[MUSIC PLAYING]
So tell us your fantastic story.
This is incredible.
And you're 18.
And you're so popular.
And tell everybody how this all happened.
I started singing when I was a baby.
But I decided that this was it when I was, like, 10
and started dragging my parents to festivals, and fairs,
and karaoke contests, like, every single weekend.
And then when I was 11, I was like, Mom,
we have to go to Nashville.
That's where they all go.
That's where Faith Hill went and the Dixie Chicks.
And they all went to Nashville.
So I made up this demo CD OF me singing karaoke music
and went to Nashville with my mom.
And she would park outside record labels.
And I would run in and be like, hey, I'm Taylor.
I'm 11.
I want a record deal.
Call me.
You know.
And that didn't work obviously.
But it did teach me that I needed to be different
and that they saw that kind of thing every day.
And so, I went home and I started playing guitar
for like four hours a day until my fingers were bleeding.
And I started writing songs.
And that was really the reason why I guess I got noticed.
I moved to Nashville when I was 13.
My family, like, up and moved across the country
to Nashville.
And I got a job as a songwriter for Sony ATV publishing
when I was 14.
Wow, that's amazing.
That's where the money is, writing your own songs.
Yeah.
That's smart.
It is.
Yeah.
And my mom would pick me up from school.
I was in eighth grade.
And my mom would pick me up from school and drive me downtown.
And I would go write songs with these great songwriters
in Nashville.
And then, I'd go home and do my homework.
Wow, that's amazing.
So have you had time to enjoy the success at all?
Because you're huge.
And yet, you've been working so much.
Yeah, I mean, it's really enjoyable.
It's really awesome.
I mean, I never expected that a song
that I wrote in ninth grade for my ninth grade talent show
would end up being number one for six weeks.
Wow, that's amazing.
You haven't been here in four?
No, how long has it been?
Yeah, four years.
I was recovering from the fall.
No, no, no.
But look at all the content we had.
And you haven't been here in four years.
You'd think you'd want to come back
because you had so much fun.
I know.
And now, I have.
OK.
And now you've come back.
Yeah, I have come back.
I had an album out called Reputation.
I know.
And I really--
[CHEERING]
Thank you, guys.
You guys are friendly.
Yeah, with the album I just basically wanted
to just make music and not explain it.
Yeah.
But I missed you so much.
It worked out.
It was really--
You still sold a bunch of albums without even talking.
[LAUGHTER]
I mean, usually people go to promote their music
because it helps sell albums.
You don't have to do that.
Well, that's nice of you to say.
It's true.
I mean, I am having fun being back here.
It's been really great to be back here.
And I definitely do--
I think as a songwriter, I enjoy communicating
about what I've made.
I really do like that part of the process.
But I also just feel like with my career,
I want to do what feels right at the time.
So at that time, I coined this phrase,
there will be no explanation.
There will just be reputation.
Because I am dramatic.
Yes.
That's a very dramatic thing.
But it rhymed.
It was kind of catchy.
And so I stuck with it.
Right.
Is that in one of your songs?
Because if it isn't, it should be.
Thank you.
No, and I think it's a little late for that
because now we're on to another different album.
I know.
But you still could have that.
For an album that's not Reputation?
Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
It's a little off brand.
No.
But I will think about it.
No, just like clothing comes back in style.
You can come right back around to that topic
again, if you'd like.
It could be like a vintage.
You can do anything you want, Taylor Swift.
Thank you for saying that.
[CHEERING]
Really, people thought, oh, god.
She's been away for so long.
How is this album going to do?
And they put so much--
I don't think pressure on you because I don't think you--
Yeah, there's pressure.
Really?
Yeah, for sure.
Oh, OK.
Because it seemed like people were expecting this
not to be as good or that album not to be as--
and you just came back and proved them all wrong.
Aw.
It's true because you didn't worry about how
certain people do things.
You do things your own way.
And it all works out for you.
