October 24th, 2012 | 5:39 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift and Linkin Park Are Billed To Perform At The 2012 American Music Awards

We are no Nate Silver, but probability seems to have it that Nicki Minaj will more often than not be on stage at the American Music Awards next month. Already up for four awards — Favorite Female Artist: Pop/Rock, Favorite Artist: Rap/Hip-Hop, Favorite Album: Rap/Hip-Hop as well as Favorite Album: Pop/Rock — the Young Money leading lady will, at some point between all that acceptance speech giving, also be called on to perform any one of her recent releases. If there were one artist best suited to handle that sort of multitasking, though, we suspect she would be Miss Minaj.

Also joining her on the bill as performers are Favorite Female Artist: Country nominee Taylor Swift, Favorite Artist: Alternative Rock nominees Linkin Park and Christina Aguilera, as was previously announced. It should be a big night, so mark your calenders and set your DVRs: The American Music Awards will be broadcast live from Los Angeles on November 18 at 8 PM ET.

Related: Ladies Night: Rihanna And Nicki Minaj Lead American Music Awards Nomination

Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Linkin Park To Perform at American Music Awards [RS]

October 24th, 2012 | 12:01 am by Lindsey Weber (@lindseyweber)

Taylor Swift’s Video For “Begin Again” Explores Parisian Amour

While “Begin Again” is rumored to be about Taylor Swift‘s newest beau, Conor Kennedy, the video gives nothing away. Alas, there are no Cape Cod anchors or Kennedy clan references for us to pore over. Instead, Taylor explores the cobblestone streets of Paris — sipping espresso in a café and doodling pictures of architecture before being approached by a very handsome (Parisian?) beau. A Kennedy he is not, but it seems like he wants to take her photo and she naturally obliges. Ooh la la, c’est romantique!

If you’re looking for inspiration on throwing a French-style wedding, look no further. “Begin Again” is ripped straight from an Anthropologie catalog: complete with flowy violet silk and Taylor’s signature red lipstick. Will “Begin Again” send a slew of teens on a tour of Paris? Probably. Along with her newly-purchased Cape Cod mansion, this Taylor Swift Teen Tour we’re planning seems like it’ll be a lot of fun.

Read more…

October 23rd, 2012 | 2:00 pm by Lindsey Weber (@lindseyweber)

“Fifteen” Vs. “22″: Has Taylor Swift Grown Up?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been listening to the newest Taylor Swift album, Red, non-stop. It’s officially out as of yesterday, but Swifties (That’s code name for Taylor Swift fans) and music critics alike have been passing around .mp3s like they were contraband. One song that didn’t hit the web before it hit stores? “22″. An ode to being an adult yet NOT being an adult. An ode to friends (Taylor’s got Ashley Greene, Dianna Agron, Claire Callaway and Selena Gomez, apparently). An ode to spending too much time getting ready to go out. And ode to the effortless rhyming of practically anything to “twenty-two”. Meanwhile, Taylor herself was born in 1989, which makes her actually 22. And for obvious reasons, this makes the song even more potent.

Taylor is “22″, but once she was “Fifteen” — also the title of a popular song off her first album, Fearless. “Fifteen” spoke of high school drama, first love and was so personal to Taylor that it “gets her every time” (thanks Wikipedia). It’s about her freshman year of high school, where she and her BFF Abigail Anderson encountered heartbreak. “Fifteen” is, in fact, written in retrospect – Fearless came out in 2008, and Taylor’s advice to her younger self encapsulated her own high school experience.

So how do the two compare? Has Taylor actually grown up from “Fifteen” to “22″? Does it mean anything that “Fifteen” is written out and “22″ isn’t? Would Selena Gomez have hung out with Taylor in high school?

October 23rd, 2012 | 10:27 am by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Tuned In: Taylor Swift Paints Times Square “Red” On Good Morning America

It’s only Tuesday, but already Taylor Swift has had the best week ever. Her brand new album, Red, hit record stores yesterday and a sizable portion of those record buyers put on something red and swarmed to Times Square to celebrate with Taylor on Good Morning America early this morning.

For her part, Taylor wore all black and her hair down so that her her celebratory red lipstick and matching red mic really popped. After warming up with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” — cute dance moves and goofy asides and all, to really start the day right — she slung a red guitar over her shoulder and performed “Red” for the first time live. Mostly gone are Taylor’s cute and ponytail swinging country princess days, and the way she pretended to played some of the guitar solos during this performance was a good reminder of that. Read more…

October 19th, 2012 | 6:39 pm by Kate Spencer

Is Taylor Swift’s New Song “All Too Well” About Jake Gyllenhaal? Here’s Solid Evidence That Says Yes.

