Taylor Swift and Harry Styles are two artists whose music spoke to a generation. The two talents linked up for a brief period in the early 2010s and their short-lived romance eventually turned into a friendship.
That friendship was on full display at the 2023 Grammy Awards, when Swift was seen going over to Styles' table to chat with him. Swift also seemed to support Styles in the face of some Beyoncé fans who heckled him during his acceptance speech for Album of the Year.
Taylor Swift's Relationship And Breakup With Harry Styles
Swift and Styles first met at the 2012 Kid's Choice Awards and sparked romance rumors later that year. In December, the two were spotted out on a date in Central Park. A few days later, they were seen together at a friend's birthday party. After spending Swift's birthday in England, the two shared a kiss back in New York on New Year's Eve.
In 2013, however, things went south. After the two flew to the Caribbean for a vacation, Swift returned home alone. This sparked rumors of a breakup, which were eventually confirmed. In 2014, Swift's "1989" album sparked speculation among fans as to which songs could've been inspired by the relationship. Later that year, Styles and Swift were seen sitting at the same table at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after party.
In 2017, Styles opened up about his time with Swift in a Rolling Stone interview. He was asked about their first date in Central Park.
"When I see photos from that day," he said, "I think: Relationships are hard, at any age. And adding in that you don't really understand exactly how it works when you're 18, trying to navigate all that stuff didn't make it easier. I mean, you're a little bit awkward to begin with. You're on a date with someone you really like. It should be that simple, right? It was a learning experience for sure. But at the heart of it – I just wanted it to be a normal date."
Styles was also asked if he had a message for Swift. "Certain things don't work out. There's a lot of things that can be right, and it's still wrong," he said.
"In writing songs about stuff like that, I like tipping a hat to the time together. You're celebrating the fact it was powerful and made you feel something, rather than 'this didn't work out, and that's bad.' And if you run into that person, maybe it's awkward, maybe you have to get drunk … but you shared something. Meeting someone new, sharing those experiences, it's the best s— ever. So thank you."
Adele Dedicates Her Album Of The Year Win To Beyoncé At The 2017 Grammys
In 2023, Styles' album "Harry's House" was nominated for Album of the Year, the Grammy's highest honor. The award was given out toward the end of the ceremony. By that point, Beyoncé already collected enough trophies for her "Renaissance" album that she was named the artist with the most wins in Grammy history.
But when Styles' name was announced as the Album of the Year winner, many within the Beyhive weren't happy. Beyoncé had lost the Album of the Year trophy in the past. She lost to Swift in 2010 when her album "I Am... Sasha Fierce" was nominated. In 2017, she lost the award again, this time to Adele, who took time out of her speech to acknowledge Beyoncé.
"I can’t possibly accept this award, and I’m very humbled and very grateful and gracious but my life is Beyoncé, and the album to me, the 'Lemonade' album, Beyoncé, was so monumental," Adele said.
"You are our light. And the way that you make me and my friends feel, the way you make my Black friends feel is empowering, and you make them stand up for themselves."
Taylor Swift Stands For Harry As Beyoncé Fans Heckle Him During His Grammy Acceptance Speech
As Styles accepted his award, loud yells could be heard from the audience. An audience member's footage began going viral online, in which fans can be heard shouting "Beyoncé" and "Beyoncé should’ve won" as Styles spoke.
Another clip began going viral on TikTok, which showed Swift standing up during Styles' speech, watching and listening to him intently. It appears that she looked down when she heard the heckling. Many speculated that the moment may have reminded her of when Kanye West interrupted her speech at the VMAs back in 2009 to say Beyoncé should’ve won.
Styles spoke to reporters backstage, who asked him if he expected Beyoncé to win.
He said, "You never know with this stuff. I don’t think you can look at any of the nominees and not feel like they’re deserving. When I look at this category, it’s all people who have inspired me at different times, so it’s not like—y’know, you would understand anyone winning. And yeah, I’m really grateful that they chose us."
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