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Straits Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Reaching New Heights: The podcast is Taylor Swift's latest way to control her narrative
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift announcing her new album The Life Of A Showgirl on the Aug 13 episode of the New Heights podcast. NEW YORK - The transformation of podcasts from a niche audio format to a linchpin of celebrity press tours is complete: Taylor Swift has finally appeared on one. The American pop star's guest spot on New Heights, a video podcast about American football and pop culture co-hosted by her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, amassed nearly 9 million views in about 12 hours on YouTube, setting a record for the show and cementing its place among modern media properties. About 1.3 million people tuned in simultaneously to a livestream of the episode before it was felled by a technical glitch. The episode has since attracted 14 million views. By comparison, an October episode of The Joe Rogan Experience with US President Donald Trump reached about 11 million views in its first 12 hours on YouTube. Released on Aug 13, the New Heights episode served as a long-form album announcement of The Life Of A Showgirl for Swift, 35, who has never taken a particularly traditional approach to delivering such news. When not dropping surprise albums, she has opted for announcing albums on tour stops, on Yahoo livestreams or in the middle of awards shows. Rarely does Swift sit for an interview too. (Exceptions include in-depth conversations for Apple in 2020, Variety in 2022 and Time in 2023.) That her first proper podcast interview was conducted beside her romantic partner speaks to both her personal reluctance to engage with mainstream media and a larger truth about podcasting: For prominent figures, it has become a friendly space, where unchecked conversation can flow freely. Silicon Valley founders and White House officials have embraced two- or three-hour conversations with American podcaster Rogan. Athletes and musicians talk about their mental health on Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard. American actor Jason Momoa just made his podcast debut on SmartLess disclosing a near-drowning, while American actress Dakota Johnson chose to make her debut on Good Hang With Amy Poehler, holding her new puppy in her lap. 'Not only do these podcasts have massive reach, but they're also places where you can have a very nuanced, long-form conversation,' said Josh Lindgren, head of podcasts at Creative Artists Agency, which represents some of Kelce's business. 'The editing tends to have a fairly light touch, and so it's a place where you can go and have a conversation and expect that that's more or less what's going to get transmitted to your audience.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Ong Beng Seng fined $30k in case linked to ex-minister Iswaran after judge cites judicial mercy Singapore Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case Asia Sun Haiyan, ex-China ambassador to S'pore, detained for questioning: Sources Singapore Father of 4 among S'poreans arrested in CNB raids; drugs worth over $128k seized Life Online travel agencies Klook and make debut at Natas Travel Fair Singapore Jail for drink-driving cop in hit-and-run accident; victim suffered multiple fractures While these interviews may seem journalistic in nature, most stars of new media do not consider themselves journalists. In their celebrity interviews, they reject the blunt questions of 1990s network broadcasters and the literary sensibility of 1970s magazine scribes. They foster a sense of safety. Their goal is intimacy, not necessarily accountability. 'We're not a 'gotcha' show,' said Michael Bosstick, CEO of podcasting network Dear Media. He and his wife interviewed Ivanka Trump, the elder daughter of Donald Trump, in her second podcast appearance; her first was with Lex Fridman, a podcaster focused primarily on science and technology, whom Ivanka Trump described as a 'friend'. Neither show was a place where Trump would have expected to be grilled on her father's policies or her role in shaping them. 'It's about making the guests feel comfortable that we're going to actually let them tell their story,' said Bosstick, who spoke to Trump about skiing, workout supplements, her morning routine and her interest in artificial intelligence. Alex Cooper, the host of Call Her Daddy, said in 2024 that when interview subjects arrived at her studio 'terrified' that the internet would pick apart their words, she reassured them that 'we're good' and 'it's chill'. Sean Evans, the host of Hot Ones, told Vulture in May that he believed his show should be an 'extension of the guest', assuring one actor that he was in 'safe hands' while eating spicy wings. 'I would assume talent gets bored doing the traditional press junket, so this feels fresh and exciting,' said Kareem Rahma, host of Subway Takes, who has interviewed guests including Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and Zohran Mamdani, New York's Democratic candidate for mayor, while riding the city's transit system. 