Music

15 Jun 2024

Top K-Pop of the Week: NAYEON, ATEEZ, Kim Jae Joong, EVERGLOW & More — Vote!

With groups celebrating anniversaries, like Super Junior and INFINITE, alongside solo superstars like NAYEON, XIA, Sunmi and BOL4, which new song gets your vote?

Nayeon

Nayeon

JYP Entertainment

Every week, the Korean music scene delivers outstanding songs across various genres and styles, and the past week was no exception, with a heavy-hitting selection of hits with global and crossover potential, satisfyingly nostalgic duets and some of 2024’s most promising new artists.

A slew of major solo stars have returned to the scene lately, with NAYEON of TWICE dropping her sophomore solo effort, NA, Friday (June 14), hoping to make history again after becoming the first-ever K-pop soloist to score a Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 with 2022’s IM NAYEON. Meanwhile, Kim Jae Joong and XIA — who come from legendary groups TVXQ! and JYJ — signaled exciting returns to the industry with their new tracks, while Sunmi, SAAY, BOL4 and GISELLE of aespa all have new material for fans.

On the group front, beloved acts like Super Junior and INFINITE are celebrating important milestones with anniversary singles. Meanwhile, A.C.E, ATEEZ and WayV are all proving how universal their latest releases are with new singles in multiple languages and/or getting different treatments through new remixes.

As the K-pop industry moves at a rapid pace, it’s important to pause and appreciate the innovation and diversity it offers across its different acts. Previously, Billboard readers rallied behind ONEUS’ “Now” as the top K-pop pick of the week as well as Jung Kook’s “Never Let Go” as their favorite new music in all genres last week.

Take a moment to explore these 13 gems that embody the spirit of the scene and deserve a spot on your playlist. Then, cast your vote in our poll for the top of K-pop for the past week.

15 Jun 2024

Taylor Swift Presents ‘The Murder Mashup’ With ‘Carolina’ & ‘No Body, No Crime,’ Plus the Live Debut of ‘The Manuscript’

Taylor Swift was in storytelling mode with two surprise song mashups in Liverpool, England, Saturday night (June 15).

At the third of three shows at the city’s Anfield Stadium, Swift got creative with her acoustic set, weaving together crime mysteries for one mashup, and telling the story of an affair from the Red era with the other.

“This is what it all really comes down to, for me, in the show,” said Swift, strumming her guitar. “It’s just the most amount of, like, ‘Don’t mess this up. Don’t mess this up,’ ’cause it’s also my favorite part of the show.”

“This one, I’m gonna,” she started telling the crowd, but her voice trailed off. After pausing for a few seconds, Swift announced, “I’m gonna call this ‘The Murder Mashup.’”

She gave Liverpool the live debut of “Carolina,” the haunting song she wrote for the soundtrack of the 2022 film adaptation of Delia Owens’ murder mystery Where the Crawdads Sing — playing it alongside parts of Evermore‘s “No Body, No Crime.”

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“Carolina creeks running through my veins/ Lost I was born, lonesome I came/ Lonesome I’ll always stay/ Carolina knows why for years I roam/ Free as these birds, light as whispers/ Carolina knows,” Swift sang, continuing with the film ballad up until “there are places I will never, ever go/ And things that only Carolina will ever know.”

And then, to shrieks from around the stadium, she switched over to “He did it,” bringing “No Body, No Crime” (originally recorded with Haim) into what is now officially known as “The Murder Mashup.”

Following that pairing, the songstress softly begin playing “The Manuscript,” the contemplative closer of her 31-song The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology album, at her piano.

“She thought about how he said since she was so wise beyond her years, everything had been above board,” sang Swift, recalling a “torrid affair” with an older man in her younger years, of which she quietly reflects on in the Tortured Poets track. “She wasn’t sure.”

Swift then connected 2024’s “The Manuscript” to the bridge from 2012’s “Red”: “Remembering him comes in flashbacks and echoes/ Tell myself it’s time now, gotta let go/ But moving on from him is impossible/ When I still see it all in my head/ In burning red … Loving him was red.”

