Taylor Swift

Ticketmaster gave select fans another opportunity to purchase tickets for Taylor Swift's “Eras” tour on Monday, after the company was widely criticized by ...

Congress announced plans to hold a hearing on Ticketmaster and LiveNation over antitrust concerns, and the New York Times reported the Department of Justice is investigating the company over concerns it has a monopoly over the live entertainment industry. Ticketmaster apologized for the issues, but that didn’t stop Swift from speaking out against the company. She said her team had been assured several times that Ticketmaster and LiveNation could handle the intense demand that was expected for her shows. That’s how many tickets to “Eras” were sold last month. It’s not known how many tickets remain. When seats went on sale for “Eras” last month, millions of fans attempted to purchase tickets during a pre-sale event, eager to see Swift during one of the largest tours of her career and her first tour since 2018.

Taylor Swift surprised fans by launching a second Verified Fan sale for those who didn't secure Eras Tour tickets the first time around.

The ticketing service experienced mass outages caused by a [historic amount of hopefuls](https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-eras-tour-ticketmaster-crisis-best-fan-reactions-1235172066/) flooding its site on sale day, a commotion that wasn’t helped by the surplus of fans to whom Ticketmaster had assigned special Verified Fan presale codes. “I’m soooo sad 🙁 anyone wanna help a girl get to nashville :(” “Congratulations, you have been selected to participate in a limited-time opportunity to request to purchase 2 tickets to Taylor Swift The Eras Tour,” the email read. “This is why we love her.” 23, with invitations issued on a staggered basis by tour date in each city. “You were selected for this opportunity because you have been identified as a fan who received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets.”

Both parties — Swift and songwriters Nathan Butler and Sean Hall — have asked a judge to “[dimiss] this action in its entirety.” The trial had been scheduled to ...

It’s due to be decided by a jury at an undetermined date in the future, but Swift attorney Peter Anderson is arguing that further evidence shows the plaintiffs’ claims are baseless enough to not warrant a trial. Still, that was enough for an earlier judge to overturn a prior dismissal of the lawsuit, which has been making its way through the courts for five years. However, Swift wrote in a filing “Until learning about Plaintiffs’ claim in 2017, I had never heard the song ‘Playas Gon’ Play’ and had never heard of that song or the group 3LW.” She said she would have had little opportunity to hear it during its brief chart run, since her parents “did not permit me to watch (MTV’s hit countdown show) TRL until I was about 13 years old.”

McDonagh would reteam with “Six Shooter” star Brendan Gleeson for “In Bruges” as well as for this year's “The Banshees of Inisherin.” In McDonagh's latest film, ...

Sometimes it’s a melody that I have to go to the piano and then record and remember it. Sometimes it’s just a line and I’ll write it down and I’ll use it later. Sometimes it’s a fragment of a melody that has a lyric on it already. And I’m making more albums at a more rapid pace than I ever did before, because I think the more art you create, hopefully the less pressure you put on yourself. I wrote it knowing I wanted it to be a short. I put together a PDF of what I wanted to make, because I’d never made a short before, and I’m in the mode where I’m trying to persuade these two actors, and trying to convince them. Swift: I wrote the manuscript, and I had visual references of the art direction. I was writing my videos for years, and I had a video that was a very specific concept I had written [2019’s “The Man”], which was that I wanted to be prosthetically turned into a man and live my life as a man. We wanted her to look like she’d been crying and the kind of body heave of that. Swift: With Sadie, it was a very similar thing, where I had a few conversations with her about how she likes to work in those kind of intense, emotive scenes. And I think she does a lot of prep work on her own. McDonagh: That’s kind of why I knew I had to direct the movies — because the writer is sort of the lowest form of life on a movie.

Taylor Swift and the songwriters who sued her for allegedly biting lyrics for her 2014 hit "Shake It Off" have agreed to dismiss a copyright lawsuit.

[filed her own legal declaration](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-shake-it-off-lawsuit-declaration-1394425/) in which she discussed the origins of “Shake It Off” and denied any copyright infringement. “Prior to writing ‘Shake it Off,’ I had heard the phrases ‘players gonna play’ and ‘haters gonna hate’ uttered countless times to express the idea that one should shrug off negativity.” The dismissal caps off a five-year legal battle that started in 2017 and was set to head to trial in January. Swift repeatedly rebuffed the claim, with her lawyers arguing that lyrics about “players” and “haters” were a common trope and not singular enough to be covered by copyright law. Lawyers for the songwriters who brought the suit, Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, also did not return a request for comment. Lawyers for the defendants — which also included Swift’s co-writers Max Martin and Shellback — did not immediately return Rolling Stone’s request for comment, nor did a rep for Swift.