'From a more practical perspective, the average American spends seven hours a day looking at their phone, so it makes sense to meet the audience there.' Much energy has been devoted to positioning internet-native shows like Hot Ones or Subway Takes as the new version of late-night talk shows – a long-declining format – particularly in terms of the clamouring by celebrity publicists to book their clients. (Evans has also been public about his desire for a prime-time Emmy statue.) But late-night television appearances have always been short and sweet, marked by canned anecdotes or contrived games. Even glossy magazine covers, once pursued like a golden ticket by publicists, have lost some of their appeal. Agents are still eager to see their clients swathed in high-fashion brands and shot by big-name photographers, but podcasts are simply 'much quicker to execute, and they offer the talent the chance to speak in an unmediated way', said Charlotte Owen, editor of Bustle, which publishes both podcasts and more traditional cover stories. But to Owen, who hosts One Nightstand, a podcast on which guests talk about their favourite books, it is not only celebrities who benefit from these lengthy video interviews. 'I'm often having more robust, intimate and revelatory conversations than I do when sat in a restaurant with a voice recorder between us,' she said. 'And for guests, it's like being in a batting cage for an hour. You're going to hit something in that time.' New Heights will certainly benefit from Swift's appearance at a crucial moment for the podcast. In 2024, podcast network and publisher Wondery acquired the rights to distribute and sell the show's advertisements, negotiating a reported US$100 million (S$128 million) deal with Kelce, 35, and his co-host, older brother Jason, 37. But this month, Wondery was broken up by its parent company Amazon. The Kelces have since been funnelled into a new department, Creator Services, as the company focuses less on traditional audio podcasts and more on deploying its splashy video-friendly talent across its platforms. Before the latest episode's release, after days of teasing the interview with Swift, New Heights reached No. 1 on Apple Podcasts' chart. It had held that spot before, but not consistently. Previously, the brothers' most-watched YouTube video had about 8.6 million views. That was a 2023 interview with Jason Kelce's wife Kylie Kelce, the 33-year-old creator and host of her own podcast Not Gonna Lie, which debuted at the top of podcast charts in December 2024. NYTIMES
West Australian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Taylor Swift's New Heights podcast with Travis Kelce breaks records as she finds new way to control narrative
The transformation of podcasts from a niche audio format to a linchpin of celebrity press tours is complete. Taylor Swift has finally appeared on one. Her guest spot on 'New Heights,' a video podcast about football and pop culture co-hosted by her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, amassed nearly 9 million views in about 12 hours on YouTube, setting a record for the show and cementing its place among modern media properties. About 1.3 million people tuned in simultaneously to a livestream of the episode before it was felled by a technical glitch. By comparison, an October episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience' with US President Donald Trump reached about 11 million views in its first 12 hours on YouTube. Released Wednesday night, the 'New Heights' episode served as a long-form album announcement for Swift, who has never taken a particularly traditional approach to delivering such news. When not dropping surprise albums, she has opted for announcing albums on tour stops, on Yahoo livestreams or in the middle of awards shows. Rarely does Swift sit for an interview. (Exceptions include in-depth conversations about songwriting for Apple in 2020 and about directing for Variety in 2022). That her first proper podcast interview was conducted beside her romantic partner speaks to both her personal reluctance to engage with mainstream media and a larger truth about podcasting: For prominent figures, it has become a friendly space, where unchecked conversation can flow freely. Silicon Valley founders and White House officials have embraced two- or three-hour conversations with Rogan. Athletes and musicians talk about their mental health on 'Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard.' Actor Jason Momoa just made his podcast debut on 'SmartLess,' disclosing a near-drowning, while Dakota Johnson chose to make her debut on 'Good Hang With Amy Poehler,' holding her new puppy in her lap. 'Not only do these podcasts have massive reach, but they're also places where you can have a very nuanced, long-form conversation,' said Josh Lindgren, head of podcasts at Creative Artists Agency, in an interview Wednesday. 'The editing tends to have a fairly light touch, and so it's a place where you can go and have a conversation and expect that that's more or less what's going to get transmitted to your audience.' (CAA represents some of Kelce's business.) While these interviews may seem journalistic in nature, most stars of new media do not consider themselves journalists. In their celebrity interviews, they reject the blunt questions of 1990s network broadcasters and the literary sensibility of 1970s magazine scribes. They foster a sense of safety. Their goal is intimacy, not necessarily accountability. 