Thank you so much.
You're welcome.
Now, let's talk about me.
[LAUGHTER]
No, not talk about me.
But here, let's talk about--
you're on the cover of Entertainment Weekly.
And you have all these Easter eggs on here.
Right?
Yeah, yeah.
And I feel like--
Explain what the eggs are to people who don't understand.
Yeah, because I think that is necessary.
So it's like when we say Easter eggs,
we're not only talking about Easter eggs
that you would go on an Easter egg hunt for on Easter.
It's kind of like a clue, like a foreshadowing kind of thing.
I like to plant Easter eggs in a video that
will be like a lyric from unreleased music,
or a little hint, or a little wink
to what's coming in the future.
Right.
So yeah, that was kind of the theme
of what we did the Entertainment Weekly thing on.
And it's just been really fun to kind of expand
the musical experience past just listening to a song.
Like, I also want people to be watching the music video.
And what's that thing in the background?
And what's that song playing underneath there?
And is there a reason she said that in French?
Right.
Because people-- and usually your fans
are pretty good at figuring it out.
Right?
They're excellent at figuring it out.
How far off have they been?
What's the worst they've been?
Oh, man.
Well, there were some fans that thought I had something
to do with Avengers: End Game.
Oh, really?
Which I would have loved to have been asked.
But I wasn't.
No, you weren't.
--asked to be in it at all.
Yeah
Because we had the single coming out the same day.
And I have a song that was called End Game.
And so they were like, oh, my god.
She's going to defeat Thanos.
[LAUGHTER]
Right.
I let everyone down.
Yeah.
Again.
Well, that was confusing.
On your jacket, you have a lot of things on here.
But you don't have something that--
next time you wear a jacket--
[GASPING]
That's--
Thank you.
You're welcome.
It's you as a kitty cat.
And that's two things you love.
Those are the two things I love the most.
Together, put together.
Yeah.
All right.
We have to take a break.
I'll let you cry about that.
We'll be back.
There's video of your other two cats on the plane.
Is that what we have?
I think it's just a picture.
But it's a good demonstration of just what
my personal life looks like.
Yeah.
It's just-- well, that's--
oh, that's just Olivia stretching.
That's my middle child.
Yeah.
She's kind of like a seal.
And she just lays on her back?
Oh, my god.
Yeah, isn't she amazing?
And her tail just never grew.
And then, she stands up.
Here's meerkat.
Got it.
She's a really special animal.
And that was when she was a baby.
Meowing.
Oh, my god.
They're just so cute.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
And you're doing the movie, Cats.
Yeah.
So you probably have an advantage
because you probably--
Understand them.
Yes.
Yeah.
Because James Corden had to learn.
They went to cat school.
We all went to cat school.
You have no idea.
It was like, all my dreams came true on the set of this film.
It was like, they're like, you can come
to set as much as you want.
And I ended up being there every day for four months.
They're like, oh, Taylor's doing cat school again.
Again, she's still here.
She's still doing cat school.
What did you learn?
Well, you crawl around on the floor.
And you pretend to be a cat.
Right.
So this was a good excuse that it's OK and not crazy?
This was great.
I was like, this is my job, guys.
Yeah.
I just have to do this.
This is my job.
And then, I'm like, (MEOWING).
You know?
It was great.
It was the best experience.
And then, I would go to set.
So I'd go to cat school in the morning.
And I'd stop by the music department, do a little music,
do some voice lessons.
And then, I'd go to set.
And I'd watch, like, Rebel Wilson be a cat,
or Idris Elba be a cat, or Ian McKellen be a cat,
Judi Dench be a cat.
Who's the best out of all those obviously?
I mean, there's got to be one.
Everybody's a different kind of cat.
You have to--
Political answer.
Well, it's also the truth.
They really all--
They are all different.
They're all great cats.
Yeah.
But I bet you have the advantage.
I bet you're really a good cat.
We'll see.
I really don't know.
