Category: Various Artists

Tour Talk: Camila Cabello and Charli XCX are the opening acts for the reputation Stadium Tour

On By The EditorIn Ed Sheeran, Reputation, Taylor Swift, The Reputation Stadium Tour, Tour Talk, Video

This is a reputation stadium tour update, Taylor Nation 🙂

The Blonde With The Sparkly Snake Microphone broke her media silence to announce the opening acts (or two of them at least) for the reputation Stadium Tour. They are pop artists Camila Cabello and Charli XCX.

They’ve got a tough ‘act’ to follow.

The Sparkly Dressed had Kellie Pickler and Gloriana as her openers back in the Fearless Tour (2009-2010). Christian rock band NeedToBreathe opened during The Speak Now Tour (2011-2012). Ed Sheeran was her opener during the Red Tour (2013-2014). Finally the 1989 World Tour (2015) had Vance Joy as the opening act. And here’s an update about what they’re all up to today.

Kellie Pickler joined Dancing With The Stars and won back in 2013 with partner Derek Hough. Kellie started to host a daytime show called Pickler & Ben with comedian Ben Aaron in November 2017.

Gloriana disbanded. They lost band member Cheyenne Kimball in July 2011. Rachel Reinert departed in January 2016. Tom Gossin started touring solo in 2017.

NeedToBreathe still tour, they opened for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s Soul2Soul World Tour 2017. They had their song “Multiplied” nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song in 2015.

Ed Sheeran has 13 Grammy nominations and four Grammy wins. He’s still putting out music and of course, cooperated with Taylor Swift as recently as the “End Game” song and music video.

Vance Joy recently released his second studio album in February 23, 2018. He won the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) award for best male singer back in 2015.

Coming up on the Calendar!

  • May 8: Taylor Swift’s reputation Stadium Tour begins in Glendale, AZ.

(Sources: Taylor Swift via Twitter)

End Game: The music video drops

On By The EditorIn Commentary, Ed Sheeran, Overseas, Reputation, Taylor Swift, Video

I have my buried hatchets bookmarked in Google Maps, Taylor Nation.

Here at the Swift Agency, just a guy who gets up in the middle of the night to write rants and music video releases apparently, we think Taylor could’ve included more cities. Then again, Montreal is expecting heavy snow this weekend so perhaps it’s better Tay kept to the big city names.

end-game-still
(Source: Taylor Swift via VEVO)

“End Game” features appearances and talent by Future and Ed Sheeran. The video is directed by Joseph Kahn. It’s really nice to see her and Ed collaborate again and based on the interaction between them you could tell some friendly banter was going on. The video has scenes filmed in Miami, Tokyo and London and feels the need to announce all those cities because… I’m not sure. It’s basically Taylor partying it up yet keeping it cozy with a group of friends. New York City is not included.

Watch on YouTube

Did you notice all the snake references on the video? The straws on the glasses are snake straws. She rides a motorcycle at some point dressed in a bodysuit that has a snakeskin print. At around the 3 minute mark she’s on top of a bar playing the old snake video game.

Does it look good? Yes. Does it tell a story? No, but let’s be honest neither did the song. It’s literally about big reputation – or simply put, fame. I will say this, she seems to be having fun and it never seems like she’s trying to stand out. She’s always just part of a group of friends, and I hope that mirrors her real life (although my big theory for this album is she’s no longer trying to share her life with the public).

Coming soon! The 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift is nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media with Zayn for “I Don’t Want To Live Forever”. She also gets a nod for writing the Best Country Song for “Better Man” as performed by Little Big Town.

Coming up in the Calendar:

  • January 28: The 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Taylor Swift is nominated for Best Song Written for Visual Media with Zayn for “I Don’t Want To Live Forever” and Best Country Song for “Better Man” as performed by Little Big Town.

(Source: Taylor Swift VEVO via YouTube)

Taylor Swift at Poptopia 2017

On By The EditorIn Concert, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Video1 Comment

poptopiaAnother performance and another sparkly hoodie, Taylor Nation.

Here at the Swift Agency, just a guy who forgot to comment on the fact that Taylor still goes acoustic, we… still like when she goes acoustic… Gee, that was pulitzer-prize writing material right there.

