Former MTV Chief: Beyonce, Taylor Swift were crying over Kanye interruption
Toffler, who headed up MTV at the time, says his favorite VMA moment was being at the center of Kanye’s interruption of Swift at the 2009 VMAs. West interrupted Swift’s speech saying:
Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you — I’mma let you finish — but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time! One of the best videos of all time!
Toffler:
When Kanye walked up onstage with Taylor [Swift] that year, it turned out that Taylor had to go onstage to do her song five minutes later. I ran out of the truck to see that everything was all right, and Taylor and her mom were crying hysterically. I’m not always wonderful with emotions. I didn’t know what to say. Then I went backstage, and Beyonce was crying, too.
No new music in October
Swift denies she’ll be releasing new music in October, even though that would have kept her on the schedule she’s maintained ever since she first released her self-titled debut.
Taylor Swift mashup
Swift comments on Hall’s 4 Taylor by Todrick Hall mashup, which features her hits Blank Space, Style, Shake It Off, Love Story, and You Belong With Me.
https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/646216022148583426/
Dances with seven-year-old fan
Barnes and Swift have a Shake It Off dance party.
https://instagram.com/p/76-loRDvL-/
Counters ‘colonial fantasy’ criticism
In response to critics who have complained that Swift’s Wildest Dreams video is a”colonial fantasy” Kahn says there were black Africans in the video in background shots but that it would have been “historically inaccurate to load the crew with more black actors as the video would have been accused of rewriting history.” He also notes that the video’s producer and editor are both African-American.
There is no political agenda in the video. Our only goal was to tell a tragic love story in classic Hollywood iconography.
VF interview: Talks about girlfriends
Swift talks about her relationship with her friends (Lena Dunham, Selena Gomez and Karlie Kloss):
We even have girls in our group who have dated the same people. It’s almost like the sisterhood has such a higher place on the list of priorities for us. It’s so much more important than some guy that it didn’t work out with. When you’ve got this group of girls who need each other as much as we need each other, in this climate, when it’s so hard for women to be understood and portrayed the right way in the media.
VF interview: Healing Kanye rift
Swift talks to Vanity Fair about how Jay-Z helped her heal the relationship with West.
I feel like I wasn’t ready to be friends with [West] until I felt like he had some sort of respect for me, and he wasn’t ready to be friends with me until he had some sort of respect for me—so it was the same issue, and we both reached the same place at the same time,” Swift says. “I became friends with Jay Z, and I think it was important, for Jay Z, for Kanye and I to get along. . . . And then Kanye and I both reached a place where he would say really nice things about my music and what I’ve accomplished, and I could ask him how his kid’s doing.
VF interview: Talks about Apple letter
Swift talks about her Apple letter in an interview with Vanity Fair.
I wrote the letter at around four A.M. Sometimes I’ll wake up in the middle of the night and I’ll write a song and I can’t sleep until I finish it, and it was like that with the letter.
She says she was nervous to post the letter online, after receiving negative feedback for her Wall Street Journal op-ed that had also advocated for fair compensation in the music industry. She says didn’t tell Borchetta, and the only person she ran it through before publishing was her mother
She’s always going to be the one. I just said, ‘I’m really scared of this letter, but I had to write it. I might not post it, but I had to say it.’
She compares Apples’ response with Spotify’s:
Apple treated me like I was a voice of a creative community that they actually cared about. I found it really ironic that the multi-billion-dollar company reacted to criticism with humility, and the start-up with no cash flow reacted to criticism like a corporate machine.
Vanity Fair cover
Swift appears on the cover of Vanity Fair, photographed by Testino. In the interview she talks about using her celebrity for good outside music:
If you look at Oprah, she’s made so many people happy over the years. She’s made so much money, but she’s given so much of it away. . . . Same thing with Angelina Jolie. She’s been so productive, but she’s used that position to better other people’s lives, and I think that’s where I’d want to be.
On dating:
That was the way that I decided to go on with my life. Not looking for anything, not necessarily being open to anything, and only being open to the idea that, if I found someone who would never try to change me, that would be the only person I could fall in love with. Because, you know, I was in love with my life.
On being a style icon:
I think I know how to put together a good outfit. . . . But any day you’re going to admit to being a style icon is a day you need to look in the mirror and really check yourself.
