Matty Healy mocks Taylor Swift during The 1975’s Glastonbury set
Matty Healy seemingly mocked his ex Taylor Swift during The 1975’s set at the Glastonbury Festival on Friday.
While delivering some of his signature banter from the stage, the “About You” crooner sarcastically dubbed himself a “poet” in an apparent nod to the pop star’s “Tortured Poets Department” album, much of which Healy is believed to have inspired.
“I want to be sincere for a second. What this moment is making me realize is that I probably am the best,” the frontman said with a smirk, according to footage published by Variety. “I’m probably the best songwriter of my generation, the best … what do we say, poet, ladies and gentleman, is what I am. Generational wordsmith.”
His acerbic comments came just before the band launched into a performance of their 2013 song “Chocolate,” which may have been a deliberate choice given a particular verse on Swift’s album.
“You smoked, then ate seven bars of chocolate,” the Grammy winner sings on the title track.
But Healy’s remarks weren’t the only thing making Swifties raise their eyebrows. Fans also noted his jacket featured a pin of Peter Pan — a character he’s previously used to describe himself and one that Swift references on her song “Peter.”
Fans have concluded that multiple songs on Swift’s 11th studio album allude to her brief courtship with Healy in the spring of 2023 and their yearslong friendship before that.
Along with the titular “Tortured Poets Department,” those tracks include “But Daddy I Love Him,” “Guilty as Sin?” “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can),” and the scathing song “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived,” which paints a portrait of a man whose actions didn’t “measure up” to the persona he initially presented.
In October, Healy seemingly took another dig at Swift’s lyrics when discussing where he finds inspiration for his own music.
“I would kind of just be lying if I made a record about, I don’t know, all the stuff that was said about me or my casual romantic liaisons or whatever it may be that I’ve become known for,” Healy said on an episode of the “ Doomscroll” podcast. “I think that a lot of artists become very interested in their lore … I think that’s an obvious thing to draw from. I’m just not interested in it.”
Healy, who’s currently engaged to model-singer Gabbriette, dated Swift for only a matter of weeks, on the heels of her split from Joe Alwyn and just before she started dating Travis Kelce in July 2023.
However, “The Tortured Poets Department” and its many references that have been linked to Healy have prompted speculation about the depth of the artists’ relationship and just how far back the romantic undertones go.
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Rihanna in Belgium to attend ‘Smurfs’ world premiere
BRUSSELS — Belgium rolled out the blue carpet Saturday for Rihanna and other stars who turned out for the world premiere of the new Smurf movie.
Rihanna produced ″Smurfs″ and voices Smurfette in the summer family film, a live-action animated reboot that takes the little creatures on a Smurfette-led rescue mission to save Papa Smurf.
At Saturday’s showing in Brussels, the pregnant Grammy winner chatted with children, linked arms with someone dressed as her cartoon alter-ego, and joined the audience arm in arm with A$AP Rocky.
Film director Chris Miller held Smurf toys and other cast members at the premiere included James Corden and Dan Levy. Many of the guests wore a shade of Smurf-ish blue.
The movie premieres in the U.S. on July 18.
Belgian comics artist Peyo created the Smurfs — known here as ″Schtroumpfs″ — and the Belgian capital embraced the premiere with a weekend of events.
It took place in central Brussels, not far from a Smurf museum. The city’s famed Mannekin Pis statue was dressed for the occasion as No Name Smurf. The city’s Grand-Place held Smurf-themed events all weekend, and tourist buses and train cars were decorated in blue.
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Paul Simon has canceled his weekend concerts in Philly to get surgery for back pain
PHILADELPHIA — Legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon has canceled his two weekend shows at Philadelphia’s Academy of Music to get surgery for “chronic and intense back pain.”
According to a post published Saturday afternoon on Simon’s Instagram page, the 83-year-old has been dealing with the issue for some time, and “today it became unmanageable and demands immediate attention.”
The post said Simon would be getting a “minor surgical procedure” in the next few days, after which he would seek to perform the rest of the dates on his “A Quiet Celebration” tour. He is scheduled to play a series of shows on the West Coast next month, according to his website.
The Instagram post also said Simon would “look into returning to make up” the two shows he is canceling in Philadelphia, which were scheduled to take place Saturday and Sunday nights.
Simon performed the first of his three scheduled shows at the Academy of Music on Thursday. He played an 85-minute set that included some new music as well as old hits from his six-decade career, including the Simon and Garfunkel songs “Homeward Bound,” “The Boxer,” and “The Sound of Silence.”
Ensemble Arts Philly said in an email to Saturday ticket holders that a refund would be issued in the next seven days.
From combined wire services