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Speak Now: World Tour Live

• Audio CD $17.67

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• Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 16:9
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.56 x 5.35 x 0.55 inches; 3.42 ounces
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Import, NTSC
• Release date ‏ : ‎ November 29, 2011
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Taylor Swift
• Studio ‏ : ‎ IMPORTS
• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B005ZI3DO2
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• #4,102 in Performing Arts (Movies & TV)
• #8,734 in Music Videos & Concerts (Movies & TV)

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Speak Now - World Tour Live

If you’ve never experienced Swift perform up close and in person, Speak Now-World Tour (Live)—recorded on various stages and arenas during her 2011 global tour—is as close as you can get. The impassioned “Sparks Fly” kicks off these 16 collected performances against the wild cheers of her devoted fans. Swift’s rendition of “Mine” is a standout track, serving as a reminder that there’s a lot of old-school country pop in the roots of her songwriting. (Check out the rabid crowd singing along to the chorus of this one.) Fans can always expect Swift to deliver awesome and unpredictable covers in her shows, and she delivers the goods here with a gorgeous acoustic reworking of Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” and a take on Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” that upstages the original.

January 1, 2011 17 Songs, 1 hour, 19 minutes ℗ 2011 Apollo A-1 LLC

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Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live

Speak Now - World Tour Live is a live video album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on November 21, 2011, by Big Machine Records. Speak Now - World Tour Live is a live video album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on November 21, 2011, by Big Machine Records. Speak Now - World Tour Live is a live video album by American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. It was released on November 21, 2011, by Big Machine Records.

• Ryan Polito
• Taylor Swift
• Caitlin Evanson
• 2 User reviews

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• Soundtracks Sparks Fly Written by Taylor Swift Performed by Taylor Swift Big Machine Label Group, LLC

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• Dec 16, 2016
• November 21, 2011 (United States)
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Recorded during her Speak Now World Tour in 2011, this live recording collects 18 performances from the country-pop starlet, including almost all songs from her 2010 studio album "Speak Now".

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Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live (2011) Stream and Watch Online

Looking to feast your eyes on ' Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live ' on your TV, phone, or tablet? Hunting down a streaming service to buy, rent, download, or view the Ryan Polito-directed movie via subscription can be difficult, so we here at Moviefone want to do the work for you. We've listed a number of streaming and cable services - including rental, purchase, and subscription alternatives - along with the availability of 'Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live' on each platform when they are available. Now, before we get into the various whats and wheres of how you can watch 'Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live' right now, here are some particulars about the Taylor Swift Productions documentary flick. Released November 21st, 2011, 'Taylor Swift: Speak Now World Tour Live' stars Taylor Swift , Caitlin Evanson , Jody Harris , Amos Heller The PG movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 9 min, and received a user score of 86 (out of 100) on TMDb, which assembled reviews from 53 knowledgeable users. What, so now you want to know what the movie's about? Here's the plot: "Recorded during her Speak Now World Tour in 2011, this live recording collects 18 performances from the country-pop starlet, including almost all songs from her 2010 studio album "Speak Now"." .

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Speak Now World Tour

This is about the tour. For the live album, see Speak Now: World Tour Live .

• 1 Background
• 2 Opening acts
• 3.1.1 Covers
• 5.1 Box office score data
• 6 References
• 7 External links

Background [ ]

"I’m so excited to go back out on tour again in 2011! The 'Fearless Tour' was so much fun and even more unforgettable than I ever imagined, and I can't wait to get back out and play my new music from Speak Now! The fans have been so amazing and I'm thrilled to play in new cities around the world and meet even more of my fans in 2011!" [3]

While promoting her current album, Swift mentioned her excitement for her upcoming tour. She stated the tour was going to be "big" and "extensive". [4] On November 23, 2010, various media outlets—including Billboard Magazine announced the second tour by Swift. [5] It follows her successful Fearless Tour which played for over 100 dates in over five countries. The tour marked the singer's first tour to perform in stadiums. Before the tour commenced, Swift performed "The Allure of Taylor Swift" aboard the MS Allure of the Seas at the Allure of the Seas Aquatheater, as apart Royal Caribbean Cruises in January 2011. [6]

Opening acts [ ]

Setlist [ ].

• " Sparks Fly "
• " The Story Of Us "
• " Our Song "
• " Back To December " / "Apologize" / " You're Not Sorry "
• " Better Than Revenge "
• " Speak Now "
• " Fearless " / "I'm Yours" / "Hey, Soul Sister"
• " Last Kiss "
• " You Belong With Me "
• " Dear John "
• " Enchanted "
• " Haunted "
• " Long Live "
• " Fifteen "
• " Love Story "
• During the shows in Asia leg and Europe leg, " Our Song ", " Mean ", " Last Kiss ", " Haunted " were not performed, as the result of stage reduction and lacking background dancers. In addition, " Fifteen " was moved to the place where " Last Kiss " originally should be.
• " Ours " was added to the setlist after the Denver show on September 27, 2011.
• " Safe & Sound " was added to the setlist since the Oceania leg, although it was replaced by " Eyes Open " during the show in Auckland.
• During her concert at the Allstate Arena, Swift performed "Sugar, We're Goin Down" [12]
• During her concert at the Van Andel Arena, Swift performed "Lose Yourself" and "Smile". [13]
• During her concert at the Lincoln Financial Field, Swift performed "Who Knew" and "Unpretty". [12]
• During her concerts at the Staples Center, Swift was joined onstage my many guest stars. For the concert on August 23, Swift was joined onstage by Justin Bieber to perform "Baby". [14] For the show on the 24th, Swift was joined by Jason Mraz to perform his hit, "I'm Yours". She also performed, "God Only Knows" by The Beach Boys. [15] The following concert on the 27th saw Swift performing, "Tonight Tonight" with Hot Chelle Rae [15] and on the 28th, she performed "Super Bass" with Nicki Minaj . [16]
• During her concert in at Rogers Arena, Swift performed "You Learn" and "Baby". She was later joined onstage by Tal Bachman to perform his hit, "She's So High". [17]
• During her concert at the Bridgestone Arena on September 16, Swift was joined by Ronnie Dunn and the two performed "Bleed Red". She was also joined by Hayley Williams and the two performed "That's What You Get". [18]
• For her concerts in Atlanta, Swift was joined onstage by Usher to perform "Yeah!" on the first and rapper T.I. performing "Live Your Life" on the second. [19]
• During her concert at the Cowboys Stadium, Swift was joined onstage by B.o.B to perform " Airplanes ". [20]
• For her concerts in Glendale, Swift performed "No Parade", "The Middle" and "All You Wanted". [21]
• During her concert at the Valley View Casino Center, Swift performed, "Dare You to Move". [22]
• During the concert at the Frank Erwin Center, Swift was joined onstage by Shawn Colvin to perform "Sunny Came Home". [23]
• During her concert at Minute Maid Park, Swift was joined onstage by Nelly to perform "Just a Dream" [24]
• During her concert at the American Airlines Arena, Swift was joined by Flo Rida to perform "Right Round". [25]
• During her concert at the Colonial Life Arena, Swift was joined by Darius Rucker to perform "Alright". [26]
• During her concert at the Madison Square Garden, Swift was joined by Selena Gomez to perform "Who Says" and James Taylor to perform "Fire and Rain". [27]

Gallery [ ]

Tour dates [ ].

• [note 1] a This concert was a part of the Speak Now, Help Now

Box office score data [ ]

References [ ].

• ↑ "Top 50 Worldwide Tours (01/01/2011 - 06/30/2011)" . Pollstar . Pollstar, Inc.. 8 July 2011 . http://www.pollstarpro.com/files/Charts2011/071811Top50WorldwideTours.pdf . Retrieved 15 July 2011 .
• ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0Mnebw_TJc&feature=digest_fri
• ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Taylor Swift’s World Tour" . Pollstar . Associated Content. 2010-11-23 . http://pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/11/23/748307.aspx . Retrieved 2010-11-24 .
• ↑ Vena, Jocelyn (2010-11-23). "Taylor Swift Announces Speak Now World Tour Dates" . MTV News . MTV Networks . http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1652946/20101123/swift__taylor.jhtml . Retrieved 2010-11-24 .
• ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Mapes, Jillian. "Taylor Swift Announces 'Speak Now' World Tour" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . http://www.billboard.com/events/taylor-swift-announces-speak-now-world-tour-1004130458.story#/events/taylor-swift-announces-speak-now-world-tour-1004130458.story . Retrieved 2010-11-24 .
• ↑ Golden, Fran (2010-10-22). "Taylor Swift to Perform on World's Largest Cruise Ship" . AOL Travel News . AOL, Inc. . http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/10/22/taylor-swift-to-perform-on-world-s-largest-cruise-ship/ . Retrieved 2010-11-24 .
• ↑ Lee, Raquel (9 February 2011). "Singapore Idol Sezairi Sezali to open for Taylor Swift" . MediaCorp Channel NewsAsia . MediaCorp . http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/entertainment/view/1109575/1/.html . Retrieved 19 February 2011 .
• ↑ "Taylor Swift picks Sam Concepcion to be part of her show" . ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs . ABS–CBN Corporation. 3 February 2011 . http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/02/03/11/taylor-swift-picks-sam-concepcion-be-part-her-show . Retrieved 3 February 2011 .
• ↑ "Tom Dice naar Vorst met countryster Taylor Swift [Tom Dice to perform with country star Taylor Swift]" (in Dutch). De Standaard . Corelio. 7 March 2011 . http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=SU37696L . Retrieved 7 March 2011 .
• ↑ Smith, Jay (2 December 2010). "Taylor Swift’s NeedToBreathe" . Pollstar . Associated Press . http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/12/02/749061.aspx . Retrieved 2 February 2011 .
• ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 "Taylor Swift Adds Opening Acts to North American Tour" . Country Music Television . 2011-03-03 . http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1659143/taylor-swift-adds-opening-acts-to-north-american-tour.jhtml . Retrieved 2011-03-18 .
• ↑ 12.0 12.1 Rubenstein, Jenna Hally (11 August 2011). "WATCH: Taylor Swift Covers Fall Out Boy's 'Sugar, We're Goin Down'" . MTV Buzzworthy Blog . MTV Networks. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/61Lt95kH8 . Retrieved 31 August 2011 .
• ↑ Nessif, Bruna (4 August 2011). "Taylor Swift Makes Eminem's "Lose Yourself" Sound Sweet" . E! Online . NBCUniversal. Archived from the original on 31 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/61LsrP3M0 . Retrieved 31 August 2011 .
• ↑ Gallo, Phil (24 August 2011). "Justin Bieber Crashes Taylor Swift's L.A. Concert: Video" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Archived from the original on 31 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/61LtT9uCM . Retrieved 31 August 2011 .
• ↑ 15.0 15.1 Jones, Anthony (29 August 2011). "Nicki Minaj, Jason Mraz join Taylor Swift on-stage for surprise duets" . All Headline News . http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/90058539 . Retrieved 8 September 2011 .
• ↑ Kennedy, Gerrick D. (29 August 2011). "Taylor Swift's final Staples show gets boost from Nicki Minaj" . Los Angeles Times . Tribune Company . http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2011/08/taylor-swift-gets-a-bit-of-help-from-nicki-minaj-.html . Retrieved 8 September 2011 .
• ↑ Collins, Leah (18 July 2011). "Taylor Swift Covers Justin Bieber In Concert (Alanis Morissette and Tal Bachman, Too)" . Dose . Postmedia Network. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1322084333DQEBCQSOLC . Retrieved 23 November 2011 .
• ↑ Hogan, Marc (20 September 2011). "Paramore's Hayley Williams Duets With Taylor Swift" . Spin . Archived from the original on 6 October 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/62EDQI9b9 . Retrieved 6 October 2011 .
• ↑ RTT Staf Writer (3 October 2011). "Taylor Swift Performs With Usher And T.I. In Atlanta" . RTTNews. Archived from the original on 6 October 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/62EDaa9hd . Retrieved 6 October 2011 .
• ↑ Partridge, Kenneth (11 October 2011). "Taylor Swift and B.o.B. Take 'Airplanes' for a Spin in Dallas" . The Boot . Aol, Inc.. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1319703157ATDBDBSHCF . Retrieved 27 October 2011 .
• ↑ Partridge, Kenneth (24 October 2011). "Taylor Swift Covers Jimmy Eat World, Michelle Branch + More" . The Boot . Aol, Inc.. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1319703490ZGKBKGNFPW . Retrieved 27 October 2011 .
• ↑ Kragen, Pam (21 October 2011). "CONCERT REVIEW: Swift wows local fans with spectacular arena show" . North County Times . Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1319703407NUTOPSYUQM . Retrieved 27 October 2011 .
• ↑ "Taylor Swift 'Came Home' to Austin With Shawn Colvin" . The Boot . Aol, Inc.. 2011 October 31. Archived from the original on 1 November 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1320330683LUPVXYAXLZ . Retrieved 1 November 2011 .
• ↑ Galperina, Marina (7 November 2011). "Taylor Swift and Nelly Duet in Houston" . The Boot . Aol, Inc.. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1322083778NRZENHUJPA . Retrieved 23 November 2011 .
• ↑ "Taylor Swift Brings Flo Rida On Stage To Duet" . WBBM-FM . CBS Radio. 16 November 2011. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1322083962EORGBJIKAL . Retrieved 23 November 2011 .
• ↑ Patridge, Kenneth (19 November 2011). "Taylor Swift Sings 'Alright' with Darius Rucker in South Carolina" . The Boot . Aol, Inc.. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1322084134PAPNOJLSPS . Retrieved 23 November 2011 .
• ↑ Smith, Grady (23 November 2011). "Taylor Swift wraps her Speak Now tour in New York City, sings with James Taylor and Selena Gomez" . Entertainment Weekly . Time Inc.. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1322083491PVSVXTAOEB . Retrieved 23 November 2011 .
• ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 "Schedule" . Taylor Swift's Official Website . Universal Music Group . http://www.taylorswift.com/tour . Retrieved 2010-11-24 .
• ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 Evans, Rob (2010-12-07). "Taylor Swift adds new shows in response to huge demand" . SoundSpike . MTV Networks . http://www.soundspike.com/news/tour/1187-taylor_swift_tour_taylor_swift_adds_new_shows_in.html . Retrieved 2010-12-10 .
• ↑ Evans, Rob (24 March 2011). "Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" tour to stretch into November" . Soundspike . MTV Networks . http://www.soundspike.com/news/tour/1825-taylor_swift_concert_news_tour_dates/ . Retrieved 7 April 2011 .
• ↑ "Taylor Swift Announces 2012 Australian Tour" . 2Day FM . Austereo Radio Network . 11 August 2011. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/612pbsRyz . Retrieved 18 August 2011 .
• ↑ "Taylor Swift ending world tour in Auckland" . The New Zealand Herald . APN News & Media . 11 August 2011. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/612q5nz09 . Retrieved 18 August 2011 .
• ↑ "Taylor Swift 'Speak Now' Australian Tour" . LiveGuide . Archived from the original on 31 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/61LsRrxuv . Retrieved 31 August 2011 .
• ↑ 34.00 34.01 34.02 34.03 34.04 34.05 34.06 34.07 34.08 34.09 34.10 34.11 34.12 34.13 "Billboard Boxscore: Issue Date 11/12/2011" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 12 November 2011. Archived from the original on 3 November 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/62unqErKa . Retrieved 3 November 2011 .
• ↑ 35.0 35.1 "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 25 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010 . http://www.webcitation.org/5zTCZ3F5s . Retrieved 15 June 2011 .
• ↑ "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 18 June 2011. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010 . http://www.webcitation.org/5zSnmfjuV . Retrieved 15 June 2011 .
• ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 38.6 "Billboard Boxscore: Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 2 July 2011. Archived from the original on 23 June 2010 . http://www.webcitation.org/5zeI2NXbR . Retrieved 23 June 2011 .
• ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 "Billboard Boxscore - Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 16 July 2011. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/5zznvuCFd . Retrieved 7 July 2011 .
• ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4 40.5 40.6 40.7 "Billboard Boxscore - Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 20 August 2011. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/60rDyICmm . Retrieved 11 August 2011 .
• ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 "Billboard Boxscore - Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 27 August 2011. Archived from the original on 18 August 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/612mObvTM . Retrieved 18 August 2011 .
• ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 "Billboard Boxscore - Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 17 September 2011. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011 . http://www.freezepage.com/1315494553EGFUVPBGXN . Retrieved 8 September 2011 .
• ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4 43.5 43.6 "Billboard Boxscore - Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 8 October 2011. Archived from the original on 3 October 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/62B39eFGi . Retrieved 3 October 2011 .
• ↑ 44.00 44.01 44.02 44.03 44.04 44.05 44.06 44.07 44.08 44.09 44.10 44.11 44.12 "Billboard Boxscore - Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 5 November 2011. Archived from the original on 27 October 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/62jzr4ts8 . Retrieved 27 October 2011 .
• ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 "Billboard Boxscore - Current Scores" . Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 19 November 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011 . http://www.webcitation.org/635XAfq7J . Retrieved 10 November 2011 .