“The story isn’t mine anymore,” the closing line of “The Manuscript,” ended the piano number.

Watch clips from both of Swift’s surprise song mashups below. Stay up-to-date with her entire list of Eras Tour surprise songs here. The tour resumes in Cardiff on Tuesday, June 18, and then arrives for in London for the weekend on Friday, June 21.

15 Jun 2024

Jeremy Tepper, Program Director of SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country, Dies at 60

Jeremy Tepper, a musician, journalist and the program director of SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel, has died. He was 60.

Tepper passed away on Friday (June 14) from a heart attack at his home in New York City, according to a social media post by his wife, singer-songwriter Laura Cantrell.

“Lost my good friend Jeremy Tepper last night,” Steven Van Zandt, guitarist in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band and founder of Underground Garage, wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “An incredibly tragic loss so young. He ran my Outlaw Country station on SiriusXM brilliantly. It is actually quite a complicated format and he made it look easy. Our deepest love and condolences to Laura and his family and friends.”

Born in 1963, the New York native graduated with a degree in journalism from NYU and served as the frontman for the band World Famous Blue Jays.

During his career, Tepper founded independent country label Diesel Only Records and held A&R and marketing positions for CDuctive and eMusic.com. He was also a journalist, having previously served as editor of The Journal of Country Music and as a country music critic for Tower Records’ Pulse! magazine.

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In 2004, he joined Sirius as format manager of the radio giant’s Outlaw Country channel, which was created by Zandt, who served as its executive producer. The channel mixes music by country and Americana artists such as Waylon Jennings, Dale Watson, Dwight Yoakam, Johnny Cash and Lucinda Williams with rockers Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and the Band.

Tepper’s two-decade run with Sirius also found him working on the Willie’s Roadhouse and Road Dog Trucking channels.

“Jeremy Tepper, a beloved member of SiriusXM, profoundly influenced us with his unwavering dedication to music and innovative spirit,” SiriusXM wrote on X. “His contributions, in shaping Outlaw Country and Willie’s Roadhouse, are beyond measure. Our thoughts are with his loved ones during this time.”

Tepper is survived by his wife, Cantrell, and their daughter, Bella.

15 Jun 2024

Billie Eilish Becomes the 3rd Artist to Reach 100M Monthly Spotify Listeners — and Does It With Just 82 Songs

Billie Eilish should be happier than ever: She’s become the third artist to surpass 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the music streaming platform confirms — and she did it with just 82 songs.

The two-time Oscar winner follows behind only The Weeknd, who has 107 million monthly listeners, and Taylor Swift, who boasts 102 million; both have more than double the songs on the streamer than Eilish. And at just 22 years old, this makes the “Lunch” singer the youngest yet to have reached the 100 million listeners milestone.

“Spotify has been a part of Billie’s story from the start. Ever since ‘Ocean Eyes,’ she has continuously grown her fan base around the world,” Jeremy Erlich, Spotify’s global head of music, tells Billboard. “What she and [brother-collaborator] Finneas have achieved since 2016 is quite remarkable … and all this by the age of 22.”

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The singer-songwriter currently has eight songs in the streamer’s Billions Club: “Lovely” with Khalid (2.8 million plays to date), “Bad Guy” (2.5 million), “When the Party’s Over” (1.8 million), “Everything I Wanted” (1.6 million), “Ocean Eyes” (1.4 million), “Happier Than Ever” (1.3 million), “Idontwannabeyouanymore” (1.09 million) and “Bury a Friend” (1.01 million).

Eilish’s debut single, “Ocean Eyes,” arrived on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2018 and peaked at No. 84 the following year. Since then, she has landed 42 more songs on the all-genre tally, with six of those reaching the top 10, including 2019’s “Bad Guy,” which topped the chart in August that year.

Her third album, the 10-track Hit Me Hard and Soft, dropped in April and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. First album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? and sophomore set Happier Than Ever both topped the chart for three weeks.

