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See Over 57 of Taylor Swift's 1989 Tour Guests Take the Stage with Her

Taylor Swift might be a solo artist, but she definitely isn't alone in the friend department. The "Bad Blood" singer proved that she has several buddies in very high places, and she can even get them to join her on the stage no matter what city she's in.

During her 1989 Tour Swift welcomed a bunch of her celebrity pals to share the stage with her. The performances included some of our favorite music artists like Justin Timberlake and Mary J. Blige. Plus, there were also non-singers who took to the stage, such as Ellen DeGeneres and Julia Roberts. There were so many surprise appearances that it was hard to keep up with all of the unforgettable moments. Luckily we've got the history-making performances in one place.

Keep scrolling to see all of Swift's special guests.

May 30, 2015

Victoria's Secret models Gigi Hadid and Martha Hunt struck a fierce pose on stage in Detroit, Michigan.

Swift's gal pal Hadid even danced to the music while on stage in Detroit, Michigan.

Imagine Dragons member, Dan Reynolds, belted out a song with Swift in Detroit, Michigan.

June 6, 2015

The country band Little Big Town took to the stage in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

June 12, 2015

Echosmith singer Sydney Sierota graced the stage in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Actress Mariska Hargitay and model Cara Delevingne shared the spotlight with Swift in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

June 13, 2015

Encore! Hargitay had a double dose of fun in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with Swift.

June 27, 2015

Martha Hunt, Kendall Jenner , Serena Williams , Karlie Kloss , Gigi Hadid, and Cara Delevingne, showed Swift major love in London, England.

July 10, 2015

The U.S. Women's National Soccer team celebrated winning the FIFA World Cup with Heidi Klum and Swift in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Weekend sang a duet with Swift in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Hailee Steinfeld , Lily Aldridge , Gigi Hadid, and Lena Dunham all reunited in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

July 11, 2015

Nick Jonas took fans by surprise as he hit the stage in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

In East Rutherford New Jersey Swift showed off her squad with appearances from Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Uzo Aduba , Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo , and Gigi Hadid.

July 13, 2015

Grammy award winning singer Lorde joined swift during the Washington, D.C. stop.

July 14, 2015

Jason Derulo showed Swift his support during the Washinton, D.C. stop.

July 18, 2015

Andy Grammer hopped on stage during Swift's performance in Chicago, Illinois.

Empire 's Serayah McNeill song along with Swift in Chicago, Illionois.

July 19, 2015

Australian model Andreja Pejic and British model Lily Donaldson took to the stage in Chicago, Illinois.

Sam Hunt serenaded Swift and the crowd in Chicago, Illinois.

July 25, 2015

Swift performed with Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller, aka MKTO, in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

July 24, 2015

Walk the Moon's Nicholas Petricca had fun on stage in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

August 1, 2015

The duo Nico and Vinz showed up at Swift's Vancouver performance.

August 8, 2015

Fetty Wap made a surprise appearance during the Seattle, Washington leg of the tour.

Singer Ciara and her boyfriend football player Russell Wilson were on stage during the Seattle, Washington show.

August 14, 2015

Fifth Harmony lit up the stage in Santa Clara, California.

August 15, 2015

Julia Roberts and musician Joan Baez united with Swift in Santa Clara, California.

In Santa Clara, California English girl group Little Mix performed with Swift.

August 21, 2015

NBA star Kobe Bryant shocked guests during a Los Angeles, California show.

OneRepublic's frontman Ryan Tedder rocked with Swift in Los Angeles, California.

August 22, 2015

In Los Angeles, California Uzo Aduba had fun on stage with Swift.

Mary J. Blige showed Swift and her fans love in Los Angeles, California.

Actors Chris Rock and Matt LeBlanc teamed up with model Sean O'Pry to surprise concert goers in Los Angeles, California.

August 24, 2015

Swift brought Alanis Morissette to the stage during a performance in Los Angeles, California.

Ellen DeGeneres made everyone laugh while on the stage in Los Angeles, California.

The Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines joined Swift for a duet in Los Angeles, California.

August 25, 2015

Beck and St. Vincent wowed Swift's fans during another surprise in Los Angeles, California.

John Legend surprised Swift's fans during a show in Los Angeles, California.

August 26, 2015

Selena Gomez surprised fans in Los Angeles, California.

Lisa Kudrow sang "Smelly Cat" in Los Angeles, California with Swift.

Justin Timberlake joined Swift during one of her five performance in Los Angeles, California.

August 29, 2015

Singer OMI united with Swift for a surprise performance in San Diego, California.

Avril Lavigne rocked the crowd during Swift's San Diego, California show.

September 9, 2015

Wiz Khalifa brought a lot of energy to Houston when he performed "See You Again" with Swift.

September 16, 2015

In Indianapolis, Indiana, The Band Perry encouraged Swift to join them with her guitar.

September 18, 2015

The sparkles and fringe were doubled when Sydney Sierota hit the stage during the Columbus, Ohio stop.

September 21, 2015

Country music star, Dierks Bentley, united with Swift for the ultimate surprise in Kansas City, Missouri.

September 25, 2015

Steven Tyler brought the house down when he surprised concert goers in Nashville.

September 26, 2015

British singer Leona Lewis joined the party to sing a duet of her hit "Bleeding Love" with Swift.

Steven Tyler came back for another round with T. Swift and fans.

September 29, 2015

Nelly had too much fun with Swift and Haim as they belted out their tunes in St. Louis, Missouri.

October 2, 2015

Keith Urban rocked the stage with Swift in coordinating all black outfits in Toronto, Canada.

October 3, 2015

Charli XCX had too much fun on stage with Swift during a performance in Toronto.

October 17, 2015

Ellie Goulding joined her bff to perform her hit "Love Me Like You Do" in Texas.

October 21, 2015

In Greensboro, North Carolina, Swift channeled her country heritage during a sassy duet of "Little Red Wagon" with Miranda Lambert.

October 27, 2015

Miami Heat's basketball star Dwyane Wade represented during Swift's stop in Miami.

Pitbull, also known as Mr. 305, shocked fans with a Cameo during the Miami show for the 1989 Tour.

October 31, 2015

Concert goers in Tampa, Florida received a very special Halloween surprise when Idina Menzel joined Swift to sing "Let it Go" from Frozen .

Related Articles

The Complete Guide to All the Famous People Who Showed Up on Taylor Swift's 1989 World Tour

So, so many famous people.

The 1989 World Tour is as much a celebration of Taylor Swift's gigantic squad as it is her music. See all the top artists and stars who have made guest appearances at her concerts—and hear her duets with them. It's proof Tay really knows (and sings) with everyone.

Taylor Swift and Idina Menzel Performing "Let It Go"

On October 31, 2015 in Tampa, Florida.

With Idina Menzel

With Alessia Cara

Taylor swift and tove lo performing "talking body".

On October 24, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia.

With Tove Lo

Taylor swift and miranda lambert performing "little red wagon".

On October 21, 2015 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

With Miranda Lambert

With ellie goulding.

In Arlington, Texas on October 17, 2015.

With Charli XCX

In Toronto on October 3, 2015.

With Keith Urban

In Toronto on October 2, 2015.

Taylor Swift and Mick Jagger Performing "Satisfaction"

In Nashville on September 26, 2015.

With Mick Jagger

With leona lewis, with steven tyler.

In Nashville on September 25, 2015.

With Wiz Khalifa

In Houston on September 9, 2015.

With Avril Lavigne

In San Diego on August 29, 2015.

Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez Performing "Good For You"

In Los Angeles on August 26, 2015.

With Selena Gomez

With lisa kudrow, taylor swift and lisa kudrow performing "smelly cat".

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Every Single One of Taylor Swift’s A-List Guests on Her 1989 World Tour

By Kathryn Amey

Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour managed to be even more star-studded than the MTV Video Music Awards, which everyone who's anyone attends (except One Direction, who were noticeably absent from T-Swift's tour too, sob.)

She brought out fellow song-of-the-summer contenders like Fetty Wap and Walk the Moon, the entire girl gang from "Bad Blood," half the cast of Friends , and America's very own sweetheart (that's Julia Roberts for the uninitiated). Does Taylor Swift know everyone? It's quite likely.

Because it's impossible to stay on top of her sprawling roster of A-list guests, we've put together an exhaustive timeline of every last star-powered appearance during the 1989 tour, from her model squad of BFFs to some of the world’s biggest recording artists.

Dwyane Wade, October 27: And Taylor’s final South Beach special appearance? The Miami Heat star, who also happened to bring along a personalized jersey for the lady of the hour.

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Pitbull, October 27: That same night, Taylor and Pitbull gave the fans everything - see what we did there? – and performed his latest hit together.

Ricky Martin, October 27: “Shake Your Bon Bon” meets “Shake It Off” on stage in Mia

Tove Lo, October 24: Taylor was clearly excited about her “Talking Body” duet partner – she couldn’t stop posting Instagram snaps of the night!

Miranda Lambert, October 21: In North Carolina, country reigned supreme and Miranda absolutely slayed her smash “Little Red Wagon.”

By Versha Sharma

By Liv McConnell

By Kristi Kellogg

Ellie Goulding, October 17: Virginia must be for lovers, because it’s where Tay’s “Bad Blood” co-star joined her on stage (again!) for a duet of her mega-hit, “Love Me Like You Do.”

Charli XCX, October 3: And for Taylor’s second sold-out show in Toronto, she took the party up a notch, bringing Charli XCX on stage for a performance of “Boom Clap”

Keith Urban, October 2: Canadian fans got to hear not one, but two duets performed by the country-pop superstars.

Nelly (featuring HAIM), September 29:

The only thing better than the rapper performing his hit “Hot In Herre” on stage in St. Louis? Taylor and HAIM joining in as back-up dancers.

Leona Lewis, September 26: Tay’s second night in Nashville was just as star-studded as the first, complete with Leona Lewis singing “Bleeding Love” with our girl.

Mick Jagger, September 26: Harry Styles would be proud! Taylor shocked her audience (and thrilled all the parents!) when she brought out the incomparable lead singer of the Rolling Stones.

Kelsea Ballerini, September 25:

Tay spread the love in her hometown of Nashville, inviting this rising country superstar on stage for a duet.

Dierks Bentley, September 21: Kansas City fans sure will remember this incredible performance of “Every Mile A Memory.”

Echosmith, September 18: Once just wasn’t enough! Echosmith’s lead singer, Sydner Sierota, made another epic appearance on the fall leg of 1989 Tour.

The Band Perry, September 16: In Indianapolis fans were treated to an all-star rendition of the country classic, “If I Die Young.”

Wiz Khalifa, September 9: Taylor and Wiz teamed up for a once-in-a-lifetime performance of “See You Again” in Houston.

Avril Lavingne, August 29: The pair sang Avril’s breakout hit “Complicated” and it was basically the best duet of all time.

OMI, August 29: Taylor proved she was the ultimate cheerleader with this killer collab.

Lisa Kudrow, August 26: Do you think Tay's cats felt personally insulted?

Justin Timberlake, August 26: “Mirrors” is only made better by the addition of T Swift.

Selena Gomez, August 26: Besties that sing (“Good For You,” obviously) together, stay together.

John Legend, August 25: We are getting all of the feels thanks to this performance of "All Of Me."

Beck and St Vincent, August 25: Taylor, Beck, and St Vincent came together for a cover of "Dreams" in L.A. that was, quite literally, dreamy.

Ellen DeGeneres, August 24: Just because she didn’t chime in, doesn’t mean that Ellen wasn’t showing off some serious pop princess swagger…

Alanis Morissette, August 24: Tay performed Alanis's classic '90s jam, "You Oughta Know," alongside the Canadian icon in L.A.

Natalie Maines, August 24: Taylor got back to her country roots with an appearance from this Dixie Chick.

Matt LeBlanc, Chris Rock, and Sean O'Pry, August 22: Some of TV's funniest men — and one of the world's hottest ("Blank Space," anyone?) — also made a special appearance on tour.

Mary J Blige, August 22: R&B royalty meets our favorite pop princess for a duet of "Doubt."

Uzo Aduba, August 22: Fans of Orange is the New Black got a serious surprise when they found out that this incredible actress is also an amazing singer.

Kobe Bryant, August 21: Tay's not just friends with the model crowd, sports legends love her too.

Ryan Tedder, August 21: Not only did Taylor and Ryan work together on "Welcome to New York" and "I Know Places," they've now also performed a rendition of "Counting Stars" together.

Julia Roberts, August 15: America's sweethearts came together to show off their dance moves to "Style."

Little Mix, August 15: We’re all about this black magic.

Fifth Harmony, August 14: These ladies definitely proved they were worth it during a stop of the mega-star’s tour.

Fetty Wap, August 8: You just have to see Taylor's rap skills on "Trap Queen."

Ciara, August 8: Yeah, it doesn't get much cooler than this...

Nico & Vinz, August 1: Even Norwegian rappers made an appearance on the 1989 tour.

MKTO, July 25: What could be better than all of Taylor's fans singing along to "Classic"? Not a lot.

Walk the Moon, July 24: "Shut up and watch me dance." — Taylor Swift at every awards show.

Sam Hunt, July 19: The rising country star showed up in Chicago to perform "Take Your Time." On a park bench, no less...

Serayah, July 18: Another day, another incredible "Style" collaboration.

Andy Grammer, July 18: Honey, this is one good duet.

Jason Derulo, July 14: The pair sang Taylor’s “favorite summer song” and it was everything.

Lorde, July 13: Talk about some serious music royalty.

“Bad Blood” Cast Members, July 11: East Rutherford, NJ got a serious high-fashion takeover thanks to Gigi Hadid, Lily Aldridge, and the rest of the “Bad Blood” music video cast.

Nick Jonas, July 11: Jealous doesn't even begin to cover how we feel about those who got to see this performance...

U.S. Women's Soccer Team, July 10: Like we've said before: is there anyone that Taylor doesn't know?

The Weeknd, July 10: Is there any genre Taylor Swift can’t take on?

Rachel Platten, June 13 We did not think "Fight Song" could get any better. We were wrong.

Cara Delevingne, June 12: And just in case you hadn’t had enough of those killer “Bad Blood” ladies, Cara also was sure to stop by to see her pal on stage.

Echosmith, June 12: Echosmith's front woman Sydney Sierota totally got the Taylor Swift treatment during their girl power-filled duet.

Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds, May 30: This duet was pretty much as radioactive as they come.

Taylor Swift’s Star-Packed ‘1989’ Tour: Relive Every Cameo

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Taylor Swift  has spent the better part of the past five months bringing her masterful 2014 album,  1989 , to the masses. Swift's gigantic pop production — winding down Saturday in Tampa, Florida — has criss-crossed the United States, as well as parts of Europe, but the star has taken pains to distinguish the trek from your run-of-the-mill stadium spectacle, sprinkling her shows with surprise guests from across the musical spectrum.

Swift has paired with everyone from rising stars like the Weeknd, Fetty Wap, Sam Hunt and Rachel Platten, to established peers like Lorde, Nick Jonas and Selena Gomez, and celebrated veterans like Miranda Lambert, Justin Timberlake and Mick Jagger. If previous Swift album cycles were marked by overwrought discussions about which ex a song was calling out,  1989 has been first and foremost about friendship. Swift and her audience are not separate entities, but fellow partygoers: She reacts to the presence of her guests with the same incredulity as the crowd.

Tracking Swift's revolving door of  1989 guests was as much a pastime this summer as baseball or trying to ignore Donald Trump. To date, 35 of Swift's 61 North American shows have featured at least one surprise guest, with some featuring two or three, plus an assortment of friends, who walked a lengthy catwalk alongside Swift during "Style." For those hoping to relive that magic moment — or for fans at guest-less shows still stricken by FOMO —  Rolling Stone has compiled a complete rundown of the cameo-crammed tour.

Dan Reynolds, “Radioactive” in Detroit

Taylor Swift's first North American show in Bossier City, Louisiana, was a guest-less affair. So was night two in Baton Rouge. Eight days — and one quick jaunt to Norwich, England for a spot at Radio 1's Big Weekend festival — later,  Swift served her first  1989 tour surprise: Dan Reynolds, who pumped his fists with Swift as they traded vocals on Imagine Dragons' 2012 track, "Radioactive."

Little Big Town, “Pontoon” in Pittsburgh

Despite a dramatic, all-encompassing turn to pop on 1989 , Swift is always ready for the country: In Pittsburgh, she brought out Alabama outfit Little Big Town for their 2012 Number One, "Pontoon," an ode to on-the-water revelry with a delightfully cheeky hook — "Out here in the open/Mmmmm-motorboatin'." Swift's backup dancers even came out in swim trunks and goggles, and some were wrapped in unicorn inner tubes.

