Ahead of her 30th birthday this December, Taylor Swift has written an exclusive article for Elle called, ’30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30.’
The piece serves as both an update on the pop sensation’s life as well as a way for her to relay some of her own morals and the valuable lessons she’s learned during her life — mainly throughout her 20s — to her longstanding fans.
From handling relationships to online bullying, or cooking advice to fashion tips, the Shake it Off singer covers a wide variety of subjects.
On a more serious note, however, she reflected on the horrors of the Manchester Arena bombing in May 2017 and the tragic Las Vegas concert shooting that occurred the following October.
Swift, 29, admitted that those acts of terrorism were what rendered her “completely terrified to go on tour” ahead of her nearly seven-month long Reputation world tour, which kicked off in May 2018.
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The 10-time Grammy award winner revealed that violence was her biggest fear, especially at one of her concerts. “I didn’t know how we were going to keep 3 million fans safe over seven months,” she wrote, regarding the massively successful tour.
Throughout the Reputation tour, intense security — as it is at most venues now — was a vital process in Swift’s mind. She upped the ante in 2018, and a large amount of the budget went to ensuring her fans wouldn’t have to worry about senseless violence.
“There was a tremendous amount of planning, expense, and effort put into keeping my fans safe,” she said.
Swift also revealed that since her unfortunate history with stalkers, she carries QuikClot at all times — a military-grade brand of bandages.
“My fear of violence has continued into my personal life,” she added, including that the product was specifically for “gunshots or stab wounds.”
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In just one of many cases, a masked man was arrested on suspicion last year after hanging around Swift’s Californian home. He was identified as Julius Sandrock. He was caught with a knife and rope in his car. As a result, the singer filed a restraining order against him.
Around that same time, another man, Roger Alvarado, was found sleeping in Swift’s bed in her brand new Soho townhouse by local authorities. He also allegedly used her shower.
This wasn’t the first report of a break-in attempt by Alvarado, 22. The obsessed fan was charged last February with breaking through the front door of Swift’s US$18-million property with a shovel.
“Websites and tabloids have taken it upon themselves to post every home address I’ve ever had online,” Swift wrote in Elle. “You get enough stalkers trying to break into your house and you kind of start prepping for bad things.”
In her vow to stay positive, Swift put aside the negativity and threats in her life and revealed, “Every day, I try to remind myself of the good in the world, the love I’ve witnessed and the faith I have in humanity.”
“We have to live bravely in order to truly feel alive,” she continued, “and that means not being ruled by our greatest fears.”
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Throughout her article, Swift also addresses her 2017 sexual assault trial, the importance of feeling self-worth, and why it’s important to stay positive. You can read the entire piece here.
Swift is expected to be working on the highly-anticipated follow-up to her latest record, Reputation (2017).
As of this writing, she currently has no scheduled Canadian tour dates.