At the request of Swift's team, the company said Monday that select fans have a “limited opportunity” to purchase a maximum of two tickets each.

"I cried at work when the pre-sale didn't go through before," said Ferrara, who estimated she spent two days — approximately 16 hours — trying to buy tickets to one of the Arlington, Texas, shows. When tickets go on sale, the link leads fans to a "Smart Queue" that "keeps ticket bots out." [apologized](https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/taylor-swift-says-watching-ticketmaster-fiasco-excruciating-rcna57897) in an Instagram story, saying it was "excruciating" for her "to just watch mistakes happen with no recourse." "You were selected for this opportunity because you have been identified as a fan who received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets," Ticketmaster wrote in an email to a group of fans Monday. Monday's email "surprised" her, and she initially thought it could be a Ticketmaster has said doing so helps to "ensure that more tickets go to the fans who will actually attend the event," by granting them access to tickets before the public sale. And [then] pick." "And let us see, OK, what seats are available? [canceled ](https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/ticketmaster-cancels-public-sale-taylor-swift-tour-citing-high-demand-rcna57758)due to "extraordinarily high demand." Ticketmaster no longer wants to be the "Anti-Hero" to Taylor Swift fans. Invitations will be staggered by tour dates in each city." Some fans of Swift are now

Swift had been accused of stealing lyrics from a 3LW song released in 2000 that contains the lines “Playas, they gonna play/And haters, they gonna hate.”

Thicke and Pharrell Williams were ordered to [pay $5.3 million to Gaye’s family](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/business/media/blurred-lines-marvin-gaye-copyright.html). [10th studio album](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/21/arts/music/taylor-swift-midnights.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-taylor-swift&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc), is a return to the pop pipeline, with production from her longtime collaborator Jack Antonoff. But in 2019, judges at the U.S. Fitzgerald of the U.S. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Those cases raised questions about just which aspects of music are properly protected by copyright, and which remain part of the public domain, available to any creator. [Folklore](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/09/arts/music/taylor-swift-folklore-youth.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-taylor-swift&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc)” and “ [Evermore](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/arts/music/taylor-swift-evermore-review.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-taylor-swift&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc).” In debuting a new sound, she turned to [indie music](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/03/10/magazine/taylor-swift.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-taylor-swift&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc). [infringed on the copyright](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/business/media/blurred-lines-infringed-on-marvin-gaye-copyright-jury-rules.html) of Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up,” legal experts and music industry commentators have argued that many such cases had gone too far, and that the looming threat of litigation could [harm musical creativity itself](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/31/business/media/plagiarism-music-songwriters.html). [origin story of Swift’s](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/arts/music/popcast-taylor-swift-scooter-braun.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-taylor-swift&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc) [rerecordings](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/arts/music/popcast-taylor-swift-scooter-braun.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-taylor-swift&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc)of her older albums: a feud with [the powerful manager Scooter Braun](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/15/arts/music/taylor-swift-scooter-braun.html?action=click&pgtype=Article&state=default&module=styln-taylor-swift&variant=show®ion=MAIN_CONTENT_1&block=storyline_top_links_recirc). [Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/11/business/media/blurred-lines-infringed-on-marvin-gaye-copyright-jury-rules.html) and [Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse.”](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/arts/music/katy-perry-dark-horse.html) [Stairway to Heaven](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/24/arts/music/blurred-lines-led-zeppelin-copyright.html)” — had to do with commonplace musical elements, like chord progressions and melodic accompaniments. [Shake It Off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfWlot6h_JM),” a judge dismissed the case on Monday after a joint request by lawyers for Swift and the songwriters who accused her of copyright infringement.

Two songwriters have dropped their lawsuit claiming Grammy-winning musician Taylor Swift copied their lyrics in her 2014 number-one hit "Shake It Off," ...