Echosmith, “Cool Kids”; Rachel Platten, “Fight Song” in Philadelphia

Over two nights in Philadelphia, Swift shone the spotlight on the next crop of pop superstars. During her first show, she brought out Echosmith's Sydney Sierota  to perform the group's breakout single, "Cool Kids." And on night two, she was joined by Rachel Platten. The pair belted Platten's empowering, piano-driven smash, "Fight Song," Swift gazing like a proud peer as the rising singer handled the track's stirring bridge on her own.

The Weeknd, “Can’t Feel My Face” in East Rutherford, NJ (Night One)

Swift broke out the big guns for her first show at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. In addition to a duet with the Weeknd on his summer hit, "Can't Feel My Face," the pop star welcomed the U.S. women's national soccer team to walk the catwalk during "Style" with their World Cup trophy . Topping it all off, Swift assembled a sizable chunk of her girl gang, including Lily Aldridge, Lena Dunham, Gigi Hadid and Hailee Steinfeld to join her for "Bad Blood."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHaHBjGfnRI]

Nick Jonas, “Jealous” in East Rutherford, NJ (Night Two)

Swift didn't disappoint her New York–area fans at her second show at MetLife. "Style" featured another array of friends including Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Uzo Aduba, Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo and Gigi Hadid; but the night's big guest was Nick Jonas, who lead a bombastic rendition of his soulful pop hit, "Jealous."

Lorde, “Royals”; Jason Derulo, “Want to Want Me” in Washington, D.C.

After her star-packed New York stand, Swift kept things relatively simple in Washington, D.C. On night one, friend and pop prodigy Lorde hit the stage for "Royals," while the following night featured Jason Derulo. The R&B singer dutifully took the reins of the propulsive "Want to Want Me," getting so wrapped up in the heat of the moment his shirt mysteriously vanished by the end of the song.

https://dailymotion.com/video/x2y6asp

Andy Grammer, “Honey, I’m Good”; Sam Hunt, “Take Your Time” in Chicago

On her 2011  Speak Now tour, Swift welcomed burgeoning blue-eyed pop singer Andy Grammer to the stage for a rendition of his breakout single, "Keep Your Head Up." Four years later, she trotted Grammer out again on her first night in Chicago for a performance of his equally infectious 2015 single, "Honey, I'm Good." The next night, Swift gave some shine to rising country crooner Sam Hunt, who parked himself next to Swift for a duet of his fetching, half-rapped ode to slow, simple love, "Take Your Time."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lzv2j3Q8Mig]

Walk the Moon, “Shut Up and Dance”; MKTO, “Classic” in Foxborough, MA

With "Fight Song" and "Can't Feel My Face" already under her belt, Swift continued to plow through the various tracks vying for song of the summer 2015. Walk the Moon's slow burner, "Shut Up and Dance" peaked at Number Two on the Hot 100 this July after being released in September, 2014, and Swift and frontman Nicholas Petricca offered an outsized rendition of the ebullient earworm. She replicated that same energy with MKTO the following night during a sizzling performance of the duo's 2014 song-of-the-summer contender, "Classic."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JO_U0747BzM]

Nico and Vinz, “Am I Wrong” in Vancouver

The 1989 tour rolled into Canada with Norwegian duo Nico and Vinz joining Swift on stage for their 2014 track "Am I Wrong. The song's thumping percussion and achingly triumphant hook wouldn't sound out of place in Swift's own set list, and the pop star adapted easily to the track, slinking around the stage and smiling widely as she sang with the duo.

Fetty Wap, “Trap Queen” in Seattle

The love song that warmed hearts across the world this summer was given the duet it always deserved when Swift teamed up with Fetty Wap for his beloved breakout, "Trap Queen." Swift kept the romantic vibes going later, when she walked the catwalk during "Style" with the Pacific Northwest's cutest couple, Ciara and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfT3Jr0iMgg]

Fifth Harmony, “Worth It”; Little Mix, “Black Magic” in Santa Clara, CA

Girl groups ruled during Swift's two-night stop in Santa Clara, California. At her first show, Swift welcomed Fifth Harmony for a performance of "Worth It," easily nestling into her role as the sixth harmonizer on the group's silky, bombastic, horn-laced single. The next night, U.K. vocal quartet Little Mix took the stage for a sugar-coated rendition of "Black Magic."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yE6BqsMp02k]

Kobe Bryant; OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, “Counting Stars” in Los Angeles (Night One)

The 1989 world tour parked itself at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for a whopping five nights at the end of August, and the run found Swift achieving a notable milestone: Sixteen sold-out shows at the famed venue — a number equal to the NBA Championships banners hung by the Los Angeles Lakers. Fittingly, Lakers star Kobe Bryant was on hand during night one to raise a banner in Swift's honor. The show also featured a musical surprise for good measure, with OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder hitting the stage for "Counting Stars."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh-68HBJr1M]

Uzo Aduba, “White Horse”; Mary J. Blige, “Doubt” and “Family Affair” in Los Angeles (Night Two)

While not all of Swift's guests have been musicians, Orange Is the New Black star Uzo Aduba doubled down on her East Rutherford catwalk cameo and coaxed a deep cut out of Swift in Los Angeles. Aduba revealed a set of deep, gorgeous pipes as she took lead on  Fearless  hit "White Horse" while Swift plucked at her acoustic guitar and delivered backup vocals.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1Ta9KjSszU]

Later, Swift brought out Mary J. Blige for something old and something new: First, "Doubt," from Blige's 2014 effort, The London Sessions , then the still swinging "Family Affair." Capping it all off, Swift welcomed "Blank Space" video star, Sean O'Pry to the stage for "Style,"  though he also had to share the catwalk with Matt LeBlanc and Chris Rock.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRNb3Upu64A]

Alanis Morissette, “You Oughta Know”; Natalie Maines, “Goodbye Earl” in Los Angeles (Night Three)

Night three in Los Angeles found Swift paying tribute to two Nineties heroes, the Dixie Chicks and Alanis Morissette. First, Swift showed she hadn't lost her country twang, stringing out and punching up her drawl alongside Natalie Maines on the Dixie Chicks' boot-stomping "Goodbye Earl." Later, Swift and Morissette scorched the stadium — and exes everywhere — with a devastating performance of the latter's breakup anthem "You Oughta Know."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J47TiDvxnTg]

Noted Swiftie Ellen DeGeneres closed out the proceedings in characteristically ridiculous fashion, donning a sparkling silver jumpsuit to match Swift's shimmering dress as they walked the catwalk together on "Style."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpjxAPHoW8o]

Beck and St. Vincent, “Dreams”; John Legend, “All of Me” in Los Angeles (Night Four)

Swift cobbled together a delightfully unique collaboration for her fourth night at Staples, welcoming Beck and St. Vincent for a performance of the former's recent single, "Dreams." The driving pop-rock cut marks a significant turn from Beck's mellow Morning Phase  LP, but the musician relished sharing stadium spotlight with Swift as St. Vincent slashed away at the song's crunchy, funked-out guitar riffs. Later, Swift slowed things down with John Legend, who commandeered the pop star's piano and led the way during a stunning duet on his tear-jerking power ballad "All of Me." 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3D5NGDW4lQ]

Selena Gomez, “Good For You”; Justin Timberlake, “Mirrors”; Phoebe Buffay, “Smelly Cat” in Los Angeles (Night Five)

The final night of Swift's Los Angeles stand belonged to a little-known coffeeshop singer-songwriter: Phoebe Buffay. Or rather, Lisa Kudrow, who reprised her Friends  role for a performance of Buffay's beloved Central Perk smash, "Smelly Cat."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4gIyPCp9H0]

The night also featured two slightly more well-known musicians: Selena Gomez, who stopped by for a rousing rendition of her tortured slow jam "Good for You," and Justin Timberlake, who took the stage for his devotional paean "Mirrors."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlVVCYOqw48]

Omi, “Cheerleader”; Avril Lavigne, “Complicated” in San Diego

Swift did not slow down after her five-night L.A. takeover. Three days after her final Staples Center gig, and a few hours south on Interstate 5 in San Diego, she brought out Omi for another summer 2015 anthem, "Cheerleader." Swift also invited Avril Lavigne up for a performance of her 2002 breakout hit "Complicated," a still perfectly pained jam that proves the cup of teen angst will never run dry.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YtQZh9Ps8A]

Wiz Khalifa, “See You Again” in Houston

The 1989 tour settled into its fourth month, and the final weeks of summer, in Houston. Swift once again surprised her fans with another recent ubiquitous hit, calling to the stage Wiz Khalifa, who helmed his  Furious 7 hip-hop power ballad, "See You Again." Swift dutifully stood in for the song's co-writer, Charlie Puth, belting the aching, striving chorus he sings on record.

The Band Perry, “If I Die Young” in Indianapolis

Swift offered another nod to her roots in Indianapolis, strapping on a sparkling acoustic guitar and joining the Band Perry for a rousing rendition of their hit "If I Die Young." The song's delicate instrumentals and musings might seem out of place for a massive pop production like the 1989 tour, but Swift and the Band Perry deftly reconstructed the track as a stadium-sized tearjerker.

Echosmith, “Cool Kids” in Columbus, OH

Echosmith singer Sydney Sierota earned the unique distinction of being the only performer to take the stage twice, in two different cities on the  1989 tour (save Uzo Aduba, who performed one night, and strutted the stage during "Style" the other). Sierota re-teamed with Swift in Columbus, Ohio, several months after her initial cameo in Philadelphia, delivering another infectious rendition of Echosmith's breakout hit, "Cool Kids."

Dierks Bentley, “Every Mile a Memory” in Kansas City, MO

Swift kept the country vibes going in Kansas City, welcoming Dierks Bentley to the 1989  party to breeze through his 2006 hit "Every Mile a Memory." Bentley and Swift traded lines and coalesced for harmonies, switching up the lyrics — "Red sun down, over a Kansas City sky," Swift bellowed — for some perfectly acceptable pandering to the hometown crowd.

Steven Tyler, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”; Kelsea Ballerini, “Love Me Like You Mean It”; Alison Krauss, “When You Say Nothing at All” in Nashville (Night One)

With country clearly on her mind, Swift was did not disappoint the Music City crowd at her highly anticipated homecoming concerts in Nashville. On night one, Swift proved she's still tapped into the country world with a rousing duet on "Love Me Like You Mean It" with rising singer Kelsea Ballerini. But she also paid tribute to  vaunted veteran Alison Krauss  with a performance of the musician's 2002 track "When You Say Nothing at All." For good measure, Swift also welcomed recent Nashville transplant Steven Tyler, who helped her belt Aerosmith's endlessly eye-watering Armageddon  anthem, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0xHaJICsDw]

Mick Jagger, “Satisfaction”; Leona Lewis, “Bleeding Love” in Nashville (Night Two)

Swift switched musical directions during her second night in Nashville, but her guests were far from disappointing. The star first welcomed Leona Lewis for a performance of Lewis' devastating 2007 ballad "Bleeding Love." Then Swift served up one of her biggest surprises of the 1989 tour so far: Mick Jagger, who peacocked on stage for "Satisfaction" — much to the delight of one grandma in particular .

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq0fgvavAuA]

Nelly, “The Fix” and “Hot in Herre” in St. Louis

Hometown hero Nelly served up a double shot during his appearance in St. Louis , first pairing with Swift for a duet of his sultry, Marvin Gaye–sampling new single, "The Fix." But the house truly came down during "Hot in Herre," which featured an appearance from Haim, who closed out their run as  1989  tour openers that night. While Nelly breezed through the 2002 hit, the sister act and Swift dished out the indelible hook and some expertly choreographed dance moves.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ-JMWwAZS8]

Keith Urban, “John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16” and “Somebody Like You” in Toronto (Night One)

Keith Urban joined Swift at her first show in Toronto, proving country that clicks both Down Under and up in the Great White North. The pair teamed up for two performances, first kicking out Urban's latest single, "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16," which they followed with the musician's 2002 Number One "Somebody Like You."

Charli XCX, “Boom Clap” in Toronto (Night Two)

Despite canceling some tour dates this summer so she could focus on new music, Charli XCX gladly hopped back onstage with Swift at her second concert in Toronto. The pair took a shot at pure pop perfection and easily hit the mark with a bombastic rendition of XCX's 2014 smash "Boom Clap."

Ellie Goulding, “Love Me Like You Do” in Arlington, TX

Swift has enlisted Ellie Goulding   to surprise her audiences on previous tours, so it's no surprise that the British singer eventually took the stage when her path crossed with the 1989 tour. The pair tackled "Love Me Like You Do," Goulding's summer hit from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack , belting its indelible, amorous hook over a chorus of bombastic synths.

Miranda Lambert, “Little Red Wagon” in Greensboro, NC

Swift delivered another country hit in the midst of her pop bonanza, welcoming bona fide badass Miranda Lambert to the stage to perform her killer Platinum  single "Little Red Wagon." Swift looked happy to let Lambert take lead on the fierce track. She jumped in with some of her own backyard swagger but primarily sat back and marveled as one of country's contemporary masters did what she does best.

Tove Lo, “Talking Body” in Atlanta

Swift is well aware of the unique knack Swedes have for making killer pop, having worked extensively in recent years with Stockholm-based mastermind Max Martin. In Atlanta, Swift welcomed another Swedish star in her own right , burgeoning synth-pop singer-songwriter Tove Lo, who had the crowd howling with a performance of her sensual, slow-burning "Talking Body."

Pitbull, “Give Me Everything”; Ricky Martin, “Livin’ La Vida Loca” in Miami

Swift took her talents to South Beach for the penultimate show of her North American trek, doing everything to delight the hometown crowd short of bringing out Will Smith for "Miami." First, NBA star Dwyane Wade presented Swift  with her own Miami Heat jersey — number 13, of course — and soon after, the pop star was joined by Miami native Pitbull for a performance of "Give Me Everything." Saving the best for last, Swift welcomed Ricky Martin, who came out to a frenzied crowd and the still-transcendent opening horn riff of his 1999 hit "Livin' La Vida Loca."

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEcm910UDSg]

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Taylor Swift's Long List of Onstage Guests, Ranked by Thirst

By Chris Gayomali

On the final night of the Los Angeles leg of her 1989 tour, magical pile of pixiedust Taylor Swift continued her special-guest parade by bringing out Selena Gomez, Justin Timberlake, and Lisa Kudrow—who, in a pure nostalgia play reminiscent of a “Remember the ‘90s?” BuzzFeed quiz, sang “Smelly Cat” onstage with Swift.

There is a strategic element to Swift’s guest choices. Sometimes, it imbues Swift with all-important cultural credibility. Other times it’s a nostalgia play, or just for fun. But there is another element overlooked when Swift brings someone onstage: This element is thirst—the guest’s thirst, specifically, for attention, fame, or just the blessing that is momentarily being in Taylor Swift’s orbit. Here they are, ranked, from least to most thirsty.

45. Joan Baez 44. Beck 43. Chris Rock 42. Cara Delevingne 41. Lorde 40. Serena Williams 39. Justin Timberlake 38. The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team 37. Mary J. Blige 36. St. Vincent 35. Alanis Morissette 34. Uzo Aduba, from Orange Is the New Black 33. Natalie Maines, from the Dixie Chicks 32. Ellen 31. Ciara 30. John Legend 29. Julia Roberts 28. Mariska Hargitay, from SVU 27. Martha Hunt 26. Andreja Pejic 25. Lily Donald 24. Hailee Steinfeld 23. Gigi Hadid 22. The Weeknd 21. Lily Aldridge 20. Lena Dunham 19. Sean O’Pry 18. Karlie Kloss 17. Matt LeBlanc 16. Nico & Vinz 15. Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller (better known as MKTO) 14. Andy Grammer 13. Selena Gomez 12. Fifth Harmony 11. Walk the Moon 10. Russell Wilson 9. Kendall Jenner 8. Fetty Wap 7. Sam Hunt 6. Shawn Mendes 5. Lisa Kudrow 4. Kobe Bryant 3. Dan Reynolds, the guy from Imagine Dragons 2. Nick Jonas, who kept his shirt on 1. Jason Derulo, who took his shirt off

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Taylor Swift's best surprise guests on her never-ending 1989 tour, ranked

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All year long — and seemingly all our lives — Taylor Swift has been welcoming her friends, idols, and everyone in between to the stage for her 1989 world tour. The guest appearances have been at turns inspired and confusing, ranging from the Weeknd to Imagine Dragons , Justin Timberlake to her "Bad Blood" model crew , girl groups like Little Mix and Fifth Harmony to Chris Rock and Matt LeBlanc . Even Ian McKellen recently revealed that he and best friend Patrick Stewart got an invitation to the 1989 stage, but had to turn it down due to prior commitments.

As Swift said at her show in  Santa Clara on August 15:

"Any artist that you see on the 1989 world tour stage is here because they wanted to be, out of the goodness of their own heart. They wanted to be here to perform for you, and to surprise you. This means they came here for free. This means they could've been doing anything else...but they wanted to be with you. They're here because they love you, and that's such an incredible honor."