15 Jun 2024

Joe Alwyn Breaks Silence About Taylor Swift Breakup & ‘The Tortured Poets Department’

Joe Alwyn is opening up for the first time about his split from Taylor Swift.

In an interview with The Sunday Times Style Magazine, published Saturday (June 15), the 33-year-old actor, who stars in Yorgos Lanthimos’ upcoming film Kinds of Kindness, broke his silence about his breakup with the pop superstar in April 2023.

Alwyn, who dated Swift for six years, called their relationship “long, loving” and “fully committed.” The “Anti-Hero” singer, 34, has not yet publicly commented on the breakup, but many believe that her latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, was inspired by the split.

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Earlier this year, fans speculated that the title of Tortured Poets — which has spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — resembles a group chat between Alwyn and fellow actors Andrew Scott and Paul Mescal called “The Tortured Man Club.”

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When asked if he’s listened to his ex-girlfriend’s new album, Alwyn told the Times, “In thinking on what I was going to say, I would think and hope that anyone and everyone can empathize. … This isn’t a direct answer to your question, but just thinking about what I want to talk about.”

He continued, “I would hope that anyone and everyone can empathize and understand the difficulties that come with the end of a long, loving, fully committed relationship of over six and a half years. That is a hard thing to navigate.”

Alwyn and Swift broke up in April 2023 around the time the pop star launched her launched her record-breaking The Eras Tour in North America. The Conversations With Friends actor reflected on aftermath of the split, saying, “What is unusual and abnormal in this situation is that, one week later, it’s suddenly in the public domain and the outside world is able to weigh in.”

“So you have something very real suddenly thrown into a very unreal space: tabloids, social media, press, where it is then dissected, speculated on, pulled out of shape beyond recognition,” he told the Times. “And the truth is, to that last point, there is always going to be a gap between what is known and what is said. I have made my peace with that.”

Alwyn noted that he and Swift “mutually” agreed to “keep the more private details of our relationship private.” He added, “It was never something to commodify and I see no reason to change that now.”

Swift and the Favourite actor first started dating in 2016, and mostly kept a low profile. During their six years together, they rarely made public outings. They did, however, speak lovingly about each other in occasional interviews, and the 12-time Grammy winner opened up about falling in love with Alwyn in her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana.

Alwyn told the Times that he’s been doing well following the breakup. “Look, this is also a little over a year ago now, and I feel fortunate to be in a really great place in my life — professionally and personally. I feel really good,” he said.

After ending things with Alwyn, Swift started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce last summer. The athlete is another rumored Tortured Poets muse, with fans suspecting that “The Alchemy” and “So High School” were both written about him.

15 Jun 2024

Leon Thomas Teases New Album: ‘I Was Happy Being Single and I Wanted to Document That’

After picking up his first Grammy (best R&B song for co-writing SZA‘s “Snooze”) earlier this year, Leon Thomas is gearing up to launch his new studio album.

“This new album is definitely a different breadth of sound and sonics and even lyrical choices,” Thomas told Billboard before his performance at Nashville’s inaugural Blavity House Party on Friday (June 14). “I feel like the work that I’m doing now is definitely elevated and continuing to grow and build on who I am as an artist, [and] doing shows really played into that. There’s a lot of energy to what I got going on.”

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In August 2023, Thomas dropped his debut album, Electric Dusk, which featured collaborations with Ty Dolla $ign (“Love Jones”) and Benny the Butcher (“X-Rated”), as well as the breakout single “Breaking Point.” He released the set on Motown Records via Ty Dolla $ign’s EZMNY Records imprint, to which Thomas was signed as the label’s first artist in 2022.

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“[The last album was] post-breakup. ‘Breaking Point’ was the flagship song talking about it,” he explained. “[Going into the new album], I was on my single journey just doing my thing and I documented a lot of the things I was going through. It’s called Mutt, like a dog, because I feel like at that time I was being a dog. I was happy being single and I wanted to document that in the landscape of R&B, and [there are] many different ways that I do it. It’s not all super toxic, a lot of it is very introspective and vulnerable as well.”

