Taylor Swift Opens Up: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Global Superstar
Taylor Swift, recognized as one of the most influential women globally, has been named Time’s Person of the Year, marking a significant acknowledgment of her impact. In a rare interview, Swift, known for embedding personal narratives within her music, discusses the hurdles she’s encountered, navigating through cancel culture, and addressing conflicts within Hollywood, notably mentioning figures like Kim Kardashian and Scooter Braun.
Additionally, Taylor Swift sheds light on her relationship with Travis Kelce, the tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, a connection that has garnered widespread attention. Their romance has captured the public’s fascination, sparking interest worldwide.
TAYLOR SWIFT, TIME PERSON OF THE YEAR, SAYS TRAVIS KELCE WON HER OVER ON HIS ‘NEW HEIGHTS’ PODCAST
Travis Kelce’s Love Story
“It all kicked off when Travis sweetly highlighted me on his podcast, which I found incredibly cool,” she shared with Time. “We started hanging out soon after that. So, we had a good amount of time together that was private, which I appreciate because it allowed us to really get to know each other.”
“By the time I attended that initial game, we were already a couple,” Swift revealed about her visit to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sept. 24. “Some might think that was our first date at the game? We’d never be bold enough to make our first date so public.”
At the game, Swift was captured in a suite, sharing cheerful moments with Kelce’s mother, Donna.
“I’m not sure how they figure out which suite I’m in,” she commented on the photographers. “There’s a camera, like, a half-mile away, and you’re clueless about its location or when it’s capturing you for the broadcast. So, I can’t tell if I’m on screen 17 times or just once.”
Taylor Swift further delved into their relationship, explaining, “I’m simply there to cheer Travis on. I’m not really aware if I’m getting too much screen time and upsetting a few dads, Brads, and Chads.”
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While Taylor Swift chose to keep her previous relationship with actor Joe Alwyn low-key, she’s taking a different approach with Travis.
“When you make a relationship public, it means I get to witness him doing what he loves. We’re supporting each other, there are others around, and we’re not bothered,”Taylor Swift asserted. “The opposite of that is having to put in a lot of effort to keep your relationship hidden. But we’re just genuinely proud of each other.”
Cancel culture
“I’ve experienced the rollercoaster of public opinion for the past two decades,” Swift shared about facing cancelation. “I’ve been handed a crown, only to have it snatched away.” Taylor Swift feels she’s been “on the verge of being canceled” to the point where it affected her “life and mental well-being.”
The singer faced her initial significant controversy in 2016 when Kanye West released “Famous,” containing crude lyrics about Taylor Swift. West asserted Swift had approved the lyrics, a claim she refuted.
“At that time, everyone pounced to take their shots,” Taylor Swift recounted. “Let’s be clear. My career was snatched from me.”
Kim Kardashian, West’s then-wife, leaked a recording that appeared to suggest Swift had prior knowledge of the song, an assertion the “Cruel Summer” singer claims was tampered with.
“You’re dealing with a completely manipulated setup in an unlawfully recorded phone call, edited by Kim Kardashian and released to paint me as a liar to the world,” Swift explained to the outlet.
“That experience took a toll on my mental health like never before. I relocated to another country. I didn’t step out of a rented house for a year. I was fearful of taking phone calls. I distanced myself from most people because I lost trust in everyone. It hit me really, really hard.”
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“Through time, I’ve realized I can’t afford to stress over trivial matters. Sure, if I go out for dinner, there might be chaos outside the restaurant. But I still want to enjoy dinners with my friends. … Life’s fleeting. Embrace adventures. Spending years isolating myself at home— that’s time I’ll never regain. I’ve grown more trusting now compared to six years ago.”
“That experience deeply affected me mentally, to a point I’d never reached before. I relocated to another country. I stayed inside a rented house for a year without stepping out. I felt anxious about answering phone calls. I distanced myself from most people because I lost trust in everyone. It was an incredibly tough time for me.”