'We're not a 'gotcha' show,' Michael Bosstick, Chief Executive of podcasting network Dear Media, told The New York Times this year. He and his wife interviewed Ivanka Trump, the elder daughter of Donald Trump, in her second podcast appearance; her first was with Lex Fridman, a podcaster focused primarily on science and technology, whom Ivanka Trump described as a 'friend.' Neither show was a place where Mr Trump would have expected to be grilled on her father's policies or her role in shaping them. 'It's about making the guests feel comfortable that we're going to actually let them tell their story,' said Bosstick, who spoke to Mr Trump about skiing, workout supplements, her morning routine and her interest in artificial intelligence. Alex Cooper, the host of 'Call Her Daddy,' told the Times last year that when interview subjects arrived at her studio 'terrified' that the internet would pick apart their words, she reassured them that 'we're good' and 'it's chill.' Sean Evans, the host of 'Hot Ones,' told Vulture in May that he believed his show should be an 'extension of the guest,' assuring one actor that he was in 'safe hands' while eating spicy wings. 'I would assume talent gets bored doing the traditional press junket, so this feels fresh and exciting,' said Kareem Rahma, host of 'Subway Takes,' who has interviewed guests including actress Cate Blanchett and Zohran Mamdani, New York's Democratic candidate for mayor, while riding the city's transit system. 'From a more practical perspective, the average American spends seven hours a day looking at their phone, so it makes sense to meet the audience there.' Much energy has been devoted to positioning internet-native shows like 'Hot Ones' or 'Subway Takes' as the new version of late-night talk shows — a long-declining format — particularly in terms of the clamouring by celebrity publicists to book their clients. (Evans has also been public about his desire for a prime-time Emmy statue.) But late-night television appearances have always been short and sweet, marked by canned anecdotes or contrived games. Even glossy magazine covers, once pursued like a golden ticket by publicists, have lost some of their appeal. Agents are still eager to see their clients swathed in high-fashion brands and shot by big-name photographers, but podcasts are simply 'much quicker to execute, and they offer the talent the chance to speak in an unmediated way,' said Charlotte Owen, editor of Bustle, which publishes both podcasts and more traditional cover stories. But to Owen, who hosts 'One Nightstand,' a podcast on which guests talk about their favourite books, it is not only celebrities who benefit from these lengthy video interviews. 'I'm often having more robust, intimate and revelatory conversations than I do when sat in a restaurant with a voice recorder between us,' she said. 'And for guests, it's like being in a batting cage for an hour. You're going to hit something in that time.' 'New Heights' will certainly benefit from Swift's appearance at a crucial moment for the podcast. Last year, Wondery acquired the rights to distribute and sell the show's advertisements, negotiating a reported $100 million deal with Kelce and his co-host, his brother Jason. But this month, Wondery was broken up by its parent company, Amazon. The Kelces have since been funnelled into a new department, Creator Services, as the company focuses less on traditional audio podcasts and more on deploying its splashy video-friendly talent across its platforms. Before the episode's release, after days of teasing the interview with Swift, 'New Heights' reached No. 1 on Apple Podcasts' chart. It had held that spot before, but not consistently. Previously, the brothers' most-watched YouTube video had about 8.6 million views. That was an interview with Jason Kelce's wife, Kylie. This article originally appeared in The New York Times . © 2025 The New York Times Company
The Star
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Brad Pitt 'needed rebooting' at Alcoholics Anonymous amid Angelina Jolie split
Brad Pitt (pic) is extolling the virtues of Alcoholics Anonymous and how it helped him during his contentious divorce from Angelina Jolie. The Oscar winner appeared on the June 23 episode of Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard , when the two actors opened up about bonding in an AA meeting. 'I just thought it was just incredible men sharing their experiences, their foibles, their missteps, their wants, their aches, and a lot of humour with it,' Pitt said. 'I thought it was a really special experience.' Pitt, promoting his new action film F1 , admitted to being 'shy' coming into the meetings in the aftermath of splitting with Jolie, with whom he shares six children. 'I was pretty much on my knees, and I was really open,' the 61-year-old self-described 'stubborn (expletive)' told Shepard. 'I was trying anything and everyone. Anything anyone threw at me. It was a difficult time. I needed rebooting. I needed to wake the (expletive) up in some areas. And it just meant a lot to me.' Pitt previously revealed that he entered the programme in 2016 after Jolie first filed for divorce. 'It was actually really freeing to just expose the ugly sides of yourself,' he told the New York Times in 2019. 'There's a great value in that.' In December, the estranged couple reached a divorce settlement after eight years. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