Thomas, of course, is no stranger to traversing the vast range of tropes that comprise R&B and hip-hop, having lent his talents to songs from Toni Braxton (2014’s “I’d Rather Be Broke), Kehlani (2019’s “Butterfly”), Ariana Grande (2020’s “Nasty”), Giveon (2021’s “For Tonight”), SZA (2022’s “Snooze”) and Ty Dolla $ign & Kanye West (2024’s “Burn”). While the cast of players on Electric Dusk remained relatively tight, a host of collaborators are in the kitchen for its follow-up.

“Me, Ty Dolla $ign, Wale, Baby Rose, we all came together and did a bunch of different joints on there,” Thomas revealed. “I’m trying to see if we’re going to keep the Madlib joint that I have, hopefully, that makes the album, that would be a really cool song for people to hear.”

Thomas released his most recent single, “Dangerous Game,” a collaboration with ESTA, on May 24.

15 Jun 2024

Angela Bofill, ‘I Try’ & ‘This Time I’ll Be Sweeter’ Singer, Dies at 70

Angela Bofill, the R&B singer known for songs including “I Try,” “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and “Angel of the Night,” has died. She was 70.

News of her death was shared Friday (June 14) on her personal Facebook account by manager and friend Rich Engel.

“On behalf of my dear friend Angie, I am saddened to announce her passing on the morning of June 13th,” Engel wrote in his first post.

He added in a second message, “Just to clear up the confusion. On behalf of Shauna Bofill, husband Chris Portuguese, we are saddened but must report that the passing of Angela yesterday is indeed true. We thank Melba Moore and Maysa for their early condolences. Thank for your many posts.”

Iconic percussionist Sheila E. took to the comments section to share her condolences. “The Escovedo family is sad by the loss of this amazing beautiful soul. We are praying for the family. You will truly be missed my sister my queen. Rest in peace,” she wrote.

Bofill passed away at her daughter’s home in Vallejo, Calif., according to TMZ. A cause of death was not provided, but she had suffered two strokes in 2006 and 2007 that caused paralysis on the left side of her body.

She spoke to the Denver Post in 2011 after taking a five-year break to recover.

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“I feel happy performing again,” Bofill said at the time. “I need crowd. In the blood, entertain. Any time a crowd comes to see me, I’m surprised. No sing no more and still people come. Wow. Impressed.”

Born in New York City, the vocalist began recording music during her teenage years and released her debut album, Angie, in 1978. She continued recording into the 1990s. Last year, the singer was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Bofill’s funeral will be held at St. Dominic’s Church in California at 1 p.m. on June 28, according to Engel’s Facebook post.

She is survived by her husband, Chris Portuguese, and daughter, Shauna Bofill.

15 Jun 2024

Luke Combs Celebrates Wife & Kids at LA’s SoFi Stadium – And Shotguns a Beer With Luke Wilson & Jimmy Butler Too

Luke Combs dropped his new album Fathers & Sons on Friday, and that same night — appropriately, on Father’s Day Weekend — he was in front of 70,000-some fans at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to celebrate his love of family… and his love of beer too.

Ahead of performing a string of love songs written about his wife of four years Nicole, Combs said fans often ask him why he records so many romantic ballads.

“I still sing beer-drinking songs too. I still like beer-drinking songs,” Combs said to wild applause. “But I love my wife. I love my kids. And if it wasn’t for her, I’d be about five No. 1s short of where I am right now. So these next couple of songs are about her.” (For the record, Combs has scored 17 No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, so apparently he’d be down to a dozen without those love songs.)

Combs dedicated the newest song he performed, “The Man He Sees in Me,” to his two young sons: Tex, who was born on Father’s Day 2022 and turns 2 next week, and 10-month-old Beau. It’s the lead single from his new album, and it captures Combs’ drive to be a great dad while understanding that his kids will grow up and realize he’s not Superman (“One day between him leaving home and driving on my knee/ Maybe I’ll finally be the man he sees in me”). While the song was only released on June 6, he’s been playing it since April on his Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour.