Swift's claim that all the 1989 world tour guests wanted to be there "out of the goodness of their own heart" is a lovely sentiment, but I have a feeling that everyone walking the "1989 runway" is less interested in pleasing fans than in absorbing the incredible attention the moment affords them. Swift is one of the biggest pop performers on the planet. Any friend of hers is a friend of millions.

(Thank god Sirs Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart have each other.)

As for Swift, I believe she is thrilled to welcome each and every one of these people to the stage. Every time she introduces a new guest, she throws her hands up like she's on a roller coaster, giddy with some combination of excitement, triumph, and power. Whatever the motivations for the guests — fun, publicity, a "what the hell" lark — one thing is abundantly clear:  Taylor Swift is having the time of her life.

To save you the trouble of going over her dozens of guests, here are the eight most memorable surprise appearances from Taylor Swift's 1989 tour — so far, anyway.

8) Joan Baez and Julia Roberts (Santa Clara, August 15)

Tonight Joan Baez and Julia Roberts danced it out to 'Style'. These two women are my heroes. What an honor. pic.twitter.com/ERFqo1SS8H — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 16, 2015

There are so many questions about this pairing, who went onstage together at Swift's Santa Clara concert to dance along to "Style." Did they know each other beforehand? Is this part of a blood pact neither remembers making in the '90s? How many people in that stadium were appropriately heartbroken to get a Joan Baez appearance instead of a Joan Baez performance ?

So, okay, this isn't one of Swift's "best" surprises, but you can't beat it for the sheer "Why is this happening?" factor. The Baez/Roberts pairing also highlights another important demographic of Taylor Swift's guests of choice, namely the "We're doing this for our kids" quadrant. (See also: the aforementioned Rock and LeBlanc .)

7) Lisa Kudrow (Los Angeles, August 26)

Many give Los Angeles grief for its smog and entertainment-obsessed industries, but the city's best revenge is its proximity to just about every major star. Ergo, and to be upfront: LA is disproportionately represented on this list. (Swift also played there for five nights in a row.)

After confusing everyone by bringing out LeBlanc, she made a more understandable Friends choice the next night with Lisa Kudrow, who appeared (barely) in character as the folk-singing Phoebe Buffay.

Swift was visibly thrilled. She told the stadium with a wink that this guest "has only ever played in coffeehouses" before they strummed acoustic guitars in tandem for a stadium sing-along of Buffay's biggest (and only) hit, "Smelly Cat." The only thing that could have made it more of a trip for Friends fans would be if they did a breakdown à la the recorded version of "Smelly Cat," which was decidedly more pop than its folksy predecessor.

6) Beck and St. Vincent (Los Angeles, August 25)

Getting to play 'Dreams' with @Beck and @st_vincent is something I'll remember forever. I can't even express it. pic.twitter.com/haLQzBxpbg — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 26, 2015

For as much pop star power as Swift wrung out from Los Angeles, she also brought out an act that confused much of her stadium audience. Beck joined Swift to perform his latest single "Dreams," with guitar goddess St. Vincent accompanying. Videos show much of the floor audience blinking in confusion at the runway instead of dancing along.

This is a shame, because Beck and St. Vincent's performance on the Staples Center stage is rock solid. Beck matched the stadium's energy by jumping up and down like an excitable teen at his first concert. St. Vincent (a.k.a. Annie Clark) accompanied him on her angular new Eddie Ball signature guitar . Every so often, Swift noticed that St. Vincent was standing off on her own and went over to lean a friendly elbow on her shoulder. St. Vincent is a documented Swift fan , but she eventually had to shrug her off to strut down the runway and rip her guitar solo to shreds.

St. Vincent casually slaying that guitar solo while pyro goes off in the background. Beck and I having a dance party. I don't know how to process any of the events of tonight. A video posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Aug 26, 2015 at 12:56am PDT

It was glorious.

5) Fetty Wap (Seattle, August 8)

FETTY WAP. TRAP QUEEN. SEATTLE. 60,000 PPL. OH MY GOD. @fettywap thank you so much for coming!! Unreal!! pic.twitter.com/3fFuhZh7Pg — Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 9, 2015

Fetty Wap exploded on the radio this summer with his single  "Trap Queen." While he just won the 2015 VMA for Best New Artist, he performed in Swift's stadium like he's been doing it for years. He was totally unconcerned with the crowd as he slid all over the enormous 1989 stage, which fit right in with the straightforward confidence of "Trap Queen."

When recounting the tour night with Fetty Wap on Instagram, Swift claimed that he left her "unable to find [her] chill." After watching videos of the performance, she was absolutely correct. She did her best to keep up, mouthing the words and striding down the runway in her thigh-high boots in her best impression of a model walk. For the most part, though, she just let Fetty do his thing.

4) Mary J. Blige (Los Angeles, August 23)

Blige joined Swift on the stage to sing "Family Affair" and her new power ballad "Doubt." All Swift could hope to do was let her soar. For all her best efforts to join in, Swift probably knew she couldn't match Blige's vocals, and so she largely kept her part to clapping and throwing her hands in the air (a Swift staple ).

Swift and Swift's raised arm and Blige on the 1989 world tour stage.

Blige's energy was infectious. Her belting filled the enormous Staples Center as she sang the song's climactic affirmation:

Now you're looking at a leader Now you're staring at a queen You said I'll never be someone But now I'm pulling all the strings.

Can't imagine why Swift likes this song so much. Still, nice moment.

3) The US women's national soccer team (East Rutherford, New Jersey, July 10)

Taylor Swift and the 2015 Women's World Cup champions. And Heidi Klum.

Taylor Swift's Twitter

The week after winning the World Cup, the US women's soccer team joined Swift for a victory lap. This is one of the most purely fun surprise appearances on the tour, as the team grinned from ear to ear and soaked up the warm reception from the audience of New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. They even managed to upstage supermodel of the world Heidi Klum as she worked the catwalk, which, despite Donald Trump's  best efforts to denigrate Klum's current appeal, will always be a feat.

As for Swift? She got to hold the trophy.

You guys. @taylorswift13 brought @ussoccer_wnt on stage at her show tonight AND LOOK AT THIS PHOTO. pic.twitter.com/HgRmpY3kFN — Erin Sorensen (@erinsorensen) July 11, 2015

2) Natalie Maines (Los Angeles, August 24)

As Swift ascends higher and higher into the glitzy world of pop stardom, it's always a little jarring — in the best way — when she reaches back to her country roots. Swift is so comfortable in the country world that her voice noticeably settles when she allows it to twang. So it's unsurprising her Natalie Maines introduction gushed with praise for the Dixie Chicks frontwoman, whom she cited as a vital influence on her early musical aspirations:

"If not for this woman and her band, I would not have known that you can be quirky, and fun, and yourself, and outspoken, and brave, and real...I wouldn't have dreamed the things that I dreamed, and I wouldn't be on this stage today."

The two women then broke out into the Dixie Chicks' revenge fantasy song "Goodbye Earl," which was also apparently Swift's "go-to talent show song."

This appearance therefore accomplishes two important things: 1) Maines gets to fill a stadium with her astonishing powerhouse of a voice, and 2) we get to imagine a tiny Swift strutting around a fold-out stage while trilling, "Well, it wasn't two weeks after she got married that / Wanda started gettin' abused / She put on dark glasses and long sleeved blouses / And make-up to cover her bruise..."

(Note: "Goodbye Earl" is a very strange choice to sing through a talent show grin.)

1) Alanis Morissette (Los Angeles, August 24)

Swift tends to take her time introducing her guests. She builds up the anticipation, starting from a conspiratorial whisper before revving up to a grand announcement in the bombastic style of a circus ringleader (which, well, she kind of is). To pump up the crowd for Morissette's impending arrival, Swift prowled the stage in a leather catsuit and intoned:

"She inspired a generation of confessional female singer/songwriters, who all of a sudden felt like you could actually say these raw feelings that you had. You could actually sing about your real life, you could put detail into it. You could get really really mad if you wanted to."

This is just a very good summation of Alanis Morissette's appeal. Also, Swift sells the hell out of it. There's no way she could care deeply about every single guest on her tour, but this moment echoes her adoration for Maines in its sincerity. Swift has built her career on confessional songwriting, so it's genuinely touching to see her paying tribute to a woman who both popularized and challenged the genre.

Then Morissette emerged from the floor, singing "You Oughta Know."

Of all the songs off her smash album Jagged Little Pill , "You Oughta Know" is perhaps the most explicitly angry. "You Oughta Know" tells the story of heartbreak through rage-induced tears, a feeling Swift came closest to capturing with "Blank Space." "Raw" is absolutely the right word.

Watching Swift and Morissette belt the song together is startling, then exhilarating. It's exactly what every surprise 1989 world tour appearance should be like — though it will be harder to thrill people when they come to expect something so great every time.

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A Comprehensive List Of Taylor Swift's '1989' Tour Guests So Far

News Editor, HuffPost

Forget "My Little Pony" -- Taylor Swift 's special-guest roster on her "1989" tour proves friendship is magic.

Thanks to Instagram and Twitter, the celebrities and musicians she invites on stage each night have become as expected as her shiny outfits and smooth backup dancers. In the beginning, Swift's invitees were slightly more expected: ladies from her much-'grammed crew, or musical acts that could use Swift's star power to reach a bigger audience.

But when unexpected, er, friends started to pop up -- the U.S. Women's Soccer Team? Joan Baez?? Kobe Bryant??? -- it was hard to keep track of just how many famous faces graced the many stadiums Swift set foot in. Here's a list of all the celeb cameos we've seen on the "1989" tour as of Monday. (A * denotes that they sang, too.)

• Gigi Hadid (Detroit, London, East Rutherford)
• Martha Hunt (Detroit, London)
• Dan Reynolds , Imagine Dragons* (Detroit)
• Little Big Town * (Pittsburgh)
• Cara Delevingne (Philadelphia, London)
• Mariska Hargitay (Philadelphia)

Couldn't even contain my happiness because @caradelevingne and @therealmariskahargitay surprised the crowd tonight. #1989TourPhilly A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jun 13, 2015 at 12:38am PDT

• Sydney Sierota , Echosmith* (Philadelphia)
• Rachel Platten * (Philadelphia)
• Serena Williams (London)
• Karlie Kloss (London, East Rutherford)
• Kendall Jenner (London)
• The Weeknd * (East Rutherford)
• The entire freakin' World Cup-winning U.S. Women's Soccer team (East Rutherford)
• Oh, and Heidi Klum (East Rutherford)

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jun 27, 2015 at 5:18pm PDT

• Nick Jonas * (East Rutherford)
• Lily Aldridge (East Rutherford)
• Candice Swanepoel (East Rutherford)
• Uzo Aduba (East Rutherford, Los Angeles*)
• Behati Prinsloo (East Rutherford)
• Lena Dunham (East Rutherford)
• Hailee Steinfeld (East Rutherford)

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jul 11, 2015 at 1:29am PDT

• Lorde * (Washington, D.C.)
• Jason Derulo * (Washington, D.C.)
• Serayah* (Chicago)
• Andy Grammer * (Chicago)
• Andrea Pejic (Chicago)
• Lily M. Donaldson (Chicago)
• Sam Hunt * (Chicago)

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Jul 18, 2015 at 10:38pm PDT

• Walk the Moon * (Boston)
• MKTO * (Boston)
• Nico & Vinz * (Vancouver)
• Russell Wilson (Seattle)
• Ciara (Seattle)
• Fetty Wap * (Seattle)
• Fifth Harmony * (Santa Clara)
• Little Mix * (Santa Clara)

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Aug 16, 2015 at 12:54am PDT

• Joan Baez (Santa Clara)
• Julia Roberts (Santa Clara)
• Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles)
• Ryan Tedder , OneRepublic* (Los Angeles)
• Mary J. Blige (Los Angeles)
• Sean O'Pry (Los Angeles)
• Chris Rock (Los Angeles)
• Matt LeBlanc (Los Angeles)

With three more shows in LA this week, followed by San Diego, Salt Lake City, Denver, and St. Paul -- to name just a few -- we're sure this list will become much longer before the year's end. And we say, the more, the merrier. But if Swift finds that there is simply no one left in Hollywood to invite, we here at The Huffington Post would gladly step up to the plate. Just sayin'.

Also on HuffPost:

Taylor Swift's '1989' Tour

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All of Taylor Swift's BFFs on the '1989' tour

Pitbull, "give me everything", ricky martin, "livin la vida loca", dwyane wade, nelly, "hot in here" and "the fix", echosmith, "cool kids".

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (June 12)

Mick Jagger, 'Satisfaction'

Leona lewis, 'bleeding love', steven tyler, 'i don't want to miss a thing', wiz khalifa, "see you again", avril lavigne, "complicated", omi, "cheerleader", selena gomez, "good for you".

Los Angeles, California (August 26)

Lisa Kudrow, "Smelly Cat"

Justin timberlake, "mirrors", john legend, "all of me".

Los Angeles, California (August 25)

Beck and St. Vincent, "Dreams"

Ellen degeneres, "style".

Los Angeles, California (August 24)

Alanis Morissette, "You Oughta Know"

Natalie maines, "goodbye earl", matt leblanc, chris rock, and sean o'pry, "style".

Los Angeles, California (August 22)

Mary J. Blige, "Doubt" and "Family Affair"

Uzo aduba, "white horse", kobe bryant, "style".

Los Angeles, California (August 21)

Ryan Tedder, "Counting Stars"

Julia roberts and joan baez, "style".

Santa Clara, California (August 15)

Little Mix, "Black Magic"

Fifth harmony, "worth it".

Santa Clara, California (August 14)

Fetty Wap, "Trap Queen"

Seattle, Washington (August 8)

Russell Wilson and Ciara

Nico & vinz, "am i wrong".

Vancouver, British Columbia (August 1)

MKTO, "Classic"

Foxborough, Massachusetts (July 25)

Walk the Moon, "Shut Up and Dance"

Foxborough, Massachusetts (July 24)

Andreja Pejić and Lily Donaldson, "Style"

Chicago, Illinois (July 19)

Sam Hunt, "Take Your Time"

​serayah, "style".

Chicago, Illinois (July 18)

Andy Grammer, "Honey, I'm Good"

Jason derulo, "want to want me".

Washington, D.C. (July 14)

Lorde, "Royals"

Washington, D.C. (July 13)

Candice Swanepoel, Lily Aldridge, Uzo Aduba, Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo, Gigi Hadid, "Style"

East Rutherford, New Jersey (July 11)

Nick Jonas, "Jealous"

Hailee steinfeld, lily aldridge, gigi hadid, lena dunham, "bad blood".

East Rutherford, New Jersey (July 10)

U.S. Women's National Team and Heidi Klum, "Style"

The weeknd, "can't feel my face", martha hunt, kendall jenner, serena williams, karlie kloss, gigi hadid, cara delevingne, "style".

London, England (June 27)

Rachel Platten, "Fight Song"

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (June 13)

Mariska Hargitay and Cara Delevingne, "Style"

Little big town, "pontoon".

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (June 6)

Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds, "Radioactive"

Detroit, Michigan (May 30)

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clock This article was published more than  8 years ago

Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ tour guests by the numbers: How many singers? Models? Athletes?

Taylor Swift’s special guests on her “1989” tour were nothing if not varied.

The pop mega-star, who wrapped up the North American leg of the tour on Saturday night, invited a gaggle of celebs to join her on stage in various cities over the last six months. Swift made sure to represent a wide range of ages and genres and skills. Some celebrities sang songs; some just showed up and waved; others reprised their ’90s sitcom roles . In the end, Swift brought out surprise guests at 38 concerts (out of 61 overall).

This isn’t the first tour where Swift has invited stars to surprise fans, but this is the first time such high-profile names appeared on a regular basis. Here’s a breakdown by the numbers of the variety of guests that graced the stage — and you can find a complete rundown of every celeb’s appearance here .

[ A complete guide to the celebrity guests on Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ world tour ]

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People You Can't Believe Got Onstage for the 1989 Tour

Taylor Swift's 1989 show has been a tour for the record books. Not only is she selling out massive arenas every night, she’s also been bringing all of her famous friends on stage with her to an equal amount of applause and confusion. Some of the1989 Taylor Swift tour guests make sense as she’s been known to collaborate on tunes with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Ed Sheeran. But a lot of her guests have left fans saying “huh?” once the show has ended. Sure, Joan Baez is an influential folk singer, but do 15-year-old fans care about the woman who covered “Diamonds and Rust”? Probably not. Oddly enough, Joan Baez is just the tip of the iceberg of people you can’t believe agreed to get onstage for the 1989 tour.

1989 Taylor Swift tour cameos are like hot dogs. Initially they seem like a good idea, but after the whole thing is over you wish there’d been a better vetting process in place. All street food references aside, it makes sense for Swift to bring out her famous friends for the world to see. The 1989 Taylor Swift tour appearances are all part of the singer cementing herself as the new Queen of Pop Music. But it's still hard to believe some of the people she managed to convince to get on stage with her.

