, in 25 years of going to gigs, we’ve never seen so many pop fans dressed up in one venue.

If you’re a little worried about whether the outfit you’ve got planned is too much – trust us, whatever it is, it’s not.

On the other hand, if you were planning to attend in your civvies, we’d at least suggest throwing in a pop of colour and calling it a “Lover era” homage, or opting for pastels or monochrome in the spirit of the “Midnights” and “Tortured Poets Department” eras (on our way out the door we grabbed something snakeskin in the hopes that it could pass for a “Reputation era” tribute, and judging from the few knowing nods we got, we think we can call it a win).

Don’t worry about where your seats are

Taylor has made sure fans can see her no matter where they are in the stadium
Taylor has made sure fans can see her no matter where they are in the stadium

via Associated Press

Now, Wembley Stadium is a big old place, so when you first take your seats before the show, you might suddenly be hit with a wave of worry about just how much of the show you’re going to be able to see.

Well, don’t fret.

Not only is the Eras Tour enough of a visual spectacle that there’s almost always something to hold your attention no matter where you’re sitting, it’s also equipped with enormous screens so those with seats further away from the action won’t feel like they’re missing out on anything.

Do allow yourself to take it all in – and enjoy it!

Taylor Swift on stage during the first leg of her Eras Tour
Taylor Swift on stage during the first leg of her Eras Tour

via Associated Press

We get it, Taylor Swift isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and between the clips of fans having full-scale meltdowns about the show on TikTok and the blanket media coverage about the singer’s every move, it’s easy to be cynical about the Eras Tour. We were, too, in all honesty.

But if you’re fortunate enough to have a ticket, we guarantee that if you let your guard down and drop that scepticism, it’s hard not to be swept up in the atmosphere at a show like the Eras Tour.

So while a gig that seemingly requires so much planning and research might seem like a big of a slog, the most important thing of all is to enjoy it, and if you go into it all with a positive attitude, you definitely will.

Swifties from 113 countries have secured tickets through global ticket marketplace, viagogo. On their platform, more than a quarter of the tickets (26%) were bought just a week before the show and 12% of fans managed to grab theirs just 24 hours before Taylor stepped on stage.

If you’re wondering if it’s possible to get a last-minute Eras Tour ticket and avoid FOMO, always remember to use a safe and secure platform like viagogo which comes with a full money back guarantee.

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Met Police Issues Update On Taylor Swift’s London Shows Following Austrian Terror Plot

Following the announcement that three Taylor Swift shows on the Austrian leg of her Eras Tour were cancelled this week, the Met Police has issued an update on her upcoming Wembley shows which are planned to get underway next week.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: “The Met works closely with venue security teams and other partners to ensure there are appropriate security and policing plans in place.

“There is nothing to indicate that the matters being investigated by the Austrian authorities will have an impact on upcoming events here in London.

“As always, we will continue to keep any new information under careful review.”

Policing minister Diana Johnson was asked on LBC Radio about the arrests of suspected extremists in Vienna, and what this could mean for the final leg of Taylor’s UK tour.

The minister said: “Clearly, the police will be looking at all the intelligence and making decisions, they risk assess every event that happens in this country, and that’s something for the police.

“Can I also just say there is, of course, a commitment in our manifesto in the General Election to introduce Martyn’s law, which, again, is about making sure that those… venues which could be subject to terrorist attack have in place everything that they need in terms of keeping people safe, and that will be brought forward by the government shortly.”

Martyn’s Law is named after 2017 Manchester Arena bombing victim Martyn Hett and was designed to protect venues against terror attacks.

Taylor Swift’s Vienna shows were cancelled after a terrorist plot targeting the shows was discovered.

A statement from Barracuda music, the organisers behind the gigs, said: “Due to confirmation by government officials of a planned terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three planned shows for everyone’s safety.”

According to BBC News, two people have been arrested in connection with this, including a 19 year old man. Both were said to be radicalised via the internet, with the teenage swearing an oath of allegiance to ISIS at the beginning of July.

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Here Are All The Singers Opening For Taylor Swift On The Final UK Dates Of Her Eras Tour

The Eras tour is back in London this month as Taylor Swift prepares to take to the stage for five more nights at Wembley stadium rounding off the European leg of her mammoth world jaunt.

From Thursday 15 August to Tuesday 20 August, the global pop sensation is coming back to the English capital, where she’ll be supported by Paramore and an additional, newly-announced artist on each night of the latest leg of the tour.

“Just wanted to tell you about something coming up that I’ve been so excited about: we’re adding five incredible artists to our five Wembley shows, going on right before Paramore,” the Fortnight singer shared on her Instagram story.

“I asked them to play on this tour because I love their music and I think they’ll absolutely smash it in Wembley Stadium,” she continued. “Go check out their music if you haven’t already. Gonna be a fun 5 nights.”