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Ahead of the song, he talked about the release of his 12-track new album Fathers & Sons. “Thank you for listening to it,” he humbly told the crowd, wearing a Los Angeles Chargers hat on the home field of both the NFL’s Chargers and Rams. “If you listened to it, thank you. If you haven’t, I hope that you do.”

But just like he said onstage, there was plenty of time for beer-drinking songs too.

The final two tracks before his encore really drove that home, starting with Combs’ 2019 Brooks & Dunn collab “1, 2 Many.” More than halfway through the song, Combs was joined by actor Luke Wilson and Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler to shotgun a beer onstage. (Well, at least one of the Lukes shotgunned a beer; Wilson took a few generous swigs before chucking his Miller Lite can into the crowd.) And next up was arguably Combs’ biggest party-starter of a song: one of those 17 Country Airplay No. 1s, 2019’s “Beer Never Broke My Heart.”

Combs returns to SoFi Stadium for night 2 on Saturday (June 15). On Friday, he was joined by The Avett Brothers, Charles Wesley Godwin, Hailey Whitters and The Wilder Blue as opening acts, and he’ll have a full new slate of openers on Saturday night: Jordan Davis, Mitchell Tenpenny, Drew Parker and Colby Acuff.

Watch the Wilson and Butler moment below, along with a little taste of “1, 2 Many.”

15 Jun 2024

Kany Garcia & Joaquina Perform at Latin Grammys Showcase, Plus More Uplifting Moments

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

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Best New Artist Showcase

The Latin Recording Academy hosted its first Best New Artist Showcase of the year at the Museo de Arte de San Juan in Puerto Rico. Former best new artist Latin Grammy winners, Kany García (2008) and Joaquina (2023), were the night’s special performers. “Taking the Best New Artist Showcase series to Puerto Rico for the first time, alongside Joaquina and Kany García, is an exciting opportunity to continue celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Latin GRAMMY Awards,” said Manuel Abud, CEO, The Latin Recording Academy in a statement. “The support of our Presenting Partner Mastercard, and Official Sponsor Rums of Puerto Rico, enables us to continue delivering on our mission to foster the next generation of Latin music makers.” The next showcase will be hosted later this year.

Joaquina and Kany Garcia performed at The Best New Artist Showcase, presented by Mastercard, on June 13, 2024 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Joaquina and Kany Garcia performed at The Best New Artist Showcase, presented by Mastercard, on June 13, 2024 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Latin Recording Academy

Marc Anthony’s Son Turns One

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Marc Anthony and Nadia Ferreira’s son, Marco, celebrated his first birthday party this week. “Today marks one year since you came into the world, to teach me so many things… one of them being the greatest love that exists… being your mother, my son,” the Paraguayan model expressed on her Instagram account, sharing a sweet photo of her and her son. “There’s no way to explain the infinite love I feel for you and the excitement of watching you grow and teaching you new things every day. Happy birthday to the greatest blessing of my life. My beloved Marco!” 

The couple announced the arrival of their son In a joint Instagram post shared on Father’s Day last year via a black-and-white photo of Anthony carrying their newborn and holding Ferreira’s hand. “God’s timing is always perfect. Happy Father’s Day,” read the sweet and short caption. This is Ferreira’s first baby and the salsa singer’s seventh child, following his sons and daughters Arianna, Chase, Cristian, Ryan, and twins Emme and Maximilian; he shares his twins with ex-wife Jennifer Lopez.

Marc Anthony and Nadia Ferreira

Marc Anthony and Nadia Ferreira at the 35th Premio Lo Nuestro at Miami-Dade Arena on Feb. 23, 2023 in Miami.

Manny Hernandez/Wireimage

Jay Wheeler & Zhamira Are Expecting!

In other baby news, Jay Wheeler and Zhamira Zambrano are expecting their first child. The two-part announcement was made via an Instagram post with four images of the couple loving each other, and a new single by Zambrano called “Bienvenida.” “My life is about to change in a couple more months,” she croons sweetly against a slow pop ballad. Its accompanying music video follows the timeline of her pregnancy while she’s embraced by her husband. 