Mick Jagger

Julia Roberts

Kobe Bryant

U.S. Women's Soccer National Team

Ellen DeGeneres

Serena Williams

Fifth Harmony

John Legend

Lisa Kudrow

Matt LeBlanc

Cara Delevingne

Rachel Platten

Karlie Kloss

Jason Derulo

St. Vincent

Candice Swanepoel

Little Big Town

Lily Aldridge

Behati Prinsloo

Mariska Hargitay

Martha Hunt

Alanis Morissette

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Lists about Taylor Swift: cat-lover, Grammy-winner, dirty-laundry-airess, and very tall, occasionally controversial pop superstar.

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Taylor Swift 1989 Tour Special Guests: Who Is Your Favorite (So Far)? Vote!

Taylor Swift's 1989 concert has been playing to sold-out crowds all over the country this summer, and every stop has brought its share of special guests.

By Billboard Staff

Billboard Staff

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Who can forget Taylor Swift   rocking out to “Can’t Feel My Face” with The Weeknd or sporting an ear-to-ear grin singing next to bestie Lorde ?

Taylor Swift’s 1989 Tour: The Weeknd Performs, U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Shines & 8 More Enchanting Moments

Her 1989 Tour has been playing to sold-out crowds all over the country this summer, and every stop has brought its share of special guests.  Of course, Swift bringing out music MVPs is nothing new to this tour, but we’ve been having so much fun watching all of these different chart toppers perform their hits with her that we’re wondering which one is your favorite so far. (Note: We’re only considering musical performances, not all the various people who’ve rocked the catwalk with her.)

Whose performance are you watching over and over again? Vote below!

Taylor Swift

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From Lena Dunham to Pitbull: Taylor Swift’s Wonderfully Weird 1989 Tour Guests

1989 (TAYLOR’S VERSION) WEEK

Lisa Kudrow showed up in character as Phoebe Buffay. Idina Menzel sang “Let It Go” while dressed as Elsa. And was that ... Dwyane Wade?!

Kyndall Cunningham

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Getty

To honor Taylor Swift’s latest rerecording, we’re celebrating 1989 (Taylor’s Version) Week at The Daily Beast’s Obsessed. That means we’re throwing it back to 2014, to re-live everything that Taylor—and the rest of pop culture—was up to.

For me, Taylor Swift ’s 1989 era had two major takeaways: One: Swift was capable of making an iconic, purely pop album. And two: She had a seemingly endless rolodex of celebrity friends.

In 2014, there was hardly an outing where Swift wasn’t photographed with a Victoria’s Secret Angel or fellow, usually less-popular musician by her side. Thus, the infamous “squad” was born. She even capped off the year with a star-studded 25th birthday party , which included guests like Justin Timberlake , the Haim sisters , Sam Smith , and, most shockingly, Beyoncé and Jay-Z , who couldn’t be bothered to attend Kimye ’s wedding some months prior.

Taylor Swift (L) and Idina Menzel perform on Taylor Swift's "The 1989 World Tour" at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2015 in Tampa, Florida.

Tim Boyles / Getty

Then there was Swift’s mammoth 1989 World Tour the following year, where she really flexed her industry connections. Each night of the U.S. leg featured an illustrious—to varying degrees—guest. Swift claimed she wanted to add an element of surprise to a show that fans were otherwise bound to spoil on social media. “They know the set list,” she said in a Beats 1 interview following the tour. “They know the costumes. They’ve looked it up. That presented me with an interesting issue.”

And boy, did she go through everyone in her contact list to solve it. Some of the tour’s guests of honor were models . Some were athletes . Some were Swift’s favorite television detectives . Some were random artists occupying the Billboard Hot 100. Some were Chris Rock . And Swift, who gave each of her guests an overly sentimental introduction, claimed to admire them all.

Taylor Swift and Pitbull at American Airlines Arena on October 27, 2015 in Miami, Florida.

Rodrigo Varela / Getty

Given how active I was on Tumblr at the time, I’d like to think that my memory of this tour is quite fresh. I can specifically recall the hullabaloo over Swift’s MetLife show , where she invited Martha Hunt, Lily Aldridge, Hailee Steinfeld , Gigi Hadid , and Lena Dunham on stage during her performance of “Bad Blood.” It bears mentioning that Dunham, not a six-foot-tall stick-thin model (and a target for her average-sized figure at the time), stuck out in the photo and went on to say she felt “chubby” alongside the rest of the women. The oddness also stemmed from the sight gag of the creator of Girls looking like she had just left a meeting at HBO ’s headquarters strutting onstage at a major pop concert.

But Dunham’s cameo was hardly as bizarre as things got on this wild tour. Looking back at the random assortment of celebrities who graced Swift’s stage, either to sing a duet or simply strut down the runway, is a bit staggering. What was Matt LeBlanc doing at a Swift show? Did anyone in the audience know who Joan Baez was? What made Taylor think of Avril Lavigne in the year 2015? (Same with Leona Lewis .) Remember Andy Grammer ?!

Other unlikely guests—although some of them were appropriate for the city she was visiting—included Mary J. Blige , Ricky Martin , Alison Krauss , Nelly , Wiz Khalifa , Mick Jagger , Kobe Bryant , Dwyane Wade , Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay, and Uzo Aduba , thankfully not as Crazy Eyes.

In terms of musical guests, though, Swift really captured the zeitgeist before Spotify defeated FM radio and fractured everyone’s musical tastes. She invited numerous smaller artists who were responsible for the past year’s biggest hits, including Nico & Vinz , OMI , MKTO , Rachel Platten , Sydney Sierota from Echosmith , Alessia Cara , and Walk the Moon . She also brought out Idina Menzel , dressed as Elsa, to perform the biggest song in the world at the time, “Let It Go,” from Frozen . Swift, who’s always down to clown, was predictably dressed as Olaf.

This particular list of pop acts—many of them certifiable one-hit wonders now—reads like a historical record representing the last gasp of monoculture. (Remember when we all knew the same corny songs before “prestige” pop took over?) It also marked Swift’s rise from a country ingenue to a high-profile, mainstream musician with enough credibility to cosign other artists—even if her seal of approval didn’t really keep them around that long.

Hailee Steinfeld, Gigi Hadid, Taylor Swift, Lily Aldridge and Lena Dunham onstage during The 1989 World Tour Live at MetLife Stadium on July 10, 2015 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Kevin Mazur / Getty

In 2023, Swift doesn’t need any additional star power on her tours to get publicity. Her loyal Swifties have spent the past year clogging up our social media feeds with Eras Tour footage. And all of the celebrities attending her concerts thus far—minus Ice Spice —have been corralled under a tent or rocking out in their own suites. Plus, the opening acts on her Eras Tour are a more curated group of friends and respected musicians, including HAIM, Phoebe Bridgers , and Paramore . Regardless, Swfities will never forget all the PR efforts she made to get to this point, including belting her heart out with Pitbull .

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast  here .

READ THIS LIST

A complete timeline of Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift's friendship

• Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss became inseparable after meeting at the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
• They road-tripped through Big Sur, landed a joint Vogue cover, and shared their friendship on social media.
• Although Kloss has denied a falling-out, they haven't been seen together since 2018.

The friendship of Taylor Swift and Karlie Kloss dates back to 2013, when the musician and the supermodel met backstage at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

They quickly became inseparable: The pair road-tripped through Big Sur, posed together for a joint Vogue cover, and frequently shared photos of their adventures on social media. Kloss even had her own bedroom in Swift's New York apartment.

But they haven't been photographed together since 2018 — and many fans believe they had a falling-out.

Though the model has maintained that Swift is a "close friend," the singer-songwriter didn't attend either of Kloss' wedding events. Instead, Kloss' guest list included Katy Perry and Scooter Braun , both of whom Swift has feuded with.

Below is a comprehensive timeline of their friendship. 

January 2012: Swift mentions the model in her Vogue cover story

While walking around Prabal Gurung's studio during her 2012 Vogue interview , the "Red" singer noticed a framed photo of Kloss hanging on the wall. 

"I love Karlie Kloss. I want to bake cookies with her!" she told the interviewer. 

Kloss, an avid baker who teamed up with Momofuku Milk Bar's Christina Tosi to launch her own line of treats called " Karlie's Kookies " in 2012, accepted Swift's invitation the same day the article was published.

"Hey @taylorswift13 love the @voguemagazine cover!" she wrote on Twitter. "Your kitchen or mine?"

—Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) January 17, 2012

November 13, 2013: They have a playful interaction on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway

Swift strutted up and down the runway as she performed her song "I Knew You Were Trouble" at the 2013 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. 

Kloss, the second model to walk during the "Snow Angels" portion of the show, pointed at Swift and lip-synced her lyrics as she passed by, stopping again to dance with the musician before exiting the stage. 

They also held hands while Swift was singing "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark" with Fall Out Boy. 

"We met at the show, we never met before but we're BFFs now. It's nice to meet another American girl, we're the same age and she's so inspiring — she's so talented and she's true to who she is. She's a cool girl and I'm glad she's in the show this year, she rocked it," Kloss told Hollywood Life on December 9, 2013. 

One month later, Kloss said her interaction with Swift was her "favorite" moment from the show.

—Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) December 11, 2013

Kloss also shared a behind-the-scenes photo with Swift with the lyrics from "Love Story" ("We were both young when I first saw you"), her favorite of Swift's songs.

The introduction left a mark on Swift as well. 

In their joint March 2015 Vogue interview , the singer revealed that she has a polaroid with Kloss, taken backstage at the show, hanging in her New York City apartment. The photo is labeled, "BEST FRIENDS FOREVER VS2013."

March 2014: They take a road trip through Big Sur together

When the duo met up at the Oscars after-party in 2014, the supermodel suggested they do something "spontaneous," they said in their 2015 Vogue interview . 

"I'd been to Big Sur once before, and I was like, 'We should just do it,'" Swift said. 

Kloss shared several memories from their time on the road, which she described as the "adventure of a lifetime with my girl." They frolicked in front of a sunset, wrote their names in the sand with a heart, wore daisies in their hair , and cuddled among the elephant seals.

In one of the posts, fans noticed that Kloss was wearing Swift's sweater , which said "Genius" on it. 

As they drove home, Kloss shared a photo of a yellow daisy in the car, tagging Swift as the center of the flower. She captioned the shot, "best. road trip. ever."

Two years later, Swift would allude to the road trip during her "72 Questions" interview with Vogue .

Asked where someone should take their wife for a wedding anniversary, she replied, "Congratulations, and you should take her to Big Sur."

April 2014: Kloss and Swift are spotted together in New York City

The pair were spotted walking around Manhattan several times throughout the month.

May 4, 2014: They take a photo together at a friend's birthday party

Kloss shared a photo with Swift and Kate Bosworth at a party for hairstylist Harry Josh. The event took place at the Jane Hotel in New York City. 

She captioned the post, "I had fun with these Lovely Ladies last night at #HarrysParty."

May 5, 2014: Swift and Kloss get ready for the Met Gala together at The Surrey Hotel 

The theme for the annual event was "Charles James: Beyond Fashion," and both Kloss and Swift wore gowns designed by Oscar de la Renta . Kloss even shared a behind-the-scenes selfie of the pair getting ready together, captioned, "Pre #MetGala glam party."

When they arrived at the Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the duo stayed close to each other while posing on the red carpet. 

July 2014: They're frequently seen spending time together in New York City

From brunching at the famous restaurant Serafina to strolling through SoHo, Swift and Kloss enjoyed the city throughout the summer.

Later in 2014, Swift would release her album "1989," which began with the song "Welcome to New York." She's previously cited the Big Apple as an "important landscape and location for the story of my life in the last couple of years."

September 8, 2014: Swift reveals that Kloss frequently sleeps at her New York City apartment

During the singer's interview with Rolling Stone , Swift gave a brief tour of her $15 million apartment. 

Swift walked into one of the guest bedrooms and said, "This is where Karlie usually stays."

According to the outlet, multiple photos of Kloss were hanging on the walls, and Swift had prepared a basket of the supermodel's favorite snacks to sit beside the bed. 

October 29, 2014: Kloss and Swift sit courtside at a New York Knicks game

They drank beer, cheered, and posed for photographers while watching the Chicago Bulls play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. 

Kloss and Swift, who matched in black turtlenecks, sat directly next to well-known actor Ben Stiller and his son Quinlin.

November 12, 2014: They go shopping together in SoHo

Both in plaid, Swift and Kloss stopped in several stores during an outing in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood. 

November 23, 2014: Swift brings Kloss as her date to the American Music Awards

It was a big night for Swift; she won the Dick Clark award of excellence and delivered an energized performance of her song "Blank Space."

Even when Swift was sitting down in the audience, the camera didn't stray for long. Kloss, who was her date for the night , was right by her side. 

They also joked around backstage, playing musical instruments while Swift sat on Kloss' lap. 

December 2, 2014: Swift performs at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show again

Kloss was the first model to walk out during Swift's performance of "Style" at the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. 

Hand-in-hand, the pair strutted down the runway together in lace lingerie. 

After the show, Kloss shared a black-and-white photo of herself and Swift holding hands, captioned with lyrics from the song ("Cause we never go out of style, We never go out of style").

December 4, 2014: A fan claims they saw Swift and Kloss kissing at a concert 

Swift and Kloss attended a concert for The 1975 at New York City's Terminal 5, alongside model friends Lily Aldrige and Martha Hunt.

The next day, a fellow concertgoer posted two photos of the pair on the VIP balcony, holding hands and leaning toward each other.

Although the shots were blurry, the tweet launched speculation that the women were kissing : "exclusive taylor and karlie making out #confirmed," the fan wrote .

However, a representative for Swift called the story "crap."

"It's sad that on the day it's announced Taylor has three Grammy nominations for 'Shake It Off,' I have to shake off this crap," the rep told Us Weekly .

Swift also seemed to respond to the rumors in a since-deleted tweet (although she may have been referring to media coverage of her relationship with The 1975 frontman Matty Healy ).

"As my 25th birthday present from the media, I'd like for you to stop accusing all my friends of dating me. #thirsty," she wrote . 

December 10, 2014: Kloss compliments Swift's cooking skills

During an interview with Yahoo , Kloss called Swift a "great cook" and said she handles clean-up when they eat together. 

"I'm more the baker," she said, adding, "She's a great cook."

December 13, 2014: Kloss attends Swift's star-studded 25th birthday party

The party took place at the musician's New York City apartment, according to Marie Claire . Beyonce, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, and Sam Smith were all in attendance for the occasion. 

Happy 25th Birthday @taylorswift 🎂🍰🎂🍰🎂🍰🎂🍰🎂🍰🎂 A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Dec 13, 2014 at 8:45pm PST Dec 13, 2014 at 8:45pm PST

January 10, 2015: Ingrid Michaelson speaks about her interaction with Swift and Kloss

The singer and the supermodel appeared together at Michaelson's July 2014 concert . When the indie singer was asked what it was like to spend time with them, she joked that she "dragged" Swift onstage with her "supermodel best friend," whom Michaelson didn't recognize at the time. 

"I took a picture with the two of them. I was in six-inch heels, and they're still like this," Michaelson said while raising her arms up. 

She recalled asking Swift and Kloss if they were planning on attending her after-party. 

"They were like, 'No, we have — I have an early shoot,'" Michaelson said, adding that Swift introduced Kloss as a "Victoria's Secret supermodel angel woman."

January 18, 2015: Swift invites Kloss and several other friends over to her house

Kloss, Hunt, Ashley Avignone, and Gigi Hadid all posed with Swift in the singer's house, identifiable thanks to the singer's cat Meredith, who was perched on the couch. 

"I'm convinced, blondes definitely have more fun," Kloss wrote. 

I'm convinced, blondes definitely have more fun. A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Jan 18, 2015 at 6:55pm PST Jan 18, 2015 at 6:55pm PST

February 1, 2015: Kloss visits Swift in Nashville

The model shared a photo of one of Swift's cats, Olivia , and tagged the location as Nashville, the singer's adopted hometown. 

She also shared a photo with Swift and Aldridge , writing in the caption, "Such a Wonderful weekend surrounded by such Wonderful friends."

February 13, 2015: They both graced the cover of Vogue

In the joint cover story, Swift and Kloss opened up about their first time meeting, their road trip through Big Sur, and their friendship.

"People had been telling us for years we needed to meet," Swift said. "I remember makeup artists and hair people going, 'Doesn't she remind you of Karlie? God, she and Karlie would be best friends. They're the same.'"

They revealed that Aldridge, who was friends with both Swift and Kloss, made the introduction.  

"We were just like, 'You. My friend. Now,'" Swift joked.

Kloss then attributed their friendship to the fact that they're both "normal people."

