Category Archives: Television

Taylor Swift’s ‘City of Lover’ Concert to Air on May 17!

Taylor Swift is giving fans a treat in lieu of her “Lover Fest” concerts that had to be cancelled this summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Although all concerts are set to be rescheduled next summer, Swift wanted to give fans a taste of what they would have seen this summer.

ABC will air “Taylor Swift City of Lover Concert” on Sunday, May 17, immediately after the season finale of “American Idol.” Watch a preview below!

Swift sent a video to Good Morning America promoting the live concert, saying:

“Hey ‘Good Morning America,’ it’s Taylor. Just wanted to say hi. Hope everybody is doing well and happy and healthy and staying safe. So I played this concert in September called ‘The City Of Lover Show’ and it was in Paris, and it was so much fun. It was actually a show we put together just to celebrate the ‘Lover’ album coming out and we filmed it! So that is going to be airing on ABC on May 17 and the next day it will on be on Hulu and Disney+ – so I’m really excited about it. And again, sending my love to you guys and hope you’re well.”

Taylor Swift on Good Morning America

The concert was filmed in September 2019 at L’Olympia Theater in Paris and features Swift performing songs from “Lover.” There will also be behind-the-scenes footage shown in the special!

The concert will air Sunday, May 17, on ABC at 10|9c, following the season finale of “American Idol.”

Kelleigh Bannen Magnificently Performs “Time Machine” on Today Show – Her TV Debut!

Regular readers of Variety Beat know that country artist and singer/songwriter Kelleigh Bannen is one of our favorite acts. We are still soaking up her debut album Favorite Colors that was released last month and will process its magnificence ASAP. A Nashville native, Bannen has been working towards her dreams of sharing her music with the world. This week, she had the opportunity to make her television debut on The Today Show with hosts Hoda Kotb and Willie Geist.

“Time Machine” was not a single Bannen put out ahead of the album release, but the song has a special meaning to her.

“I guess I’ve just been thinking a lot about how our stories don’t unfold the way we think they are going to, or on the timeline. Sometimes, that just makes you that much more thankful for the opportunity.” 

Those words couldn’t be more true, as Bannen has been in the industry for the last decade working towards her dreams. Her TV debut comes much later than she originally thought it would, but that’s what made this moment so much sweeter. She doesn’t take anything for granted. She shared with People Now on their podcast how she used to think she would be the exception. When her label would tell her that it’s hard to get women played on the radio, she thought ‘that’s ok, I’ll be the exception.’

Bannen no longer thinks it’s ok to be the exception. “I don’t want my friends to be the exception, I don’t want Maren Morris to be the exception” she explained. She went on to say some progress has been made and that talking about it helps others realize there is a stigma. As for changes that can be made, Bannen explains that it doesn’t just boil down to one person or one thing, but it’s so ingrained in the system that it’s going to take time before change is truly evident.

Bannen hosted a facebook live on Thursday, 10/31 where she spoke about performing on the show and admitted she was so nervous. She also admitted that anyone looks good on tv because of the crew that puts them together. She even had people giving her a spray tan! Part of her appeal is her authenticity and honesty. She wasn’t afraid to reveal her true self as she often shares stories make up free (by the way, she’s still beautiful).

Favorite Colors is out now!

Taylor Swift’s Mom Sends Jimmy Fallon Hilarious Video of the Singer Post Surgery

Who doesn’t love a good post surgery video of someone loopy from pain meds? They typically come out after wisdom teeth removal, but for Taylor Swift, it comes after lasik surgery. Swift recently stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where Fallon asks Swift about having lasik surgery. A confused Swift replied that yes she has had it, but that she doesn’t tell people and seemed very confused about why he was bringing it up. Fallon was having too much fun revealing that Swift’s own mother had sent him a video of her post surgery and that they were about to air the never before seen footage. After the video air Swift was in disbelief that it had just been showed on television. Fallon then told Swift to thank her mom for him and she said she would definitely be telling her mom some things!

In the video, Swift becomes upset about her attempt to break a banana off the rest of the bunch and it not being the one she wanted. She then doesn’t know what to do with the banana, that no longer has a head. Her mom, Andrea Swift, reassures her that she would eat it. A. Swift also reminds her daughter that she is not supposed to cry post surgery. Perhaps the most hilarious moment comes when Swift slips into bed and is seeing taking a bite of the banana and her mom worries that she might fall asleep while eating it. Swift replies “I’m not asleep, my mind is alive” which is the most Taylor Swift thing she could say. Even under heavy pain meds, Swift’s mind is always working!