External links [ ]

• Swift's official website

Cite error: <ref> tags exist for a group named "note", but no corresponding <references group="note"/> tag was found

• 1 List of Taylor Swift's ex-boyfriends
• 2 List of songs
• 3 The Eras Tour/Gallery

How to Watch All of Taylor Swift's Concert Films and Documentaries

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• Taylor Swift's concert films feature footage of her performances for those unable to attend or who want to relive big moments.
• Taylor Swift's documentary Miss Americana gave a glimpse into her personal life and discussed heavy topics.
• The Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Session gave Taylor Swift a chance to perform songs live during a time of global fear.

It might not be a "Cruel Summer" anymore, but the Swifties have a lot to look forward to in 2024. Last year, Taylor Swift released in theaters a film focused on her record-breaking tour, The Eras Tour , followed by the re-recording of her iconic 1989 album. Now, Swifties are expecting Swift to announce Reputation re-recording at any moment as she's about to come back touring.

Breaking records left and right with her albums and re-recorded albums, Swift also has filmed some interesting documentaries and concert films over the years. In fact, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement. Some of her films focus solely on her performances and tours, but a few of them give a glimpse into her writing and crafting process. Others are purely raw, revealing, and inspirational, taking a deep dive into her private life. But regardless of what they cover, all of them are outstanding projects and can be found on streaming.

Updated on January 31, 2024, by Andrea Sandoval: Taylor Swift has been one of the most important artists of the last two decades. With 10 albums and 4 re-recordings, she has positioned herself as one of the most successful singers. Especially in 2023, Taylor Swift's popularity rose above anything people could have ever expected. In 2023, she released two re-recordings and a concert film, while touring around the United States and South America. For new and old Swifties interested in following Taylor Swift's cinematographic universe, they can go to several streaming services to have access to all of her films. We updated this article to update the information as of January 2024.

Taylor Swift's Concert Films

Taylor swift's eras tour movie is the highest-grossing concert film in history.

The Eras Tour has become the highest-grossing concert movie in North America and is on track to secure the second-largest October opening in history.

Taylor Swift might be a master of the pen, but she has been interested in different sides of the entertainment world. Outside of writing her own music inspired by her life and experience, she is also creating new fictional worlds, both in songs. Since her Lover era, Swift has both starred in and directed most of her music videos, including "The Man," "Cardigan," " All Too Well (10 Minute Version), " "Anti-Hero," and more. But besides music videos, Swift also treated her fans to a series of concert films and a couple of documentaries.

Swift has been releasing concert films since she toured with her second album, Fearless , releasing Journey to Fearless in 2010. This movie is more than just a film of her concert. She also discusses promoting her second album and her rise to fame. A year later, she released the Speak Now World Tour Live , following her international tour for her same-titled third album, and The 1989 World Tour Live , which focused on her fifth album. Unlike the Speak Now World Tour Live , The 1989 World Tour Live also came with commentaries from Swift and her close friends. In 2018, she released a new concert film for her record-breaking Reputation Stadium Tour; in 2020, the City of Lover featured a performance in Paris. Last year, Swift released in theaters The Eras Tour concert, which has already surpassed $100 million worldwide in advance ticket sales.

Taylor Swift: Journey to Fearless was released as a three-episode series on The Hub, which has since become the Discovery Family, and it was later released in full on DVD, just like Speak Now World Tour . Since her third concert film, the 1989 World Tour Live, she has turned to streaming services. It was released on Apple Music following her move to withdraw her music catalog from Spotify. Next, she turned to Netflix for her Reputation Stadium Tour . City of Lover was released on ABC, and it streamed on Hulu and Disney+ for a limited time. Meanwhile, The Eras Tour concert film went straight to the big screen, with a worldwide premiere, and now it's available for rent on Apple TV.

Taylor Swift and Miss Americana

From taylor swift to selena gomez, celebrity documentaries are tackling mental health.

Many celebrities, including Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, are using their platforms to openly discuss mental health in honest documentaries.

Taylor Swift surprised fans when she revealed she would be releasing a documentary on her personal life. Working with Emmy-winning filmmaker Lana Wilson, her documentary film called Miss Americana gives a never-seen-before look at her private life. She opens up about her mental health, insecurities, and fears.

The documentary covers videos of Swift planning her 2020 Lover Fest tour, which she had to cancel due to the pandemic, recording songs for her album Lover , and the fact that her sixth album, Reputation , didn't receive a nod at the Grammy Awards. The film also shows Swift at home with her cats and gives small glimpses of her then-boyfriend, British actor Joe Alwyn. It was also the first time Swift had publicly opened up about politics, releasing the song "Only the Young," which features in the credits of Miss Americana.

For her documentary, the 12-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter teamed up with Lana Wilson and Netflix. The film premiered on the opening night of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and was available on Netflix and select theaters starting on January 31, 2020. Its title comes from Swift's 2019 song "Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince," off her seventh studio album, Lover . It received widespread critical acclaim and an approval rating of 91 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Taylor Swift Presents Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions

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During the pandemic, as she was living with her then-boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, Swift started doing what she did best -- write, only this time, with no pressure. Out of her "quiet" time, two "sister" albums were born: Folklore and Evermore , with fictional characters she invented. Since there were no get-togethers during that time, the Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions allowed her to perform the songs live for the first time with her co-writers and producers, Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner, while also discussing their writing and crafting process. It was also the perfect setting, evoking the nostalgic, wistful nature of the album. The documentary also revealed that Alwyn was one of the co-writers for the album, writing "Betty" and "Exile" under the pseudonym William Bowery.

2020 was a difficult year for most of the world, but not for Taylor Swift. She was still handling the cancelation of her Lover Fest tour but decided to let her creative mind roam, and she released three different films -- the City of Lover concert film of her only performance for the Lover album in Paris, the Miss Americana documentary, and Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions . The latter was released on Disney+ on November 25, 2020.

When she's not writing #1 albums, directing music videos, or releasing concert films and documentaries, Swift also acts. So far, she has starred in 2014's The Giver , David O. Russell's Amsterdam in 2022, 2012's The Lorax, and the 2019 adaptation of the musical Cats . The "All Too Well" singer is also planning to make her feature directorial debut with an original script, making sure that the world will continue to have fresh Swift content.

Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour

Experience the breathtaking Eras Tour concert, performed by the one and only Taylor Swift.

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Taylor Swift|Speak Now World Tour Live

Speak Now World Tour Live Taylor Swift

• Released on 1/1/11 by Big Machine Records, LLC
• Main artists: Taylor Swift
• Genre: Country

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Recorded during her Speak Now World Tour in 2011, this live recording collects 16 performances from the country-pop starlet, including all 14 songs from her 2010 studio outing Speak Now, as well as covers of Train's "Drops of Jupiter" and Kim Carnes' "Bette Davis Eyes." The DVD/Blu-ray disc that accompanies some editions of World Tour Live: Speak Now features 18 performances, as well as home movies and rehearsal footage for the show, which was an elaborate affair that utilized dancers, aerialists, numerous costume changes, and a mammoth, multi-stage setup that more closely resembled a high-profile Broadway musical than it did a country music concert. © James Christopher Monger /TiVo

Speak Now World Tour Live

Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist

℗ 2011 Big Machine Records, LLC.

Ryan Tedder, ComposerLyricist - Taylor Swift, MainArtist, ComposerLyricist

Pat Monahan, ComposerLyricist - Scott Underwood, ComposerLyricist - Jimmy Stafford, ComposerLyricist - Charlie Colin, ComposerLyricist - Rob Hotchkiss, ComposerLyricist - Taylor Swift, MainArtist

℗ 2011 Big Machine Records, LLC

Donna Weiss, ComposerLyricist - Jackie DeShannon, ComposerLyricist - Taylor Swift, MainArtist

Berry Gordy Jr., ComposerLyricist - Deke Richards, ComposerLyricist - Alphonso Mizell, ComposerLyricist - Freddie Perren, ComposerLyricist - Taylor Swift, MainArtist

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About the album.