"We're real girls," Swift agreed. 

They also faced off in Vogue's "Friendship Test," in which Swift revealed that Kloss listened to her entire "1989" album before anyone else had heard it. As of August 4, 2023, the video has been listed as private on YouTube.

February 16, 2015: Kloss gushes about her friendship with Swift

During an appearance on "Good Morning America," the model chatted about her Vogue cover with Swift. 

"For me, what's significant about that cover, is that it's all about power friendships. Taylor and I are really close, but we also have very different jobs in very different industries. We also are twentysomething-year-old women working very hard and very focused to pursue our dreams and goals, and I think we both are very supportive of one another," she said.

Kloss added, "I think that kind of friendship, whether it's with a sister or a friend, that kind of friendship is really powerful, and it's been a huge part of my success."

February 17, 2015: Swift and Kloss sit in the front row for Oscar de la Renta

Women's Wear Daily covered Peter Copping's debut at Oscar de la Renta, noting that Swift and Kloss were "giggly" together in the front row. (Kloss had walked for the designer the previous year.)

When WWD asked why she attended the show , Swift curiously declined to comment: "My publicist would get mad at me," she said.

Kloss later shared a selfie with Swift from the event , posing with another close friend, Derek Blasberg.

"Front row selfie with my best buds," she wrote. "(My best friend and my big brother. So how are they related? Step friends?)"

February 18, 2015: Kloss shares a shout-out to her 'buddy'

After Swift appeared on "The Tonight Show," the model posted a photo of their interview on Instagram . 

"So proud of my buddy killing it on the #TonightShow with @jimmyfallon," she wrote. 

February 24, 2015: Swift supports Kloss at her charity event in London

Kloss cohosted an event called The World's First Fabulous Fund Fair to benefit The Naked Heart Foundation , Natalia Vodianova's charity aimed to help Russian children. 

Several of the supermodel's friends — like Cara Delevingne, Ellie Goulding, and of course, Swift — attended the event in London to support her. 

According to Harper's Bazaar , the event featured a fortune-teller, an ice cream station, and Karlie's Kookies. 

February 25, 2015: They pose with Kim Kardashian at the Brit Awards

K' and Tay and Bae A post shared by Kim Kardashian West (@kimkardashian) on Feb 26, 2015 at 2:52am PST Feb 26, 2015 at 2:52am PST

The 2015 Brit Awards were a sweeping success for Swift. She won best international female solo artist and performed her hit song "Blank Space."

She also seemed to push her feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian to the wayside ( though it would soon be reignited once again ). The reality star even shared a photo with Swift and Kloss at the event. 

May 8, 2015: Kloss posts a side-by-side picture of herself matching with Swift

The supermodel shared a picture of herself and Swift wearing the same black-and-white dress during their photo shoots.

She originally captioned the photo, "Missing my girl," but later changed it to, "Missing my BFF."

Missing my BFF @taylorswift ❤️ #Twinning A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on May 8, 2015 at 3:42pm PDT May 8, 2015 at 3:42pm PDT

In fact, throughout their friendship, fans noticed how the duo often borrowed each other's clothes and rocked similar looks , even in Swift's music videos .

May 18, 2015: Kloss stars as 'Knockout' in Swift's 'Bad Blood' music video

Swift assembled her best friends to play superheroes — and villains, in Selena Gomez's case — in her "Bad Blood" music video. Kloss was featured as Knockout, a character that takes on Swift in the boxing ring.

Mariska Hargitay, Ellen Pompeo, Jessica Alba, Serayah, Zendaya, Kendrick Lamar, Lena Dunham, Hailee Steinfeld, Hayley Williams, Hadid, Hunt, Delevingne, Goulding, and Aldrige also made cameos in the video. 

"Bad Blood" was widely believed to be about Katy Perry , who the "1989" singer had been feuding with at the time. (They've since buried the hatchet .)

June 27, 2015: Kloss flies to London to attend the 1989 World Tour

The model joined several of Swift's friends who attended her "1989" tour stop in London.

At one point, they even got on stage with the singer and waved a British flag.

June 30, 2015: They tour London with a larger group

Joking that she was the "5th wheel" on a boat tour of River Thames, Kloss shared a photo of herself with Swift and then-boyfriend Calvin Harris, along with Hadid and her then-boyfriend Joe Jonas (whom Swift also dated in 2008). 

Related stories

"That moment when you realize you're the 5th wheel on a romantic double date river cruise...." Kloss captioned the picture .

July 11, 2015: Kloss appears at another of Swift's concerts in New Jersey

Kloss, Aldridge, Hadid, Uzo Aduba, and Behati Prinsloo cheered for Swift at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, once again making a surprise appearance on stage.

August 30, 2015: Swift brings some of the 'Bad Blood' cast to the MTV Video Music Awards

Swift was front and center as she walked down the red carpet at the 2015 VMAs with her "Bad Blood" crew.

Later in the evening, "Bad Blood" won awards for best video and best collaboration . Kloss made sure to congratulate Swift on Instagram.

The next day, she also shared a group selfie with the caption, "So much fun last night at the #VMAs with the #BadBlood babes."

November 20, 2015: They celebrate Aldridge's birthday 

The crew seemed to remain tight toward the end of 2015, when both Kloss and Swift celebrated Aldridge's birthday with a cake. Kloss shared a photo of the occassion on Instagram.

December 20, 2015: Kloss shares a highlight video from Swift's 1989 World Tour

The montage showed Kloss heading to her first concert of Swift's in June. 

"I've never seen Taylor perform, and I get to be on stage with her," she said in the video. 

Kloss also included several behind-the-scenes moments, like when she and several of Swift's other friends joined the singer onstage. 

Hey @TaylorSwift, thanks for having me (and @GigiHadid @SerenaWilliams @KendallJenner @MarHunt @caradelevingne) on your stage last summer :) #1989WorldTourLive A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Dec 20, 2015 at 6:18am PST Dec 20, 2015 at 6:18am PST

December 30, 2015: The model shares her 'best nine' photos on Instagram, and Swift was in nearly all of them

With the exception of Kloss' photo with Delevingne and a picture of herself standing in front of New York University, Swift appeared in seven of Kloss' most-liked Instagram photos from 2015 . 

"If each like was a mile, I'd get to the moon and back 107 times. Can't thank you enough for the love," Kloss wrote. 

April 18, 2016: They hang out at Coachella

The day after she posted a video from the festival with her now-husband Joshua Kushner, Kloss posed with Swift, who was platinum blonde at the time, and Todrick Hall. 

Coachella ✅ A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Apr 18, 2016 at 9:13am PDT Apr 18, 2016 at 9:13am PDT

June 13, 2016: Swift rents a Manhattan apartment less than a mile away from Kloss' property

While her Tribeca apartment underwent renovations, Swift rented a West Village property on Cornelia Street that reportedly cost $40,000 per month , according to TMZ . At the time, Kloss was living in a $2.75 million apartment on Charles Street, half a mile away from Swift's rental.

The supermodel was frequently seen coming and going from Swift's place. This leads some fans to believe the song "Cornelia Street" was inspired by Kloss rather than Joe Alwyn, whom Swift began dating in late 2016 . ("I get mystified by how this city screams your name," Swift sings, referring to New York. Once she began dating Alwyn, she relocated to London.)

July 4, 2016: Kloss attends Swift's annual Independence Day party in Rhode Island 

Swift hosted a star-studded Fourth of July party at her 11,000-square-foot mansion in Rhode Island, which was built in the '30s and reportedly cost $17.75 million .

The group — which included Swift's then-love interest Tom Hiddleston, Hadid, Delevingne, Kloss, and more — was photographed celebrating the occasion wearing red, white, and blue attire.

They even enjoyed a massive inflatable slide and fireworks , which Kloss showed off on social media. 

—Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) July 5, 2016

August 3, 2016: Kloss celebrates her birthday with Swift over FaceTime

On the evening of her 24th birthday, Kloss shared a photo of Swift's face on her screen, the iPad sitting next to a bouquet of sunflowers.

"When you're halfway around the world & your best friend still finds a way to celebrate 24 with you," she wrote, tagging Swift.

—Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) August 3, 2016

Based on behind-the-scenes footage from "Reputation" studio sessions, Swift recorded "King of My Heart" the very same day. Videos show her singing the lyric, "Your love is a secret I'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep," wearing the same outfit as in Kloss' photo.

August 14, 2016: Kloss says that Kim Kardashian was a 'lovely person' amid the reality star's feud with Swift

During an interview with The Sunday Times , Kloss was asked to share her thoughts about Kim Kardashian, who was in involved in a heated feud with Swift at the time .

"I think she's been a lovely person to me in the past. Look, I really don't know her that well," she said. 

After people accused her of siding with the reality star instead of sticking up for her friend, she defended herself on Twitter.

"I will not allow the media to misconstrue my words," she wrote. "Taylor has always had my back and I will always have hers."

—Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) August 16, 2016

October 13, 2016: They're seen hanging out in SoHo during one of their last public outings

The musician and the model were spotted with Serena Williams and Dakota Johnson leaving Bowery Ballroom in New York City. 

October 28, 2016: Kloss shares a Polaroid of herself and Swift at Drake's 30th birthday party

The pair was seen walking into Drake's birthday party together  at Delilah, a club in Los Angeles, several nights prior — the last time they were photographed together in public.

"Happy belated @champagnepapi," Kloss captioned the photo.

Happy belated @champagnepapi 🤘🌴🎊 A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Oct 27, 2016 at 9:54pm PDT Oct 27, 2016 at 9:54pm PDT

November 8, 2016: The model wishes Swift's close friend Lorde a happy birthday 

In the photo, Kloss and Swift kiss Lorde, whose real name is Ella Yelich-O'Connor.

"Happy Happy 20th bday Ella," Kloss wrote, adding, "Looking forward to the epic adventures ahead and memories to be made over the next 20!"

Happy Happy 20th bday Ella 🎂😘❤️ Looking forward to the epic adventures ahead and memories to be made over the next 20! A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Nov 8, 2016 at 11:01am PST Nov 8, 2016 at 11:01am PST

December 13, 2016: Kloss calls Swift her 'friend, sister and partner in crime' on the singer's birthday

"Happiest of Birthdays to my ride or die @taylorswift," she captioned a photo of herself and Swift.

Kloss continued, "I feel blessed to count you as my friend, sister and partner in crime. Can't wait to celebrate together very soon."

Happiest of Birthdays to my ride or die @taylorswift ❤️🎂👯❤️ I feel blessed to count you as my friend, sister and partner in crime. Can't wait to celebrate together very soon ❤️🍪🍾 A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Dec 13, 2016 at 4:09am PST Dec 13, 2016 at 4:09am PST

December 13, 2017: The following year, the model posts a simple birthday message to Swift on social media

"Happy happy birthday @taylorswift!" she captioned the selfie. 

Happy happy birthday @taylorswift! 💫 A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Dec 13, 2017 at 11:09am PST Dec 13, 2017 at 11:09am PST

January 1, 2018: Swift's fans speculate a rift in their friendship after Kloss captions a photo with Katy Perry's song lyrics

Kloss played basketball in a black-and-white video she shot for LOVE's advent calendar.

She originally captioned the photo , "Swish Swish," which is the title of Perry's song, widely believed to be a response to Swift's "Bad Blood."

Fans began accusing Kloss of taking a side in the feud by writing Perry's lyrics on her Instagram and flooding the post with comments.

Others defended Kloss, saying that she was merely using a common basketball term. 

She eventually changed the caption, which now reads, "Nothing but net."

February 8, 2018: Kloss goes to dinner with Perry in Los Angeles

Slightly a month after the model was accused of dissing Swift on Instagram, she was spotted out to dinner with the "Swish Swish" singer in Los Angeles. Two mutual friends were present as well. 

Several days later, Jennifer Lawrence joked that Kloss and Swift's distance "keeps her up at night" during a live interview with The New York Times .

When asked to choose one secret that she could know the answer to, Lawrence responded, "Honestly, I'd like to know what's going on between Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift, like that's the honest-to-god truth. Is nobody else curious? It's keeping me up at night. What happened?"

March 16, 2018: Kloss lists Swift as one of her closest friends during an interview

Despite rumors that her friendship with Swift had ended, Kloss said she was still close with the songstress during an interview with The New York Times . 

The outlet reported that Kloss and Swift speak frequently, even though tabloids claimed otherwise. 

"Don't believe everything you read," Kloss added.

August 26, 2018: They share their final photo together at the Reputation Stadium Tour

Kloss attended the "Reputation" tour stop in Nashville, where she snapped a selfie with Swift backstage .

"No one puts on a show like @taylorswift," she wrote. "#ReputationTour Nashville was out of this world, I am SO proud of you."

No one puts on a show like @taylorswift 🎤✨ #ReputationTour Nashville was out of this world, I am SO proud of you 🖤 A post shared by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Aug 26, 2018 at 1:12pm PDT Aug 26, 2018 at 1:12pm PDT

At the time of writing, Kloss and Swift haven't been seen together since.

October 11, 2018: Kloss says she and Swift are 'still really good friends'

During her "73 Questions" interview with Vogue , Kloss was asked if everything was "cool" between her and Swift.

"The world needs to know? Well, Jennifer Lawrence was interested," she responded, referring to the actress' comment in August.

She added, "Jen, don't worry. Taylor and I are still really good friends."

October 18, 2018: Kloss gets married, and Swift doesn't attend the wedding

The supermodel exchanged vows with Kushner in an intimate private ceremony in upstate New York. According to People , the wedding had around 80 guests. 

Swift shared a post to her Instagram story shortly after the news of the wedding broke, confirming she was on tour in Australia at the time .

December 13, 2018: Kloss gives another birthday shout-out to Swift

On the afternoon of Swift's 29th birthday, the model shared a photo of the pair at the 2015 AMAs.

"Proud of you always," Kloss wrote, adding, "Happy Happy Birthday @taylorswift."

The post has since been deleted.

March 14, 2019: Kloss says she 'loved' Swift's essay about turning 30

In anticipation of her 30th birthday, Swift penned an essay for Elle titled " 30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30 ."

She cited the importance of acknowledging the difference between "friendships" and "situationships" in her 20s. 

"Something about 'we're in our young twenties!' hurls people together into groups that can feel like your chosen family. And maybe they will be for the rest of your life. Or maybe they'll just be your comrades for an important phase, but not forever. It's sad but sometimes when you grow, you outgrow relationships. You may leave behind friendships along the way, but you'll always keep the memories," the musician wrote. 

Swift also admitted that she began to feel like her "squad" had become the embodiment of her childhood insecurities — like sitting alone at school and lacking a solid friend group. 

When Kloss appeared on "Watch What Happens Live" several days after the essay was published, host Andy Cohen asked what she thought about the essay. 

"Taylor is incredible, and I feel really lucky to call her a friend, and she's one of the hardest working women, and I loved her essay," she said. 

June 20, 2019: Kloss and Kushner have another wedding, but Swift doesn't attend that one either

Months after their first wedding, Kloss and Kushner had a larger celebration with friends at Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming.

While Swift didn't appear in any of the photos from the event, Perry and her beau Orlando Bloom did . 

Braun, who was at odds with Swift even before he infamously purchased her former record company , was also photographed the event with his then-wife Yael Cohen. Braun has been Kloss' manager for years and often shares photos of the supermodel on his Instagram page.

A source close to both Kloss and Swift told Page Six that the "Delicate" singer was invited to both events.

A representative for Kloss told the publication that Swift couldn't attend due to prior commitments. 

August 10, 2019: Kloss vacations with Braun in the midst of his feud with Swift

The music executive purchased Big Machine Label Group — and Swift's masters — for a reported $300 million in June 2019. After news of the acquisition broke, Swift aired her grievances in a Tumblr post. 

"I learned about Scooter Braun's purchase of my masters as it was announced to the world," Swift wrote. "All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years."

The singer explained that she "pleaded for a chance to own my work" for years before the sale but was instead offered to "sign back up to Big Machine Records and 'earn' one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in."

Following Braun's purchase, celebrities and friends began to take sides , but Kloss stayed quiet. And just months after the acquisition, Kloss went on vacation with the music executive. 

Braun posted a photo of himself on a boat with Kloss and her husband. He wrote in the caption, "Week of laughter."

Week of laughter 😄 A post shared by Scooter Braun (@scooterbraun) on Aug 10, 2019 at 7:27am PDT Aug 10, 2019 at 7:27am PDT

July 23, 2020: Kloss shares a photo with an eerie resemblance to Swift's 'Folklore' photo shoot on the same day as the album announcement

Swift surprised fans by announcing the release of her eighth studio album, " Folklore ," on July 23, 2020. Along with a tweet about the album, Swift shared black-and-white images of herself in the woods on Instagram.

Shortly after the musician's announcement, Kloss posted two photos of herself in the forest that looked similar to Swift's pictures.