Swift told the court in August that she had never heard 3LW's song before writing "Shake It Off." arms export control act, according to a 2017 indictment unsealed by a U.S. The song, performed by R&B group 3LW, was released in 2001 and appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and MTV's Total Request Live. Monday's court papers, filed jointly by attorneys for both Swift and the songwriters, did not say if there was a settlement. appeals court revived it in 2019. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story

Taylor Swift has shaken off a copyright lawsuit alleging that she copied lyrics in her lead single from her "1989" album, paving the way for her to finish ...

[older hits during next year’s “Eras Tour,](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/taylor-swift-announces-2023-eras-tour-us-stadiums-international-dates-rcna55021)” though it’s unclear whether her re-recordings will be finished before she takes the stage in March. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart](https://www.billboard.com/artist/taylor-swift/chart-history/tlp/). “These phrases were akin to other commonly used sayings like ‘don’t hate the playa, hate the game,’ ‘take a chill pill,’ and ‘say it, don’t spray it.’" Fitzgerald on Monday signed the order to dismiss the suit, "pursuant to the parties’ Stipulation," according to a new court filing Monday. [re-record her first six studio albums in 2019](https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/taylor-swift-plans-re-record-old-music-after-original-masters-n1044971), after her back catalog was sold to Scooter Braun by her former record label. Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, who wrote the 2001 song “Playas Gon' Play” by the group 3LW, originally filed the complaint against Swift in 2017.

The topic came up when the superstar sat down with acclaimed director Martin McDonagh as part of Variety's annual Directors on Directors series. “Do you feel ...

Taylor Swift opened up Monday (Dec. [Variety](https://variety.com/2022/film/features/taylor-swift-director-all-too-well-hearbreak-martin-mcdonagh-1235456137/)‘s annual Directors on Directors series. 12) about how her approach to creativity has changed as she moves into the next decade of her career. I’ve been part of things where you didn’t know the script, and no one knew what the story was. If they want to be able to look at the monitor, or they want to know how it’s set up, they should be able to. “And I’m making more albums at a more rapid pace than I ever did before, because I think the more art you create, hopefully the less pressure you put on yourself.

Millions of angered Taylor Swift fans didn't receive tickets to the artist's latest tour after a widely scrutinized debacle over bungled ticket sales.

In a blog post that has since been taken down, Ticketmaster said its “Verified Fans” system, a mechanism aimed at eliminating bots by giving presale codes to individuals, couldn’t keep up with the intense demand. Presale tickets for Capital One card holders brought similar frustration — and then Ticketmaster canceled sales to the general public, citing “extraordinarily high demand” and “insufficient remaining ticket inventory.” Once the fan’s request is confirmed, their card will be charged and they will receive instructions on how to claim the tickets. In November, “Verified Fans” were sent a presale code — but when sales began, heavy demand snarled the website and millions of Swifties could not get their hands on a ticket. “You have been identified as a fan who received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets,” the email said. [didn’t receive tickets to the artist’s latest tour after a widely scrutinized debacle over bungled ticket sales.

Songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler told a Los Angeles federal judge they will dismiss their 2017 case with prejudice.

Hall and Butler said that the lyrics were too close for their similarity to be a coincidence. They had asked for an unspecified amount of money damages. Monday’s court papers, filed jointly by attorneys for both Swift and the songwriters, did not say if there was a settlement.

Swift previously denied ever hearing the 3LW song Playas Gon' Play, saying Shake It Off's 'lyrics were written entirely by me'

[resurrected by an appeal panel in 2021](https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/dec/10/taylor-swift-to-face-plagiarism-trial-over-shake-it-off-lyrics). The song, performed by R&B group 3LW, appeared on their 2000 album and appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 and MTV’s Total Request Live. Monday’s court papers, filed jointly by attorneys for both Swift and the songwriters, did not say if there was a settlement.

Ticketmaster alerted select fans, who had been designated as Swift's verified fans, that they would have an opportunity to purchase tickets after they were ...

15 for those who were part of the verified program, but shortly after the presale began, fans complained about issues, with some having to wait in an online queue for more than five hours, according to They will get another invitation for the opportunity to purchase tickets before Dec. 23, but the invitations will be staggered according to tour dates.

US District Judge Michael Fitzgerald said that songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler “have sufficiently alleged a protectable selection and arrangement or a ...

