Just before the Grammys, we heard that Taylor Swift was pulling out of her “surprise” performance at the music show. Considering the epic pile of criminality and shenanigans within the Recording Academy, most unnamed sources went with “Taylor pulled out for feminist reasons.” As I said at the time, I believed that – I think Taylor didn’t want to be associated with various Recording Academy executives who have been accused of rape, assault and harassment. But I also said that it was probably easier for her to walk away from performing – and even attending – because she was pretty certain that she wouldn’t win anything. Taylor’s Lover was nominated for Song of the Year, but she was “snubbed” for Album of the Year and Record of the Year. She was also nominated for Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo Performance. She ended up losing in all three categories. But she wasn’t there, so whatever. In any case, Page Six now says that Taylor didn’t go the Grammys because they couldn’t/wouldn’t tell her if she was winning anything:
Music insiders say the real reason Taylor Swift didn’t go to the Grammys is they wouldn’t guarantee she’d win Song of the Year. Multiple sources have confirmed to Page Six that Swift’s team talked to show bigwigs a few days before the live event and said that Swift would only attend and perform if she was to win a big Grammy. But Swift’s team was told the winners are not known to those planning the show, and they would not bend the rules for her.
“[Her team] called and wanted to be assured that she would win the Grammy. And while it wasn’t an explicit demand, they certainly were fishing to find out if Taylor was a winner. It was understood in the conversation that if she’s not winning, she’s not coming to the Grammys,” one insider said.
Another music insider said, “It’s widely known in the industry that [Swift’s team] called to find out if she was getting a Grammy, they wouldn’t tell her, so she didn’t go. It’s not uncommon [for an artist] to want to know. And everyone knows Taylor loves to win, win, win.”
Yet a spokesperson for Swift said, “I am on the record: These statements by anonymous, unidentified ‘sources’ are absolutely 100 percent false and laughable. She just didn’t go to the Grammys. You guys need to calm down.”
Swift was also nominated for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Pop Solo Performance. She lost the coveted Song of the Year to Billie Eilish. There was also buzz that the singer was protesting the show after ousted Recording Academy CEO Deborah Dugan claimed that its general counsel had sexually harassed her and that Grammy votes were rigged.
Yeah, come on. I’m not a member of the Snake Fam, but even I give Taylor more credit than this. She knows how the Grammys operate – she knew that they weren’t going to tell her for-sure that she was winning anything. (I’m sure other music awards shows do tell her though, just FYI.) Like I said, I think the conversation was “I don’t want to be associated with all of this problematic bullsh-t AND it doesn’t matter anyway because I doubt I’ll win.” And honestly? I kind of missed seeing Taylor. The Grammys were hella boring this year.
Also: Taylor didn’t get an Oscar nomination for her Cats song, so she was snubbed there AND in the big Grammy categories. Interesting.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Hmmm. And what possible music insider would have a reason to want to get this story out? It couldn’t POSSIBLY be Scooter Braun, his mouthpiece wife, or his mouthpiece Bieber.
There’s a lot of things that can be said about Taylor, and plenty of it is fair. But I don’t know that it’s fair to assume that she would only be interested in performing if she got a win. I mean, hey. Maybe it is true. But I think it’s equally possible that this story is out there because Scooter has some beef. Neither of them are exactly stand-up folks.
Agreed. This is just a REACH, they just want to drag her through the mud. Why are they trying so hard, she has no issues digging her own holes.
I think you are reaching a bit here. Most likely this isn’t Scooter Braun’s doing but the recording academy’s. They have the most interest in maintaining the award’s importance and if a major artist like Taylor rejects them that is a problem. Making it seem like she desperately wanted to win serves them most.
I don’t think its a coincidence that she started standing up against some of the powerful men in the industry and all the sudden stories like this are being dropped and she is being “snubbed” for big awards.
Honestly, I imagine it has to de with her mom’s treatment. My aunt had the same cancer and progression as her mom and when it metastasized into her brain her health went critical very quickly. But I could just be naive.
Japp, think so too. My mother died of breast cancer and when it metastasized to the brain things “moved fast” after that …
I agree. Why dress up and put on a show for an event where you won’t win when you would rather be home comfortable with your family. Attending these takes a lot of prep, why bother….
Taylor has mentioned that she will not be touring Lover widely because of her mom’s treatment. Why spend time away from family for the Grammy’s when they are so plagued with drama?
Was she really snubbed, though?
Or does she think she was snubbed in big Grammy categories and the Oscars?
Either way, she’ll find a way to victimize herself and probable write a few songs about awards shows and how she used to love them .
Either the Grammy people needed a distraction or the Scooter team saw an opportunity. Swift’s team could have also asked, but why would anybody care? That’s what stars do at that level, they have their team call to ask.
She got thrown under the bus as a distraction. Page Six does that for jerks all the time. They are the old school TMZ.
I skimmed her documentary on Netflix this morning and there was a bit in it where she found out reputation hadn’t been nominated in any of the big categories and she was very upset. She said that she needed to make a better record, which was Lover. So that must have hurt her that she was snubbed again.
I’m not saying that she didn’t go *just* because she wasn’t up for any of the big categories and had a feeling that she wouldn’t win anything, but I do think it was a little bit of everything on top of the other drama with the Grammy Awards in general.
For what its worth, I thought Lover was way better than reputation.
I don’t think she gets a bad rep because she is a woman. I think she really is mean and entitled and people do not like her for genuine reasons.
I find it laughable that people think that Taylor is a huge crusader because she does the minimum. I don’t think she had any intention of going. She really likes to win and didn’t get enough nominations.
Honestly Taylor has been going to those types of award shows since she was a teenager. If she’s done with the party, and of being seen just for the sake of being seen and PR, then I totally understand why she would want to know if she’s winning something or not instead of going and spending time away from other stuff she would rather be doing. I don’t blame her or any other artist that im sure do this as well.
Did taylors spokesperson just tell others to calm down? Doesnt she have a song called you need to calm down?
The Grammy people really want to find/make up an excuse why big stars like Taylor didn’t show up and they got their lowest viewership ever huh??
Is Taylor over?
Mmm…not over just yet. Taylor seems lost. Scooter Braun screwed her over & she seems to have lost her moxie.
Her mom is fighting cancer and a brain tumor. She gets a pass from me.
Just watched her documentary with my 12yo daughter. I think what she puts into the world is positive – to see this young woman grow, change, focus on learning and EDUCATING herself is vastly more interesting and worthwhile than so much of what is available in pop culture. The key points in the doco are her creative process, self reflection, strong bond with her mum and commitment to her craft/career/passion. I’m with her.