She captioned the pictures: "happy place."

Given their history, fans wondered if the supermodel's photo was a nod to Swift's album, though she never directly mentioned "Folklore" or Swift in her post.

Later in the day, she also posted a video about her coding camp's partnership with Estée Lauder Companies. The opening segment shows lines of code, two of which have the words "Easter Egg" in them. 

Because the video came on the same day as the announcement from Swift, who's known for including Easter eggs about her personal life in her music, fans theorized that Kloss was subtly hinting about her relationship with Swift. Others wondered if Kloss secretly inspired any of the intricate songs on "Folklore."

January 7, 2021: Fans are convinced Swift took a dig at Kloss with her 'Evermore' song 'It's Time To Go' 

Swift surprise-released her ninth album " Evermore " on December 11, 2020. Like its sister "Folklore," the tracklist is packed with sly winks and details that hint at Swift's emotional state .

One month later, Swift released two bonus tracks for the deluxe edition of "Evermore." One of the songs, titled "It's Time to Go," sparked speculation about her relationship with Kloss .

In the first verse, Swift sings, "When the words of a sister come back in whispers / That prove she was not in fact what she seemed / Not a twin from your dreams / She's a crook who was caught."

The words "sister" and "twin" led fans to wonder if Swift was referring to Kloss, a fellow tall blondie. (Throughout their friendship, the media also referred to them as "sisters separated at birth." )

Fans also theorized that "whispers" and "crook" meant that Swift felt betrayed when their friendship ended. The song is about knowing when to leave a situation that's no longer serving you ("Sometimes giving up is the strong thing"), so an former friendship fits the overall theme.

The other "Evermore" bonus track, " Right Where You Left Me ," is the inverse narrative. Swift sings about feeling abandoned and alone, unable to get over a past relationship.

The opening line, "Friends break up, friends get married," could refer to her apparent "break up" with Kloss, who got married to Kushner shortly after.

"I swear you could hear a hair pin drop / Right when I felt the moment stop / Glass shattered on the white cloth / Everybody moved on, I stayed there," Swift sings in the chorus.

The image of glass shattering against white cloth could reference a well-known tradition in Judaism , in which newlyweds stomp on a glass that's covered by a napkin. According to People , Kloss and Kushner had a Jewish wedding ceremony.

August 9, 2023: Kloss is spotted in the crowd at Swift's concert in Los Angeles

Nearly five years after they were last photographed together, Kloss shocked fans by attending the final show on the US leg of the Eras Tour .

According to photos and videos from the event, Kloss was seated in a regular section, as opposed to the VIP tent with other celebrities like Halsey and Sadie Sink.

She was also filmed singing along to hits like " Shake It Off " and " Bad Blood ." Serendipitously, this was the same night Swift chose to announce the recorded version of "1989"  — the very album that Kloss heard before anyone else back in 2014.

April 23, 2024: Kardashian shares a photo with Kloss amid renewed speculation about her feud with Swift

Swift released her 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on April 19, 2024. The deluxe edition includes a song called "Thank You Aimee," which fans have interpreted as a Kardashian diss track .

Amid rumors and headlines about the song rehashing Swift and Kardashian's longtime feud, the reality star decided to share an old group photo of herself with Kloss. (She didn't tag Kloss in the post, only Derek Blasberg.)

The motive is unclear, though many Swifties believe Kardashian was simply trying to stir the pot .

• Main content

Here's What Taylor Swift Did With All Those Friendship Bracelets She Received on Tour

Ever wondered what Taylor Swift did with the tons of friendship bracelets she received from fans on the Eras Tour?

The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum now features a display using Eras Tour friendship bracelets in the Taylor Swift Education Center.

The display features all of the tour posters from each U.S. city Swift visited on the tour and three rows of candy-colored, fan-made beaded friendship bracelets, effectively turning the fans’ hard work into artwork.

New art piece in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum consisting of all US VIP city posters and friendship bracelets Taylor received over the Eras Tour by u/IngrownThighHairs in TaylorSwif t

Fans called the art “beautiful” in the comments section.

The display is part of some brand-new additions to the museum’s Swift-focused artifact section.

Aside from the bracelet artwork, some of Swift’s early instruments are on display, such as a custom guitar she played during the Red Tour’s acoustic set in 2013 and 2014 and the banjo she used during her 2012 Grammy Awards performance of “Mean,” which features a hand-drawn “13” and handwritten “Mean” lyrics.

READ MORE: Why Are Taylor Swift Fans Trading Bracelets at the Eras Tour?

The exhibit also features a BCBG Max Azria silk handkerchief dress with sequins and metallic boots that the singer wore all the way back in 2006 at the start of her career when she performed at the CMA Music Festival and appeared at the ACM Awards.

Plus, the center has an interactive exhibit where guests can create various pitches with a dulcimer.

According to the museum, the Taylor Swift Education Center opened in 2013 thanks to a “generous donation” from Swift.

The unique center has classrooms, interactive galleries, learning labs, youth art installations, and songwriting programs. The center also has virtual learning resources available that reached more than 236,000 people in 2023.

Click here to view photo gallery

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Taylor Swift releases ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ double album ahead of Record Store Day: Highlights

Catch up on all things 'The Tortured Poets Department':

• Fans celebrated Swift's midnight release of "The Tortured Poets Department" with listening parties and themed gatherings . Many critics praised Swift in their reviews.
• Swift surprised fans at 2 a.m. ET with news of 15 extra songs.
• The album features collaborations with Post Malone and Florence + the Machine. Swift described writing the album as deeply personal. "Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it," she said.
• NBC News' resident Swifties stayed up to blog the biggest takeaways after the album's release.

Vinyl industry rep says pandemic-era manufacturing bottlenecks have eased

"The Tortured Poets Department" is set to be released in special-edition "ghost"-colored vinyl, available both directly through Swift's website and exclusively at Target.

During the pandemic, that might have alarmed vinyl record buyers. As vinyl plants shuttered and employees were sidelined, vinyl production ground to a halt, causing reports of weekslong backlogs and orders going unfulfilled outright.

But in an interview with NBC News on Friday, Dustin Blocker, president of the Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association, said those issues have been resolved and that suppliers now have more than enough capacity to handle any orders coming their way, including massive ones like Swift's.

"In Q3 2023, we saw the [production] timeline start to go back to normal," Blocker said. "And in Q4 it really got back to normal. Now, everyone, including the huge plants, takes only 8-12 weeks [to produce] ... so it's very good news for everyone."

Blocker said any price increases on the supply side sparked by the bottlenecks have essentially reversed.

So, the $40 price tag on the Target edition of "TTPD" is most likely the result of choices made by Swift, her label and the retailer, he said.

Jack Antonoff is sharing BTS pics

Saba Hamedy

Jack Antonoff is giving Swifties what they want: more content.

The Bleachers frontman, who is also Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared pictures of Swift and collaborators on the album, including Florence Welch .

The acting U.S. secretary of labor has a question for Taylor

Acting U.S. Labor Department Secretary Julie Su has a key question for Taylor Swift and her "Tortured Poets Department":

"Is this department unionized?" she wrote in a post on X .

Su, 55, has served as acting secretary since March 2023; she has faced stumbling blocks to being confirmed full time for the role over her perceived pro-union bias .

Destin celebrates Swift shoutout

Nicole Duarte

The city of Destin, Florida, is here for the Swiftie boost.

Google searches for the beach town shot up minutes after Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” was released. The album mentions Destin in the song “Florida!!!” featuring Florence + The Machine.

The city is celebrating the shoutout:

As is Destin's mayor:

Trump gets a question on Taylor

Vaughn Hillyard

A reporter who is part of the pool following Donald Trump on Friday at his hush money trial was able to get in a question to the former president about the new albums.

Trump didn't engage.

Taylor Swift reveals ‘Dateline’ as an inspiration for ‘Florida!!!’

Maddie Ellis, TODAY

Taylor Swift has taken over radio stations, from Channel 13 on SiriusXM to iHeartRadio briefly renaming itself to iHeartTaylor and sharing messages from the songwriter.

Swift revealed in a soundbite played on iHeartRadio that “Florida!!!” — the eighth track of the album and featuring Florence + the Machine — was inspired by “Dateline.”

“I’m always watching, like ‘Dateline,’” Swift said with a laugh. “People, you know, have these crimes that they commit where they immediately skip town and go to Florida. They try to reinvent themselves, have a new identity, blend in.”

It’s the same with heartbreak, she said.

“I think when you go through a heartbreak, there’s a part of you that thinks, ‘I want a new name. I want a new life,’” she said.

Or perhaps in Swift’s case — a new era?

Read more at TODAY.com.

The double album appeared to avoid leaks

Kaetlyn Liddy

The standard edition of "The Tortured Poets Department" is said to have been leaked ahead the album's release. The origin of the apparent leaks is unclear, but none of the songs on the extended "anthology" version of the album seem to have been compromised.

Leaks of major artists' work sometimes occur when physical copies of the album arrive prematurely at record stores or department stores, before the tracks are released on streaming platforms. Fans suspect the surprise drop of the double album was a factor in the 15 extra tracks avoiding leaks.

The extra content was so unexpected that the lyrics of the anthology version have yet to be uploaded to Spotify .

‘The Tortured Poets Department’ broke a Spotify record in 12 hours

"The Tortured Poets Department" is already Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single day this year, edging out Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter" in less than 12 hours, Spotify confirmed to NBC News.

Swift currently holds the all-time record for most streams in a day by album and by artist for 2022's "Midnights."

Who are The Blue Nile? About the Scottish band named by Swift

In the album's ninth track — "Guilty as Sin?" — Swift name-drops a beloved '80s Scottish band, The Blue Nile.

"Drowning in The Blue Nile. He sent me 'Downtown Lights.' I hadn’t heard it in a while," Swift says in the song.

"Downtown Lights," released in 1989, was the peak of The Blue Nile's commercial success in the U.S., with the song reaching No. 10 on the Billboard American Modern Rock Tracks chart. 1989 is also Swift's birth year and the title of her fifth studio album.

Known for their avoidance of publicity, The Blue Nile has released just four albums since forming in 1981.

Fans share their theories and joy on social media

It wouldn't be a new Taylor Swift album without fans wondering who it's about or decoding the names mentioned in each song. (Who is Cassandra , Taylor?)

That speculation will surely continue, but now that the album is out, fans can't believe their luck. Reactions on social media praised the sonic and lyrical range of the album, saying that "everybody gets everything," whether you listen to Swift for her synth-pop hits or her intimate folk songs.

Author and creator John Green couldn't wait to wake up his daughter to tell her she gets 31 new Taylor Swift songs today.

By the numbers: Will Taylor Swift break her own album sales marks?

Dania Kalaji

“The Tortured Poets Department” blasted to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes album sales chart following its release. But will it live up to the success of her previous discography?

Here are all of Swift’s bestselling albums in the U.S. ranked to date, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.

“Fearless” (2008): 10 million units

“1989” (2014): 9 million units

“Red” (2012): 7 million units

“Taylor Swift” (2006): 7 million units

“Speak Now” (2010): 6 million units

“Reputation” (2017): 3 million units

“Lover” (2019): 3 million units

“Midnights” (2022): 2 million units

“Folklore” (2020): 2 million units

“The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection” (2008): 1 million units

“Evermore” (2020): 1 million units

TikTok rolls out new features to celebrate new album

Daysia Tolentino

As Swifties show their love for "The Tortured Poets Department" on TikTok, they have the chance to be featured in a "Fan Spotlight" carousel that highlights videos with the #TORTUREDPOETSDEPARTMENT hashtag.

TikTok released a "Taylor Swift In-App Experience" that serves as a landing page for all things "TTPD." Fans can complete challenges in exchange for limited-edition "TTPD" profile frames and some Taylor-related searches unlock animations inspired by the album. Searches for "Taylor Swift," "Taylor Nation," and "The Tortured Poets Department" lead fans to the landing page.

The features are particularly notable because Swift's music was pulled off the platform earlier this year as part of a disput between TikTok and Universal Music Group, though many of her tracks returned earlier this month .

Fans on TikTok have already been loving "TTPD," sharing numerous theories , tears and rankings .

Swift's song 'Fortnight' with Post Malone hits No. 1 on Apple

Jason Abbruzzese

That didn't take long.

The song "Fornight" off Swift's new album quickly hit No. 1 on Apple's top song chart. It features rapper and singer Post Malone.

Swift also took the next four spots with "The Tortured Poets Department," "So Long, London," "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toy," and "Down Bad."

The National's Aaron Dessner on working with Swift: 'some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic' songs

Aaron Dessner, a musician who is part of the rock band The National, posted to Instagram about working with Swift on the album along with a pic of her in a studio.

He said that he has now worked with swift on more than 60 songs, including 17 across her newest release.

"I am forever grateful to Taylor for sharing her insane talents with and trusting me with her music. I believe these songs are some of the most lyrically acute, intricate, vulnerable and cathartic Taylor has ever written and I am continually astonished by her skills as a songwriter and performer," he wrote, adding in thanks to a long list of other artists and producers.

Will Swift break her own streaming records?

The October 2022 release of Swift's 10th studio album, "Midnights" shattered records on Spotify and Apple Music.

"Midnights" became Spotify's most-streamed album in a single day with 184.6 million streams when it debuted. Swift also broke the record for most-streamed artist in a single day on Spotify with 228 million streams.

The album also become the biggest album of all time by a female artist in Apple Music history by first-day and first-week streams worldwide.

Can Swift outdo herself?

Will Swift's album inspire a new college course?

As Swift became increasingly synonymous with American pop culture, universities around the country started creating entire courses dedicated to studying her lyricism and impact.

Some courses focus on Swift as a business and marketing mastermind, while others analyze her storytelling techniques with all the detail and skill of poetry analysis.

Time will tell whether this new album will inspire yet another college course. Our guess is with all the literary references, it's sure to be on some professors minds.

Read more in NBC News' article here .

Saturday is Record Store Day

The release of "The Tortured Poets Department" will come just in time for a notable day in the music industry calendar: Record Store Day on April 20. The annual event has been observed since 2007 to celebrate independent record stores and is often accompanied by exclusive drops by major artists.

Swift has yet to announce a special event, but the date is marked in the TTPD Timetable on her Instagram, suggesting she might have something up her sleeve.

Swift describes new album: 'Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.'

Patrick Smith

Taylor Swift has offered fans a glimpse into the creative process behind "The Tortured Poets Society" and the emotions that inspired it.

In a press release Friday morning to accompany the new release, the artist said:

"The Tortured Poets Department. An anthology of new works that reflect events, opinions and sentiments from a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time — one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.

"This period of the author’s life is now over, the chapter closed and boarded up. There is nothing to avenge, no scores to settle once wounds have healed. And upon further reflection, a good number of them turned out to be self-inflicted.

"This writer is of the firm belief that our tears become holy in the form of ink on a page. Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it.

"And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry."

To sleep or stream? Swifties question staying up even later

Can you wait until the morning to listen to the 15 extra songs on Swift's anthology?

If you answered no, you're not alone. Online, fans joked that they didn't expect to get this little shut eye.

Among the fans: Gen Z Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla.

"I got votes in the morning. Do I sleep or listen" he wrote .

Others had similar thoughts.

"TAYLOR I HAVE A JOB OH MY GOD" wrote one fan, tagging the artist on X .

"lol Taylor I have to get up early to run errands before work please" wrote another X user.

Leave it to Swift to give us adrenaline to keep us all up a little longer.

'The Tortured Poets Department' becomes Swift's longest album

With the surprise release of 15 additional songs, "The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology" has 31 tracks.

That now makes it Swift's longest album, edging ahead of "Red (Taylor's Version)" by just one track.

A list of all 15 of the extra 'Anthology' songs

• “The Black Dog”
• “imgonnagetyouback”
• “The Albatross”
• “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”
• “How Did It End?”
• “So High School”
• “I Hate It Here”
• “thanK you aiMee”
• “I Look in People’s Windows”
• “The Prophecy”
• “Cassandra”
• “The Bolter”
• “The Manuscript”

Surprise: a double album!

"The Tortured Poets Department" is a secret DOUBLE album.

In a 2 a.m. ET surprise, Swift announced an extra 15 songs.

"I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology," she wrote on X . "15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours."

It's 2 a.m.

Now what, Taylor?

ICYMI: Swift's powerhouse publicist Tree Paine gets profiled by WSJ

Swift's longtime publicist, Tree Paine, whom many fans know by name, was the subject of a lengthy Wall Street Journal article published Thursday ahead of the new album's release.

While she declined to be interviewed for the story, it delves into how she became one of the most powerful people in the entertainment industry since she joined Swift's camp in 2014.

“There isn’t a publicist in NY, LA or Nashville that wouldn’t jump at an opportunity to work with someone as talented as Taylor Swift and her management team,” Paine said at the time, according to the New York Post .

Read the full story here.

