Swift drops surprise new album
Taylor Swift fans are getting a double reason to celebrate this year— the singer-songwriter is about to release her second album in 2020.
“To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs,” Swift wrote in social media posts Thursdaymorning. “I’ve never done this before. In the past I’ve always treated albums as one-offeras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released.”
Swift said the new album is called “Evermore,” which she described as a “sister” album to her latest release, “Folklore.” Avideo for anewsong, “Willow,” will arrive along with the album, released at midnightETThursday.
She revealed the track list for the 15-songnew albumand noted that some of the guests areHaim, The National and Bon Iver.
“Folklore,” released this summer, enjoyed three separate visits toNo. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and became the first album to sell a million copies in theU.S. in 2020.
OnInstagram, Swift said working on “Folklore” was different than her previous albums and she just kept writing songs. “I felt less like Iwas departing and more like Iwas returning. I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/ not imaginary tales,” she wrote.
“I loved theways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found into your lives. So I just kept writing them.”
BTSisTime’sEntertainer oftheYear:
BTShas had more than just a “Dynamite” year— they’ve become such a global phenomenon that Time magazine named the South Korean group its 2020
Entertainer of theYear.
The magazine announced the honor for the seven-memberK-pop boy band on Thursday.
The magazine cited BTS’ massive global presence amid the pandemic, including leveraging their massive fan base to support causes like Black LivesMatter. The group has become a staple of recent awards shows, performing their flashyNo. 1 hit “Dynamite.” The song inNovember broughtBTS its firstGrammy nomination.
“There are timeswhen I’m still taken aback by all the unimaginable things that are happening,” BTSmember Suga told Time for an interview that accompanied the announcement. “But I ask myself, Who’s going to do this, if not us?”
TVspecial replacesRose Parade:
Therewon’t be thousands of people watching flower-laden floats roll through the streets of Pasadena onNew Year’sDay, but the show will go on.
Sheryl Crowleads a long list of performers and celebrity guestswhowill appear in a Jan. 1 television special replacing the 132nd
Rose Parade, whichwas canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Performers will also include Mickey Guyton, ToriKelly, LadyA, Rascal Flatts and husband-andwife duo TheWar and Treaty. Celebrity guests will include RitaMoreno, Emeril Lagasse, Gary Sinise, DaddyYankee, ShanolaHampton, Dascha Polanco, Vin Scully, Olympic gymnastLaurie Hernandez andRose Bowl Hall of Fameinductee Matt Leinart.
“TheRose Parade’s NewYearCelebration presented byHonda” will air onABC, NBC, Hallmark Channel andUnivision.
Dec. 11 birthdays: Actor RitaMoreno is 89. Singer David Gates is 80. Actor Donna Mills is 80. Singer Brenda Lee is 76. Actor Teri Garr is 73. Actor Bess Armstrong is 67. Singer Jermaine Jackson is 66. BassistNikki Sixx is 62. Actor BenBrowder is 58. Actor Gary Dourdan is 54. Actor-comedianMo’Nique is 53. Rapper-actorMos Def is 47. Actor Rider Strong is 41. ActorXosha Roquemore is 36. Actor Karla Souza is 34. Actor Hailee Steinfeld is 24.