[Taylor Swift](https://deadline.com/tag/taylor-swift/) has shaken off a copyright lawsuit that alleged she had plagiarized the lead song to her 1989 album. A trial for the case had originally been scheduled to start on January 17. The two songwriters, Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, dropped the suit and said they would dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning that they will not be able to refile, according to [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/legal/taylor-swift-songwriters-agree-end-shake-it-off-copyright-case-2022-12-12/).

On Monday, a judge dismissed a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against Taylor Swift in 2017 by songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler.

Swift is no stranger to copyright claims related to "Shake It Off." Fitzgerald dismissed the lawsuit “with prejudice,” which means the dismissal is final and the copyright infringement claim can’t be filed again by Hall and Butler. A judge initially dismissed the suit in 2018, commenting that the lyrics were "too banal" to be stolen, but an appeal panel brought the case back in 2019. District Court judge rejected a different "Shake It Off" lawsuit in which writer Jesse Graham of 2013's "Haters Gone Hate" claimed Swift stole his lyrics and sought $42 million in damages. [were 'written entirely by me' in response to lawsuit](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/08/09/taylor-swift-shake-off-3-lw-song-copyright-lawsuit/10277952002/) [filed a copyright infringement lawsuit ](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/08/09/taylor-swift-shake-off-3-lw-song-copyright-lawsuit/10277952002/)against the [ “Midnights”](https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2022/10/21/taylor-swift-midnights-album-review/10553445002/) singer, claiming the lyrics from Swift’s 2014 hit “Shake It Off” ("Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play/And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate") infringed on the Hall and Butler-penned "Playas Gon' Play," released by R&B girl group 3LW in 2000.

Songwriters Sean Hall and Nate Butler had claimed the pop star lifted lyrics in her song's chorus from their own hit Playas Gon' Play. Swift denied being aware ...

and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. Songwriters Sean Hall and Nate Butler had claimed the pop star lifted lyrics in her song's chorus from their own hit Playas Gon' Play. "Prior to writing Shake It Off I had heard the phrases 'players gonna play' and 'haters gonna hate' uttered countless times to express the idea that one can or should shrug off negativity." "The lyrics to Shake It Off were written entirely by me," she said, in a sworn declaration also obtained by PA. Both that song and Shake It Off feature variations of the phrases "players gonna play" and "haters gonna hate". Swift said she had drawn from her own experiences and "commonly used phrases and comments" she had heard throughout her life for the track and that the lyrics had been written "entirely by me".

After Taylor Swift fans were left ticketless following a botched rollout for her Eras Tour, Ticketmaster said some fans will have another chance to purchase ...

"It goes without saying that I’m extremely protective of my fans," she said. After submitting a ticket request, Ticketmaster will send an email alerting fans if their request was confirmed, then charging their card and giving them instructions to claim their tickets. Live Nation Entertainment did not respond to a request for comment from TODAY. 12, at the request of Swift's team, delivering the news that they had been chosen for a "limited opportunity" to purchase tickets to the Eras Tour. Ticketmaster said that all eligible fans were contacted and will be sent an invite to submit a purchase request by Dec. "You were identified as a fan who received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets," Ticketmaster wrote.

Two songwriters had alleged that the singer lifted their lyrics for her hit song Shake It Off.

and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. Songwriters Sean Hall and Nate Butler had claimed the pop star lifted lyrics in her song's chorus from their own hit Playas Gon' Play. "Prior to writing Shake It Off I had heard the phrases 'players gonna play' and 'haters gonna hate' uttered countless times to express the idea that one can or should shrug off negativity." "The lyrics to Shake It Off were written entirely by me," she said, in a sworn declaration also obtained by PA. Both that song and Shake It Off feature variations of the phrases "players gonna play" and "haters gonna hate". Swift said she had drawn from her own experiences and "commonly used phrases and comments" she had heard throughout her life for the track and that the lyrics had been written "entirely by me".

Thank Taylor Swift for pushing Ticketmaster to create a new opportunity for Verified fans to get Eras Tour tickets.

That’s on top of the Justice Department investigation and the pending [Congressional hearing](https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-ticketmaster-senate-hearing-announcement-1849818056) that the company is also facing. [legal action against Ticketmaster](https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-fans-ticketmaster-lawsuit-1849855741) and its parent company Live Nation. [Swift likened to](https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-responds-to-ticketmaster-chaos-eras-tour-1849802708) “several bear attacks.” Swift herself was apparently behind the push to put tickets back on sale, according to Ticketmaster. [lyrical Easter eggs](https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-underrated-songs-obscure-tracks-1849666689) to cheer up forlorn Swifties? [Taylor Swift](https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-film-directorial-debut-searchlight-1849875394) has gotten you another opportunity to purchase tickets for the [Eras Tour](https://www.avclub.com/taylor-swift-eras-tour-new-dates-added-1849774125). Your fearless leader has once again stood up to the man, and long story short, tickets are going back on sale.