WATCH- TAYLOR SWIFT GET UPSET ABOUT A BANANA POST SURGERY

Also during the show, Fallon and Swift played a game of “Name That Song” to which they could only hear one instrument at a time be introduced as they had to guess which song was being played. Fallon was impressed with how Swift was able to guess some of the songs after only hearing a few seconds of instruments, to which Swift replied “It’s the {guitar} chords.” The tables turned however when the final song of the game was played and Swift failed to recognize her hit song off 1989 “Shake It Off.” Fallon was very pleased with himself for guessing correctly as Swift walked off in defeat.

Another great moment came in the show when Swift was able to see Lover on vinyl for the first time. Following the show, sales were made available at Target the next day! Pre-orders are being accepted now for only $23 which is cheaper than the usually $40 priced Vinyls we’ve seen in the past! There are two Vinyls that come with it, one pink and one blue. Swift admitted she hadn’t seen the vinyl in person before and only pictures. She thought they turned out nice!

Fallon also spoke to Swift about her upcoming performance dates and plans for the Lover Festival slated for next summer. Swift stated she daydreamed about the album being played at festivals and admitted she hasn’t played festivals in a very long time. She mentioned how she has the opportunity to open an NFL Stadium next summer, to which Fallon told her she is the first female artist to ever open an NFL stadium, to Swift’s surprise. She stated she wouldn’t be the last!

Taylor Swift Performs “False God” For the First Time! – Watch

Taylor Swift‘s latest album Lover has been out since August, but that hasn’t stopped the GRAMMY winning Pop artist from promo. Typically promo is done prior to an album release, to stir up hype, but Swift is doing things differently this time around. Lover marks Swift’s earliest album release to date, with her typical albums being dropped in October or November. The early release always makes her eligible for next year’s GRAMMY awards.

NBC

Since Swift released her album earlier, the promo is coming later than usual, but perhaps that’s a good thing. Instead of there being pressure on first week sales (Lover smashed all of the album sales this year and is the best selling record since Swift’s own Reputation album), Swift is able to extend the hype and allow others to see the repertoire of songs in her powerhouse.

Swift performed “False God” a song that took many fans by surprise and delight. The song has been praised by other fellow artists, including Country Artist Ryan Hurd who stated he wished he had written it himself. Swift replied that she hopes he will do a cover version of the song.

WATCH- TAYLOR SWIFT PERFORM “FALSE GOD” ON SNL

Swift also performed a piano version of her song “Lover” which she has typically performed playing an acoustic guitar decorated with pink glitter hearts. Dressed in green, Swift was surrounded by music and lyric sheets scattered all across the room, even hanging in the air, which is probably a glimpse of what it is like inside Swift’s mind… countless lyrics and music all over the place!

WATCH- TAYLOR SWIFT PERFORM “LOVER ON SNL

‘Songland’ Judge Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic Switches Roles for Season Finale

On this week’s episode of Songland, OneRepublic visit in hopes of scoring their next hit. They meet four undiscovered songwriters: JT Roach, Madi, Tyler James Bellinger, and Brigetta.

First, JT Roach pitches his song, “Somebody To Love.” OneRepublic and producers, Ester Dean, Shane McAnally, and Jason Evigan (who’s filling in for Ryan Tedder since he’s part of OneRepublic) say that the song is powerful. Ryan also says he feels like he can sing it back after one listen. Their only feedback is to take out some of the more repetitive lyrics.

Second is Madi with her song, “Darkest Days.” OneRepublic and the producers love the melody. However, they feel that the song should sound sadder and needs to be more elevated.

Next, Tyler James Bellinger shares his song, “Giving You Up.” OneRepublic and the producers praise his performance. They like the song but suggest lowering the range to make it resonate better.

Finally, Brigetta closes out the first round with her song, “Be Somebody.” OneRepublic and the producers say that the shape of the song is there, but it needs some lyrical changes.

Having heard all four songs, the group must decide who will advance to the studio round. They select JT, Brigetta, and Madi.

During the studio round, Brigetta teams up with Jason, Madi teams up with Ester, and JT teams up with Shane to refine their songs.

Madi kicks off the performance round with “Darkest Days.” OneRepublic and the producers say that she did a great job with her changes. Ryan also says he feels like he could’ve written the chorus, which makes the song attractive to him.

Next, JT performs “Somebody To Love.” OneRepublic and the producers feel that the song is relatable. Ryan also notes that the song’s melody will work perfectly for his vocal range.

Last, Brigetta shares her new version of “Be Somebody.” OneRepublic and the producers praise the song’s lyric changes.

With the performance round over, the group now has to decide which song they will cut. They pick JT’s “Somebody to Love.” The song is available now and OneRepublic has also performed it live!

OneRepublic’s episode helped conclude season one of Songland. After the episode aired, news broke that the show has been renewed for season two.