Those lucky five artists are…

16 August: Holly Humberstone

17 August: Suki Waterhouse

These acts will follow in the footsteps of Mette, Griff and Benson Boone who each performed before Paramore during Taylor’s June dates at Wembley.

As to be expected, they’ve already been sharing their ecstatic reactions to the news online…

Taylor’s first batch of Wembley shows were star-studded, to say the least.

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Travis Kelce Opens Up About The 1 Moment He Really ‘Started To Fall For’ Taylor Swift

After Travis Kelce made his stage debut at Taylor Swift’s Eras tour in London this weekend, it seems the couple are more loved up than ever.

The pair were first romantically linked in early September 2023, before the pop icon attended one of the Kansas City Chief player’s games later that month.

They’ve since been spotted out and about together on numerous occasions, and the couple have supported one another in their respective vocations on the field and stage.

Now, the American football star has opened up about when he realised he was “falling” for the Karma singer.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast, Travis explained how the 14-time Grammy winner can relate to things like his team’s big Super Bowl win in February.

“She’s very self-aware,” he said. “She understands situations like that and I think that’s why I really started to fall for her, how genuine she is just around friends and family.

“It can get crazy for somebody with that much attention and she keeps it so chill and so cool and I can admire it for sure.”

However, Travis said the moment that “really won me over” was how the pop singer handled her first public outing at a Chiefs game.

The NFL star recalled that the singer wanted to “be around family and friends, and experience this with everybody”, and chose to not opt for extra security but instead walk through the front door..

He added that while he wants to “keep things private” when it comes to his relationship, he’s also “not here to hide anything”.

“That’s my girl, that’s my lady, so it’s like, I’m proud of that,” the Super Bowl champ shared.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift share a kiss after his win at the 2024 Super Bowl
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift share a kiss after his win at the 2024 Super Bowl

Ezra Shaw via Getty Images

On Sunday night, Travis made a brief but memorable appearance at Taylor’s third Wembley Stadium show, sending Swifties into a frenzy.

The singer has since posted on Instagram that she was “still cracking up/swooning over [Travis’] Eras Tour debut”.

And that all came after Taylor posted a selfie with her boyfriend and Prince William, along with the future monarch’s children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Elsewhere at her big Wembley weekend, Taylor duetted with Paramore’s Hayley Williams and sang for countless A-listers in the audience who went wild for the Shake It Off star.

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Patti Smith Reacts To Taylor Swift Name-Dropping Her On Tortured Poets Department

On her new album’s title track, The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor sings: “I laughed in your face and said, ‘You’re not Dylan Thomas / I’m not Patti Smith / This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel / We’re modern idiots’.”

In response, the New York counterculture icon posted a black-and whit- Instagram photo of herself smiling behind a copy of Dylan Thomas’ Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Dog.

“This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas,” she captioned the post. “Thank you, Taylor.”

While Patti and Taylor may seem worlds apart, the Horses artist talked about sympathising with the Reputation singer in a 2019 profile for the New York Times.

Asked if artists like Taylor should be more politically engaged in the era of Donald Trump, Patti said: “She’s a pop star who’s under tremendous scrutiny all the time, and one can’t imagine what that’s like. It’s unbelievable to not be able to go anywhere, do anything, have messy hair.”

“And I’m sure that she’s trying to do something good,” the singer and former muse of Robert Mapplethorpe went on.

“She’s not trying to do something bad. And if it influences some of her avid fans to open up their thoughts, what does it matter?”

Last month, Patti gave her seal of approval to another modern pop star, when she co-signed Dua Lipa’s spot on Time’s annual list of 100 Most Influential People.

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‘Underwhelming’ Or ‘A Triumph’? Critics Can’t Seem To Agree On Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department

There are only a few artists in today’s music scene for whom an album release is a major event – and Taylor Swift is undoubtedly one of them.

On Friday morning, she unveiled her 11th studio album The Tortured Poets Department, and began dominating the conversation not just because of the release’s candid lyrical themes (which seem to allude to her past romances with Joe Alwyn and Matty Healy), but also the fact it was followed by 15 more surprise tracks just a few hours later.

Critics have been sharing their verdict all morning – and they can’t seem to agree on a consensus.

Taylor pictured during her 2021 Grammys performance
Taylor pictured during her 2021 Grammys performance

TAS Rights Management 2021 via Getty Images

While many are hailing The Tortured Poets Department as among Taylor’s strongest ever, others are claiming it’s on the “underwhelming” side.

And while some have said parts of the album feel like do-overs of musical tropes and lyrical themes Taylor has tried out before, others are hailing its innovation and new direction for the Grammy winner.