Couples are now wary of Swift's 'Lover' as a love song

Elena Nicolaou, TODAY

“Lover” — at least until recently — was widely received as one of Swift’s classic love songs. When the album of the same name came out in 2019, its title single was declared  first dance song material , or even a “ wedding waltz .”

In the song, Swift paints a portrait of quiet intimacy. Her wild “Red” days, of thrilling romances with highs and lows and uncertainties in between, had settled into something steadier with one person, captured by a simple chorus: “You’re my, my, my, my lover.”

But that interpretation is now in question, as Swift recasts some of her songs in a different light. Ahead of the release of “The Tortured Poets Department,”  she released five playlists on Apple Music , sorting old songs into groups inspired by the five stages of grief, or “heartbreak.”

Aaron Dessner is credited as a songwriter on five of 16 tracks

Dessner, who is a member of the bands The National and Big Red Machine, is one of two producers who worked on "The Tortured Poets Department."

He's credited as a songwriter on five of the 16 tracks on the standard album.

Dessner first collaborated with Swift on her eighth studio album, “Folklore,” for which he shared in the Grammy win for album of the year. He made several guest appearances with Swift on the U.S. leg of the Eras Tour, joining her onstage during the acoustic set for performances of songs they wrote together.

Here's what some critics are saying in their reviews

Angela Yang

The critics have spoken. Here's a roundup of some of their takeaways on "The Tortured Poets Department."

Billboard ’s Jason Lipshutz praised Swift’s boldness for releasing a “knowingly messy, wildly unguarded breakup album” at what’s arguably the peak of her career. It's more mature than her past heartbreak albums, he writes, and “not everyone will love it, but the ones who get it will adore it fiercely.”

Variety ’s Chris Willman wrote that the album can serve as an “unapologetically dramatic” soundtrack to listeners’ own heartbreaks.

Labeling it Swift’s most personal album yet, Rolling Stone ’s Rob Sheffield described it as “the cathartic confession of a woman who thought she had adulthood — and adult romance — all figured out, only to find herself realizing she knows nothing.”

And unlike on past albums, Swift doesn’t portray herself as a victim in this one, wrote the Los Angeles Times ’ Mikael Wood. Instead, the album emanates “a proudly villainous energy as Swift embraces her messiest and most chaotic tendencies.”

Jack Antonoff, Swift's longtime collaborator, posts love for album

Antonoff, Swift’s longtime collaborator and friend, shared his love for the new album on X .

"Love this album more than I can say," wrote Antonoff, who worked on “The Tortured Poets Department” as a producer.

Antonoff also co-wrote eight of the album's tracks.

Swifties are starting to post reax on X

In typical fashion after a Swift album drops, reactions from fans are pouring in online, and they TEND TO COME IN ALL CAPS.

As any Swiftie will tell you, listening to new music from the artist always proves to be a collective emotional experience.

Spotify appears to be holding it together (so far)

The last time Swift debuted a brand-new album, Spotify crashed. No major issues so far this time around.

Shoutout to the engineers and people behind the scenes who are probably working overtime to make sure Swifties don't panic.

We have a new countdown

Don’t go to bed yet! Taylor Swift’s Instagram page is displaying a new countdown to 2 a.m. ET. This wasn't on the timetable ...

Swift releases statement after album drop

In her first social media post after “The Tortured Poets Department” was released, Swift shared a statement about the album online.

These songs reflect her experiences from a moment in time that was equally “sensational and sorrowful,” she wrote, adding that it is a chapter now closed.

“Once we have spoken our saddest story, we can be free of it,” Swift wrote. “And then all that’s left behind is the tortured poetry.”

Who is Clara Bow?

Daniel Arkin

The 16th and final track on the album is named for Clara Bow, one of the leading lights of Hollywood’s silent era.

Bow, unlike a lot of stars from the 1920s, managed to successfully pivot to roles in talkies by the end of the decade. She co-starred in “Wings” (1927), which today is probably best known as the first movie to win the Oscar for best picture.

I’m not a Swiftie, so I don’t have much insight into how Taylor’s music connects to Bow’s acting career — but I’m curious how this track will be interpreted by the die-hards.

The album is here

BRB, we’re busy listening with the rest of y’all.

You can now choose a Swift-themed chat for your Instagram DMs

Instagram users can now set their direct message conversations to a new chat theme inspired by “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Bars, venues hold special Swift parties

On the eve of Swift’s album drop, event venues across the country (and around the world) hosted release parties so Swifties could get their first listen of the “The Tortured Poets Department” on the dance floor.

At Pianos in New York, music from across Swift’s discography will play until the new album drops at midnight. Attendees are encouraged to come in themed outfits and friendship bracelets, and the bar will be serving Swift-inspired cocktails.

In Los Angeles, El Cid is hosting a listening party complete with fan-made merch, giveaways and a themed wall for photos. Attendees can also expect performances from drag queen Jade Jolie, who appeared in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” music video.

Several Swiftie-themed events are also being held across the Washington, D.C., area, according to The Washington Post, which compiled a list .

A Swiftie mom and daughter are hosting their own album party

Kristie Gilmore, 36, is ready to celebrate with her daughter, who was born shortly after Swift's “1989” album and has been a Swiftie ever since.

Gilmore decorated her Boston-area apartment with balloons, signs and stickers in the color palette of “The Tortured Poets Department.” She sprinkled the table with handmade confetti of the album’s logo and made TTPD-themed “membership cards” for themselves and each of her daughter’s friends.

“They’ve been counting down since Taylor announced this album,” Gilmore said, adding, “They’re just hanging out, having a dance party. They’re gonna try to stay up till midnight and listen to it.”

What are the track lengths?

The average track length on “The Tortured Poets Department” is 4 minutes and 4 seconds, making it the third longest album across Swift’s discography.

The longest song is “But Daddy I Love Him,” which clocks in at 5 minutes and 40 seconds.

“I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” is the shortest song, at 2 minutes and 36 seconds.

Travis Kelce shared his early thoughts about the album

Ahead of the Super Bowl, Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce, the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, weighed in on the new album.

“I have heard some of it, yes. It is unbelievable,”  Kelce said . “I can’t wait for her to shake up the world when it finally drops.”

The couple , who have become the internet's favorite love story , were most recently spotted at Coachella 's first weekend.

Taylor Swift beat reporter speaks to NBC's Hallie Jackson

USA Today’s Taylor Swift reporter , Bryan West, spoke with NBC News about the album drop and all the Easter eggs being spotted by fans.

Swift's music is back on TikTok despite UMG dispute

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Some songs that Swift fans know “All Too Well” returned to TikTok this month, months after they were removed.

The songs were among the many tracks Universal Music Group pulled off TikTok after the label and the platform  failed to reach an agreement  this year. (UMG has no relationship to NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC News.)

UMG, known as one of the “Big Three” global music companies, cleared its music from TikTok in late January, saying it was doing so because of a lack of compensation for artists and songwriters. TikTok previously fired back at UMG, accusing the company of putting “their own greed above the interests of artists and songwriters.”

The economics of 'The Tortured Poets Department'

Doha Madani

Die-hard Taylor Swift fans will be spending a pretty penny on her latest album release as she releases four variants of the album with one exclusive track each.

Each variant of “The Tortured Poets Department” is named after the bonus song found at the end of the album: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” If a fan wanted to collect them all, the minimum for $13.99 CDs at a store would cost at least $55.96 before taxes.

Longtime Swifties are already familiar with her tendency to provide deluxe editions, as anyone who was around for her original “1989” release can recall the Target exclusive that included three bonus tracks and three voice memos recorded by Swift. 

Her “Midnights” release included a Target exclusive track that was added to streaming only months later, and in May she released a new song on “Midnights (The Late Night Edition).” But this is the first time Swift has put an exclusive song on each individual variant, with no clear timeline for when they might be added to streaming. 

2024: The year of Post Malone and the pop girlies

Rebecca Cohen

Fresh off of a collab with Beyoncé on "LEVII'S JEANS" from her now-famed "Cowboy Carter," Post Malone finds himself on another major release of 2024: Swift's "The Tortured Poets Department."

He joins Swift on the album's first song, "Fortnight." Swift announced that "Fortnight" would be the album's lead single and the song for which she is releasing a music video 8 o'clock tomorrow night.

"I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever," Swift wrote on social media. "I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight."

While best known for more rap-focused songs, Post Malone is clearly making the rounds in the pop music scene, having also recently collaborated with Noah Kahan on "Dial Drunk." But his back-to-back appearances on arguably two of the biggest albums from pop artists this year raise the questions: Is Post Malone becoming a pop girlie? Is he just having a moment? Or is it all of the above?

There's a book about Swift's impact headed to bookshelves

Rolling Stone writer and music historian Rob Sheffield's book "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem: How Taylor Swift Reinvented Pop Music" will debut Nov. 12.

He's expected to dive further into Swift’s music and fan connection.

Swifties are celebrating with their own listening parties

Many Swifties are sharing their elaborate party setups online as they prepare to celebrate the album release at home.

Karen Rothdeutsch, 25, has decked out her bedroom in upstate New York with “The Tortured Poets Department”-themed decorations, complete with a platter of homemade cupcakes decorated to match Swift’s various vinyl variants.

“I just made my space a little more immersive for my first listen,” Rothdeutsch told NBC News. “I’ll be sitting in my bed with a box of tissues and a notebook, writing down my thoughts and probably checking into Twitter every so often to see what everybody’s thinking about it.”

She said she procured the decorations over the course of several weeks, but the whole setup cost her less than $100. While she decorates on a budget, she said she did splash out on the vinyl variants and collector’s edition CDs.

Swift's new album is already breaking a Spotify record

Spotify said on X that the “The Tortured Poets Department” became the most pre-saved album countdown page in the streaming service’s history.

Since its launch on March 28, TTPD's countdown page has ticked down to the album’s drop, now just hours away.

Was Swift's Grammys dress a 'Fortnight' Easter egg?

The white gown Swift wore to the 2024 Grammys, where she announced "The Tortured Poets Department," appears to have been an Easter egg.

Swift appears to be wearing a very similar dress in the teaser for the "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)" music video, which will debut 8 p.m. ET tomorrow.

Swift was also pictured hugging Post Malone at the ceremony. Some fans online pointed out a similar shot of the two singers that appears in the teaser for the music video.

Swift drops 'Fortnight' music video teaser

Swift blessed fans with a teaser for “Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)," the album's first single.

"At this hearing, I stand before my fellow members of The Tortured Poets Department with a summary of my findings. Album tonight. Fortnight music video tomorrow at 8pm et," Swift wrote in a post on X , which was accompanied by a short video clip.

The black-and-white teaser gave a sneak peak of the visuals for the music video. It's a combination of dramatic period gowns and a bleak medical setting in this supercut that is reminiscent of "Poor Things," which Swift's longtime friend Emma Stone recently won the best actress Oscar for.

Swift had announced she'd be dropping a music video at 8 p.m. ET tomorrow by sharing a “TTPD Timetable” on her Instagram page this week.

Merch is here — and already selling out

Hours before the album’s release, themed merchandise for “The Tortured Poets Department” is now available to order online.

The merch drop includes hoodies, crewnecks and gold jewelry branded with the album’s logo. A display case for the album vinyls seemingly sold out within minutes.

ICYMI: The Eras Tour concert film is on Disney+

In case you need something to do as you count down to the new album, “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour” is on Disney+. Swift announced the film would be available for streaming in February.

The film features all songs from the three Los Angeles tour dates during which it was filmed at SoFi Stadium. They include “cardigan,” as well as four additional acoustic surprise songs from the tour: “I Can See You,” “Maroon,” “You Are in Love” and “Death by a Thousand Cuts.”

Swifties online are freaking out over purported ‘leaks’

The internet was at it again this week, with some online circulating what they said were leaks of Swift's new album. It is unclear from where and when the apparent leaks originated, but one Reddit thread is already filled with commentary.

As early as Tuesday, "taylor swift leak" appeared to be blocked from searches on X. Instead, when a user tried to search the phrase, a blank page popped up with the message, "Something went wrong. Try reloading."

The secret message has been decoded

The sixth and final word of the secret message, “mortem,” was revealed today, hidden in the lyrics of the song “Begin Again.”

The complete secret message is: “We hereby conduct this post mortem.”

In a collaboration with Apple Music, Swift sorted some of her existing songs into thematic playlists , along with audio messages from her.

The messages seemed to confirm some fans’ theories that the playlists mirrored the five stages of grief — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — indicating that the new album may grapple with grief or loss. Swift later used a song from each playlist to reveal a hidden word on Apple Music every day leading up to the release of “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Swift sets fans loose on an international puzzle

Swifties had a big day yesterday after murals with QR codes were unveiled in cities around the world, including Mexico City, Paris and Chicago.

Fans stumbled upon the murals, which Swift had not announced, and scanned them to find a link to a YouTube Shorts video. Every mural had a unique code that led to a different video, each revealing a new letter as part of a word puzzle.

Fans came together online to help decode the puzzle, which seemed to hint at the new album's first track, because it spelled out "for a fortnight."

Swifties in Los Angeles flock to Spotify pop-up library

Many Los Angeles Swifties celebrated the new album with a pop-up library installation in partnership with Spotify.

The three-day event, which runs through today at The Grove, featured a sneak peek at some of the album's lyrics.

Fans posted videos of themselves lined up for hours to get a glimpse at the installation.

A manuscript was front and center at the installation, revealing new lyrics periodically as the pages were turned over the course of three days.

Many fans online tried to identify other potential Easter eggs in the pop-up library, such as a bust of a peace sign, quill and fountain pens and a globe that appeared to be pointing to Florida, the name of a track on the album.

Why is the album called 'The Tortured Poets Department'?

Fans were quick to note that “The Tortured Poets Department” is the longest title for a Taylor Swift album by a large margin, a distinction previously held by her third album, "Speak Now." Before "TTPD," "Speak Now" was her only album title consisting of more than one word.

Speculation surrounding the new album and its uncharacteristic title has primarily revolved around Swift’s  2023 breakup  with British actor Joe Alwyn after their six-year relationship.

After the album announcement, a  2022 Variety interview  between Alwyn and Paul Mescal resurfaced on X. The pair revealed in the interview that they were both members of a WhatsApp group chat titled the Tortured Man Club, prompting some fans to  draw parallels  between Alwyn and Swift’s upcoming album.

The true meaning of “The Tortured Poets Department” remains to be seen, but the album's rollout has featured references to famous poems like Charles Baudelaire’s “The Albatross,” among other literary references.

Clues keep coming

Speculation continues to grow over clues for lyrics, song titles and the album’s first music video.

Not much from Miss Swift so far

It's been a notably quiet rollout for "The Tortured Poets Department."

No themed Instagram grid overhaul, no lead singles, not even a cryptic calendar leading Swifties on wild goose chases for potential Easter eggs.

A week before the release, Taylor Swift was rocking out at Coachella instead of feeding her fans who are desperate for a hint of what's to come.

Aside from a hand-painted QR code on the side of a building in Chicago, a planned exhibit at The Grove in Los Angeles in partnership with Spotify and a quick video released Tuesday that appears to leave the "Midnights" era in the dust as viewers tour The Tortured Poets Department, Swift has been silent on what we can expect.

In the video , posted to her Instagram account, we did get a glimpse of a schedule that only showed release day, and on it, the promise of a music video on Friday at 8 p.m. ET. Fourteen tick marks beneath led some to think the music video could be for the 14th track on the album, or for the leading song, "Fortnight," since a fortnight is 14 days.

Swifties believing in the latter theory proved to be correct. Swift announced that the music video would be for "Fortnight" in a Thursday afternoon social media post.

Swifties online continue to grasp for any details to try to figure out what this mastermind might have in store for her beloved fan base.

What songs are on the new album?

Here's what songs are on the track list.

• "Fortnight (feat. Post Malone)"
• "The Tortured Poets Department"
• "My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"
• "So Long, London"
• "But Daddy I Love Him"
• "Fresh Out the Slammer"
• "Florida!!! (Florence + the Machine)"
• "Guilty as Sin?"
• "Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?"
• "I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)"
• "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart"
• "The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived"
• "The Alchemy"
• "Clara Bow"

Swift has also announced four bonus tracks: "The Manuscript," “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.” Each bonus track will be available on a separate vinyl variant and won't be on the streaming version of the album.

When does 'The Tortured Poets Department' drop?

Swift's 11th studio album, "The Tortured Poets Department," will be released Friday at 12 a.m. ET, or 9 p.m. PT.

It will be available for purchase on vinyl, on cassette, as a digital album and in CD form. It will also be on several streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music.

But if you plan to stream “The Tortured Poets Department” right after its release, be prepared for potential delays. When Swift’s most recent brand-new album, “Midnights,” was released, Spotify  briefly crashed  because of intense demand.

Angela Yang is a culture and trends reporter for NBC News.