Two songwriters had sued Swift, claiming that she copied their lyrics for 2014′s “Shake It Off,” Reuters reported. Sean Hall and Nathan Butler dropped their ...

[Variety ](https://variety.com/2022/music/news/taylor-swift-shake-it-off-lawsuit-dropped-1235458220/)reported. [Reuters ](https://www.reuters.com/legal/taylor-swift-songwriters-agree-end-shake-it-off-copyright-case-2022-12-12/)reported. Swift’s attorneys also asked the judge to dismiss the suit, Variety reported. [BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-63956480) reported. [Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/legal/taylor-swift-songwriters-agree-end-shake-it-off-copyright-case-2022-12-12/) reported. [RIAA](https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=shake+it+off#search_section).

Taylor Swift chatted with "The Banshees of Inisherin" director Martin McDonagh as part of Variety's Directors on Directors interview series.

"I definitely feel more free to create now. I'm just going with it." "The few that I reached out to were fortunately booked ... "And when I did direct, I just thought, 'This is actually more fulfilling than I ever could have imagined.' " "No, I always wanted to tell stories," Swift said. "I have always written stories, poetry, songs.

Certain Taylor Swift fans who got Verified Fan codes from Ticketmaster but weren't able to score tickets last month are getting a second chance.

She said she refused to “make excuses” for a company that according to her had repeatedly assured her team it could handle the demand her tour would create. An FAQ on the Ticketmaster website explains that fans who got the email will have an opportunity to buy a maximum of two tickets to a Swift show. Meanwhile, in Mexico, a consumer-protection official said Ticketmaster México would be fined millions after hundreds of faulty tickets were sold for Bad Bunny shows last Friday and Saturday in Mexico City. But it sounds like the process is designed to roll out on a more controlled timeline than the original crush did. [received an email Monday](https://twitter.com/kristaferrara/status/1602308507495464961) from Ticketmaster saying, “You have been identified as a fan who received a boost during the Verified Fan presale but did not purchase tickets. Bots and “fans who didn’t have invite codes” were blamed.

Hall and Butler sued Swift and producers Max Martin and Shellback in September 2017, seeking statutory damages, compensatory damages and injunctive relief, ...

"...I recall hearing phrases about players play and haters hate stated together by other children while attending school in Wyomissing Hills, and in high school in Hendersonville. ABC News also reached out to Hall and Butler's representatives for comment. The case was dismissed in 2018 by Fitzgerald, but the U.S. The suit claimed that Swift's song "copies and includes Plaintiffs' lyrical phrase ... "Indeed, the combination had not been used in popular culture prior to Plaintiffs' original use." The case was originally set for trial next month.

Taylor Swift reflected on directing "All Too Well" in an interview with Martin McDonagh for a new Variety interview.

Swift was on the cusp of 21 when she was in this relationship with an older partner. In it, Swift shines as a director, giving directives to the smallest things like hand placements and wording. It’s structured narratively in a way that I felt had to be different than any music video I’ve made,” Swift said. The pop star recently sat down with director Martin McDonagh for [Variety](https://variety.com/2022/film/features/taylor-swift-director-all-too-well-hearbreak-martin-mcdonagh-1235456137/) to discuss directing her [All Too Well: The Short Film](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/taylor-swift-all-too-well-ten-minute-short-film-1257075/). “Emotionally, I was going through exactly what the short film depicts, and I think that time is such an incredible asset to use when we have these stories that are hard to tell,” she told the Banshees of Inisherin director. “I wanted to tell that story, too, about sort of girlhood calcifying into this bruised adulthood.”

From "Tim McGraw" to "Anti-Hero" with hits and Swiftie-loved cuts in between, vote for the one you like most on her birthday.