Zambrano and the Puerto Rican artist met at the East Hotel in Miami, and made their relationship Instagram official in February 2022. They tied the knot later that year in December in a civil ceremony. The couple collaborated on “Dicelos” and “Extrañándote.” The latter earned Zambrano her first top 10 on the Latin Pop Airplay chart and Wheeler his third. They performed the song at the 2024 Latin American Music Awards in April. 

Jay Wheeler & Zhamira Zambrano

Jay Wheeler & Zhamira Zambrano

Earl Rivers

Yordano’s Honorary Doctorate

Italian–born Venezuelan singer-songwriter Yordano di Marzo will receive an honorary doctorate in art from the University of the Andes in Colombia, in recognition of his prolific music career that spans more than five decades. “Di Marzo has been one of the most influential singer-songwriters of his generation, notable for his social sensitivity, the literary quality of his songs, and the high level developed in each of his albums,” reads the official press statement, also noting that the artist has been “raising the name of Venezuela, with his indisputable contribution to the development of the arts, particularly music, as a pioneer in the fusion of elements taken from Latin American and Caribbean heritage with rock, pop, and jazz.”

Yordano—who was previously honored with a Latin Grammy for Musical Excellence in 2022—will receive the ULA honorary doctorate during a ceremony on June 22nd at the university’s Mérida campus. He now joins past honorees such as fashion designer Giorgio Armani, tenor Luciano Pavarotti, and Catalan soprano Monserrat Caballé, among others.

Yordano

Yordano

Francisco Fernández

14 Jun 2024

Taylor Swift Gives ‘This Is What You Came For’ Its Eras Tour Debut: ‘A Little Bit Unexpected’

Taylor Swift might have been understating things when she called one of her surprise songs for night 2 in Liverpool, England, “a little bit unexpected.”

Making its Eras Tour debut on Friday night (June 14), Swift performed “This Is What You Came For” — the Billboard Hot 100 top five hit released by Calvin Harris and Rihanna in 2016, which Harris co-wrote with his then-girlfriend Swift — in a mash-up with Evermore‘s “gold rush” for the first of two surprise acoustic songs.

With a guitar slung over her cobalt-blue ombre maxi dress, Swift introduced the song by acknowledging that it might be an especially surprising surprise song. “Every single time that we have an acoustic set, I’m always trying to think of things that you might want to hear, maybe things that might be a little bit expected,” she told the Anfield Stadium crowd. “Let’s see how we did tonight.”

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While “This Is What You Came For” was making its Eras Tour debut, Swift has performed the song twice before: once in 2016 at her Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix concert in Austin, Texas, and once in 2017 at her Super Saturday Night concert in Houston, Texas, ahead of that year’s Super Bowl.

When the song was released in April 2016, it was credited as being co-written by Harris and an unknown songwriter named “Nils Sjöberg.” Following Harris and Swift’s breakup, TMZ reported in July of the same year that Sjöberg was actually a pen name for the pop singer/songwriter, and Harris confirmed her involvement on Twitter. In a 2020 Rolling Stone conversation with Paul McCartney, Swift explained her motivation for using the pen name.

“I think, when a pseudonym comes in is when you still have a love for making the work and you don’t want the work to become overshadowed by this thing that’s been built around you, based on what people know about you,” Swift said at the time. “And that’s when it’s really fun to create fake names and write under them. I wrote under the name Nils Sjöberg because those are two of the most popular names of Swedish males. I wrote this song called ‘This Is What You Came For’ that Rihanna ended up singing. And nobody knew for a while. I remembered always hearing that when Prince wrote ‘Manic Monday’ [for The Bangles], they didn’t reveal it for a couple of months.”

For her second acoustic song on Friday night, Swift performed a Midnights mash-up of “The Great War” and “You’re Losing Me” on piano.

Watch Swift perform “This Is What You Came For” in Liverpool: