We are thrilled.
Our first guest is here to celebrate
the release of her number one CD, Speak Now.
Please welcome four-time Grammy Award winner Taylor Swift.
Hi.
Hi, Taylor.
Number one CD-- they expect to sell
a million copies of this thing.
Like--
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
More.
That's the first week.
And then what do you--
That's so many, though.
That's a lot for the first week.
That's amazing.
And you wrote the entire thing by yourself.
Yes.
Every song.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
That's something that makes me really proud of this album
because I mean, it took two years to make this album.
And at some point in the process,
I made the conscious decision to keep on writing it by myself.
At first, it was really circumstantial.
I'd get an idea at 3:00 AM.
And I'd be like, ah, there's no co-writer here in Montana
on the tour bus at 3:00 AM, so I'll just go ahead
and write this by myself.
And then a little more than halfway through, I was like,
you know what, I could do this by myself really, maybe.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
And you were telling me--
you were telling me at rehearsal that you were so scared
because you poured so much of yourself into this,
and there's so much personal information here.
You were actually really worried about how
people would receive it.
Yeah.
I have been all over the map as far as emotion-wise.
With this album, it's been such an emotional process.
Writing it for those two years, the last six months of that--
the six months of finishing up the record,
I would have nightmares in the middle of the night, where I'd
wake up, and I'd be like-- have a nightmare
that Rolling Stone hated it.
And I mean, I'd wake up.
And in the nightmare, they gave me, like, half a star.
I'm like, is that even possible to even do that?
But I was really nervous about it because I mean,
taking this on and writing every single line of every verse,
prechorus, bridge, everything, you're taking a lot
of ownership of whether people like it or don't.
Right.
So you're very proud that everybody likes it
because everybody does like it to be number one.
Thank you.
You say you started when you were 12.
Even at 12, I mean, when you're writing songs,
have you always just been this honest
since you were a little girl?
You just said what's on your mind?
With music, that's where I can say whatever.
I mean, I remember when I was in school, the whole reason I
started writing songs was because I was alone
a lot of the time.
And I'd sit there in school, and I'd
be hearing people like, oh, my god, this party
we're going to be is going to be so awesome on Friday.
Everyone's invited, except for her over there.
And I just wouldn't be invited to stuff.
And I would sit there, and I'd be
like, it's OK because I can write a song about this later.
And here I am at 20, and I'm still saying that when
I go through tough times.
So it's like it's worked out.
It's a creative way to get your feelings out,
and it's a very successful way to get your feelings out.
Thank you.
I appreciate it.
I scared you today, too.
She was walking down the hall for rehearsal.
And I crawled out of my door.
And you scare so easily.
Yeah.
It's really uncanny.
It's like the legs just buckle.
You do.
So I've scared many people when they go into the dressing room.
I'm hiding, waiting for them in their bathroom.
And it's just a little fun thing that I like to do.
And when I did it with you, it turned
into a YouTube sensation.
I was in a studio that week.
And they're all like, check out this girl.
Oh, close the laptop.
I mean, she just goes down, man.
She just fell.
It was like, she almost hit her head on that thing on the wall.
Yeah.
I was nervous about that.
You fell again today.
You just go right to the ground.
Let's show people what happened when I scared you
the last time you were here.
[VIDEO PLAYBACK]
- Thank you.
[CHUCKLES]
[SCREAMS]
[LAUGHTER]
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
[END PLAYBACK]
Have you recovered from that?
The fall-- there were bruises.
There were many reminders of that.
Boo!
[SCREAMS] Why do you do that?
[LAUGHTER]
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
So you moved out.
You're living on your own now.
You moved out from Mama?
I am.
Yeah?
Yes.
And how is that being away from your mom?
Oh, you know what?
It's been wonderful.
My family, they've become--
[LAUGHTER]
Well, how do I say this?
Because both my mom and my dad are around somewhere.
It's been amazing because they really-- it becomes a privilege
to hang out with my parents because I don't see them
all the time.
So we go to breakfast.
We hang out.
It's great.
The one thing that I thought would
change that didn't, though, is my mom,
worst case scenario Andrea--
She jumps to a worst case scenario?
She's done that since I was little.
And I thought it's with health problems.
When I was little, I would be like--
I'd be blowing my nose if I had a cold or something.
She'd be like, stop blowing your nose so hard.
And I'd be like, why?
And she'd be like, you'll get a brain infection.
[LAUGHTER]
Wow.
So now I was calling her the other day.
And she's like, what are you about to do?
I goes, oh, I'm about to go running.
And she's like, be careful.
I was like, I'm running on a treadmill.
She's like, have you ever YouTubed treadmill accidents?
People can die on treadmill accidents.
Wow.
And it's kind of adorable.
It's kind of like, at this point,
I can call it out and be like, Mom, back when I was eight
and you told me I would get a brain
infection if I blow my nose too hard, that wasn't true, was it?
Because I Googled that.
But we're so close.
And my family, I love them so much.
My brother's off at Notre Dame.
And it's really cool.
Well, I'm glad that you're--
it really feels like-- and someone said this.
We have had you on the show for three years now.
I feel like we have just watched you grow up.
And I'm just watching you just get
to be a bigger and bigger and bigger star.
