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Taylor Swift might be taking the stage at the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival — at least, that’s what Swifties are saying.
Fans are convinced that Swift, 34, is going to be a surprise performer at this year’s edition of the music festival, which spans two weekends: April 12-14 and April 19-21.
While Swift herself has not spoken publicly about any possible performance rumors, the second Coachella weekend does line up with the Friday, April 19, release of her forthcoming The Tortured Poets Department album.
Some fans on social media have even speculated that while Swift is not listed on the official lineup, some of her famous friends could bring her out as a special guest during their respective Coachella sets.
Earlier this month, a source confirmed that the singer and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, have plans to attend Coachella.
They both want to see Lana Del Rey and [Jack Antonoff’s band] Bleachers,” the insider said. (Del Rey, 38, and Antonoff, 40, are Swift’s close friends and frequent collaborators.) Sabrina Carpenter, who opened for Swift during the international leg of the Eras Tour, is also set to perform at the festival.
One fan pointed out that Del Rey, who sat beside Swift the night she announced The Tortured Poets Department, was also dressed to fit the album’s theme. The pair have never performed their duet “Snow on the Beach” live together.
The same source went on to say that Swift and Kelce, also 34, are “renting a house in the area” for one of the two weekends.
Kelce and Swift have been enjoying ample time together during a break from their respective careers. As the Kansas City Chiefs tight end savors the NFL offseason, Swift’s Eras Tour won’t resume until next month. A source shared with Us in March that both stars needed “a break from the buzz of their careers.”
“They’re focused on rest and recuperation, relaxing at home, and having low-key and chill time together,” the insider continued, noting Kelce’s presence in Los Angeles, where they’ve been enjoying movie nights in Swift’s home theater, catching up on films and shows.
The couple, who made their relationship public in September 2023, recently indulged in a romantic getaway to the Bahamas, where they were spotted packing on the PDA in the ocean.
During his “New Heights” podcast with brother Jason Kelce, Travis shared insights into his relationship with Swift, expressing his joy and excitement. “It’s fun. I’m having a blast in life, baby. Just flying high, enjoying it all,” he shared during the episode, mentioning their journey of introducing new experiences to each other.
Reflecting on their relationship dynamics, Travis humorously admitted, “I don’t know how I did it because she wasn’t into sports. So I don’t know how the f–k I did it.”
Taylor Swift Songs Return to TikTok After UMG Pulled Its Music Over Royalty Issue
Taylor Swift’s music cannot be denied, contained or banned from TikTok.
TikTok users woke up on Thursday, April 11, to discover that the music she released under Universal Music Group was back on the streaming platform. Swift, 34, and other UMG artists had their music yanked from the platform in late February after the label and the social media platform couldn’t agree on royalty rates. Now, roughly a month later, Swift’s music has returned.
“MY TAYLOR SWIFT EDIT AUDIOS ARE BACK ON TIKTOK,” shouted one jubilant fan on X. “We won!” said fan X account@TheSwiftSociety, showing that songs from Lover, Folklore, and the Taylor’s Versions of 1989 and Red were available. Over on TikTok, fans commented on how Swift “IS THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.” They theorized that, with her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, arriving in a week, having her music unavailable for use wouldn’t fly.
Other fans speculated that Swift’s ownership of the master recordings of her UMG albums — Lover, Folklore, Evermore, and all the Taylor’s Versions re-recordings — allowed her to negotiate independently with TikTok to restore her music. But a few TikTok users noted that other UMG artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Bad Bunny also had their music restored. Us Weekly reached out to UMG for comment on this development.
Whether Swift or UMG brokered a deal, fans were happy. Some celebrated the return by posting videos of them lip-syncing to songs like “Cruel Summer.” Others exclaimed that their videos that used Swift’s music weren’t muted anymore (though some noted “not all of [her songs] are” back on the platform).
The recent dispute between TikTok and Universal Music Group (UMG) led to Swift’s music being temporarily removed from the platform. This happened after the failure to reach a new licensing deal between TikTok and UMG. In an open letter, UMG accused TikTok of proposing payment rates that were significantly lower than those offered by other major social platforms. UMG claimed that despite TikTok’s massive user base, it contributes only a fraction of their total revenue and barely compensates artists and songwriters.
TikTok responded by accusing UMG of prioritizing their own financial interests over those of their artists and songwriters. TikTok argued that it serves as a valuable promotional platform for UMG’s talent and has reached favorable agreements with other labels and publishers. The platform claimed that UMG’s actions were not in the best interests of artists, songwriters, and fans.
Fortunately, Swift’s music has now returned to TikTok, allowing users to create videos showcasing their reactions to her upcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” set to be released on April 19 through Republic Records, a subsidiary of UMG.