• 1 disc(s) - 16 track(s)
• Total length: 01:19:08
• Composer: Various Composers
• Label: Big Machine Records, LLC

© 2011 Apollo A-1 LLC ℗ 2011 Apollo A-1 LLC

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Photo: Jemal Countess/WireImage for Songwriter's Hall of Fame

For The Record: How Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' Changed Her Career — And Proved She'll Always Get The Last Word

The third Taylor Swift album to receive the 'Taylor's Version' treatment, 'Speak Now' isn't just a time capsule for the superstar — it was the turning point for her both personally and professionally.

As Taylor Swift began work on her third album, she knew all eyes were on her. The singer had solidified her status as a bonafide country-pop superstar thanks to her sophomore LP, 2008's Fearless , which earned Swift her first four GRAMMYs, including Album Of The Year. Meanwhile, her personal life had become non-stop fodder for the tabloids; critics painted her as a boy-crazy maneater ready to chew up exes for the sake of hits.

While her first two records had largely centered on romantic daydreams and small-town adolescence, Swift's new level of fame meant her next set of music would involve more high-profile subjects. Like, say, the rapper who'd tried to humiliate her in front of the entire world at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards. Or the Hollywood starlet she was convinced had stolen her pop star boyfriend. Or the critic who had taken a particularly vicious swipe at her on his well-known industry blog. All of those moments pinwheeled around a common theme: speaking up, speaking out, speaking her truth. And the result became Speak Now .

"These songs are made up of words I didn't say when the moment was right in front of me," Swift wrote in the LP's liner notes. "These songs are open letters. Each is written with a specific person in mind, telling them what I meant to tell them in person."

Swift's Speak Now era officially began in August 2010, when she released "Mine" as the album's lead single. The rollout was expedited by two weeks after the song leaked on the internet, but even with an earlier-than-planned release, the star immediately proved she was pushing her songcraft past the high school hallways and teenage fairytales of her first two albums — a level of maturity that rang through Speak Now .

"Mine" told an altogether different kind of love story, one that confronted the daunting realities of adulthood head-on. Instead of the hopeless romantic fans had come to know on past hits like "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me," Swift positioned herself as the jaded protagonist at the tale's center, one whose walls are only broken down by this new, grown-up kind of love.

Becoming her fourth top five hit on the Billboard Hot 100, "Mine" also contained a particularly flawless turn of phrase in its chorus — "you made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter" — that remains, to this day, one of the best examples of Swift's razor-sharp talent for crafting the perfect lyric.

The rest of Speak Now — which Swift wrote entirely alone as a mic drop against critics — proved to have the same kind of brilliance. Swift had unleashed a new layer of her songwriting ability; not only did she dive deeper into the unveiled honesty of her diaristic style, but she also hinted at the whimsical storytelling that was to come on future albums, particularly 2020's folklore and evermore . But above all, Speak Now showed that Swift would never leave anything unspoken again.

Swift's evolution as a songwriter mirrored her growing success: Upon its October 2010 release, Speak Now sold an eye-popping 1,047,000 copies in its first week. The seven-digit sales figure nearly doubled Fearless ' opening week tally of 592,300, and became the first album to achieve the million-copy first-week feat in more than two years. (The achievement also foreshadowed the records Swift would break with her subsequent releases, most recently her majorly record-breaking 10th album, Midnights .)

Nearly every track on Speak Now had fans and the press hunting for clues about who was on the receiving end of Swift's open letters. There's "Back to December," a break-up ballad written for Taylor Lautner, and "Better Than Revenge," a condescending clapback at Camilla Belle for "sabotaging" her romance with Joe Jonas . She even offered Kanye West a surprising amount of grace after their viral VMAs moment on the downtempo ballad "Innocent."

Arguably the most talked-about Speak Now subject was (and still is) John Mayer , who had two songs aimed squarely at him: pop-punk-fueled single "The Story of Us" and "Dear John," a devastating dressing down of their 12-year age gap. The latter even mimicked Mayer's trademark blues guitar as Swift wailed, "Dear John, I see it all now, it was wrong/ Don't you think 19's too young/ To be played by your dark, twisted games when I loved you so?/ I should've known."

Perhaps the most victorious moment from Taylor's Speak Now era, though, came from "Mean." The banjo-tinged tune served as a deliciously twangy clapback to critic Bob Lefsetz, who had publicly derided Swift's 2010 GRAMMYs performance with Stevie Nicks , just hours before she was awarded Album Of The Year for the first time.

Not only did "Mean" end up winning Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 2012 GRAMMYs, but Swift also got the last word by performing the single during the ceremony. In the final chorus, Swift landed her knock-out punch — the music dropped out completely as she triumphantly declared, "But someday I'll be singin' this at the GRAMMYs/ And all you're ever gonna be is mean."

Nearly 13 years after Speak Now was first unveiled, Swift is now on the precipice of giving her beloved third album its highly anticipated Taylor's Version re-release — appropriately the third project after Fearless and Red to be re-recorded in her history-making quest to own her life's work.

The new edition of Speak Now will contain all 14 tracks on the original LP as well as sixth single "Ours" and fellow deluxe cut "Superman." (Though released in March to celebrate the start of The Eras Tour , "If This Was a Movie" was mysteriously left off the (Taylor's Version) tracklist.) It will also feature six vault tracks from the era, including collaborations with Paramore 's Hayley Williams ("Castles Crumbling") and Fall Out Boy ("Electric Touch"), two acts Swift said "influenced me most powerfully as a lyricist" back when she was recording the album in 2010. 

As the lone LP in her now 10-album discography to be written solely by Swift's pen, Speak Now undoubtedly holds a special and solitary place in the superstar's heart. Looking back on the album after announcing the Taylor's Version release at her first Nashville Eras Tour stop , she made clear it has only become more meaningful over the last 13 years. 

"I first made Speak Now , completely self-written, between the ages of 18 and 20," she wrote in a social media post announcing the album . "The songs that came from this time in my life were marked by their brutal honesty, unfiltered diaristic confessions and wild wistfulness. I love this album because it tells a tale of growing up, flailing, flying and crashing…and living to speak about it."

10 Albums On Divorce & Heartache, From Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' To Kelly Clarkson's 'Chemistry'

Photo: Jeremy Cowart

Behind Ryan Tedder's Hits: Stories From The Studio With OneRepublic, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift & More

As OneRepublic releases their latest album, the group's frontman and pop maverick gives an inside look into some of the biggest songs he's written — from how Beyoncé operates to Tom Cruise's prediction for their 'Top Gun' smash.

Three months after OneRepublic began promoting their sixth album, Artificial Paradise , in February 2022, the band unexpectedly had their biggest release in nearly a decade. The pop-rock band's carefree jam, "I Ain't Worried," soundtracked Top Gun: Maverick 's most memeable scene and quickly became a global smash — ultimately delaying album plans in favor of promoting their latest hit.

Two years later, "I Ain't Worried" is one of 16 tracks on Artificial Paradise , which arrived July 12. It's a seamless blend of songs that will resonate with longtime and newer fans alike. From the layered production of "Hurt," to the feel-good vibes of "Serotonin," to the evocative lyrics of "Last Holiday," Artificial Paradise shows that OneRepublic's sound is as dialed-in as it is ever-evolving.

The album also marks the end of an era for OneRepublic, as it's the last in their contract with Interscope Records. But for the group's singer, Ryan Tedder , that means the future is even more exciting than it's been in their entire 15-year career.

"I've never been more motivated to write the best material of my life than this very moment," he asserts. "I'm taking it as a challenge. We've had a lot of fun, and a lot of uplifting records for the last seven or eight years, but I also want to tap back into some deeper material with the band."

As he's been prepping Artificial Paradise with his OneRepublic cohorts, Tedder has also been as busy as he's ever been working with other artists. His career as a songwriter/producer took off almost simultaneously with OneRepublic's 2007 breakthrough, "Apologize" (his first major behind-the-board hit was Leona Lewis ' "Bleeding Love"); to this day he's one of the go-to guys for pop's biggest names, from BLACKPINK to Tate McRae .

Tedder sat down with GRAMMY.com to share some of his most prominent memories of OneRepublic's biggest songs, as well as some of the hits he's written with Beyoncé , Adele , Taylor Swift and more.

OneRepublic — "Apologize," 'Dreaming Out Loud' (2007)

I was producing and writing other songs for different artists on Epic and Atlantic — I was just cutting my teeth as a songwriter in L.A. This is like 2004. I was at my lowest mentally and financially. I was completely broke. Creditors chasing me, literally dodging the taxman and getting my car repoed, everything.

I had that song in my back pocket for four years. A buddy of mine just reminded me last month, a songwriter from Nashville — Ashley Gorley , actually. We had a session last month, me, him and Amy Allen , and he brought it up. He was like, "Is it true, the story about 'Apologize'? You were completely broke living in L.A. and Epic Records offered you like 100 grand or something just for the right to record the song on one of their artists?"

And that is true. It was, like, 20 [grand], then 50, then 100. And I was salivating. I was, like, I need this money so bad . And I give so many songs to other people, but with that song, I drew a line in the sand and said, "No one will sing this song but me. I will die with this song." 

It was my story, and I just didn't want anyone else to sing it. It was really that simple. It was a song about my past relationships, it was deeply personal. And it was also the song that — I spent two years trying to figure out what my sound was gonna be. I was a solo artist… and I wasn't landing on anything compelling. Then I landed on "Apologize" and a couple of other songs, and I was like, These songs make me think of a band, not solo artist material. So it was the song that led me to the sound of OneRepublic, and it also led me to the idea that I should start a band and not be a solo artist.

We do it every night. I'll never not do it. I've never gotten sick of it once. Every night that we do it, whether I'm in Houston or Hong Kong, I look out at the crowd and look at the band, and I'm like, Wow. This is the song that got us here.

Beyoncé — "Halo," 'I Am…Sacha Fierce' (2008)

We were halfway through promoting Dreaming Out Loud , our first album. I played basketball every day on tour, and I snapped my Achilles. The tour got canceled. The doctor told me not to even write. And I had this one sliver of an afternoon where my wife had to run an errand. And because I'm sadistic and crazy, I texted [songwriter] Evan Bogart, "I got a three-hour window, race over here. Beyoncé called me and asked me to write her a song. I want to do it with you." He had just come off his huge Rihanna No. 1, and we had an Ashley Tisdale single together.

When you write enough songs, not every day do the clouds part and God looks down on you and goes, "Here." But that's what happened on that day. I turn on the keyboard, the first sound that I play is the opening sound of the song. Sounds like angels singing. And we wrote the song pretty quick, as I recall. 

I didn't get a response [from Beyoncé after sending "Halo" over], which I've now learned is very, very typical of her. I did Miley Cyrus and Beyoncé "II MOST WANTED" [from COWBOY CARTER ] — I didn't know that was coming out 'til five days before it came out. And when I did "XO" [from 2013's Beyoncé ], I found out that "XO" was coming out 12 hours before it came out. That's how she operates.

OneRepublic — "Good Life," 'Waking Up' (2009)

["Good Life"] was kind of a Hail Mary. We already knew that "All the Right Moves" would be the first single [from Waking Up ]. We knew that "Secrets" was the second single. And in the 11th hour, our engineer at the time — who I ended up signing as a songwriter, Noel Zancanella — had this drum loop that he had made, and he played it for Brent [Kutzle] in our band. Brent said, "You gotta hear this drum loop that Noel made. It's incredible."

He played it for me the next morning, and I was like, "Yo throw some chords to this. I'm writing to this today." They threw some chords down, and the first thing out of my mouth was, [ sings ] "Oh, this has gotta be the good life." 

It's the perfect example of, oftentimes, the chord I've tried to strike with this band with some of our bigger records, [which] is happy sad. Where you feel nostalgic and kind of melancholic, but at the same time, euphoric. That's what those chords and that melody did for me.

I was like, "Hey guys, would it be weird if I made the hook a whistle?" And everyone was like, "No! Do not whistle!" They're like, "Name the last hit song that had a whistle." And the only one I could think of was, like, Scorpion from like, 1988. [ Laughs .] So I thought, To hell with it, man, it's been long enough, who cares? Let's try it. And the whistle kind of made the record. It became such a signature thing.

Adele — "Rumour Has It," '21' (2011)

"Rumour Has It" was the first song I did in probably a four year period, with any artist, that wasn't a ballad. All any artist ever wanted me to write with them or for them, was ballads, because of "Halo," and "Apologize" and "Bleeding Love."

I begged [Adele] to do a [song with] tempo, because we did "Turning Tables," another ballad. She was in a feisty mood [that day], so I was like, "Okay, we're doing a tempo today!"

