Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson have shared a bond in the music industry since at least 2009. Their friendship became evident when they were spotted together at the Grammy’s Salute to Industry Icons event in February of that year, alongside Miley Cyrus and Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic.
Interestingly, Tedder would go on to collaborate with Swift on “I Know Places” for her “1989” album a few years later.
In September 2009, Clarkson made headlines when she publicly defended Swift after Kanye West‘s infamous interruption during her VMAs acceptance speech for Best Video by a Female Artist. West claimed that Beyoncé should have won instead, a moment that shocked many.
Clarkson, not one to hold back, took to her blog, IamKelly, to criticize West’s behavior, saying, “I mean, I’ve seen you do some pretty s****y things, but you just keep amazing me with your tactless, a**hole ways.” She even remarked that she preferred her cheating ex over West.
Despite losing that award to Swift, Clarkson expressed genuine happiness for her fellow artists. She praised Beyoncé for her classiness and added, “Taylor Swift, you outsell him … that’s why he’s bitter. You know I love your work! Keep it up, girl!”
#1. Swift’s Special Appearances on The Voice
Kelly Clarkson served as a coach on “The Voice” from 2018 to 2023, with earlier guest appearances as an advisor. Taylor Swift joined the show as a “Mega Mentor” for a few episodes in Season 7 (2014) and Season 17 (2019), giving them an opportunity to work together.
As a Mega Mentor, Swift assisted both coaches and contestants in preparing for the Knockout Rounds. She also performed her song “ME!” with Brendan Urie in the Season 16 finale.
In 2019, Swift and Clarkson shared a lighthearted moment on social media, posting a video of themselves trying out a filter that gave them halos. Clarkson joked, “We’re in space!” while Swift added, “We’re space angels on ‘The Voice.'”
You heard it here first 👽 😇 🎶 Watch us on @NBCTheVoice at 8/7c tonight! @kellyclarkson pic.twitter.com/s1P8ywYsXB
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) November 6, 2019
Clarkson has also covered some of Swift’s songs during her concerts and on her talk show, “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” After Clarkson covered “Blank Space” in a concert, Swift tweeted, “Kelly Clarkson covered Blank Space and YES.”
Clarkson replied, “Girl, I’ve been covering your songs since ‘White Horse’! I love them! I wish they would have requested ‘Clean’ #favorite :)”
In 2023, Clarkson finally performed a stunning cover of “Clean” on her show. With her admiration for the “1989” album, one might wonder if Clarkson had any influence on Swift’s decision to re-record her old albums.
#2. What Did Taylor Swift Send Kelly Clarkson After Re-Releasing 1989?
In 2019, after Scooter Braun purchased Big Machine Label Group, acquiring the masters for six of Swift’s albums, Clarkson suggested on social media that Swift re-record her old music. She advised Swift to “put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I’d buy all of the new versions just to prove a point.”
Although it’s unclear if Swift had already considered re-recording her albums before Clarkson’s suggestion, she announced in an August 2019 “Good Morning America” interview that she would begin the process in November 2020. Despite her initial concerns that the re-recorded “Taylor’s Versions” might not succeed, they have proven to be anything but a flop.
Clarkson has never taken credit for inspiring Swift’s re-recordings, but she did receive a thoughtful gift from Swift. In 2023, following the release of “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” Clarkson told E! News that she received flowers from Swift, along with a cute cardigan.
Clarkson praised Swift, saying, “She’s a very smart businesswoman. So, she would have thought of that.” Whether or not Clarkson played a role in Swift’s decision, fans everywhere are grateful!