In the age of her re-recordings, Swift has given her fans even more music, including vault tracks such as “Mr. The superstar rang in her latest birthday on Tuesday (Dec. But it wouldn’t be a birthday-appropriate [poll](https://www.billboard.com/t/poll/) if we didn’t include “22” alongside the hopeful “Begin Again” and 1989 tracks such as “Blank Space,” “Style,” emotional closer “Clean” and bonus cut “New Romantics.”

Taylor Swift claimed the song's lyrics were composed solely by her, denying ever hearing the 3LW song Playas Gon' Play.

[Hall and Butler](/topic/hall-and-butler)'s poem Playas Gon' Play. [Nathan Butler](/topic/nathan-butler)and [Sean Hall](/topic/sean-hall)told a national judge in [Los Angeles](/topic/los-angeles)how they could forgive their case of 2017 with discrimination, which controls a filing again. [Taylor Swift](/topic/taylor-swift)with robbing the lyrics for her number one 1 hit of the year 2012 have neglected their objection.

Variety ranks Taylor Swift's best songs, with hits and deep tracks from albums like 'Speak Now,' '1989,' 'Folklore' and 'Midnights.'

When “Midnights” first came out, with none of the songs pre-issued to the public, if you weren’t paying attention to video premieres or that sort of splash, you might have taken “Anti Hero” as one of the odder songs on the album, not a sure out-of-the-box hit. It’s just universal enough to get that kind of usage in American customs and rituals, but you have to savor the bits that are pure Swift, whether it’s the guitar-string scars on her fingers or her custom-made vow: “Swear to be overdramatic and true.” Wait, is it her entire public she’s pretend-marrying, as well as this guy? It’s a wedding song for people who don’t intend, right away at least, to get married — there’s even a fakeout wedding scene in the middle of the song that ends with them vowing in front of God and onlookers to be, well, lovers — but anyone who wants to use it for actual nuptials probably gets a pass. So much of the “Fearless” album came to be about the bracingly candid breakup songs, or embracing the fairy tale, in “Love Story,” and rejecting it, in “White Horse” (and “Fifteen,” for that matter). This leads to one of the greatest lines in all of Swift-dom: “I swear, I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ’cause I care.” Is she kidding with that lyric? You should not have these people as your friends.) So it was the beginning of a correction in the popular mindset when, for her third album, “Speak Now,” she made a point of writing a song for an ex-boyfriend in which she took credit for what went wrong and expressed apologies and regrets — normal human actions, in other words, for someone who was not the narcissistic teen wraith some of the culture had set out to make her. It’s good that Taylor doesn’t really believe that “forever is the sweetest con,” and good that she’s stretched out to the kind of writing where she can create a character to say it. With “Out of the Woods,” one of the most talked-about tracks from “1989,” it’s really enough to know what the emotional tenor of the scenario is, and not who she spent a night in the emergency room with. The telling way in the choruses that she keeps answering “good!” to every repetition of the “Are we in the clear yet?” question lets you know that this is a protagonist who constantly has to talk herself into believing that everything’s fine. Meanwhile, I suspect there’s a musical joke embedded in the title, which is written as a numeral, the way a musician would render it, versus “the one.” At the end of the chorus, the word “one” begins on the last note of one bar and slides over to the next, where it lands on… This is a kind of sequel, in spirit, to “Blank Space.” In that one, she was still playing at being the bad girl, for satire. A song about why a relationship that’s escalated for some of the wrong reasons can’t help but feel right when you throw that slinky a groove on it — and throw in something Swift has never employed from her arsenal before: a solo saxophone.

Taylor Swift celebrated her 33rd birthday on Tuesday. 'Swifty Creek' middle joined the party with "Bake It Off" cake and "Bad Blood punch."

"(Swift) is so positive and a great role model for our students," said Hanna. "It's an opportunity for us to show the types of food that we serve in the cafeteria, hopefully get the kids coming through and eating a healthy, nutritious meal every day," said Christie Meresse, nutrition service director at Swift Creek. Students threw almost 250 pies at teachers and administrators and raised $1,500.

The matter was due to go to trial in January, but songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler have told a judge they will dismiss their case with prejudice, ...

In Shake It Off, Swift sings: "The players gonna play, play, play, play, play, and the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate." She said she had heard the phrases "players gonna play" and "haters gonna hate" used commonly to "express the idea that one can or should shrug off negativity". Playas Gon' Play, written by Hall and Butler, included the phrases "playas, they gonna play, and haters, they gonna hate".