Rick Rubin was originally producing the whole album. I was determined to produce Adele, not just write — because I wanted a shot to show her that I could, and to show myself. I stayed later after she left, and I remember thinking, What can I do in this record in this song that could be so difficult to reproduce that it might land me the gig?

So I intentionally muted the click track, changed the tempo, and [created that] whole piano bridge. I was making it up as I went. When she got in that morning. I said, "I have a crazy idea for a bridge. It's a movie." She listens and she says, "This is really different, I like this! How do we write to this?" 

I mean, it was very difficult. [But] we finished the song. She recorded the entire song that day. She recorded the whole song in one take. I've never seen anyone do that in my life — before or since.

Then I didn't hear from her for six months. Because I handed over the files, and Rick Rubin's doing it, so I don't need to check on it. I randomly check on the status of the song — and at this point, if you're a songwriter or producer, you're assuming that they're not keeping the songs. Her manager emails my manager, "Hey, good news — she's keeping both songs they did, and she wants Ryan to finish 'Rumour Has It' production and mix it." 

When I finally asked her, months later — probably at the GRAMMYs — I said, "Why didn't [Rick] do it?" She said, "Oh he did. It's that damn bridge! Nobody could figure out what the hell you were doing…It was so problematic that we just gave up on it."

OneRepublic — "Counting Stars," 'Native' (2013)

I was in a Beyoncé camp in the Hamptons writing for the self-titled album. [There were] a bunch of people in the house — me, Greg Kurstin , Sia — it was a fun group of people. I had four days there, and every morning I'd get up an hour and a half before I had to leave, make a coffee, and start prepping for the day. On the third day, I got up, I'm in the basement of this house at like 7 in the morning, and I'm coming up with ideas. I stumble across that chord progression, the guitar and the melody. It was instant shivers up my spine.  

"Lately I've been losing sleep, dreaming about the things that we could be" is the only line that I had. [My] first thought was, I should play this for Beyoncé , and then I'm listening to it and going, This is not Beyoncé, not even remotely. It'd be a waste. So I tabled it, and I texted the guys in my band, "Hey, I think I have a potentially really big record. I'm going to finish it when I get back to Denver."

I got back the next week, started recording it, did four or five versions of the chorus, bouncing all the versions off my wife, and then eventually landed it. And when I played it for the band, they were like, "This is our favorite song."

Taylor Swift — "Welcome to New York," '1989' (2014)

It was my second session with Taylor. The first one was [ 1989 's] "I Know Places," and she sent me a voice memo. I was looking for a house in Venice [California], because we were spending so much time in L.A. So that whole memory is attached to me migrating back to Los Angeles.  

But I knew what she was talking about, because I lived in New York, and I remember the feeling — endless possibilities, all the different people and races and sexes and loves. That was her New York chapter. She was so excited to be there. If you never lived there, and especially if you get there and you've got a little money in the pocket, it is so exhilarating.

It was me just kind of witnessing her brilliant, fast-paced, lyrical wizardry. [Co-producer] Max [Martin] and I had a conversation nine months later at the GRAMMYs, when we had literally just won for 1989 . He kind of laughed, he pointed to all the other producers on the album, and he's like, "If she had, like, three more hours in the day, she would just figure out what we do and she would do it. And she wouldn't need any of us." 

And I still think that's true. Some people are just forces of nature in and among themselves, and she's one of them. She just blew me away. She's the most talented top liner I've ever been in a room with, bar none. If you're talking lyric and melody, I've never been in a room with anyone faster, more adept, knows more what they want to say, focused, efficient, and just talented.

Jonas Brothers — "Sucker," 'Happiness Begins' (2019)

I had gone through a pretty dry spell mentally, emotionally. I had just burned it at both ends and tapped out, call it end of 2016. So, really, all of 2017 for me was a blur and a wash. I did a bunch of sessions in the first three months of the year, and then I just couldn't get a song out. I kept having, song after song, artists telling me it's the first single, [then] the song was not even on the album. I had never experienced that in my career.

I went six to nine months without finishing a song, which for me is unheard of. Andrew Watt kind of roped me back into working with him. We did "Easier" for 5 Seconds of Summer , and we did some Sam Smith and some Miley Cyrus, and right in that same window, I did this song "Sucker." Two [or] three months later, Wendy Goldstein from Republic [Records] heard the record, I had sent it to her. She'd said, very quietly, "We're relaunching the Jonas Brothers . They want you to be involved in a major way. Do you have anything?" 

She calls me, she goes, "Ryan, do not play this for anybody else. This is their comeback single. It's a No. 1 record. Watch what we're gonna do." And she delivered.

OneRepublic — "I Ain't Worried," 'Top Gun: Maverick' Soundtrack (2022)

My memory is, being in lockdown in COVID, and just being like, Who knows when this is going to end , working out of my Airstream at my house. I had done a lot of songs for movies over the years, and [for] that particular [song] Randy Spendlove, who runs [music at] Paramount, called me.

I end up Zooming with Tom Cruise [and Top Gun: Maverick director] Jerry Bruckheimer — everybody's in lockdown during post-production. The overarching memory was, Holy cow, I'm doing the scene, I'm doing the song for Top Gun . I can't believe this is happening. But the only way I knew how to approach it, rather than to, like, overreact and s— the bed, was, It's just another day.

I do prescription songs for movies, TV, film all the time. I love a brief. It's so antithetical to most writers. I'm either uncontrollably lazy or the most productive person you've ever met. And the dividing line between the two is, if I'm chasing some directive, some motivation, some endpoint, then I can be wildly productive.

I just thought, I'm going to do the absolute best thing I can do for this scene and serve the film. OneRepublic being the performing artist was not on the menu in my mind. I just told them, "I think you need a cool indie band sounding, like, breakbeat." I used adjectives to describe what I heard when I saw the scene, and Tom got really ramped and excited. 

You could argue [it's the biggest song] since the band started. The thing about it is, it's kind of become one of those every summer [hits]. And when it blew up, that's what Tom said. He said, "Mark my words, dude. You're gonna have a hit with this every summer for, like, the next 20 years or more." 

And that's what happened. The moment Memorial Day happened, "I Ain't Worried" got defrosted and marched itself back into the top 100.

Tate McRae — "Greedy," 'THINK LATER' (2023)

We had "10:35" [with Tiësto ] the previous year that had been, like, a No. 1 in the UK and across Europe and Australia. So we were coming off the back of that, and the one thing she was clear about was, "That is not the direction of what I want to do."

If my memory serves me correct, "greedy" was the next to last session we had. Everything we had done up to that point was kind of dark, midtempo, emotional. So "greedy" was the weirdo outlier. I kept pushing her to do a dance record. I was like, "Tate, there's a lot of people that have great voices, and there's a lot of people who can write, but none of those people are professional dancers like you are. Your secret weapon is the thing you're not using. In this game and this career, you've got to use every asset that you have and exploit it."

There was a lot of cajoling. On that day, we did it, and I thought it was badass, and loved it. And she was like, "Ugh, what do we just do? What is this?"

So then it was just, like, months, months and months of me constantly bringing that song back up, and playing it for her, and annoying the s— out of her. And she came around on it. 

She has very specific taste. So much of the music with Tate, it really is her steering. I'll do what I think is like a finished version of a song, and then she will push everyone for weeks, if not months, to extract every ounce of everything out of them, to push the song harder, further, edgier — 19 versions of a song, until finally she goes, "Okay, this is the one." She's a perfectionist.

OneRepublic — "Last Holiday," 'Artificial Paradise' (2024)

I love [our latest single] "Hurt," but my favorite song on the album is called "Last Holiday." I probably started the beginning of that lyric, I'm not joking, seven, eight years ago. But I didn't finish it 'til this past year.

The verses are little maxims and words of advice that I've been given throughout the years. It's almost cynical in a way, the song. When I wrote the chorus, I was definitely in kind of a down place. So the opening line is, "So I don't believe in the stars anymore/ They never gave me what I wished for." And it's, obviously, a very not-so-slight reference to "Counting Stars." But it's also hopeful — "We've got some problems, okay, but this isn't our last holiday." 

It's very simple sentiments. Press pause. Take some moments. Find God before it all ends. All these things with this big, soaring chorus. Musically and emotionally and sonically, that song — and "Hurt," for sure — but "Last Holiday" is extremely us-sounding. 

The biggest enemy that we've had over the course of 18 years, I'll be the first to volunteer, is, this ever-evolving, undulating sound. No one's gonna accuse me of making these super complex concept albums, because that's just not how my brain's wired. I grew up listening to the radio. I didn't grow up hanging out in the Bowery in CBGBs listening to Nick Cave . So for us, the downside to that, and for me doing all these songs for all these other people, is the constant push and pull of "What is their sound? What genre is it?" 

I couldn't put a pin in exactly what the sound is, but what I would say is, if you look at the last 18 years, a song like "Last Holiday" really encompasses, sonically, what this band is about. It's very moving, and emotional, and dynamic. It takes me to a place — that's the best way for me to put it. And hopefully the listener finds the same.

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"Let Yourself Be Idiosyncratic": Moby Talks New Album 'Always Centered At Night' & 25 Years Of 'Play'

"We're not writing for a pop audience, we don't need to dumb it down," Moby says of creating his new record. In an interview, the multiple-GRAMMY nominee reflects on his latest album and how it contrasts with his legendary release from 1999.

Moby ’s past and present are converging in a serendipitous way. The multiple-GRAMMY nominee is celebrating the 25th anniversary of his seminal work, Play , the best-selling electronic dance music album of all time, and the release of his latest album, always centered at night .  

Where Play was a solitary creation experience for Moby, always centered at night is wholly collaborative. Recognizable names on the album are Lady Blackbird on the blues-drenched "dark days" and serpentwithfeet on the emotive "on air." But always centered at night ’s features are mainly lesser-known artists, such as the late Benjamin Zephaniah on the liquid jungle sounds of "where is your pride?" and Choklate on the slow grooves of "sweet moon."  

Moby’s music proves to have staying power: His early ‘90s dance hits "Go" and "Next is the E" still rip up dancefloors ; the songs on Play are met with instant emotional reactions from millennials who heard them growing up. Moby is even experiencing a resurgence of sorts with Gen Z. In 2023, Australian drum ‘n’ bass DJ/producer Luude and UK vocalist Issey Cross reimagined Moby’s classic "Porcelain" into "Oh My." Earlier this year, Moby released "You and Me" with Italian DJ/producer Anfisa Letyago .  

Music is just one of Moby’s many creative ventures. He wrote and directed Punk Rock Vegan Movie as well as writing and starring in his homemade documentary, Moby Doc . The two films are produced by his production company, Little Walnut , which also makes music videos, shorts and the podcast "Moby Pod ." Moby and co-host Lindsay Hicks have an eclectic array of guests, from actor Joe Manganiello to Ed Begley, Jr., Steve-O and Hunter Biden. The podcast interviews have led to "some of the most meaningful interpersonal experiences," Moby tells GRAMMY.com.  

A upcoming episode of "Moby Pod" dedicated to Play was taped live over two evenings at Los Angeles’ Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The episode focuses on Moby recounting his singular experiences around the unexpected success of that album — particularly considering the abject failure of his previous album, Animal Rights . The narrative was broken up by acoustic performances of songs from Play , as well as material from Always Centered at Night (which arrives June 14) with special guest Lady Blackbird. Prior to the taping, Moby spoke to GRAMMY.com about both albums.  

'Always centered at night' started as a label imprint then became the title of your latest album. How did that happen?  

I realized pretty quickly that I just wanted to make music and not necessarily worry about being a label boss. Why make more busy work for myself ?

The first few songs were this pandemic process of going to SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube and asking people for recommendations to find voices that I wasn’t familiar with, and then figuring out how to get in touch with them. The vast majority of the time, they would take the music I sent them and write something phenomenal.

That's the most interesting part of working with singers you've never met: You don't know what you're going to get. My only guidance was: Let yourself be creative, let yourself be idiosyncratic, let the lyrics be poetic. We're not writing for a pop audience, we don't need to dumb it down. Although, apparently Lady Blackbird is one of Taylor Swift 's favorite singers .   

Guiding the collaborators away from pop music is an unusual directive, although perhaps not for you?  

What is both sad and interesting is pop has come to dominate the musical landscape to such an extent that it seems a lot of musicians don't know they're allowed to do anything else. Some younger people have grown up with nothing but pop music. Danaé Wellington, who sings "Wild Flame," her first pass of lyrics were pop. I went back to her and said, "Please be yourself, be poetic." And she said, "Well, that’s interesting because I’m the poet laureate of Manchester." So getting her to disregard pop lyrics and write something much more personal and idiosyncratic was actually easy and really special .  