I had the best--
I had the most fun.
I had the best time.
What I'll do is I'll read a question.
And then, you will answer the question.
And then,
[BELL RINGING]
Hit this for no apparent reason.
[BELL RINGING]
I love it.
It's fun.
Right?
[BELL RINGING]
Yeah.
[BELL RINGING]
It's like a game show.
But yet, you win nothing.
What's the title of your next single?
Oh, I can't tell you that.
That's crazy.
Yeah, well, I was going to try.
Can you sing some of it?
Uh, no.
OK
All right.
If you can't sleep in the middle of the night, what do you do?
I go downstairs, and rummage through the kitchen,
and eat whatever I can find.
And it's really less like a human being
and more like a raccoon in a dumpster.
Like the next morning, we just we walk downstairs.
What happened here?
And I don't remember.
[BELL RINGING]
Does that help you sleep if you eat a whole lot and then--
It's not really voluntary.
[BELL RINGING]
Oh, do you sleep eat?
I think so.
I don't really remember it.
But I know it happens because it could have only
been me or cats.
Right.
Well, that wasn't the question.
We're learning something different.
I said, if you can't sleep at night, what do you do?
But it sounds like--
I'm still sleeping and doing it?
Yes, it sounds like you've got an issue.
[LAUGHTER]
Yep.
[BELL RINGING]
OK
[LAUGHTER]
Currently, what is your favorite TV show?
Oh, god.
OK.
So Killing Eve, Game of Thrones, Downton Abbey, Queer Eye.
I'll just-- I got to stop though.
I'm getting too excited.
Killing Eve is--
[BELL RINGING]
Yes.
What is the most rebellious thing you did as a teenager?
Probably when I, like, put Joe Jonas on blast on your show.
That was too much.
[BELL RINGING]
Was it?
Yeah.
That was too much.
OK.
I was 18.
Yeah.
We laugh about it now.
Oh that’s good.
That was some mouthy--
Yeah.
Yeah, just all some teenage stuff there.
That's held on to you because I don't remember that at all.
[LAUGHTER]
What is your favorite curse word?
OK, you say yours.
And we'll say it together on 1-2-3.
1, 2, 3.
[BLEEP]
[BELL RINGING]
[CHEERING]
It's just a good solid one.
Because it can also mean like really good like [BLEEP]..
Who'd you share your first kiss with?
It was my high school boyfriend when I was 15.
What was his name?
Drew.
Drew?
Yeah.
Aw.
Did you leave an Easter egg during our interview?
Yes.
[CHEERING]
Really?
Yes.
[BELL RINGING]
I'm not supposed to do it every word?
No.
OK.
[BELL RINGING]
Your friend invites you to dinner.
What do you bring?
White wine.
What kind?
Sancerre, Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc.
Good choices.
Thank you.
I just found a really good one I'll tell you about.
Oh, thank you.
What's your favorite holiday?
I think it's Christmas.
Definitely, Christmas.
What's your favorite place to go on holiday?
Do you like cold, you like snowing, do you like island.
I'm sorting.
OK, sorry.
Stay quiet.
I'm sorting.
I think Rhode Island.
[BELL RINGING]
OK.
[LAUGHTER]
It's a great state.
Yeah.
What's your favorite movie?
That's a tough one.
How do you narrow it down to one?
You can't.
No.
I would have to go with favorite movie
I've seen in the last week.
OK.
Someone Great on Netflix.
Oh.
Yeah.
Don't know that one.
It's a great movie.
Well, apparently.
Watch it.
OK.
Name three words to describe yourself.
Oh, curious, cat-lover, make it one word?
Sure.
Romantic.
Yes.
I would say creative also.
That's nice.
Thank you.
Yes, OK.
[BELL RINGING]
Smart, I would add that too.
You're doing five of them.
That's so sweet.
Yes, because you deserve more than three.
OK, that's--
[BELL RINGING]
Oh, out of time.