Taylor Swift‘s new album Red comes out on Monday, and yes – we will be buying it. But it also leaked online this week and the songs are now all over the web, and yes – we’ve been listening (and loving it). Our favorite song is “All Too Well,” which reflects on a relationship that is no longer. Taylor recently told VH1 that fans are often way off about who her songs are about, saying, “There are a lot of songs that people think is about this dude, but it’s really not. It’s actually about this guy you have no idea I even dated. Or you’ll sit there and go ‘that song was inspired by three different situations with three different people.” But still, we’re pretty confident “All Too Well” is 100% about Jake Gyllenhaal, and we’ve got evidence that matches the lyrics as hardcore proof. Get out your magnifying glasses, Swifties!

EXHIBIT A

LYRIC: “I walked through the door with you. The air was cold, but something ’bout it felt like home somehow and I left my scarf there at your sister’s house and you still got it in your drawer even now.”
EVIDENCE:

October 19th, 2012 | 1:10 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Happy Spirit Day! Here Are 8 Anti-Bullying Anthems That Will Make You Feel Beautiful No Matter What


How are you feeling today? Each year, GLAAD sets aside a day called Spirit Day for speaking out extra-loud against bullying and to show support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. This year, that day is today; and so to celebrate, we have got eight of our favorite anti-bully anthems. Each should remind you that you are strong and beautiful, even when maybe you don’t feel it and no matter what they say. Won’t you listen with us?

Read more…

October 17th, 2012 | 5:32 pm by Kate Spencer

What It’s Like Hugging Taylor Swift – And Other Magical Moments From Her VH1 Storytellers Performance

Taylor Swift hugged me, and somehow I have lived to tell about it. And yes, being embraced by the woman with the most digital record sales of all-time IS like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street: exhilarating and emotional, a split second of life on the edge. The most magical moment of my life went down Monday afternoon, right before the singer took the stage in front of a room full of college students for her VH1 Storytellers performance. That too was awe-inspiring and uplifting, complete with lots of “I love yous!” from Taylor to the crowd as she strummed a sparkly guitar.

If it sounds like I’m gushing, I am. The woman completely won me over.

Read more…

October 16th, 2012 | 12:39 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

Taylor Swift Sweeps Us Into Her “State Of Grace” With Her New Red Single

Did you ever wonder what “falling in love in an epic way” really sounds like to Taylor Swift? You might think that something like “Enchanted” sounds pretty close, but Taylor assures us that Red‘s dreamy opener, “State of Grace,” is actually it. Previewing the song yesterday on Good Morning America, she explained that, “I wrote this song about when you first fall in love with someone — the possibilities, kind of thinking about the different ways that it could go. It’s a really big sound. To me, this sounds like the feeling of falling in love in an epic way.” But not a story about falling in love just to breakup like all the rest of her love songs, rather this song lavishes the feelings that come with all that with sweeping guitars and a hopeful chorus. And her “State of Grace” and be yours, as well.

“State of Grace” splits the difference between her poppy “Never Ever” and the guitar-plucked “Begin Again.” She keeps the uptempo drum from the former, but layers on reverb-drenched guitars to make it gauzy like a melodramatic nineties rock hit. And like the effort might actually slow down time, she carefully draws out her vowels when the chorus hits and she sings: “I never saw you coming, and I’ll never be the same.” She admits during the song’s breakdown that it wasn’t all so perfect — “You were never a saint, and I love the shades of wrong” — before coming to the sweeping conclusion at the song’s end that: “Love is a ruthless game, unless you are playing good and right.” And so opens the album. Seven days, and the game is on!

Have a listen here, and let us know: what do you think?

Taylor Swift Reaches “State of Grace” on Feedback-Streaked Rock Anthem [Spin]

 

October 15th, 2012 | 4:23 pm by Zara Golden (@zaragolden)

4 Fun Ways To Celebrate Taylor Swift’s Album Release

10 fingers, 9 vintage shoe forms, 8 seashells … the countdown to Red release Tuesday is on, and Taylor Swift is not the only one who excited. Here at VH1, we have already learned all the words to “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” “Red,” “Begin Again” and “I Knew You Were Trouble,” dumped our boyfriends, and have gathered all our furry woodland creatures friends in anticipation of the ensuing dance party; but the celebrating won’t end there. Taylor has worked hard to make sure that Red‘s release is an event on-par with, say, a Kardashian Wedding, and we plan on partaking in every last part of it. Here’s our plan.

Four fun ways to celebrate Red‘s release: Read more…

October 9th, 2012 | 1:26 pm by Bené Viera

Will The Freshman Class Rita Ora, Carly Rae Jepsen And fun. Kill It At MTV’s Europe Music Awards?

Carly Rae Jepsen, Rita Ora And fun. to Perform at MTV Europe Music Awards

All the way from Frankfurt, Germany, this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards is serving up a platter of musical guests for the continent’s biggest award show. Taylor Swift‘s album promotion and upcoming VH1 Storytellers debut won’t keep her from flying across the pond to grace the stage for the big night. No Doubt and Muse will also show Germany what they are made of. Secretly we’re hoping No Doubt rocks out with a wild performance of “Just A Girl.” Is that too much to ask? Read more…