You certainly weren’t going in the pop direction when making 'Play,' but it ended up being an extremely popular album. Did you have a feeling it was going to blow up the way it did?

I have a funny story. I had a date in January 1999 in New York. We went out drinking and I had just gotten back the mastered version of   Play . We're back at my apartment, and before our date became "grown up," we listened to the record from start to finish.   She actually liked it.   And I thought,   Huh, that's interesting. I didn't think anyone was going to like this record .  

You didn’t feel anything different during the making of 'Play?'

I knew to the core of my being that   Play   was going to be a complete, abject failure. There was no doubt in my mind whatsoever. It was going to be my last record and it was going to fail. That was the time of people going into studios and spending half a million dollars. It was   Backstreet Boys   and   Limp Bizkit   and   NSYNC ; big major label records that were flawlessly produced.   Play   was made literally in my bedroom. 

I slept under the stairs like Harry Potter in my loft on Mott Street. I had one bedroom and that's where I made the record on the cheapest of cheap equipment held up literally on milk crates. Two of the songs were recorded to cassette, that's how cheap the record was. It was this weird record made by a has-been, a footnote from the early rave days. There was no world where I thought it was going to be even slightly successful. Daniel Miller from Mute said — and I remember this very clearly — "I think this record might sell over 50,000 copies." And I said, "That’s kind of you to say but let's admit that this is going to be a failure. Thank you for releasing my last record."   

Was your approach in making  'Play'  different from other albums?  

The record I had made before   Play ,   Animal Rights , was this weird, noisy metal punk industrial record that almost everybody hated. I remember this moment so vividly: I was playing Glastonbury in 1998 and it was one of those miserable Glastonbury years.   When it's good, it's paradise; it's really special.   But the first time I played, it was disgusting, truly. A foot and a half of mud everywhere, incessant rain and cold. I was telling my manager that I wanted to make another punk rock metal record. And he said the   most gentle   thing, "I know you enjoy making punk rock and metal. People really   enjoy   when you make electronic music." 

The way he said it, he wasn't saying, "You would help your career by making electronic music." He simply said, "People enjoy it." If I had been my manager, I would have said, "You're a f— ing   idiot. Everyone hated that record. What sort of mental illness and masochism is compelling you to do it again?" Like Freud said, the definition of mental illness is doing the same thing and expecting different results.   But his response was very emotional and gentle and sweet, and that got through to me.   I had this moment where I realized,   I can make music that potentially people will   enjoy   that will make them happy.   Why not pursue that?  

That was what made me not spend my time in ‘98 making an album inspired by Sepultura and   Pantera   and   instead make something more melodic and electronic.  

After years of swearing off touring, what’s making you hit stages this summer?  

I love playing live music. If you asked me to come over and play Neil Young songs in your backyard, I would say yes happily, in a second. But going on tour, the hotels and airports and everything, I really dislike it.   

My manager tricked me. He found strategically the only way to get me to go on tour was to give the money to animal rights charities. My philanthropic Achilles heel. The only thing that would get me to go on tour. It's a brief tour of Europe, pretty big venues, which is interesting for an old guy, but when the tour ends, I will have less money than when the tour begins.  

Your DJ sets are great fun. Would you consider doing DJ dates locally?  

Every now and then I’ll do something. But there’s two problems. As I've become very old and very sober, I go to sleep at 9 p.m. This young guy I was helping who was newly sober, he's a DJ. He was doing a DJ set in L.A. and he said, "You should come down. There's this cool underground scene." I said, "Great! What time are you playing?" And he said "I’m going on at 1 a.m." By that point I've been asleep for almost five hours.

I got invited to a dinner party recently that started at 8 p.m. and I was like, "What are you on? Cocaine in Ibiza? You're having dinner at 8 p.m .  What craziness is that? That’s when you're putting on your soft clothes and watching a '30 Rock' rerun before bed. That's not going out time." And the other thing is, unfortunately, like a lot of middle aged or elderly musicians, I have a little bit of tinnitus so I have to be very cautious around loud music.

Are you going to write a third memoir at any point?  

Only when I figure out something to write. It's definitely not going to be anecdotes about sobriety because my anecdotes are: woke up at 5 a.m., had a smoothie, read The New York Times , lamented the fact that people are voting for Trump, went for a hike, worked on music, played with Bagel the dog, worked on music some more went to sleep, good night. It would be so repetitive and boring. 

It has to be something about lived experience and wisdom. But I don't know if I've necessarily gotten to the point where I have good enough lived experience and wisdom to share with anyone. Maybe if I get to that point, I'll probably be wrong, but nonetheless, that would warrant maybe writing another book.

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The Environmental Impact Of Touring: How Scientists, Musicians & Nonprofits Are Trying To Shrink Concerts' Carbon Footprint

"It’s not just [about] a single tour, it’s every tour," singer Brittany Howard says of efforts to make concerts more sustainable. From the nonprofit that partnered with Billie Eilish, to an MIT initiative, the music industry aims to curb climate change.

Beloved by fans around the globe, yet   increasingly unaffordable   for many artists, concert tours are central to the world of entertainment and   local economies . After the pandemic-era   global shuttering of concert venues   large and small, tours are back, and bigger than ever.   

Taylor Swift ’s Eras Tour is   smashing records , selling more than four million tickets and earning more than $1 billion. But that tour made headlines for another reason: as reported in   Business Insider   and other outlets, for a six-month period in 2023, Swift’s two jets spent a combined 166 hours in the air between concerts, shuttling at most a total of 28 passengers.  

Against that backdrop, heightened concerns about the global environmental cost of concert touring have led a number of prominent artists to launch initiatives.   Those efforts seek both to mitigate the negative effects of touring and communicate messages about sustainability to concertgoers.  

A   2023 study   sponsored by Texas-based electricity provider Payless Power found that the carbon footprint of many touring bands was massive. In 2022, concert tours in five genres — country, classic rock, hip-hop/rap, metal and pop — were responsible for CO 2   emissions totaling nearly 45,000 metric tons. A so-called greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide contributes to climate change by radiative forcing; increased levels of CO 2   also contribute to health problems.   

No serious discussion of climate issues suggests a worldwide halt to live music touring, but there exists much room for improvement. Both on their own and with the help of dedicated nonprofit organizations, many artists are taking positive steps toward mitigating the deleterious effects that touring exerts upon the environment.   

Smart tour planning is one way to lessen an artist’s carbon footprint.   Ed Sheeran ’s 2022 European run minimized flights between concert venues, making that leg of his tour the year's most environmentally efficient. Total carbon dioxide emissions (from flights and driving) on Sheeran’s tour came to less than 150 metric tons. In contrast,   Dua Lipa ’s tour during the same period generated 12 times as much — more than 1800 metric tons — of CO 2 .   

In July, singer/songwriter and four-time GRAMMY nominee Jewel will embark on her first major tour in several years, alongside GRAMMY winner Melissa Etheridge . During the planning stage for the 28-city tour, Jewel suggested an idea that could reduce the tour’s carbon footprint.

"I always thought it was so silly and so wasteful — and so carbon footprint-negative — to have separate trucks, separate lighting, separate crews, separate hotel rooms, separate costs," Jewel says. She pitched the idea of sharing a backing band with Etheridge. "I’ve been trying to do this for 25 years," Jewel says with a laugh. "Melissa is the first person who took me up on it! "  

The changes will not only reduce the tour’s carbon footprint, but they’ll also lessen the cost of taking the shows on the road. Acknowledging that there are many opportunities to meet the challenges of touring’s negative impact upon the environment, Jewel emphasizes that “you have to find [solutions] that work for you.”

Sheeran and Jewel aren’t the only popular artists trying to make a difference. A number of   high profile   artists have become actively involved in creating the momentum for positive change. Those artists believe that their work on sustainability issues goes hand in hand with their role as public figures. Their efforts take two primary forms: making changes   themselves, and advocating for action among their fans.   

The Climate Machine  

Norhan   Bayomi   is an Egypt-born environmental scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a key member of the   Environmental Solutions Initiative , a program launched to address sustainable climate action. She’s also a recording artist in the trance genre, working under the name   Nourey .   

The ESI   collaborates with industry heavyweights   Live Nation, Warner Music Group and others as well with touring/recording acts like   Coldplay   to examine the carbon footprint of the music industry. A key component of the ESI is the   Climate Machine , a collaborative research group that seeks to help the live music industry reduce carbon emissions. "As a research institution, we bring technologies and analytics to understand, in the best way possible, the actual impact of the music industry upon climate change," says John Fernández, Director of the ESI.   

View this post on Instagram A post shared by MIT Climate Machine (@mitclimatemachine)

"I’m very interested in exploring ways that we can   bridge between   environmental science, climate change and music fans,"   Bayomi   says. She explains that the tools at the ESI’s disposal include "virtual reality, augmented reality and generative AI," media forms that can communicate messages to music fans and concertgoers. Fernández says that those endeavors are aimed at "enlisting, enabling and inspiring people to get engaged in climate change."  

The Environmental Solutions Initiative cites Coldplay as a high-profile success. The band and its management issued an   "Emissions Update" document   in June 2024, outlining   its   success at achieving their goal of reducing direct carbon emissions from show production, freight, band and crew travel.   The established target was a 50 percent cut in emissions compared to Coldplay’s previous tour; the final result was a 59 percent reduction between their 2022-23 tour and 2016-17 tour.   

A significant part of that reduction came as a result of a   renewable-energy   based battery system that powers audio and lights. The emissions data in the update was reviewed and independently validated by MIT’s Fernández.   

Change Is Reverberating  

Guitarist Adam Gardner is a founding member of Massachusetts-based indie rockers   Guster , but he's more than just a singer in a rock band. Gardner is also the co-founder of   REVERB , one of the organizations at the forefront of developing and implementing climate-focused sustainability initiatives.   

Founded in 2004 by Gardner and his wife, environmental activist Lauren Sullivan,   REVERB  began   with a goal of making touring more sustainable; over the years its focus has expanded to promote industry-wide changes. Today, the organization promotes sustainability throughout the   industry  in   partnership with music artists, concert venues and festivals.   

REVERB initiatives have included efforts to eliminate single-use plastics at the California Roots Music & Arts Festival, clean energy projects in cooperation with   Willie Nelson   and   Billie Eilish , and efforts with other major artists. Gardner has seen sustainability efforts grow over two decades  

"It’s really amazing to see the [change] with artists, with venues, with fans," Gardner says. "Today, people are not just giving lip service to sustainable efforts; they really want to do things that are real and measurable."   

The   Music Decarbonization Project   is one tangible example of REVERB’s successes. "Diesel power is one of the dirtiest sources of power," Gardner explains. "And it’s an industry standard to power festival stages with diesel generators." Working with   Willie Nelson , the organization helped switch the power sources at   his   annual Luck Reunion to clean energy. At last year’s festival, Nelson’s headlining stage drew 100 percent of its power from solar-powered batteries. "We set up a temporary solar farm," Gardner says, "and the main stage didn’t have to use any diesel power."   

Billie Eilish was another early supporter of the initiative. "She helped us launch the program," Gardner says. Eilish’s   set at Lollapallooza 2023   drew power from solar batteries, too.   

With such high-profile successes as a backdrop, Gardner believes that REVERB is poised to do even more to foster sustainable concerts and touring. "Our role now," he says, "isn’t just, ‘Hey, think about this stuff.’ It’s more how do we push farther, faster?"   

Adam Gardner believes that musicians are uniquely positioned to help make a difference where issues of sustainability are concerned. "When you’re a musician, you’re connecting with fans heart-to-heart. That’s what moves people. And that’s where the good stuff happens."   

Small-scale, individual changes can make a difference — especially when they’re coordinated and amplified among other concertgoers. Gardner provides real-world examples. "Instead of buying a plastic bottle, I brought my reusable and filled it up. Maybe I carpooled to the show." Conceding that such steps might seem like drops of water in a giant pool, he emphasizes the power of scale. "When you actually multiply [those things for] just one summer tour, it adds up," he says. "And it reminds people, ‘You’re not alone in this;   you’re   part of a community that’s taking action."   

Gardner understands that REVERB’s arguments have to be framed the right way to reach concertgoers.   "Look," he admits, "It’s a concert. We’re not here to be   a buzzkill . Our [aim] now is making sure people don’t lose hope." He says that REVERB and its partners seek to demonstrate that, with collective action and cultural change, there is reason for optimism.   