Doha Madani is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News. Pronouns: she/her.

Rebecca Cohen is a breaking news reporter for NBC News.

is culture and trends editor for NBC News Digital.

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Taylor Swift: The Tortured Poets Department review – fame, fans and former flames in the line of fire

(Republic) Subtly detailed album splits the difference between 1989’s glossy pop-rock and Midnights’ understatement – and lets her ex Matty Healy have it in no uncertain terms

• Breakups, fantasies and her most cutting lyrics: inside Taylor’s Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department

T he two cliches used to describe the new release by a major star are that it’s long-awaited and eagerly anticipated. You could hardly describe Taylor Swift ’s 11th studio album as long-awaited – it’s barely 18 months since her last album, Midnights, a blink of an eye in the release schedule of a pop superstar. She’s also put out another three hours of music in the interim, in the shape of bonus track-packed re-recordings of 2010’s Speak Now and 2014’s 1989. But The Tortured Poets Department is certainly eagerly anticipated. The torrential nature of Swift’s output is one reason behind her current position as not just pop’s biggest star, but a figure who dominates pop culture to such a preposterous degree you struggle for a historical comparison: we live in a world where her endorsement of a candidate is considered a potentially deciding factor in the US presidential elections and where the prime minister of Singapore is embroiled in a row with his Thai counterpart over exclusivity rights to the south-east Asian leg of Swift’s Eras tour.

Among the countless other factors in her rise to omnipresence – her keen understanding of today’s altered media landscape and a desire for collective experience in a music world obsessed with individualised experiences – is, of course, her music, which can dim in comparison to the media noise. That’s a shame, because, as The Tortured Poets Department underlines, Swift is an authentically skilled songwriter: melodically gifted, thoughtful, witty and willing to take risks in a risk-averse era for pop.

The latter point is highlighted by the fact that the album patently isn’t designed to be the kind of all-conquering victory lap you might expect from an artist in Swift’s position. Its sound, co-produced by Jack Antonoff and the National’s Aaron Dessner, splits the difference between the glossy 80s-influenced pop-rock of 1989 and the small-hours understatement of Midnights , softening the former’s neon hues. The simple pulsing synth basslines and subtle electronics of Fortnight and Down Bad vaguely recall College’s A Real Hero, the downbeat highlight of the soundtrack to 2011’s Drive. It occasionally nods towards Swift’s Nashville past: the shivering wisps of slide guitar on I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can), a fiddle buried deep in the mix of But Daddy I Love Him. There are plenty of beautiful tunes, but it doesn’t bother with a huge statement banger, settling instead for a mood of etiolated melancholy. The guest appearances are impressively low key given the personnel: a man who released an album called Beerbongs & Bentleys, Post Malone is not an artist noted for his subtlety, yet barely troubles Fortnight, while on Florida!!! even Florence Welch has been required to dial it down a little.

The latter contains one of the album’s scant handful of big choruses, powered by thumping drums and blasts of synth. More often, Swift deals in subtle details, or songs that don’t go where you expect them to. Fresh Out the Slammer’s rhythm unexpectedly lurches into a heartbeat-like pulse midway through. So Long, London sets out its stall with a pacy four-four house beat, but it builds to a climax that never actually comes, mirroring the arc of the doomed relationship it describes.

Which brings us to the lyrics. Less cluttered and more conversational than those on Midnights, they return Swift to what you might call her safe space, letting a well-known ex have it in no uncertain terms. While So Long, London appears to hymn the end of her six-year relationship to actor Joe Alwyn, the album primarily puts a shorter-lived ex in the firing line: tattooed unpopular with her fans, erratic, given to public statements cooler heads might think twice about, the figure animating many of these songs is evidently Matty Healy of the 1975, with whom Swift had a short-lived dalliance last year. But if we’ve been here before, it’s still hard not to be impressed by Swift’s efficiency and wit – “Oh, here we go again, the voices in his head,” opens My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys, one of a number of lines that you imagine accompanied by a roll of the eyes – or her ability to turn a celebrity boyfriend into a relatable archetype: everyone knows, or has known, someone a bit like the poser depicted in the title track or The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.

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Elsewhere, anyone who thinks the world has currently taken leave of its senses where Taylor Swift is concerned might note the regular suggestion that Swift thinks so too, or at least that she’s profoundly uncomfortable with the prurience her level of celebrity commands. She variously compares fame to an asylum, a circus, a gallows and a lock she dreams of cracking: “I forget if this was ever fun,” she notes dolefully at one point. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart reads like a gushing review of her record-breaking Eras tour – “There in her glittering prime/ the lights refract sequinned stars off her silhouette” – before she darkly adds “I can tell you lies”, and admits to being profoundly depressed on its initial run. She ends the song by crying, in a mock-gleeful tone, “I’m so miserable! And nobody even knows!” Tellingly, she reserves the album’s most straightforwardly anthemic tunes for lyrics that attack the chatter about who she should date or how she’s supposed to behave: “I’d rather burn my whole life down than listen to one more second of this bitching and moaning,” protests But Daddy I Love Him. “All the wine moms are still holding out but fuck ’em.”

If you wanted to pick holes, The Tortured Poets Department is a shade too long; the synth glitter of I Can Do It With a Broken Heart is less interesting than the lyrics it supports; you could argue that this stuff protesting her fans attempting to control her private life is the unintended consequence of minting a style of songwriting that basically invites speculation about her private life. That said, those lyrics are as well-turned as the pen-portraits of her ex. The central conceit of But Daddy I Love Him (“but I’m having his baby! / No I’m not – but you should see your faces!”) is genuinely funny, their tone of fatigued exasperation both believable and affecting. There’s clearly a risk involved in calling out elements of your own fanbase, however justified said attack is, but Swift pulls it off.

She can do it because she’s an exceptionally talented writer: there’s a depth and maturity to this album that makes her competitors look a little wan by comparison. Clearly, the monocultural ubiquity she’s achieved isn’t terribly healthy for anything other than her bank balance – The Tortured Poets Department seems to concur – but if we have to have a single artist dominating pop, we could have picked worse.

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Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department is here, but it could be a logistical nightmare for the Eras Tour

Get ready for another Taylor Swift era.

The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) is the superstar's 11th studio album and is being released around the world today.

It'll be dropping the second the clock hits midnight on the east coast of America, which will be this afternoon in Australia.

• 2pm AEST : ACT, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria
• 1:30pm ACST : Northern Territory and South Australia
• 12pm AWST : Western Australia

So far, we know the album is a whopping 16 songs (not including bonus vinyl tracks) and features multiple collaborations, including with Florence + The Machine.

We also know the first single will be Fortnight featuring Post Malone, with a music video dropping tomorrow morning as well.

Despite no singles being released in its lead up, clues point to TTPD seemingly being inspired by the five stages of grief : denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

Plus, many fans have speculated that the album title is a reference to the name of a group chat Swift's ex was part of – The Tortured Man Club.

And while The Tortured Poets Department could very well set new streaming records, it also poses a logistical nightmare for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour: how do you include yet another album into a show that is over three hours long?

Below, two ABC reporters and Swifties weigh up the likelihood of how the megastar might adapt her sell-out tour when it recommences in Europe next month.

We could lose some songs from every era to make room

Jessica : This seems like the most likely course of action. To put things into perspective, the Eras Tour includes songs from nine albums, but their airtime varies wildly. Lover, Folklore and Midnights have at least six songs, while Speak Now gets just two. So this might be a chance to balance things out?

Georgie : It would make the most sense to me. I can't imagine a tour that doesn't spend at least some time on the freshest music. But, this is a unique scenario. You have an artist who is essentially doing a greatest hits tour at the age of 34 while she is still churning out new music.

If she does cut music to make room for Tortured Poets, it will be very divisive. Every fan has their favourite era. But, I think if she was to I would hope she cuts songs she has already toured. You have to remember she put out four (now five) albums since her last tour and I imagine it would make the most sense for her to give more air time to Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights and TTPD.

Jessica : If you were in charge of Taylor Swift's setlist, which songs would you cull? I'd ditch The Archer from the Lover era so it ends with, well, Lover. I'd be ruthless and cut most of the songs from the Red era as nothing compares to All Too Well (10 Minute Version). But keep the Reputation portion as is! It's perfect.

What if smaller eras, like Fearless and Speak Now, got cut altogether?

Jessica : I love chaos so I would not bat an eye if Taylor Swift dropped the entire Speak Now era from her tour. (But Enchanted is such a core memory for a lot of fans.) I know this might be a wild concept but there's not one song from her self-titled debut album in the Eras Tour (justice for Our Song!), so make of that what you will.

Georgie : I think this will cause a major generational divide. The beautiful part about the Eras Tour is you have fans new and old coming together. Taylor has been making music since 2009 and the Eras Tour has been a chance for people in their twenties and thirties to dress up in glitter and be teenagers again while sharing the new music with teenagers today. I'm a folklore girl through and through so I am hoping if any eras get sacrificed it's the older ones. But I can't lie, it's pretty special to belt out Love Story with thousands of other people.

Could we lose the two surprise songs for a few Tortured Poets hits?

Georgie : Controversial opinion but I would be ok with this. Although, take this as you want because I have experienced the Eras Tour. But the section is a gamble anyway. You never know what she's going to play and someone is always disappointed or their top pick is played another night. If you cut this section, no-one gets hurt. Maybe she subs it out for three best songs from TTPD?

Jessica : I missed out on tickets for the Eras Tour altogether so I was taken aback seeing fans who did score tickets complaining about which night got "better" surprise songs. You can't please everyone! I agree, this would level the playing field and take the comparison factor out of the tour… but I wonder if that uniqueness is a marketing factor as some super fans attend multiple concerts in the same city.

Imagine if she just… didn't play her new album

Georgie : Don't say it or it might come true!

Jessica : I think this would be the riskiest option. Imagine the disappointment on the first night when the tour recommences in Paris on May 9. But some fans, especially in America, who witnessed the Eras Tour last year before this album was announced feel it's unfair if other countries get a different experience. But that's what happens with the passage of time!

Georgie : I see your point but you have to remember we're in an age where many people have watched the Eras Tour happen through TikTok and the cinema release. So is it really missing out when it's been inescapable for over a year? This could be a chance for the people who have waited so long for the Europe leg – who have basically watched the tour on streaming and all over TikTok – to have something unique and worth the cash.

Or she could just include the new album and make the show nearly *four hours* long?

Jessica : I think this option would please the most fans, but I genuinely don't know how she performs for hours on end each night and then travels through different time zones. Oh,  to be a billionaire with a whole team taking care of everything all the time.

Georgie : I don't see this happening. Costs would skyrocket and many stadiums have a noise curfew. That's new costumes, sets and dance routines.

Jessica : But I would eat up new costumes, sets and dance routines! A four-hour concert is outrageous, which makes me think she might very well pick this option. Time will tell.

Georgie : I'm obviously a Swiftie but when I found out about the new album and what that might mean for the tour I just felt… overwhelmed. I'm still processing the release of four albums and two Taylor's Versions in four years. And now she's putting out new music? It's simply too much! The concert is a marathon but if I did have to go to a four-hour show, I'd do it for Ms Swift.

The worst option: Swapping All Too Well (10 Minute Version) for the radio edit to save time

Jessica : Sacrilegious.

Georgie : The people would riot. Jake Gyllenhaal would be thrilled though.

Final thoughts

Jessica : With everything going on in the world, I think this is a fun problem to ponder, and an interesting one for Taylor to tackle. I wish her well in whatever form the Eras Tour takes, because fans are going to have strong opinions either way.

Georgie: I worry that Taylor needs a holiday but, as you said, she's a billionaire now so I think she'll be fine. I hope she tours future albums but I also support her having a rest. Go chill with the cats and Travis. You've danced in high heeled boots for two years.

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Per chairman Taylor Swift, here’s what we know about ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

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It’s the dawn of a new era — a new Taylor Swift Era, that is.

This week, the 14-time Grammy Award-winning artist will release her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which she first announced at the Grammys in February.

While accepting the pop vocal album award for “Midnights” — her first of two wins that night — Swift thanked her fans by divulging “a secret that I’ve been keeping from you for the last two years, which is that my brand new album comes out April 19.”

The announcement came as a shock to Swifties, who had theorized that the singer would instead announce “Reputation (Taylor’s Version)” at the awards ceremony. (That the albums seem to share a B&W aesthetic didn’t help).

And while she may have intentionally thrown fans off the scent, “ All’s fair in love and poetry .” So here’s what we know so far:

When does ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ come out?

Following a whirlwind promotional week, “The Tortured Poets Department” will arrive at 9 p.m. Pacific on Thursday. Her “April 19” announcement in February was referring to the album’s East Coast ETA.

Swift began making the album directly after she turned in “Midnights,” and it took her about two years to complete, she said during her first Eras Tour show in Japan on Feb. 7.

“I kept working on it throughout the U.S. tour, and when it was perfect — in my opinion when it’s good enough for you — I finished it and I am so, so excited that soon you’ll get to hear it,” she told the crowd.

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What genre is it?

In Target’s product description for “The Tortured Poets Department” vinyl , the album is classified as pop, but the singer herself has not indicated where the album lands with respect to genre.

Instead, the self-proclaimed “chairman of the Tortured Poets Department” has released successive batches of lyrics, including “Crowd goes wild at her fingertips / Half moonshine, / full eclipse” — posted on the day of the April 8 solar eclipse .

Still, clues about the album’s potential sonic characteristics may lie with two of its credited songwriters, Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff, who have each produced large swaths of Swift’s discography.

If the two producers’ generally dissimilar sounds — Dessner leans pastoral, and Antonoff, synthetic — both inflect the record, it could be anything from folk to indie pop.

How many songs? Any guest artists?

Swift revealed the track list for “The Tortured Poets Department” in a Feb. 5 Instagram post , listing the following 16 titles:

• “Fortnight” (feat. Post Malone)
• “The Tortured Poets Department”
• “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys”
• “So Long, London”
• “But Daddy I Love Him”
• “Fresh Out the Slammer”
• “Florida!!!!” (feat. Florence + The Machine)
• “Guilty as Sin?”
• “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”
• “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)”
• “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart”
• “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived”
• “The Alchemy”
• “Clara Bow”

Additionally, there are four different confirmed editions of the album, each named after the bonus track it will include: “The Bolter,” “The Albatross,” “The Black Dog” and “The Manuscript.”

Post Malone and Florence and the Machine are also credited as songwriters on their respective tracks.

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What promotional activity has gone on?

After the initial announcement at the Grammys, Swift was relatively quiet. In recent weeks, though, she’s gone back to her internet-breaking behavior.

It started with an Apple Music collaboration that saw Swift releasing five different playlists on the platform, each consisting of songs from her catalog and representing one of the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The playlists were titled with track names and lyrics from “The Tortured Poets Department.”

Then, on Saturday, Apple Music marked the final countdown to the album with a digital scavenger hunt.

“A word a day til the @taylorswift13 album drops,” the music service wrote in its bio on X (formerly Twitter) .

Soon after, fans discovered that the secret words were hidden within song lyrics on Apple Music. Thus far, they’ve parsed the words “hereby,” “conduct,” “this,” “post” and “we,” and while many have their theories , the meaning of the incomplete word jumble is still unknown.

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The festivities have also moved offline, to Spotify’s “The Tortured Poets Department” library installation at the Grove in L.A., which debuted Tuesday and is open through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

“Fans will be able to explore a poetry library, highly curated to represent the new record,” the event description on the Grove’s website reads. “The shelves will be packed with books and visual surprises for fans to enjoy.”

Visitors also seem to be finding a number of Swift’s trademark Easter eggs throughout the installation, including an upside-down “So Long, London” title — which fans suspect is a nod to her year-ago breakup with British actor Joe Alwyn — and a clock set to 2.

The former visual also appeared in a video Swift posted Tuesday on Instagram. Captioned “The TTPD Timetable,” the cryptic clip guides viewers from a “Midnights”-style room into “The Tortured Poets Department,” where a wall calendar teases a Friday music video release.

How can I listen to the new album?

“The Tortured Poets Department” is available to pre-order (and pre-save on Spotify or Apple Music) on Swift’s website , and is currently being offered in vinyl, cassette, CD and digital album formats to be released April 19. It will also start streaming on that date — which for West Coasters means at 9 p.m. Pacific Thursday.

The four versions of the album are also available to pre-order on Swift’s website, but CD and vinyl versions of the album are also available at Target. Currently, there is no version of the album, digital or physical, that will contain all four bonus tracks.

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Malia Mendez is an editorial assistant at the Los Angeles Times. She previously was an intern on the Entertainment and Arts Desk and recently graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in journalism. Mendez got her start in journalism at the Stanford Daily, where she worked as managing editor of the newspaper’s Arts & Life section. Her byline can be found in Los Angeles Magazine, the Orange County Register and the Peninsula Press. She is from Irvine.

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