The Sparkly Dressed (with another sparkly hoodie) performed at the Poptopia concert event on Saturday December 2, 2017. The short set was the same one she used for the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball just the previous night. “…Ready For It?”,”Blank Space”,”Shake It Off”, “End Game” with Ed Sheeran showing up again! “Look What You Made Me Do” was the closer.

Watch on YouTube

I’m pretty sure she had Ed Sheeran on her speed dial, which is awfully nice of him. The dude was done with his set a while ago, same as in Jingle Ball. He wants to go home. I’d want to go home, but I’d also wouldn’t pass up the chance to hang with the Sparkly Hoodie.

Yes, she’s the Sparkly Hoodie now. Direct your complaints to the recycle bin.

Coming up in the Calendar:

  • December 5-8: The pre-sale starts for the first US Stadium Tours from Ticketmaster.
  • December 7, 2017: Taylor Swift plays at B96’s Jingle Bash at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
  • December 13: Jumping to the pool from the balcony…

Weekly News Update: November 5, 2017

On By The EditorIn Albums, Elizabeth Huett, Mallary Hope, Reputation, Taylor Swift, Weekly News Update

I’m doing better than I ever was, Taylor Nation.

Here at the Swift Agency, just a guy who’s still learning the lyrics to “Call It What You Want“, we’re still in awe of the amazing lyrics of this song. Let’s see what happened this past week and, let’s be real here, what’s going to happen THIS week.

  • The new single Call It What You Want is now out.
  • Reputation drops in five days. FIVE. DAYS. This Friday, November 10, the Reputation Era officially begins.
  • On November 3, Scott Borchetta commemorated 13 years of discovering young talent Taylor Swift.
  • On October 30, The CW’s show Supergirl featured Liz Huett’s STFU & Hold Me single during the Girl’s Night scene at Kara’s. It’s playing on the background. No, it never gets to the chorus 😉
  • Mallary Hope‘s self-titled EP is out now. She is now leaning more for inspirational gospel. I wish her the best, even if it’s not my kind of music.
  • The Taylor Swift Store is now offering Rep’ merch.
  • Taylor Swift will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on November 11.

Coming up in the Calendar:

  • November 10: Reputation, the new album by Taylor Swift is released!
  • November 11: Taylor Swift will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Yes, I know I just added it as an update right above, but it’s the Calendar. I gotta write it again.
  • November 12: Taylor’s nominated for the MTV EMA 2017. You can vote for Taylor Swift for Best Artist, Best Look, Best Pop, Biggest Fans, Best Video, and Best US Act.

(Sources: Twitter, Tumblr, YouTube)

Review Corner: Ed Sheeran’s Divide (÷)

On By The EditorIn Ed Sheeran, Review Corner
(Source: Asylum Records UK)

I’m on my way, driving at ninety down those country lanes…

Like a lot of other people, I got introduced to Ed Sheeran‘s music during his opening gig days on the Red Tour. He remains in my mind, a musical genius capable of putting his music center stage without little to no scenery. Back then his style was almost urban, and that’s never a bad thing. Beat and a rhythm comes so easily to him that for Divide, or to be specific the ÷ album, he’s already past the mastery of the craft and begin the innovation stage. Or perhaps both were always the same thing to him.

This is one of those albums you experience more than listen, where all melodies blend themselves together the first time and you don’t really want to interrupt by looking up song titles. It takes a second listen to forcibly abstract yourself from the audio and finally check out what was that amazing track you just heard. “Castle On The Hill” was a favourite before I even owned Ed’s third studio offering, a mix of nostalgia and longing in a coming of age story that is almost cinematic. I could recognize the pop and the club beats influencing Ed and he in turn influencing them back in “Shape of You”. I’m not much for dancing music but I can’t help but like it. He goes back to ballads easily, so “Perfect” is almost a surprise in the sense that it’s not an easy track musically and lyrically. A less musician would’ve been happy with less, but the more you hear the more you become impressed.

“Galway Girl” is another impressive feat that has Ed’s style as well as old time folk music, something out of a Celtic fairy tale. “Happier” and “What Do I Know?” are also impossible-to-skip favourites already. You might have heard of the story behind the tear-jerker “Supermarket Flowers” which is a beautiful tribute written from her mother’s point of view to her grandmother, but it’s still going to make you cry.

Highly recommended album to listen non-stop. Available now on iTunes.