And I mean, we knew you were talented
when you were first on, but you just keep growing as an artist.
And you're still just a very regular, normal person,
which I really appreciate because that's
hard to hold onto that and be grounded.
And you really are.
So--
Thank you so much.
--I'm happy that you're that person.
So let's talk about how well you're-- this is a million
copies in one--
in the first week, a million copies.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
You should be buying yourself something.
I hope you're celebrating.
I'm still celebrating, and it came out October 25.
I mean, I'm just--
I am so blown away because the thing about an album
is you can make an album and put out an album,
and only the fans determine what the number
is next to that first week.
I have nothing to do with what that number is.
And the fact that my fans did that for me,
I spend every day thinking of how I can pay them back
for that because it's just unbelievable that they
did that for me this year.
Well, you pay them back by being completely
adorable and talented and singing.
And they feel like they know who you are, and you're being real.
And I think that's how you pay them back-- by keeping it real.
Aw.
Yeah.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
That's all you can do is stay true to yourself.
But you really have.
I mean, since I first met you, you're the same girl.
I mean, you come back, and you get older.
And some people get jaded, and some people
let this business shift them in a bad direction.
And they get full of themselves.
And you're still very humble.
And you're still the same girl.
And I--
I would say the same thing about you.
Well, thank you.
Well, that's why we're Cover Girls.
Oh, yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
So there's going to be--
when we come back, you're going to sing.
You're going to premiere your new song.
And it seems like the songs-- we get
to follow your relationships in your songs.
We get to-- but that's a creative--
[GRIMACES]
But it's good.
It's a creative outlet because things happen,
and then you get to write about it.
Oh, yeah.
So how old are you?
21?
Yeah.
21.
But imagine going through relationships
when you're that age and what that's
like, much less in the public eye, and everybody
gets to see pictures because everyone gets pictures of--
paparazzi catches you with somebody.
And we get to see all these things happen.
But there's also feelings and heartbreak
and all kinds of weird stuff that
happens that you're feeling.
And you're living it out in front of us,
which has got to be hard.
I think it's just obnoxious if I complain
about anything as far as like--
I hear people talk about, oh, the intrusions of my privacy.
It's like, there are a million other jobs you could have had.
And for me, I've just come to an acceptance of the fact
that this is my life.
And if somebody wants to hide a relationship
or has privacy issues, then we don't have the same viewpoint
because for me, it's just like, live your life.
If people happen to take pictures,
then you laugh about it in the car afterward.
It's whatever.
So it's hard for-- then you've got
to be with somebody who's on the same page,
thinking that way as far as celebrity,
not trying to hide so much from the pictures.
I think it's just all about what your idea of normalcy is.
And for me, it's living my life and going to the same coffee
shops that I went to four years ago.
And I just think it's fun to live a life
and also have a career, but not be too consumed in either one.
I think it's just all about a balance.
We had a contest on our website to find the biggest Taylor
Swift fan, and there were thousands and thousands
of entries.
And someone in this audience is the winner.
Where is Madeleine Traber?
How are you?
I'm really, really good.
All right.
So here's the deal.
Well, first of all, Taylor ran off to a benefit,
and she sends her love.
But she left gifts.
So I'm giving you a lot of gifts and love from Taylor.
OK.
And where do you live?
Where are you from?
Northern California.
Northern California?
And what makes you the biggest Taylor fan.
There's no one on this earth that
just adores her-- genuinely adores her-- more than I do.
She's an incredible person.
You said it yourself.
Yeah.
She is.
She has totally changed my life.
I think she's amazing.
She is amazing.
All right.
So I got some stuff for you.
So here's a whole bunch of stuff--
a basket.
There's an autographed hat.
Oh, my god.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
There's a bunch of Cover Girl.
There's all kinds of things.
And she also wanted to give you some floor seats.
No!
No, no, no, no, no.
You're going to go see her in LA-- floor seats.
Oh, my god!
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
How about that?
Oh, my god.
Is that all?
Oh, my god.
I think I have--
yeah, the tickets to the LA show.
You have floor seats.
You have the autographed hat.
You have the Naturluxe products.
And the only thing it would be--
it's a shame that Taylor's not here,
and that's the only problem.
No way.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
Oh, my god.
How are you, girl?
You can have VIP passes.
You are so sweet, by the way.
You are adorable.
Oh, my god.
[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
Here you go.
Oh, my god.
Is this real life?
So now you can get to go backstage and hang out
with Taylor when you're at the show.
No!
Yeah.
This is real life?
Oh, my god.
I feel like that David at the dentist kid
except for minus the novocaine.
Oh, my god!
What?
Those were seriously some of the nicest things
you were just saying.
I was backstage.
I was like, she's so nice.
You're so nice.
Oh, my god, I can't believe this.
All right.
Well, congratulations.
Thank you so much, Ellen.
You're amazing.
I love you.
You're sweet.
Well, I'm glad that you got to meet Taylor,
and you're going to go see her.
And I think you should wear that whatever day--
Every day, every day.
Just wear it every single day.
This one's yours, too.
Yeah.
Thank you.
All right.
Oh, my god.
We'll be back.
[THEME MUSIC]