While she may not officially be part of Taylor Swift girl squad, Charli XCX comes in a close second. The "Boom Clap" singer recently joined Taylor Swift onstage at Swift's concert in Toronto to perform the song. As DIYmag.com noted, Swift has previously recruited a variety of other stars to accompany her onstage during her 1989 Tour, ranging from Wiz Khalifa and Haim to Nelly and Beck. Swift took the opportunity to post a pic of herself and Charli at the concert earlier today on Instagram.
Charli was also excited about the appearance, and tweeted to Taylor Swift to thank Swift for having her in Toronto, adding that she loved the costumes on Taylor's tour. Taylor responded with an emphatic "I LOVE YOU" and posted a video of the two performing together.
Charli also recently performed a live cover of Swift's single "Shake It Off," turning it from a catchy pop song to her typical style of edgy punk rock/pop crossover, in which she might sound more like a female Joey Ramone than Taylor Swift. Charli's cover was performed for the BBC Radio Live Lounge, which features a variety of top artists covering songs of other popular singers.
Swift also recently invited country singer Keith Urban onstage with her in Toronto. Urban sang his new song "John Cougar, John Deere, John 3:16," as well as his classic hit, "Somebody Like You." As Rolling Stone discovered, Urban handed Swift the microphone during their performance of "John Cougar" to let her say the word "Chevy" as they strolled down a long catwalk. Urban's newest song is about being raised with traditional values and the conflict he felt as an angst-ridden teenager whose thoughts were in conflict with those values.
While the choice to bring Urban onstage may seem surprising, the choice of Charli XCX as a guest is less so. Coming from country roots, Taylor has reinvented herself as a sort of "bubblegum" pop singer, and Charli is very much so in line with Taylor's new musical identity and the market Swift will now be catering to. While her sound isn't as edgy, Swift clearly moves in the same musical circle as Charli XCX, who has worked with artists including Icona Pop, Iggy Azalea, and Rita Ora.
[Image Credit: Tswiftdaily.com]