"There’s a wonderful feedback loop between hope and action," Gardner says with a smile. "You can’t really have one without the other."   

Sustainable Partnerships  

Tanner Watt is Director of Partnerships at REVERB; he works directly with touring artists to develop, coordinate and implement initiatives that bring together his organization’s objectives and the specific personal concerns of the artists. "I get to come up with all the fun, big ideas," he says with a wide smile.   

Watt acknowledges that like every concertgoer, each touring artist has a certain level of responsibility where sustainability is concerned.   "And everyone can be doing something," he says, noting a number of straightforward actions that artists can put in place while on tour.   "They can eliminate single-use waste. They can donate hotel toiletries that [would otherwise] hit the landfill."   

Watt stresses that artists can lead by example. "Nobody wants to listen to an artist telling them what to do if they’re not doing it themselves," he says. "But we believe that everybody cares about something." He suggests that if an artist has cultivated a following, "Why not use [that platform] to be that change you want to see in the world?"   

Each artist has his or her own specific areas of concern, but Watt says that there’s a base level of "greening" that takes place on every REVERB-affiliated tour. Where things go from there is up to the artist, in coordination with REVERB. Watt mentions Billie Eilish and her tour’s sustainability commitment. "The Venn diagram of food security, community health, access to healthy food, and the impact on the planet is a big cause for her," he says. " So   there’s plant-based catering for her entire crew, across the entire tour."  

Speaking to   Billboard , Eilish's mother Maggie Baird said championing sustainability starts with artists. "If artists are interested, it does really start with them telling their teams that they care and that it’s foremost in their thoughts." In the same conversation, Eilish called the battle for sustainability "a never-ending f–king fight."   

Watt acknowledges that with so many challenges, it’s important for a concerned artist to focus on the issues that move them the most, and where they can make the biggest difference. " Jack Johnson   is   a great example," he says. While Johnson is a vocal advocate for many environmental issues, on tour he focuses on two (in Watt’s words) "cause umbrellas": single-use plastics solutions and sustainable community food systems. Each show on the tour hosts tables representing local nonprofit organizations, presenting concertgoers with real-world, human-scale solutions to those specific challenges.   

Four-time GRAMMY winner   Brittany Howard   is another passionate REVERB partner. "Knowing that I wanted to make my tours more sustainable was a start," she tells GRAMMY.com, "but working with REVERB really helped me bring it to life on the road. REVERB has helped us with guidelines and a green rider to keep our stage, greenrooms and buses more sustainable."  

After listing several other specific ways that her tour supports sustainability, Howard notes, "By supporting these efforts, I am helping ensure future generations have access to clean water, fish, and all that I love about the outdoors." A dollar from every ticket sold to a Brittany Howard concert goes toward support of REVERB’s Music Decarbonization project. "I’m also excited to see industry-wide efforts that are reducing the carbon pollution of live music," Howard continues. "Because it’s not just [about] a single tour, it’s   every   tour."  

There’s a popular aphorism: "You can’t manage what you can’t measure."   From its start, REVERB has sought not only to promote change, but to measure its success.   "As long as I’ve been at REVERB, we’ve issued   impact reports ," says Tanner Watt. "We include data   points, and   give the report to the artists so they understand what we’ve done together." He admits that some successes are more tangible than others, but that it’s helpful to focus on the ones that can be quantified. "We’re very excited that our artists share those with their fans."   

Watt is clear-eyed at the challenges that remain. "Even the word ‘sustainable’ can be misleading," he concedes, suggesting that the only truly sustainable tour is the one that doesn’t happen. "But if folks don’t step it up and change the way we do business in every industry — not just ours — we’re going to get to a place where we’re forced to make sacrifices that   aren’t   painless." Getting that message across is REVERB’s aim. "We can’t stop the world," Watt says. " So   we find ways to approach these things positively."   

Watt says that the fans at concerts featuring Jack Johnson and the   Dave Matthews Band   — both longtime REVERB partners — are already on board with many of the sustainability-focused initiatives which those artists promote. "But there are lots of artists — and lots of fan bases — out there that aren’t messaged to, or have been mis-messaged to," he says.   "I’m really excited to find more ways to expand our reach to them, beyond mainstream pop music.   Because these are conversations that are meaningful for everyone, regardless of political affiliation or other beliefs."   

Reimagining The Planet’s Future  

Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Met does more than front   AJR , the indie pop trio he founded in 2005 with brothers Jack and Ryan. Met has a PhD in sustainable development and is a climate activist; he's also the founder/Executive Director of   Planet Reimagined , a nonprofit that promotes sustainability and activism through its work with businesses, other organizations and musicians.   

"I’ve spent years traveling around the world, seeing the direct impact of climate change," Met says. He cites two recent and stark examples. "When we pulled up to a venue in San Francisco, the band had to wear gas masks going from the bus into the venue, because of forest fires," he says. AJR’s road crew had to contend with a flash flood in Athens, Greece that washed out their hotel. "And in Rome, some of our crew members fainted because of the heat."   

Encouraged by representatives from the United Nations, Met launched Planet Reimagined. Met’s approach focuses on tailored, city-specific actions to empower fans and amplify diverse voices in the climate movement. Through social media and live shows, Met strives to galvanize climate activism among AJR fans. And the methods he has developed can be implemented by other touring artists.   

Met points out that one of the most climate-unfriendly parts of the entire concert tour enterprise is fans traveling to and from the concerts. And that’s something over which the artist has little or no control. What they can do, he says, is   try   to educate and influence. Working closely with Ticketmaster and other stakeholders, Met’s nonprofit initiated a study — conducted from July to December 2023, with   results published in April 2024   — to explore the energy that happens at concerts. "In sociology," he explains, "that energy is called collective effervescence." The study’s goal is to find ways to channel that energy toward advocacy and action.   

Polling a quarter million concertgoers across musical genres, the study collected data on attitudes about climate change. "Seventy-three percent of fans who attend concerts believe that climate change is real, and that we need to be doing more about it," Met says. "Seventy-eight percent have already taken some sort of action in their lives." He believes that if his organization can activate even a fraction of the estimated 250 million people annually who attend concerts around the globe, "that’s the ballgame."   

Met’s goal is to do more than, say, get concertgoers to switch from plastic to paper drinking straws. "At   scale   those things make a difference. But people want to see actions where there’s a track record," he says; a return on investment.   

AJR will be putting a plan into action   on   the second half of their upcoming arena tour.   Part of the initiative is encouraging concertgoers to register to vote, and then actually vote.   Beyond that, Met has specific actions in mind. "At every single stop, we’re putting together materials around specific policies that are being debated at the local level," he explains. "We give people a script right there, so they can call their elected representative and say, ‘I want you to vote [a certain way on this issue].’"   

He believes the initiative will lead to thousands of people contacting – and hopefully influencing – their representatives.   With regard to sustainability issues, Met is convinced that "the most impact that you can have as an artist is when you give fans ways to pick up the mantle themselves."  

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Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

11 Artists Who Influenced Taylor Swift: Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Tim McGraw & More

From Paul McCartney to Paramore, Emily Dickinson and even "Game of Thrones," read on for some of the major influences Taylor Swift has referenced throughout her GRAMMY-winning career.

As expected, much buzz followed the release of Taylor Swift 's 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department , on April 19. Fans and critics alike have devoured the sprawling double album’s 31 tracks, unpacking her reflections from "a fleeting and fatalistic moment in time" in search of Easter eggs, their new favorite lyrics and references to famous faces (both within the pop supernova’s closely guarded orbit and the historical record). 

Shoutouts abound in The Tortured Poets Department : Charlie Puth gets his much-deserved (and Taylor-approved) flowers on the title track, while 1920s screen siren Clara Bow, the ancient Greek prophetess Cassandra and Peter Pan each get a song titled after them. Post Malone and   Florence + the Machine ’s Florence Welch each tap in for memorable duets. Relationships old (Joe Alwyn), new (Travis Kelce) and somewhere in between (1975’s Matty Healy) are alluded to without naming names, as is, possibly, the singer’s reputation -era feud with Kim Kardashian. 

Swift casts a wide net on The Tortured Poets Department , encompassing popular music, literature, mythology and beyond, but it's far from the first time the 14-time GRAMMY winner has worn her influences on her sleeve. While you digest TTPD , consider these 10 figures who have influenced the poet of the hour — from Stevie Nicks and Patti Smith to Emily Dickinson, William Wordsworth, Arya Stark and more.

Stevie Nicks

If Taylor Swift is the chairman of The Tortured Poets Department , Stevie Nicks may as well be considered its poet laureate emeritus. The mystical Fleetwood Mac frontwoman earns an important mention on side A closer "Clara Bow," in which Swift ties an invisible string from herself to a pre- Rumours Nicks ("In ‘75, the hair and lips/ Crowd goes wild at her fingertips"), and all the way back to the 1920s It Girl of the song’s title.

For her part, Nicks seems to approve of her place in Swift’s cultural lineage, considering she penned the poem found inside physical copies of The Tortured Poets Department . "He was in love with her/ Or at least she thought so," the Priestess of Rock and Roll wrote in part, before signing off, "For T — and me…"

Swift’s relationship with Nicks dates back to the 2010 GRAMMYs, when the pair performed a medley of "Rhiannon" and "You Belong With Me " before the then-country upstart took home her first Album Of The Year win for 2009’s Fearless . More recently, the "Edge of Seventeen" singer publicly credited Swift’s Midnights cut "You’re On Your Own, Kid" for helping her through the 2022 death of Fleetwood Mac bandmate Christine McVie .

Patti Smith

Swift may see herself as more "modern idiot" than modern-day Patti Smith, but that didn’t stop the superstar from name-dropping the icon synonymous with the Hotel Chelsea and punk scene of ‘70s New York on a key track on The Tortured Poets Department . Swift rather self-deprecatingly compares herself to the celebrated Just Kids memoirist (and 2023 Songwriters Hall of Fame nominee) on the double album’s synth-drenched title track, and it’s easy to see how Smith’s lifelong fusion of rock and poetry influenced the younger singer’s dactylic approach to her new album. 

Smith seemed to appreciate the shout-out on "The Tortured Poets Department" as well. "This is saying I was moved to be mentioned in the company of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. Thank you Taylor," she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself reading Thomas’ 1940 poetry collection Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog .

Emily Dickinson

When it comes to iconic poets, Swift has also taken a page or two over her career from Emily Dickinson. While the great 19th century poet hasn’t come up explicitly in Swift’s work, she did reference her poetic forebear (and actual sixth cousin, three times removed !) in her speech while accepting the award for Songwriter-Artist of the Decade at the 2022 Nashville Songwriter Awards.

"I’ve never talked about this publicly before, because, well, it’s dorky. But I also have, in my mind, secretly, established genre categories for lyrics I write. Three of them, to be exact. They are affectionately titled Quill Lyrics, Fountain Pen Lyrics and Glitter Gel Pen Lyrics," Swift told the audience before going on to explain, "If my lyrics sound like a letter written by Emily Dickinson’s great-grandmother while sewing a lace curtain, that’s me writing in the Quill genre," she went on to explain.

Even before this glimpse into Swift’s writing process, Easter eggs had been laid pointing to her familial connection to Dickinson. For example, she announced her ninth album evermore on December 10, 2020, which would have been the late poet’s 190th birthday. Another clue that has Swifties convinced? Dickinson’s use of the word "forevermore" in her 1858 poem "One Sister Have I in Our House," which Swift also cleverly breaks apart in Evermore ’s Bon Iver-assisted title track ("And I couldn’t be sure/ I had a feeling so peculiar/ That this pain would be for/ Evermore").

The Lake Poets

Swift first put her growing affinity for poetry on display during her folklore era with "the lakes." On the elegiac bonus track, the singer draws a parallel with the Lake Poets of the 19th century, wishing she could escape to "the lakes where all the poets went to die" with her beloved muse in tow. In between fantasizing about "those Windermere peaks" and pining for "auroras and sad prose," she even manages to land a not-so-subtle jab at nemesis Scooter Braun ("I’ve come too far to watch some name-dropping sleaze/ Tell me what are my words worth") that doubles as clever wordplay on the last name of Lake Poet School members William and Dorothy Wordsworth.

Swift revealed more about why she connected to the Lake Poets in her 2020 Disney+ documentary folklore: the long pond studio sessions . "There was a poet district, these artists that moved there. And they were kind of heckled for it and made fun of for it as being these eccentrics and these kind of odd artists who decided that they just wanted to live there," she explained to her trusted producer Jack Antonoff . "So ‘the lakes,’ it kind of is the overarching theme of the whole album: of trying to escape, having something you wanna protect, trying to protect your own sanity and saying, ‘Look, they did this hundreds of years ago. I’m not the first person who’s felt this way.’"