Misunderstood comments
Swift apologizes to Minaj on Twitter and receives a ‘thank you’ response:
https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/624240681750536192
That means so much Taylor, thank you. @taylorswift13 ❤️❤️❤️
— Nicki Minaj (@NICKIMINAJ) July 23, 2015
Will meet Hariss’ parents
Harris is ready to introduce Swift to his family after just four months of dating. Sources:
They’re planning a trip to the UK with a few days in Scotland so she can meet his parents…This is the real thing. Taylor spent a long time being single, waiting for the right guy like him…Her parents love him. They think he’s the greatest.
Trade comments on VMA nomination
Swift and Minaj trade comments on Twitter due to Minaj being not nominated for a VMA for Anaconda, while Swift was nominated for Bad Blood.
Minaj: If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year
Swift: I’ve done nothing but love & support you…It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot…
Minaj: Huh? U must not be reading my tweets. Didn’t say a word about u. I love u just as much. But u should speak on this. I’m still confused as to why u just tweeted me when I made it abundantly clear…
Accepts Swift’s request to pay artists
Responding to Swift’s comments, the company agrees to pay artists during the three-month trial period.
We hear you @taylorswift13 and indie artists. Love, Apple
— Eddy Cue (@cue) June 22, 2015
Swift responds:
https://twitter.com/taylorswift13/status/612841136311390209
Criticizes Apple Music’s non-payment of artists
In the note titled To Apple, Love Taylor, Swift criticizes Apple Music’s free three-month trial for users, a period of time in which the service will not compensate artists for what is streamed.
I’m sure you are aware that Apple Music will be offering a free 3 month trial to anyone who signs up for the service. I’m not sure you know that Apple Music will not be paying writers, producers, or artists for those three months. I find it to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company.
This is not about me. Thankfully I am on my fifth album and can support myself, my band, crew, and entire management team by playing live shows. This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field…but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs…
…Three months is a long time to go unpaid, and it is unfair to ask anyone to work for nothing. I say this with love, reverence, and admiration for everything else Apple has done. I hope that soon I can join them in the progression towards a streaming model that seems fair to those who create this music. I think this could be the platform that gets it right.
But I say to Apple with all due respect, it’s not too late to change this policy and change the minds of those in the music industry who will be deeply and gravely affected by this. We don’t ask you for free iPhones. Please don’t ask us to provide you with our music for no compensation.
Glamour UK cover
Swift appears on the cover if June 2015 issue of Glam
our UK. She talks about how she manages to stay grounded despite her fame.
I think that part of me not going crazy is me admitting my life is weird and not normal… My [mom] is really good at putting things back into perspective for me. And it’s really nice when she says, I know there’s no way I could possibly understand what you’re going through, but here’s what I think.
Vogue cover
Swift and Kloss appear together on the cover of Vogue. Swift discusses keeping her work life and friends separate.
The fun thing about my friends is that they don’t necessarily know a lot about what I do business-wise.
Telegraph interview
Swift is interviewed by the Telegraph. She talks about the state of music industry:
We all have to step up and make albums that are good, top to bottom, if selling albums is still important. It is to me, but a lot of artists have already given up on that. I have friends who just think it’s not attainable, which I feel is a very defeatist way to look at life.
Boyfriends:
I used to think it was important to find a boyfriend. I don’t feel that it is now. I just want to have as much fun and as many adventures as possible.
And her feud with Katy Perry:
I’m not giving them anything to write about, I’m never going to talk about her in my interview. It’s not going to happen…It’s not real if someone appears to never have any issues with anyone. I have my friends. I have enemies. I have bad days when I don’t want to go to a photo shoot, but I’m not going to show up four hours late. I’m going to be there on time.
Cosmopolitan China cover
Swift appears on the cover of the January 2015 issue of Cosmopolitan China magazine.
ASOS cover
Swift appears on the cover of the January 2015 issue of ASOS magazine. She talks about needing mistakes to happen, her best friends, and dressing for girls.
When I’m getting dressed, it’s always based on what my friends will think. They are my number one priority and the opinions of girls are more important to me at this point in my life.
The Hollywood Reporter
Swift appears on the cover of a December 2014 issue of The Hollywood Reporter. She talks about the reaction to taking her music off Spotify.
I didn’t think that it would be shocking to anyone. With as many ways as artists are personalizing their musical distribution, it didn’t occur to me that this would be anything that anyone would talk about.