Taylor Swift previously said she was uninspired by politics in her music. Now, she’s singing a different tune
CNNCNN — In newly released audio from a 2011 interview with “60 Minutes,” a then-21-year-old Taylor Swift says she was, at the time, not inspired to sing about topics related to politics. It wasn’t until over a decade into Swift’s career, in 2018, that she decided to finally broach the topic publicly and in her music, and the never-before-heard audio – released on Tuesday in the debut episode of a new podcast titled “60 Minutes: A Second Look” – sheds light on Swift’s early philosophy about staying mum. “As far as politics and who I want to be making decisions for our country and all that, I don’t really sing about that,” Swift told award-winning journalist and “60 Minutes” host Lesley Stahl at the time, according to the newly released audio. Swift has also used her platform to advocate for women’s rights, reproductive health care and LGBTQ+ rights, vocalizing her support for the causes through songs such as the LGBTQ+ Pride anthem “You Need to Calm Down” or “The Man,” both from her 2019 album “Lover.” An on-screen message shown at the end of the “Calm Down” music video further clarified Swift’s stance and passion for propping up LGBTQ+ rights, urging people to sign her petition for “Senate support of the Equality Act on Change.org.” “Let’s show our pride by demanding that, on a national level, our laws truly treat all our citizens equally,” the message read.