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney and Swift have publicly praised one another’s work for years, leading to the 2020 Rolling Stone cover they posed for together for the special Musicians on Musicians issue . The younger singer even counts Sir Paul’s daughter Stella McCartney as a close friend and collaborator (Stella designed a capsule collection for Swift’s 2019 studio set Lover and earned a shout-out of her own on album cut "London Boy").

However, Swift took her relationship with the Beatles founder and his family a step further when it was rumored she based Midnights deep cut "Sweet Nothing" on McCartney’s decades-long romance with late wife Linda. While the speculation has never been outright confirmed, it appears Swift’s lyrics in the lilting love song ("On the way home, I wrote a poem/ You say, ‘What a mind’/ This happens all the time") were partially inspired by a strikingly similar quote McCartney once gave about his relationship with Linda, who passed away in 1998. To add to the mystique, the Midnights singer even reportedly liked a tweet from 2022 espousing the theory.  

The admiration between the duo seems to go both ways as well, with the former Beatle admitting in a 2018 BBC profile that the track "Who Cares" from his album Egypt Station was inspired by Swift’s close relationship with her fans.

From her days as a country music ingénue to her ascendance as the reigning mastermind of pop, Swift has credited the Chicks as a seminal influence in her songwriting and career trajectory. (Need examples? Look anywhere from early singles like "Picture to Burn" and "Should’ve Said No" to Evermore ’s Haim-assisted murder ballad "no body, no crime" and her own Lover -era collab with the band, "Soon You’ll Get Better.") 

In a 2020 Billboard cover story tied to the Chicks’ eighth album Gaslighter , Swift acknowledged just how much impact the trio made on her growing up. "Early in my life, these three women showed me that female artists can play their own instruments while also putting on a flamboyant spectacle of a live show," she said at the time. "They taught me that creativity, eccentricity, unapologetic boldness and kitsch can all go together authentically. Most importantly, they showed an entire generation of girls that female rage can be a bonding experience between us all the very second we first heard Natalie Maines bellow ‘that Earl had to DIE.’"

"Game of Thrones"

When reputation dropped in 2017, Swift was on a self-imposed media blackout, which meant no cover stories or dishy sit-down interviews on late-night TV during the album’s roll-out. Instead, the singer let reputation speak for itself, and fans were largely left to draw their own conclusions about their queen’s wildly anticipated comeback album. Two years later, though, Swift revealed the dark, vengeful, romantic body of work was largely inspired by "Game of Thrones."

"These songs were half based on what I was going through, but seeing them through a 'Game of Thrones' filter," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2019. "My entire outlook on storytelling has been shaped by ["GoT"] — the ability to foreshadow stories, to meticulously craft cryptic story lines. So, I found ways to get more cryptic with information and still be able to share messages with the fans. I aspire to be one one-millionth of the kind of hint dropper the makers of 'Game of Thrones' have been."

Joni Mitchell

Swift has long made her admiration of Joni Mitchell known, dating back to her 2012 album Red , which took a cue from the folk pioneer’s landmark 1971 LP Blue for its chromatic title. In an interview around the time of Red ’s release, the country-pop titan gushed over Blue ’s impact on her, telling Rhapsody, "[Mitchell] wrote it about her deepest pains and most haunting demons. Songs like ‘River,’ which is just about her regrets and doubts of herself — I think this album is my favorite because it explores somebody’s soul so deeply."

Back in 2015, TIME declared the "Blank Space" singer a "disciple of Mitchell in ways both obvious and subtle" — from her reflective songwriting to the complete ownership over her creative process, and nearly 10 years later, Swift was still showing her appreciation for Mitchell after the latter’s triumphant and emotional appearance on the GRAMMY stage to perform "Both Sides Now" on the very same night Taylor took home her historic fourth GRAMMY for Album Of The Year for Midnights .

Fall Out Boy & Paramore

When releasing the re-recording of her third album Speak Now in 2023, Swift cited two unexpectedly emo acts as inspirations to her early songwriting: Fall Out Boy and Paramore . 

"Since Speak Now was all about my songwriting, I decided to go to the artists who I feel influenced me most powerfully as a lyricist at that time and ask them to sing on the album," she wrote in an Instagram post revealing the back cover and complete tracklist for Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) , which included Fall Out Boy collaboration "Electric Touch" and "Castles Crumbling" featuring Paramore frontwoman Hayley Williams .

For one of Swift’s original career inspirations, we have to go all the way back to the very first single she ever released. "Tim McGraw" was not only as the lead single off the 16-year-old self-titled 2006 debut album, but it also paid reverent homage to one of the greatest living legends in the history of country music. 

In retrospect, it was an incredibly gutsy risk for a then-unknown Swift to come raring out of the gate with a song named after a country superstar. But the gamble clearly paid off in spades, considering that now, when an entire generation of music fans hear "Tim McGraw," they think of Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' Is A Post-Mortem Autopsy In Song: 5 Takeaways From Her New Album

• 1 For The Record: How Taylor Swift's 'Speak Now' Changed Her Career — And Proved She'll Always Get The Last Word
• 2 Behind Ryan Tedder's Hits: Stories From The Studio With OneRepublic, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift & More
• 3 "Let Yourself Be Idiosyncratic": Moby Talks New Album 'Always Centered At Night' & 25 Years Of 'Play'
• 4 The Environmental Impact Of Touring: How Scientists, Musicians & Nonprofits Are Trying To Shrink Concerts' Carbon Footprint
• 5 11 Artists Who Influenced Taylor Swift: Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Tim McGraw & More

Who's speaking at the Democratic National Convention? How to watch DNC coverage in Chicago

The Democratic National Convention is kicking off in Chicago today as the Democratic Party takes center stage in Illinois' largest city.

Thousands of delegates from all over the country will gather in the Windy City to ceremonially nominate Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to the 2024 Democratic Presidential ticket to take on former President Donald Trump.

Where is the DNC in Chicago?

The two main venues for the Democratic National Convention are the United Center in Chicago, located on the city's West Side and McCormick Place Convention Center, located in Chicago's South Loop.

DNC schedule for Monday, Aug. 19

• 7 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Delegation breakfasts
• 9 a.m.-10a.m.: Morning press briefing
• 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Black Caucus meeting
• 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Hispanic Caucus meeting
• 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: AAPI Caucus meeting
• 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Native American Caucus meeting
• 9:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Ethnic Council meeting
• 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: LGBTQ+ Caucus meeting
• 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Small Business Council meeting
• 12 p.m.-1:30 p.m.: Labor Council meeting
• 1:45 p.m.-3:15 p.m.: Environmental & Climate Crisis Council meeting
• 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.: Main programming

How to watch DNC coverage

• ABC News  will air one hour of primetime coverage from 10-11 p.m. ET on Monday and Tuesday, and two hours on Wednesday and Thursday, from 9-11 p.m. ET. ABC News Live, the network's streaming news channel, will stream primetime coverage from 7 p.m.-midnight all four days.
• C-SPAN  will broadcast all four days of the Democratic National Convention without interruption.
• CBS News ' primetime coverage of the convention will air Monday through Thursday from 8-11 p.m. ET and be anchored by "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell.
• CNN  will broadcast almost the entire Democratic National Convention and will have a primetime show airing from 8 p.m. ET to midnight each night of the convention called "CNN Democratic National Convention."
• Fox News will air a show each night of the convention beginning at 10 p.m. ET hosted Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum called "Fox News Democracy 2024: The Democratic National Convention."
• MSNBC Rachel Maddow will host coverage of the Democratic National Convention from 8 p.m. ET to midnight each night of the convention.
• NewsNation  anchors Chris Cuomo, Elizabeth Vargas and Leland Vittert will host primetime coverage of the convention called "Decision Desk 2024: The Democratic National Convention." It will air from 8 p.m. ET to midnight each night of the convention.
• PBS will air primetime coverage of the DNC every night of the convention from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET. Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett will host.

Who is speaking at the DNC?

President Joe Biden is scheduled to be the primetime speaker Monday night at the Democratic National Convention.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will deliver a welcome address for the conference as well on Monday.

Others on the DNC speaker list?

A trove of prominent Democrats are scheduled to speak throughout the Democratic National Convention including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Former President Barack Obama and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will be the headlining speakers on Tuesday.

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Bill Clinton will speak Wednesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries will speak as well.

Harris and Walz will deliver their acceptance speeches on Thursday and Wednesday, respectively.

What time does Joe Biden speak at the Democratic convention? How to watch and stream.

A month after announcing he would not seek reelection, President Joe Biden will take the stage during night one of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The convention Monday will pay tribute to Biden, 81, who ended his reelection campaign in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris , now the nominee . Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton , who ran for president against former President Donald Trump in 2016, will also give a speech Monday.

NBC News reported that President Jimmy Carter's grandson, Jason Carter, will speak on behalf of his 99-year-old grandfather.

Former President Barack Obama is expected to speak Tuesday night, and former President Bill Clinton will deliver remarks Wednesday night before Democratic vice presidential nominee  Tim Walz , the governor of Minnesota, gives his address.

As the Democratic nominee,  Harris  will close out the convention with her acceptance speech Thursday night.

Sign-up for Your Vote: Text with the USA TODAY elections team.

Here's what to know about tuning into Biden's address.

Black women are in charge at the DNC: Expect a different kind of convention.

What time is Joe Biden's speech?

Biden's speech comes Monday, the first night of the convention. The convention has not released the exact time for his speech, but it will likely come during the main programming portion of the evening, scheduled from 5:30-10 p.m. CT.

The speaker schedule is subject to change and a full list of speakers will be released at a later time.

How to watch Joe Biden's speech

USA TODAY is providing live coverage of Biden's address.

USA TODAY will stream every day of the Democratic National Convention this week.

Harris and Trump to speak about their plans for the economy on campaign tour

So much of the 2024 race for the White House has been defined by unprecedented events — who is in, who is out, and the personalities of the candidates. There's been less discussion recently about policy positions, but that is expected to change this week, as former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are expected to outline economic positions on the campaign trail.

Trump will speak in North Carolina on Wednesday. Harris is expected to reveal economic policies on Friday.

RELATED STORY | Democratic National Convention will be streamed on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube

Both speeches will come after the latest round of inflation data comes out Wednesday morning.

A recent poll by the Financial Times and the University of Michigan reveals that Vice President Harris has a slight lead over former President Trump in terms of who Americans trust most to manage the economy. Trump has been in the lead most of this year on this question and Harris' lead is still within the margin of error.

Both campaigns have very different philosophies over what to do with the economy, including the Federal Reserve. Vice President Harris has indicated a desire for a more hands-off approach, letting the Fed be as independent as possible.

Former President Trump has indicated a desire to be more involved with the Fed's interest rate decisions. Both candidates in recent days and weeks have backed ideas to cut or eliminate taxes on tips, which would impact service workers nationwide.

Economic policy is expected to be one of the biggest debate issues in Washington in 2025, when the Trump tax cuts are set to expire. Expect intense debates over tax rates and tax credits, not just this election season but throughout next year as well.

RELATED STORY | Harris mirrors Trump proposal to end federal taxes on tips

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Five things to know: Castle Pines Golf Club

Need to Know

PGA TOUR returns to mile-high course for this week’s BMW Championship

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The top 50 in the FedExCup arrive at this week’s BMW Championship knowing that their spots in next year’s Signature Events are secure. Now they have their sights on the 30 spots in the TOUR Championship and the opportunity to claim the PGA TOUR’s season-long prize.

The BMW is returning to Colorado for the first time in a decade, after previously being played at nearby Cherry Hills in 2014. Castle Pines Golf Club is returning to the PGA TOUR schedule for the first time since 2006 after a two-decade run hosting The International, a Stableford event that featured winners like Ernie Els, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh, David Toms, Jose Maria Olazabal and Phil Mickelson.

This week’s field will need to make a quick adjustment to Colorado’s altitude after competing last week in the heat and humidity of Memphis, Tennessee. To get you prepared, here are five things to know about Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado:

1. Familiar venue

Castle Pines GC is one of the most coveted addresses, golf or otherwise, in the Denver-metro area, and one of the most prominent and luxurious real estate golf developments in the country. Located just 27 miles due south of downtown Denver, Castle Pines hosted The International, a modified Stableford event on the PGA TOUR, from 1986 to 2006.