“I feared that wave of criticism would permanently tarnish my reputation,” Swift recalled of that time she refers to as a “career death.” This experience motivated her to launch her sixth studio album, “Reputation,” which she plans to re-record.
“It’s a bold expression of female fury, a goth-punk stance against being manipulated and undermined by the entire societal framework,” she described, explaining what the album signifies.
Rerecording her music and battling Scooter Braun
“Reputation” marks just one of the two albums Swift is yet to re-record and release.
In 2019, Swift’s entire music catalogue under Big Machine Records was sold to someone she claims “despises” her — Scooter Braun.
“The situation with Scooter involved my masters being sold to someone who, in my opinion, had malicious intentions,” Swift explained. “The sale of my music and to whom it was sold left me completely stunned. I felt defeated, like they had the upper hand. I was at a loss for what to do.”
Swift credits a fellow pop star for sparking her decision to re-record her music.
“Kelly Clarkson would tell me, ‘Just redo it,’ whenever we met,” Swift revealed. “My dad echoed the same sentiment. I’d question, ‘How could I possibly do that?’ Nobody wants to redo their work when, on the way to school, the wind blows away your book report.”
“I react to immense pain with defiance,”Taylor Swift explained. That determination led her to embark on the journey.
“If you examine my output since then, I’ve released more albums in the last few years than in the first 15 years of my career,” she pointed out.
“I’m incredibly mindful to appreciate every moment I have at this level because I’ve had it taken away before. One lesson I’ve learned is that my response to anything, whether good or bad, is to keep creating. Keep producing art,” Swift emphasized. “However, I’ve also realized there’s no use actively trying to ‘defeat’ your adversaries. Eventually, negativity sorts itself out every single time.”
Eras Tour prep
Swift is in the middle of her record-breaking, international Eras Tour, something she says was “harder than anything” she’s done before.
Swift mentioned she used to approach tours with a different mindset but understood the significance of this particular show, which would feature songs from every phase of her career. To prepare for her first performance in Arizona, she began training six months in advance.
“Every single day, I’d be on the treadmill, singing through the entire set list,” she shared. “For the fast-paced songs, I’d run, and for the slower ones, I’d either jog or power walk.”
Swift also incorporated a strength and conditioning routine.
“Following that, I dedicated three months to dance training because I wanted to internalize every move,” she admitted. “I aimed to be so well-rehearsed that I could freely connect with the fans without losing my train of thought.”
She also quit drinking.
“I can’t imagine doing that show with a hangover… I don’t want to experience that,” she expressed.
During her off days, Swift mentioned, “I practically live in my bed, only getting up to grab food and bring it back to eat while I’m there.”
“It’s like a dream come true. I can hardly talk because I’ve been singing continuously for three shows. Every step I take, I hear my feet go crunch, crunch, crunch from dancing in heels. … I’m aware I’ll hit that stage no matter if I’m unwell, hurt, dealing with heartache, uncomfortable, or stressed. It’s become a part of who I am. If someone purchases a ticket to my show, I’m going to perform unless some unforeseen circumstance prevents it.”
Kenny Chesney’s impact
Before Swift became a superstar leading her own stadium tours, she was a young girl geared up to kickstart her career as the opening act for country singer Kenny Chesney.
“I felt like this was going to be a turning point in my career,” she reminisced about his tour, which took place nearly half her lifetime ago. “I was incredibly thrilled.”
However, Swift couldn’t join Chesney because the tour was backed by a beer company, and she wasn’t yet 21.
“I was heartbroken,” she remembered.
Months later, during her 18th birthday celebration, Swift crossed paths with Chesney’s promoter, who arrived bearing an extraordinary gift. It was a card from Chesney expressing his regrets for her inability to join the tour, accompanied by a check as a gesture of compensation.
“It was an amount greater than anything I had ever seen,” Swift recalled. “It allowed me to provide bonuses for my band, cover expenses for tour buses, and fuel my aspirations.”
Regarding the gesture, Chesney remarked, “She was a genuine writer with a story to tell. … That’s not something you can fabricate by using clichés. You can only experience it, and then express it as authentically as possible.
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