Take a read of some of the reviews (which we should point out were written before the second half of the album’s surprise release) below…

“One of the things the album most powerfully conveys is that Swift sees herself as very much a member of the titular department. Yes, there are songs that are surely about her relationship with Alwyn.

“But, through the skill of her songwriting (and I’m not sure it’s been better), Swift moves beyond the diaristic to something impressionistic and, yes, poetic. And universal.”

“The music is full of the pillowy synths and muted drums that served the hypnagogic vibes of her last album, Midnights, so well. That’s fine when she submits to grief, on a song like the delicately percolating Bad Down, but when she writes something salty and mischievous like Who’s Afraid Of Little Old Me? it gets suffocated by layers of echo and gauzy strings.

“Some of her vocals mannerisms have become overly familiar, too – like the staccato pitter-patter of her verses, and the hooks she SHOUTS FOR EMPHASIS. But a few tracks point towards new musical directions.”

“The Tortured Poets Department is extreme in its emotions and uninterested in traditional hits; not everyone will love it, but the ones who get it will adore it fiercely.

“As Swift continues this current astonishing run of superstardom, she has once again pushed herself to strike a new pose. It’s what makes her special — and what turns The Tortured Poets Department into yet another triumph.”

“Dissecting heartbreak, and the complications of trying to navigate it in the glare of public scrutiny, may well make for ripe songwriting fuel, but as an idea, it is nothing new. And sonically, The Tortured Poets Department feels like ground that has already been trodden.

“Its glacial, artfully restrained synth-pop frames the storytelling well, but will come as no surprise. That said, the way that Swift approaches the difficult and intensely complicated topic of fertility is both moving and refreshing.”

“This isn’t the breakup album — or the new-love album — you might’ve expected. Swift doesn’t portray herself precisely as a victim as she did in old tunes […] nor is there anything dewy-eyed about The Alchemy, which likens falling for a new guy to a chemical imbalance. The LP turns out to be something of a heel turn; it’s got a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.”

“On the simplest of terms, what we have here is a very smart, seductive, lyrically sharp set of smooth synth pop songs about affairs of the heart, crafted with love, intelligence and passion – another hugely appealing addition to Swift’s expanding canon.

“But it can be hard to disentangle the hook lines from the headlines on an album that is not so much a blockbuster entertainment release as a global news event, to be endlessly deciphered, decoded and deconstructed from gossip forums to business pages.”

“Less cluttered and more conversational than those on Midnights, [the lyrics] return Swift to what you might call her safe space, letting a well-known ex have it in no uncertain terms […] But if we’ve been here before, it’s still hard not to be impressed by Swift’s efficiency and wit […] or her ability to turn a celebrity boyfriend into a relatable archetype.”

“Tortured Poets has the intimate sound of Folklore and Evermore, but with a coating of Midnights synth-pop gloss […] It sounds as though Swift was shocked at how it felt to play her quietest songs live [on the Eras tour] and hear how gigantic they could be given enough room. So Tortured Poets feels like Swift writing those Folkmore-and-(especially)-Evermore ballads, but giving them that stadium power in the studio.”

“As was the case on Midnights, these melodic hooks take time to sink in. But trust me, they’ve got anchors – designed to lodge slowly and securely in the mental seabed. The stories will snag you and you’ll be surprised to find yourself humming choruses hours later.”

“Swift seems to be in tireless pursuit for superstardom, yet the negative public opinion it can come with irks her, and it’s a tired theme now plaguing her discography and leaving little room for the poignant lyrical observations she excels at. It’s why the pitfalls that mire her 11th studio album are all the more disappointing — she’s proven time and time again she can do better.”

“The Tortured Poets Department feels like it comes the closest of any of her 11 original albums to just drilling a tube directly into her brain and letting listeners mainline what comes out.

If you value this confessional quality most of all, she’s still peaking: As a culmination of her particular genius for marrying cleverness with catharsis, Tortured kind of feels like the Taylor Swift-est Taylor Swift record ever.”

“There’s certainly a sense that she’s pulling out all the stops on The Tortured Poets Department […] an immersive, cinematic affair that often feels more like an old Hollywood film script than a straightforward pop record.”

“Solid but underwhelming […] Swift has released eight albums in the last four years, and the influence of that hyperproductivity is evident in Tortured Poets. Production-wise, many of Swift’s collaborations with Jack Antonoff sound like Midnights B-sides, or worse, like 1989 Vault Tracks (essentially, C-sides). Songs that are brand new feel done before within this Taylor Swift Experience context.”

“In moments, her 11th album feels like a bloodletting: A cathartic purge after a major heartbreak delivered through an ascendant vocal run, an elegiac verse, or mobile, synthesised productions that underscore the powers of Swift’s storytelling. And there are surprises.”

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