Rod Pampling during the fourth and final round of The INTERNATIONAL held at Castle Pines Golf Club in 2006. (Stan Badz/PGA TOUR)

The BMW Championship, which traces its lineage to the Western Open in 1922, returns to the Denver area for the first time since 2014, when Billy Horschel won at Cherry Hills Country Club. The Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Foundation is the tournament’s chief charitable beneficiary.

Former Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning made a hole-in-one in his first round as a Castle Pines member. John Elway also is a member at the club that boasts on its website to offer “the best day of golf in America.”

2. Augusta in the mountains

Castle Pines ranks among the best of Nicklaus Design’s approximately 400 projects. Dense ponderosa pines frame holes set into the rolling terrain of the Rocky Mountain Front Range. The course makes use of 325 feet of elevation change, with platform tees that showcase the landing areas in the foreground and the dramatic, towering landscape in the background. Few courses offer such theater, with long views of both the course and the scenic Mountain West.

It's often said that given the choice between a good owner and a good piece of land, an architect would opt for the good client. At Castle Pines, Nicklaus had both. Jack Vickers, who made his money in the oil and gas business, was the developer of Castle Pines.

A look at the 11th hole at Castle Pines Golf Club. (Courtesy WGA)

A look at the 12th hole at Castle Pines Golf Club. (Courtesy WGA)

He moved to Denver in 1969 and was driving around his new hometown when he stumbled across the land that would become Castle Pines. On a whim, he turned down Happy Canyon Road, according to the club’s history. He stopped halfway up the drive, hiked to the top of a rocky ridge and discovered a panoramic view of the mountainous terrain.

It took him 12 years to acquire the property from the various landowners. As the Denver metro area spread south, the roads and services arrived for a high-end housing development.

With the land acquired, he turned to Jack Nicklaus to design his new course. Vickers and Nicklaus toured the land both by foot and helicopter, joking that though they rarely agreed, they were able to produce one of the best courses in the country. Construction began in 1979 and Castle Pines Golf Club officially opened to instant acclaim in October 1981.

A photo from the PGA TOUR archives of hole No. 18 at Castle Pines. (Sam Greenwood/PGA TOUR)

Its ponds, flowery gardens and carefully crafted views evoke the spirit of the kind of place Vickers set out to create – a western version of Augusta National.

From the high point of the first tee looking south, the opening three holes take you steadily downward, 300 feet in all. From there, the course turns uphill to form a neat symmetry of nines: the front looping counterclockwise, the back clockwise. For all of the topography it covers, the elevation changes take place gradually, allowing the course to be very walkable and amenable to one of the largest caddie programs in the Mountain West.

3. Thin air thickens the plot

At an average altitude of 6,200 feet, the ball flies a lot farther at Castle Pines than at sea level. You’ll hear many say that the increased altitude adds 10% to the distance of shots, based on a general ratio that states that the thin air adds 1.7% of distance per 1,000 feet of elevation. Myriad other factors impact a shot’s distance, however, especially at altitude. They include a player’s launch angle, the loft of the club and the heat and humidity levels.

But the general rule says that a 300-yard drive at sea level travels 332 yards at Castle Pines and a stock 7-iron shot of 180 yards goes nearly 200. In other words, it’s about a club-and-a-half difference from sea level. Add in the dramatic elevation changes at Castle Pines, and caddies will have their hands full this week.

A look at the 16th hole at Castle Pines Golf Club. (Courtesy WGA)

A look at the 13th hole at Castle Pines Golf Club. (Courtesy WGA)

Castle Pines will be the longest course in PGA TOUR history, measuring 8,130 yards. While it’s an eye-popping number, it’s worth remembering that it’s approximately equivalent to 7,350 yards at sea level. That’s fairly standard for the PGA TOUR. For the amateurs, Castle Pines plays to a 79.1 rating and 155 slope, meaning even your scratch handicap would have trouble breaking 80 there in everyday conditions, let alone when the course is primed for PGA TOUR competition.

The first hole provides the perfect example of how the scorecard can be deceiving. It’s listed as a 659-yard par 5, but it should be reachable for much of the field. It’s the equivalent of a 599-yard hole at sea level, and that doesn’t factor in the 100-foot drop from tee to green.

4. Three holes to watch

Every hole counts the same, of course, but three in particular merit close watching at Castle Pines:

No. 4: 254 yards, par 3

• At a low point of the property and in the southwest corner of the routing, this elegant hole requires a controlled, left-to-right tee shot into a green flanked on the right by a steep barranca. The tee sits 30 feet above the green, offering a great view of both the putting surface and the distant mountains. A left or right miss to this fairly narrow green will mean trouble – there are two bunkers on either side of the green, plus that steep-faced wash on the right. A new back tee has been installed left of the old one, and this brings the danger right of the green even more into play than before.

No. 14: 655 yards, par 5

• Along the long par-5 opening hole, this one plays downhill, with a 100-foot drop from tee to green, making it reachable in two for players who find the fairway. The landing zone is only 25 yards wide and framed tightly on both sides by pines, so hitting the short grass won’t be easy. Recent renovation work moved a lovely diagonal cross-stream 40 yards closer to the green and more into play on the second shot; it now feeds into a pond that guards the left side of the green. With the fairway canted modestly right to left and thus forcing a hook stance for most players, the goal here is not to overcook a long approach. The stream’s repositioning will also become a factor for anyone missing the fairway, since they will be forced to lay up. For right-handed players hitting a power draw off the tee, this hole will be a green-light special and offer a distinct advantage.

A look at the 14th hole at Castle Pines Golf Club. (Courtesy WGA)

No. 17: 532 yards, par 5

• Everyone will have a go at this green in two, often with a short iron, if they can hold the fairway off the tee. At only 532 yards (481 effective sea level yardage), it plays uphill, some 100 feet from tee to green. It’s also a hard dogleg left, requiring proper positioning. The hole was always an eagle-fest during The International and will be the easiest in relation to par for the BMW. Still, players will need to keep it in play off the tee – a hallmark of Nicklaus for decades as both a champion golfer and a noted course designer.

5. Arid climate, pristine conditions

Castle Pines stays in stunningly pristine shape in part because of its arid climate. There was no rain in June and July, but August brings “monsoon season,” with afternoon rains that can add up – as much as 2 inches through the first two weeks.

Maintenance is in good hands. Director of Golf Course and Grounds Scott Pavalko, who’s been on Castle Pines’ staff for two years, has eight editions of the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and the 2011 BMW Championship on his resume. Course superintendents Trevor Meints and Brandon Wollesen are part of a 56-person crew that will be aided by 45 tournament volunteers. The bentgrass greens, averaging 5,600 square feet, will be cut down to 1/10 inch for the tournament and roll at around 13.5 on the Stimpmeter. That will emphasize precise approach shots on greens that offer all sorts of subtle contours. There are false fronts and closely cropped peripheral areas that lead to bunkers, ponds and steep falloffs.

With 27 acres of fairway, the landing areas are not expansive and will require precise tee shots to narrow landing areas 300-330 yards from the back tees. Streams, ravines, ponds, steep fairway bunkers and the occasional signature tree further intrude upon driving lanes and give long hitters reason to gear back and use caution.

Bradley S. Klein is a veteran golf writer and author of 10 books on course design. A former PGA TOUR caddie, he was architecture editor of Golfweek for over two decades and is now a freelance journalist and course design consultant. Follow Bradley S. Klein on Twitter .

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FedExCup Playoffs: How PGA Tour series works as Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler and more eye trophies and cash

Watch the FedExCup Playoffs live on Sky Sports; 70 players featured in the FedEx St Jude Championship but only 50 advanced to the BMW Championship; The leading 30 then reach the Tour Championship and have chance to take $25m top prize

Monday 19 August 2024 12:15, UK

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The PGA Tour's season-ending FedExCup Playoffs are off and running, with three events offering huge drama and excitement. We explain how the whole thing works, which players are at the top of the standings and who has plenty of work to do…

What is the FedExCup?

It is the season-long points competition on the PGA Tour that ends with one player - the winner of the Tour Championship - scooping $25m (£19.6m).

The top 70 players after the Wyndham Championship in early August advanced to the first playoff event, the FedEx St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind.

• Stream PGA Tour, majors and more golf with NOW

What golf is live on Sky Sports and when?

The top 50 after that tournament qualified for the BMW Championship in Denver the following week, with the top 30 then progressing to the Tour Championship finale in Atlanta.

Then what happens?

At the Tour Championship, the FedExCup leader will begin at 10 under par, with the No 2 player at eight under, No 3 at seven under, the No 4 at six under and No 5 at five under.

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Players 6-10 start at four under, players 16-20 at two under, players 21-25 at one under and players 26-30 at even par.

The Tour Championship is a straight 72-hole strokeplay event, so whoever leads at the end is crowned tournament winner and FedExCup champion - plus gets a lot of coin!

England's Rai secures first PGA Tour title

Matsuyama holds on for St Jude victory

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FedExCup Playoffs schedule

• August 15-18 - FedEx St. Jude Championship (top 70)
• August 22-25 - BMW Championship (top 50)
• August 29-Sep 1 - Tour Championship (top 30)

Who currently leads the FedExCup?

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler 's six wins this season have him top of the standings ahead of Xander Schauffele , a two-time major champion in 2024, with the pair remaining in those positions after finishing fourth and tied-second respectively at the FedEx St Jude Championship

Scheffler sits on 6,533 points, more than 1,500 ahead of Schauffele with two events remaining, while Hideki Matsuyama 's win jumped him five places to third spot.

Collin Morikawa remains in fourth place and Rory McIlroy's tied-68th finish last week dropped him from third to fifth, with Wyndham Clark , Ludvig Åberg , Sahith Theegala , Patrick Cantlay and Sungjae Im rounding off the top-10.

Which other British or Irish stars are involved?

Shane Lowry went into the Playoffs inside the top-10 but dropped to 11th after his tied-50th finish last week, where a share of seventh from Robert MacIntyre lifted the Scot from 17th to 12th in the season-long standings.

Aaron Rai followed his breakthrough PGA Tour title at the Wyndham Championship with a tied-16th finish last week, lifting him to 21st in the FedExCup standings and putting him on the verge of qualifying for the Tour Championship, while Tommy Fleetwood (31st) and Matt Fitzpatrick (36th) are currently outside the top-30 required for East Lake.

Who extended their season in Memphis?

The biggest mover last year was reigning FedExCup champion Viktor Hovland , who jumped from 57th to 16th with his third-place finish at the FedEx St Jude Championship, while a tied-18th from Eric Cole took the American from 54th to 46th.

The other player moving inside the top-50 and continuing his season is Nick Dunlap , who climbed from 67th to 48th by claiming a top-five finish, with Tom Kim , Mackenzie Hughes and Jake Knapp the three to drop out.

Former world No 1 Justin Rose failed to extend his season after a tied-22nd finish kept him in 55th spot, while Jordan Spieth - who has confirmed he will undergo wrist surgery - saw his ended in 67th spot. Ireland's Seamus Power and France's Victor Perez were among the others who failed to progress.

FedExCup champions - the full list

• 2023: Viktor Hovland
• 2022: Rory McIlroy
• 2021: Patrick Cantlay
• 2020: Dustin Johnson
• 2019: Rory McIlroy
• 2018: Justin Rose
• 2017: Justin Thomas
• 2016: Rory McIlroy
• 2015: Jordan Spieth
• 2014: Billy Horschel
• 2013: Henrik Stenson
• 2012: Brandt Snedeker
• 2011: Bill Haas
• 2010: Jim Furyk
• 2009: Tiger Woods
• 2008: Vijay Singh
• 2007: Tiger Woods

Who needs a big week at the BMW Championship?

Those still in the top-50 progress to the BMW Championship but are also guaranteed entries into all of the Signature Events in 2025, with Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley currently occupying the last of those 50 spots.

Last year's Open champion Brian Harman goes into the week in 29th spot and on the bubble to qualify for East Lake, with Fleetwood leading those just outside the current top-30.

Fitzpatrick, Will Zalatoris (37th) and Cameron Young (39th) all have work to do, as does former world No 1 Adam Scott (41st), with Ryder Cup player Max Homa (43rd) and Sweden's Alex Noren (45th) also still trying to qualify for the Tour Championship.

How can I watch the FedExCup Playoffs?

Every event is live on Sky Sports, with early coverage from the BMW Championship starting at 3.15pm on Sky Sports + on Thursday. The action picks up on Sky Sports Golf at 7pm, following the conclusion of the opening round of the AIG Women's Open.

There will also be coverage on Sky Sports+ for every round, with a variety of feeds able to enjoy, with coverage starting at 7pm for every round on Sky Sports Golf.

Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV , streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app , giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.

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